The University of Leicester in England has valuable online collections for genealogy and family history research including:
England and Wales Residence Records
Directories
- Historical Directories of England and Wales – online city, town, county, and trade directories from England and Wales ranging from the late 1760s to the early 1910s.
- Bedfordshire
- Berkshire
- Buckinghamshire
- Cambridgeshire
- Cheshire
- Cornwall
- Cumberland
- Derbyshire
- Devon
- Dorset
- Durham
- Essex
- Gloucestershire
- Hampshire
- Herefordshire
- Hertfordshire
- Huntingdonshire
- Kent
- Lancashire
- Leicestershire
- Lincolnshire
- London
- Middlesex
- Northumberland
- Norfolk
- Northamptonshire
- Nottinghamshire
- Oxfordshire
- Rutland
- Shropshire
- Somerset
- Staffordshire
- Suffolk
- Surrey
- Sussex
- Warwickshire
- Westmorland
- Wiltshire
- Worcestershire
- Yorkshire
- Wales
- Historical Directories of Leicestershire – 50 trade and street directories for Leicester and Leicestershire from the 1790s to 1910s-published more frequently than censuses.
Maps
- University of Leicester Special Collections – A selection of books and maps from the University of Leicester Special Collections
England and Wales Daily Life Records
Advertisements
- Ghost Signs of Leicestershire – A ghost sign is a hand-painted advertisement that has been preserved on a building for an extended period of time. Often found on the sides of houses and other buildings which stand at busy intersections. It was common for signs to be repainted with new designs periodically leaving the original artwork obscured. As the paints age and fade these older designs often appear from beneath in an effect known as ghosting. This collection contains photographs of over 250 ghost signs from around the county with location coordinates for each. If you have any information about a particular sign why not leave a comment.
Business & Industry
Oral Histories
- Oral History Archive – 447 recordings including stories of rationing, the Zeppelin raid in 1916, home remedies, midwifery, games, factory work, World War II, post-war resettlement, and more.
Photographs, Audio, Film, Books
- Leicestershire Mercury Archive – The University of Leicester is home to the archive of the Leicester Mercury newspaper, which has reported on news and events in Leicester since 1874. The collection covers events reported from the 1960s-1990s only, and contains photographic prints, files of newspaper cuttings and photographic negatives.
- My Leicestershire History – “this is a free and fully searchable online resource containing photographs, films, sound recordings, and books about the history of Leicester and Leicestershire. It forms part of the University’s Special Collections Online.”
- Vanished Leicester – More than 1000 photographs of streets and individual buildings in Leicester demolished between 1955 to 1975, mainly as a result of the postwar slum clearance programme, but also in connection with other developments. Arranged in alphabetical order of street names, with relevant district noted.
Books
- Miscellaneous Collections – including Loughborough Parish Library catalogue, books about the history of Leicester and images of Leicester
- Many historic photographs, maps, book collections, manufacturing history collections related to Leicester’s past.
England and Wales Military Records
Comments