Trade and other Directories (by date)
The following directories are held at Area Libraries and at the County Archives Office. Trade directories originated in the C17 to provide addresses for merchants and businessmen. By the C19 they were used by the Post Office to give correct addresses of principal citizens in towns and villages. Because they list tradesmen and services as well as names of individuals they are of great value to the genealogist and the local historian. Many of these directories were printed by private firms, such as Kelly's, and included information on the towns and villages they covered.
Abbreviations: CAO = County Archives Office, BR = Brecon Area Library, LLW = Llandrindod Wells Area Library; NEW = Newtown Area Library. Coverage: B = Breconshire; M = Montgomeryshire; R = Radnorshire
| Date | Title of Directory | Coverage | Location | Notes |
| 1791 | Universal British Directory (UK) | B (BR) | CAO | Facsimile (extracts) |
| 1798 | Universal British Directory (UK) | B, M, R | LLW | Facsimile |
| 1822 | Pigot & Co's (North Wales) | M | CAO, NEW | Fiche |
| 1825 | Pigot & Co's (Wales) | B, R | CAO | Facsimile (circa 1825) |
| 1828 | Pigot & Co's (North Wales) | M | CAO, NEW | Fiche |
| 1828 | Pigot & Co's (Wales) | M (WEL) | CAO | Facsimile |
| 1829 | Pigot & Co's (North Wales) | M | CAO, NEW | Original (NEW) & Facsimile |
| 1829 | Pigot & Co's (Wales) | B, M, R | BR | Original |
| 1830 | Pigot & Co’s (North Wales) | M | CAO | Fiche |
| 1830 | Pigot & Co’s (South Wales) | B, R | CAO | Fiche |
| 1831 | Boundary Commission | R | CAO | Facsimile (extracts) |
| 1835 | Pigot & Co's (North Wales) | M | CAO, NEW | Fiche |
| 1835 | Pigot & Co's (Wales) | B, M, R | CAO, NEW | Original |
| 1840 | Robson's (North Wales) | M | CAO, NEW | Fiche |
| 1844 | Slater's (North Wales) | M | CAO, NEW | Fiche (late Pigot & Co) |
| 1849 | Hunt & Co's (Gloucester) | B (BR & CR) | CAO | Facsimile (extracts) |
| 1850 | Slater's (North Wales) | M | CAO, NEW | Fiche (late Pigot & Co) |
| 1856 | Slater's (North Wales) | M | CAO, NEW | Fiche (late Pigot & Co) |
| 1858 | Slater's (Wales) | B, M, R | CAO | Facsimile (late Pigot & Co) |
| 1859 | J. Jones (North Wales) | M | CAO, NEW | Fiche (Wrexham only) |
| 1863 | County Directory | R | CAO | Facsimile (extracts) |
| 1868 | Slater's (North Wales) | M | CAO, NEW | Fiche (late Pigot & Co) |
| 1871 | Return of landowners | B, M, R | CAO | Facsimile (From 1871 Census) |
| 1871 | Return of landowners | M | NEW | Facsimile |
| 1874 | Worrall's (North Wales) | M | CAO, NEW | Fiche |
| 1876 | Cassey's (North Wales) | M | CAO, NEW | Fiche |
| 1881 | Almanac Caergybi | M (MAC) | CAO, NEW | Facsimile |
| 1881 | Crocker's (Wrexham area) | M | CAO, NEW | Fiche |
| 1882 | Almanac Caergybi | M (MAC) | CAO, NEW | Facsimile (extracts) |
| 1883 | Almanac Caergybi | M (MAC) | NEW | Original |
| 1883 | Slater's (North Wales) | M | CAO, NEW | Fiche (late Pigot & Co) |
| 1884 | Almanac Caergybi | M (MAC) | CAO, NEW | Original (NEW) & Facsimile (extracts) |
| 1886 | Porter's (Flints & Denbs) | M | CAO, NEW | Fiche |
| 1889 | Sutton's (North Wales) | M | CAO, NEW | Fiche |
| 1889 | Sutton's (North Wales) | M | CAO | Facsimile |
| 1890 | Shropshire & N. Wales Almanac | M | CAO | Facsimile |
| 1890 | Shropshire & N. Wales Almanac | M | NEW | Original & copy |
| 1891 | Kelly's (South Wales) | B, R | BRE | Original |
| 1891 | Llandrindod Wells Guide | R (LLW) | CAO | Facsimile |
| 1894 | Park Penny Guide | M | NEW | Original |
| 1895 | Bennett's (Wales) | B, M, R | CAO | Facsimile |
| 1895 | Bennett's (North Wales) | M | NEW | Facsimile (extracts) |
| 1895 | Bennett’s (South Wales) | B,M | CAO | Original |
| 1895 | Kelly's (Wales) | B, M, R | LLW | Original |
| 1895 | Kelly's (Wales) | B, R | CAO | Facsimile |
| 1895 | Slater's (North Wales) | M | CAO, NEW | Fiche (late Pigot & Co) |
| 1896 | Llandrindod Wells Illus. Guide | R (LLW) | CAO | Facsimile (pub. Bufton) |
| 1897 | Park Penny Guide | M (MON) | NEW | Original (Montgomery & district) |
| 1901 | Kelly's (Wales) | B, M, R | LLW | Original |
| 1902 | Debrett's (UK) | B, M, R | LLW | Original |
| 1904 | Payne's Welshpool Almanack | M (WEL) | CAO | Facsimile |
| 1904 | Payne's Welshpool Almanack | M (WEL) | NEW | Original & Copy |
| 1905 | Payne's Welshpool Almanack | M (WEL) | CAO | Facsimile (extracts) |
| 1905 | Payne's Welshpool Almanack | M (WEL) | NEW | Original & Copy |
| 1906 | Payne's Welshpool Almanack | M (WEL) | NEW | Original |
| 1906 | Kelly's (Wales) | B, M, R | LLW | Original |
| 1906 | Kelly's (Wales) | B, R | CAO | Facsimile (extracts) |
| 1907 | Post Office Telephone Directory | B, M, R | CAO | Facsimile (extracts) |
| 1907 | Post Office Telephone Directory | M | NEW | Facsimile (extracts) |
| 1908 | Payne's Welshpool Almanack | M (WEL) | CAO | Facsimile (extracts) |
| 1908 | Payne's Welshpool Almanack | M (WEL) | NEW | Original & Copy |
| 1909 | Bishop's Powysland Almanack | M | NEW | Original |
| 1909 | Payne's Welshpool Almanack | M (WEL) | CAO | Facsimile (extracts) |
| 1909 | Payne's Welshpool Almanack | M (WEL) | NEW | Original & Copy |
| 1910 | Payne's Welshpool Almanack | M (WEL) | CAO | Facsimile (extracts) |
| 1910 | Payne's Welshpool Almanack | M (WEL) | NEW | Original & Copy |
| 1911 | Payne's Welshpool Almanack | M (WEL) | CAO | Facsimile (extracts) |
| 1911 | Payne's Welshpool Almanack | M (WEL) | NEW | Original & Copy |
| 1912 | Payne's Welshpool Almanack | M (WEL) | CAO | Facsimile extracts) |
| 1912 | Payne's Welshpool Almanack | M (WEL) | NEW | Original & Copy |
| 1913 | Bennett's (North Wales) | M | CAO, NEW | Fiche |
| 1914 | Burke's (UK) | B, M, R | LLW | Original |
| 1914 | Kelly's (South Wales) | B, R | BRE | Original: Brecon entry missing |
| 1914 | Llanidloes Almanack &c. | M (LLI) | NEW | Original |
| 1914 | Payne's Welshpool Almanack | M (WEL) | CAO | Facsimile (extracts) |
| 1914 | Payne's Welshpool Almanack | M (WEL) | NEW | Original & Copy |
| 1915 | Payne's Welshpool Almanack | M (WEL) | CAO | Facsimile (extracts) |
| 1915 | Payne's Welshpool Almanack | M (WEL) | NEW | Original & Copy |
| 1916 | Llandrindod Wells Guide | R (LLW) | CAO | Facsimile |
| 1917 | Payne's Welshpool Almanack | M (WEL) | CAO | Facsimile |
| 1917 | Payne's Welshpool Almanack | M (WEL) | NEW | Original & Copy |
| 1922 | Bennett's (North Wales) | M | CAO, NEW | Fiche |
| 1926 | Kelly's (South Wales) | B, R | BRE | Original |
| 1926 | Kelly's (South Wales) | B, R | CAO | Original |
| 1926 | Kelly's (Wales) | B, M, R | LLW | Original |
| 1932 | Cope's (North Wales) | M | CAO, NEW | Fiche |
| 1936 | Bennett's (North Wales) | M | CAO, NEW | Fiche |
| 1936 | Wales Trades Directory | B, M, R | CAO | Original |
| 1936 | Wales Trades Directory | M | NEW | Facsimile |
| 1948 | Crockford's Clerical (UK) | B, M, R | LLW | Original |
| 1952 | Burke's (UK) | B, M, R | LLW | Original |
| 1968 | Debrett's (UK) | B, M, R | LLW | Original |
| 1986 | Crockford's Clerical (UK) | B, M, R | LLW | Original |
