The aim of the project was to improve access to local and trade directories for the period 1750-1919 by making a substantial collection of English and Welsh directories available online as a Digital Library of Historical Directories. This digital resource comprises in total some 600 directories, covering every English county together with Wales, and ranging widely over the period 1750-1919 (the latter cut-off point chosen for copyright reasons). There is a particular focus on the 1850s, 1890s and 1910s, with at least one directory provided for each county in each of these decades. The digitisation of the volumes involved a two-stage process, in which (1) the hard-copy source was scanned to produce a graphic image of each page, and then (2) those images were processed using OCR software to generate a machine-readable text file.An online version of this resource can be found on the Website of the University of Leicester. This data collection includes the following directories:- Liverpool's  First  Directory:  a  reprint  of  the  names and addresses from Gore's Directory for 1766; to which is added a street  directory  for  the  same  year,  compiled  by  George  T.  Shaw  &  Isabella Shaw. Also, a history of the Liverpool directories from 1766 to 1907 by George T. Shaw (1907)- Scholes's Manchester and Salford Directory: or, an alphabetical  list  of  the  merchants,  manufacturers,  and  principal  inhabitants, with the new numbers as affixed to their houses (1794)- Scholes's Manchester and Salford Directory: or, an alphabetical  list  of  the  merchants,  manufacturers,  and  principal  inhabitants: with the numbers as affixed to their houses (1797)- Pigot  and  Deans'  New  Directory  of  Manchester,  Salford,  &c.  for  1821-2;  containing  an  alphabetical  list  of  the  merchants, manufacturers, and inhabitants in general, with the numbers as  affixed  to  their  doors.  Also  an  alphabetical  list  of  the  country  manufacturers &c. attending the Manchester markets (1821)- Gore's Liverpool Directory, with its environs, for 1825,  containing  an  alphabetical  list  of  the  merchants,  traders,  and  principal inhabitants: also, list of the mayor and council, officers of the  customs  and  excise,  dock  duties  and  commissioners  ...  annals  of  Liverpool, &c. (1825)- Gores'  Directory  of  Liverpool  and  its  environs,  1827 (1827)- Gores' Directory of Liverpool and its Environs for 1829 (1829)- Pigot & Slater's General and Classified Directory of  Manchester  and  Salford,  including  the  adjacent  townships:  together  with the country manufacturers attending the market; regulations of the General  Post  Office,  and  full  particulars  of  the  conveyances  by  railway, road and water (1841)- History, Gazetteer, and Directory of the County Palatine of Chester (1850)- Slater's  General  and  Classified  Directory  and  Street  Register  of  Manchester  and  Salford,  and  their  Vicinities.  Full  particulars of the various conveyances by railway, road and water ... lists  of  the  edifices  for  divine  worship,  with  their  ministers,  and  other public buildings, institutions and offices (1850)- A  New  Alphabetical  and  Classified  Directory  of  Manchester and Salford, Bolton, Bury, Wigan ... to which are prefixed historical  and  descriptive  sketches,  exhibiting  their  rise,  progress,  manufactures, and commerce (1853)- Gore's  Directory  of  Liverpool  and  its  Environs.  1853. (1853)- History,  Topography,  and  Directory  of  Mid-Lancashire, with an essay on geology / by Mannex & Co. (1854)- Charles  Balshaw's  Stranger's  Guide,  and  Complete  Directory,  to  Altrincham,  Bowdon,  Dunham,  Timperley,  Baguley,  Ashley,  Hale, and Bollington. (1855)- Slater's  General  and  Classified  Directory  and  Street  Register  of  Manchester  and  Salford,  with  their  vicinities; particulars of the various conveyances by railway, road and water ... lists  of  the  edifices  for  divine  worship,  with  their  ministers,  and  other public buildings, institutions and offices (1863)- Morris  and  Co.'s  Commercial  Directory  and  Gazetteer of Cheshire (1874)- Slater's  Royal  National  Commercial  Directory  (Slater's Directory) of Manchester and Salford with their vicinities, 1876. [Part 1: Alphabetical Directory] (1876)- Slater's  Royal  National  Commercial  Directory  (Slater's  Directory)  of  Manchester  and  Salford  with  their  vicinities,  1876. [Part 2: Trades, Institutions, Streets, etc.] (1876)- Slater's  Royal  National  Commercial  Directory  of  Manchester  and  Salford,  with  their  vicinities;  particulars  of  the  conveyances  by  railway,  road  and  water;  lists  of  the  edifices  for  divine   worship,   with   their   ministers;   other   public   buildings,   institutions,  and  offices,  with  their  officials  ...  [1877-78.  Part  1:  Alphabetical Directory] (1878)- Slater's  Royal  National  Commercial  Directory  of  Manchester  and  Salford,  with  their  vicinities;  particulars  of  the  conveyances  by  railway,  road,  and  water;  lists  of  the  edifices  for  divine   worship,   with   their   ministers;   other   public   buildings,   institutions,  and  offices,  with  their  officials  ...  [1877-78.  Part  2:  Trades, Institutions, Streets, etc.] (1877-78)- Slater's  Royal  National  Commercial  Directory  of  Manchester and Salford, with their vicinities. In addition to the usual information there will be found "the pay days of the principal firms;" a  separate  list  of  shipping  houses,  their  markets,  and  the  class  of  goods shipped ... [1879. Part 1: Alphabetical Directory] (1879)- Slater's  Royal  National  Commercial  Directory  of  Manchester and Salford, with their vicinities. In addition to the usual information there will be found "the pay days of the principal firms;" a  separate  list  of  shipping  houses,  their  markets,  and  the  class  of  goods shipped ... [1879. Part 2: Trades, Institutions, Streets, etc.] (1879)- Slater's  Royal  National  Commercial  Directory  of  Manchester  and  Salford,  with  their  vicinities  ...  [1883.  Part  1:  Alphabetical Directory] (1883)- Slater's  Royal  National  Commercial  Directory  of  Manchester  and  Salford,  with  their  vicinities  ...  [1883.  Part  2:  Trades, Institutions, Streets, etc.] (1883)-