Trade Directories
The information in this section is an edited version taken from
Llanelli - Birth of a Town a CdRom by William and Benita Rees
1830-1831 Pigot’s & Co’s Directory
1849 Hunt’s Directory of Gloucester, Bristol & Welsh Towns
1872 John Jenkins Chalinder’s Trade Directory
1897 James Davies & Co’s Llanelly Directory & Local Guide
1897 Llanelly Trade Directory - Advertisements
A short introduction
According to the Guide to the National and Provincial Directories of England and Wales . . . before 1856 (Royal Historical Society, 1950), the earliest directory that might have included Llanelli was The Universal British Directory of Trade, Commerce and Manufacture, published in various volumes between 1791 and 1798. The Institute of Historical Research researched their holdings of this directory and found an entry for Llanelli which was very limited in the fifth volume. There do not seem to be any other directories with entries for Llanelli before Holden’s Directory of 1811.
Llanelthy, Caermarthenshire
Llanelthy is a market-town in South Wales. The market is on Tuesdays; and fairs on Holy-Thursday and September 30. It is seated on a river or creek of the sea, and trades much in pit-coal. It is thirteen miles south by east of Caermarthen, and 216 miles west-northwest of London.
An interesting entry for Llandovery is also included:
This is a small town in South Wales; but has two markets, on Wednesdays and Saturdays; and fairs on July 31, Wednesday after Oct. 10, Nov. 16, Wednesday after Epiphany, Wednesday after Lent-Sunday, and on Whit-Tuesday. It is seated near the river Towey; and had once a castle, now in ruin. The houses are but meanly built, about 100 in all. It is twenty-four miles north-east of Caermarthen and 182 west-north-west of London.
Information very kindly provided by Jenny Gammon,
Carmarthenshire County Council Public Library,
St Peter’s Street, Carmarthen
© W & B Rees & ARTdesigns 2004/2006
Page updated Friday August 31, 2007