Find your ancestors in George Bassett, The Book of Antrim (1888)

There are 9,000 transcripts in this record set, each including an image of the original directory. While the amount of available information varies, most transcripts include the following:

• First name(s)
• Last name
• Year
• Town

Images often include additional and more precise information. For example, we learn that William Noble is a cabinet maker on 81 Bow Street in Lisburn by looking at the image of the original publication.

Discover more about these records

Bassett’s Book of Antrim is both a directory and a guide to the entire county in 1888. It is one of the most important sources published for late nineteenth century Antrim, recording details such as addresses and occupations for around 9,000 people in the county. It contains 414 pages of detailed information as well as an excellent full colour map.

The book begins with the history, economy, geology and social life of the county. This is followed by a full directory for every town and village, giving the names and details for all office-holders, professionals, merchants and tradesmen, as well as a full alphabetical directory of farmers and other residents not listed by trade. There is a detailed introduction to each town and village with information about the economy, history, religion, railways, post, and general character of the place. It includes an extended treatment for Belfast, and the towns of Lisburn, Ballymena, and the Coleraine district. The book finishes with an index of places, a list of fairs and markets, and several commercial advertisements.

The publication of Irish county directories in the nineteenth century was less than comprehensive. William Bassett produced some of the best county directories in Ireland. Unfortunately he only published a small number of volumes and never covered the entire country.

Copyright

These records were sourced from Eneclann.