Changes

Old directories may be thought of as the early equivalent of the telephone book with both white and yellow page information. They can yield invaluable snippets of information about such things as an ancestor's job, place of work, promotion, or even home address, in addition to more general information such as postage rates, distances between various localities, various government regulations, and who was in charge of what in a particular year. Many of them also list births, marriages and deaths, and ships’ passengers.

Searching Yearbooks and directories that are available as online books is not as accurate as it could be, probably due to the quality of the print, with letters misshapen etc. As an example, a search led one researcher tend to an item overlap in the 1838 ''Bengal Directory''. However, when the volume was read more widely several other items of interest were found, none of which had been picked up by using the search facility. If you information they offer and for this reason both are looking for something specific and you do not find it included in this way, it pays reading list. The historical summaries offered in a yearbook can provide excellent background information on a particular year to look in the index, say for the births, marriages and deaths, and then go through the whole sectionfamily historian.

===Guide to Note that army and naval directories===are listed in the [[Military reading list]].

See also:* Morgan, Richard[[Newspapers & magazines reading list]]''Indian *[[Directories''. London: Families in British India Society, 2009 (FIBIS fact files; 3)online]]

===General Indian Guide to directories===

Scattered editions are fully available on Google Books. See [[Directories_online#AllenImage:FFF3.27s_Indian_Mailjpg|our index to volumesright]].  * Morgan, Richard* ''The Asiatic annual register, or, A view of the history of Hindustan, and of the politics, commerce and literature of AsiaIndian Directories''. [Online version] London: Cadell & DaviesFamilies in British India Society, 1799-18112009 (FIBIS fact files; 3)

In addition This booklet provides an invaluable guide to standard the printed directories available on people who lived or served in British India, with examples of the kind of informationuseful to family historians to be found in them. Written by Richard Morgan, these include whom many items about shippingwill know from his articles in family history journals on genealogical research relating to India, including ships hired for the seasonit is in his characteristically brisk and down-to-earth style, and loss full of shipspractical advice on how to get the best out of these important sources. In particular he draws attention to the sometimes underestimated Thacker's ''Indian Directory'' which so often comes to the rescue when your ancestor was a 'non-official' and therefore omitted from almost all the official records. All the directories discussed are readily available at the British Library and directions are given on locating them elsewhere. (reviewed by David Blake, FIBIS Trustee)

A number of editions are fully available at Google BooksAvailable from the [https://www. See [[Directories_online#Asiatic_Annual_Register|our index to volumesfibis.org/store/ FIBIS Bookshop]].

In addition to standard information, these include many items about shipping, including ships hired for the season, and loss of ships* ''The Bengal or East-India calendar''.[Online version] 1795

Google Books many editions This early directory includes details for Madras, Bombay etc. and is part of a number of directories from the late 1700’s available on the website [http://www.gale.cengage.com/DigitalCollections/products/ecco/index.htm Eighteenth Century Collections Online] (two per year until 1829, then threeECCO- A part of Gale Digital Collections) . The access is restricted to view library card holders (usually residents) of participating Libraries, including the National Libraries of [http://www.nls.uk/catalogues/online or download/er/index. FIBIwiki has an html Scotland], [http://www.llgc.org.uk/index.php?id=otherresourcesa-z Wales], [Asiatic Journal|index to available editionshttp://www.nli.ie/en/eresources.aspx Ireland], [http://www.nla.gov.au/app/eresources/list/licenced/e Australia], [http://www2.sl.nsw.gov.au/databases/athome.cfm State Library of NSW], and many Universities. ECCO may also be accessed from the British Library Reading Rooms.

* ''The East-India kalendar; or, Asiatic register for Bengal, Madras, Bombay, Fort Marlborough, China, and directory for 1819St. Helena''. [Online version] London: Cox and Bayliss1791, 18191797

The EIRs provide complete lists These very early editions of the ''East-India register'' are part of a number of directories from the late 1700’s available on the servants website [http://www.gale.cengage.com/DigitalCollections/products/ecco/index.htm Eighteenth Century Collections Online] (employees) ECCO- A part of the Gale Digital Collections - see note above under ''The Bengal or East -India Company both at home and abroad including civilians, military and marine personnel, also Europeans and mariners with interests in India, but not in the service of the Company, for a particular yearcalendar'').

* The EIRs provide complete lists of the servants (employees) of the East India Company both at home and abroad including civilians, military and marine personnel, also Europeans and mariners with interests in India, but not in the service of the Company, for a particular year. The EIRs were superceded by ''The East India register & directory 1830list''. [CD-Rom] Cinderford: Archive CD Books, 2003

This PDF facsimile is out of production The [[LDS]] (Mormon) Family Search Library has many editions from 1803 to 1860 in microfilm format listed in the UK, but can be found at its [http://www.archivecdbooksfamilysearch.comorg/eng/library/fhlcatalog/supermainframeset.au Archive CD Books Australiaasp?display=titlefilmnotes&columns=*%2C0%2C0&titleno=778871 Library Catalogue] or . This [http://www.archivecdbooksfamilysearch.org/eng/library/fhlcatalog/supermainframeset.ie Archive CD Books Irelandasp?display=titledetails&titleno=778871 page] or from the Catalogue shows the various titles which are included in the series and will be available to view at a local [http://www.archivecdbooksusafamilysearch.org/eng/library/FHC/frameset_fhc.com Archive CD Books USAasp Family History Center].

* ''The East -India register & and directory 1844''(Digitised editions). [CD-Rom] Cinderford: Archive CD Books, 2005

This PDF facsimile is out of production in the UK, but Fully searchable editions covering various years can be found at Online. See [http://www.archivecdbooks.com.au Archive CD Books Australia[Directories_online#East-India_Register|our index to volumes] or [http://www.archivecdbooks.ie Archive CD Books Ireland] or [http://www.archivecdbooksusa.com Archive CD Books USA]

* ''The East-India register and army listThacker's Indian directory 1895''. **This directory can now be searched or browsed online at [Online version] Londonhttp: W//search.ancestry.Hco. Allenuk/search/db.aspx?dbid=31426 Ancestry.co.uk]

Scattered editions Thacker's annual directories are available for searching, reading online or downloading at Google Books. See [[Directories_online#East-India_Register|our index to volumes]]the most comprehensive of all the Indian directories.

Each year on this DVD, plus others, are also available from * ''The Bengal and Agra annual guide and gazetteer''. [httpOnline version] Calcutta://youroldbooksandmapsW.co.uk Your Old Books & Maps] as individual CD-Roms or pre-pay downloadsRushton and Co., 1841

Available to view or download on Google Books* ''The Bengal calendar''. See [[Directories_online#Oriental_Herald_and_Colonial_Review|our index to volumesOnline version]]. 1787, 1789

Available to view or download on Google Books* ''The Bengal calendar & register''. See [[Directories_online#Quarterly_Oriental_Magazine.2C_Review_and_Register|our index to volumes]Online version].1790

General Directories available are* ''The Bengal directory and annual register''. [Online version] Calcutta:Samuel Smith & Co., 1838

1791 and 1797Full version on [http: ''The East India Kalendar; or//books.google.com/books?id=O94NAAAAQAAJ Google Books], Asiatic register for includes BengalArmy list, Madras, Bombay, Fort Marlborough, China, and Stcivil list etc. Helena'' 1795: ''The Bengal or East-India calendar'' (includes Madras, Bombay etc)

* ''Thacker's Indian directory 1895The Bengal kalendar and almanack''. [CD-RomOnline version] Cinderford: Archive CD Books, 20021792

Thacker's annual directories are This is available on the most comprehensive website [http://www.gale.cengage.com/DigitalCollections/products/ecco/index.htm Eighteenth Century Collections Online] (ECCO - a part of all Gale Digital Collections) at participating libraries, including the Indian directoriesBritish Library Reading Rooms.

* ''The Bengal and Agra Annual Guide and Gazetteer for 1841''. Also available on the website [Online version] Calcuttahttp: W//www.gale.cengage. Rushton and Cocom/DigitalCollections/products/ecco/index.htm Eighteenth Century Collections Online] (ECCO - a part of Gale Digital Collections) at participating libraries, 1841including the British Library Reading Rooms.

* ''The HEIC employees in Bengal Directory and Annual Register'', including surgeons. This is available on the website [http://www.gale.cengage.com/DigitalCollections/products/ecco/index.htm Eighteenth Century Collections Online version] Calcutta:Samuel Smith & Co(ECCO - a part of Gale Digital Collections) at participating libraries, including the British Library Reading Rooms., 1838

* ''The Calcutta Annual Register This provides, in what is termed historical sketches, a comparison between British India in 1810 and 1821'', including information on the policies of the Indian states and British India, territorial expansion, finances and trade. There are also government regulations, plus parliamentary and India House proceedings for the year. There are some articles and an obituary. [Online version] At the end is a section compiled from Calcutta: Government Gazette Pressnewspapers listing the administrators/executors for the estates of various deceased people, arrivals and departures, marriages, deaths, 1823and births. The births are arranged by the child's gender with twins at the end of the sequence.

* ''Calcutta Monthly Journal and General RegisterThe India list''. [Online versionMicroform] Calcutta: Samuel Smith & Son1861-1947

Several editions are available on Google Books. See [[Directories_online#Calcutta_Monthly_Journal|our index to volumes]].  *Available on When the website ECCO (see above) 1785: ''The Oriental magazine; or, Calcutta amusement'' 1787: ''The Bengal register, containing lists governing of India was transferred from the Hon. Company's civil and military establishments, under HEIC to the Presidency of Fort William'' (also includes surgeons) 1787British government, 1789: ''The Bengal CalendarEast-India register'' 1790: was superceded by what was initially called ''The Bengal Calendar & RegisterIndian army and civil service list'' 1790: . This later series is collectively referred to as ''The Calcutta Monthly RegisterIndia list''. Vol 1, November 1790 1792: ''The Bengal Kalendar, [[LDS]] (Mormon) Family Search Library has microfilmed editions of this from 1861 through to 1947 and Almanack'' 1795 and 1800these are listed in [http: ''The Bengal Kalendar and Register'' //www.familysearch.org/eng/library/fhlcatalog/supermainframeset.asp?display=titlefilmnotes&columns=*%2C0%2C0&titleno=Civil Service directories===  *Available on 778871 Library Catalogue] under the website ECCO (see above) for 1790 and 1799: 'title 'A list of the Company's civil servants, at their settlements in the An East-Indies, the island St. Helena, India register and Chinadirectory''. This [http://www.familysearch.org/eng/library/fhlcatalog/supermainframeset.asp?display=titledetails&titleno=778871 page] from the catalogue shows the various titles which form the series. Note that some of the volumes do not contain an Army List eg the 1905 volume mentioned below. The LDS(List of senior and junior merchants, factors, writersMormon)Library catalogue has the following [http://www.familysearch.org/eng/library/fhlcatalog/supermainframeset.asp?display=titledetails&titleno=578082 entry] for India Office Army Lists 1886-1940 available on fiche.The films can be viewed at a local [http://www.familysearch.org/eng/library/FHC/frameset_fhc.asp Family History Center].