Britain is a nation of shopkeepers... but who kept which shop?
May 31, 2017 3:08 AM Subscribe
I would like to find out who managed a certain shop, on a certain road in London, at a given point in time (the 1960s).
Oral history tells me the business existed at a certain address (I have address, but no business name - just the type of business). I can find no supporting evidence of such a business by looking through telephone books of the time for the area, but they are listed alphabetically, not by type. Nor can I figure out how to find out who was employed in that business
What resources would you recommend? How might I go about this? I've exhausted my own online abilities in this area, when it comes to...
1) How to find details of a business in London by having only the address in the 1960s.
2) Assuming I can find 1) how to find who worked there and/or who owned the business at the time?
Oral history tells me the business existed at a certain address (I have address, but no business name - just the type of business). I can find no supporting evidence of such a business by looking through telephone books of the time for the area, but they are listed alphabetically, not by type. Nor can I figure out how to find out who was employed in that business
What resources would you recommend? How might I go about this? I've exhausted my own online abilities in this area, when it comes to...
1) How to find details of a business in London by having only the address in the 1960s.
2) Assuming I can find 1) how to find who worked there and/or who owned the business at the time?
Do you know how long it existed for? The Yellow Pages was introduced in 1973, it should be in there if it was still trading. Local library would probably have a microfilm copy, or could tell you who does.
There are also local archives in each borough, try there.
posted by tinkletown at 4:54 AM on May 31, 2017 [1 favorite]
There are also local archives in each borough, try there.
posted by tinkletown at 4:54 AM on May 31, 2017 [1 favorite]
Is there a neighborhood historical society? Even if they can't answer the question for you, they can probably point you in the right direction.
Would the business have been a member of a trade association or a chamber of commerce? Maybe those organizations have records of membership.
The 60s are recent enough that there are still probably people who have firsthand memories of the shop. My first thought is that you might try reaching out to churches in the area to see if any parishioners remember the area 50 years ago.
posted by kevinbelt at 6:51 AM on May 31, 2017 [1 favorite]
Would the business have been a member of a trade association or a chamber of commerce? Maybe those organizations have records of membership.
The 60s are recent enough that there are still probably people who have firsthand memories of the shop. My first thought is that you might try reaching out to churches in the area to see if any parishioners remember the area 50 years ago.
posted by kevinbelt at 6:51 AM on May 31, 2017 [1 favorite]
How about online newspaper archives -- or, as people have already suggested, local history archives?
Would you be comfortable sharing the location in this thread, or memailing it?
If you give us more of a clue about the type of business, there might be other avenues to pursue (union membership records, for example).
posted by vickyverky at 8:22 AM on May 31, 2017 [1 favorite]
Would you be comfortable sharing the location in this thread, or memailing it?
If you give us more of a clue about the type of business, there might be other avenues to pursue (union membership records, for example).
posted by vickyverky at 8:22 AM on May 31, 2017 [1 favorite]
We have something in Norwich called the Norwich Society (wikipedia) that is involved with historic preservation and planning issues. It's been around since 1923. Possibly there is an organisation like this where you live that might have some old records?
There are often local history books published - even in very small places. Here in Norwich we also have the George Plunkett photo archive. There may be similar resources where you live. The 1960s should be well documented. I've seen a lot of stuff on old pubs and clubs, old cinemas, etc.
posted by sagwalla at 8:27 AM on May 31, 2017 [1 favorite]
There are often local history books published - even in very small places. Here in Norwich we also have the George Plunkett photo archive. There may be similar resources where you live. The 1960s should be well documented. I've seen a lot of stuff on old pubs and clubs, old cinemas, etc.
posted by sagwalla at 8:27 AM on May 31, 2017 [1 favorite]
England also has leaseholds and freeholds (ownership of land upon which a property sits vs ownership of the land plus the property)--you might try contacting the borough in which the address is located and checking property records for the address.
posted by stillmoving at 9:24 AM on May 31, 2017
posted by stillmoving at 9:24 AM on May 31, 2017
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