Nature of Source
Records dealing with the legal status of a company such as annual returns and other records dealing with daily operations such as staff records, wage books, memos and company minutes. Also look for mentions of a company in the records of business associations and trade groups and consult newspaper articles and the trade press for mentions of a company. Look for sources such maps, photos, sale particulars, trade cards, trade catalogues, staff magazines and press adverts for information on a company.
Early company formations were created by an act of parliament or by royal charter. As the demand for company formations grew in the 19th century, parliament was unable to cope with the increase in workload so a new system of state registration was initiated in 1844. From this date Companies House assumed responsibility for company registration and holds records on all currently trading companies as well as companies that have ceased trading in the past 20 years. Company records earlier than 20 years are transferred to The National Archives, however much of this material has not been kept.
It is likely that company and business records could have been destroyed or lay scattered amongst numerous repositories. Most coal and rail records are held at The National Archives as are the records of other nationalised industries.
See also
Directories, Trade, Professional, Telephone & Street
Occupational and Labour Records
Where Found
The National Archives (BT 31, Files of Dissolved Companies; BT 41, Files of Joint Stock Companies Registered under the 1844 and 1856 Acts; BT 253, Board of Trade: Register of Business Names, 1917-1982)
British Library (Business information)
Parliamentary Archives (Companies created by royal charter or by acts of parliament)
Borthwick Institute/University of York Library & Archives Collections include the Vickers Instruments Archive)
Business Archives Council (The council aims to promote the preservation of business records of historical importance and encourage interest in the history of business in Britain. The BAC’s former collection of corporate and sector-based histories and a unique collection of business pamphlets, is now located at the Centre for Business History in Scotland, University of Glasgow)
India Office Collections (The India Office Records houses records from the East India Company, the Board of Control, the India Office and the Burma Office. The Collections holds most of the baptisms, marriages and burials for the British in India, 1698-1968 and the career details of the administrators and military personnel employed by the company. Begin by searching the biographical card index of over 250,000 persons compiled by staff members from the mid-1970s onwards but note that the index contains less than 10 per cent of all the available sources. Free training sessions in using India Office Records are organised by the APAC Reference Services team every month)
County Record Offices (Material deposited with local archives such as staff magazines, trade catalogues and annual reviews. Find the details of a local UK archive from a searchable list of over 2,500 archives hosted by The National Archives)
London Metropolitan Archives (Business and employment archives. The holdings include plans and photographs, rich sales, advertising and employment records covering City-based companies involved in industries such as shipping, commerce, finance, stockbroking and insurance, especially fire insurers. For a complete listing see the guide ‘Unlock the riches of the history of London’s commerce and trade with the world’)
Guildhall Library (Business Records at Guildhall Library, including the collection of annual company reports and shareholder lists originally held by the London Stock Exchange as their annual report library)
Companies House (Details of currently trading companies contained on the official register as well as companies that have ceased trading in the past 20 years)
Bodleian Library (Marconi Archive with an online archive catalogue. The archive contains objects and documents that record the work of Guglielmo Marconi and the wireless telegraph company he founded. Objects from the archive are kept in the Museum of History of Science. Also see the archived MarconiCalling website which explores Guglielmo Marconi’s life, his scientific discoveries, the impact of wireless and the development of modern communications)
LSE Library (British Library of Political & Economic Science. Holdings include primary source material and books and journals relating to business and industry)
The Science Museum Library and Archives (Archives and records of companies and famous individuals involved in the fields of science, engineering, medicine or industry. Of particular interest to family historians is the trade and company catalogues, adverts and trade magazines as well as the alphabetical indexes of British patent specifications dating from 1617 to 1992. The library also hold the archives of the Chartered Institute of Transport. The site hosts an online Library catalogue and an Archives catalogue)
The Modern Records Centre/Warwick University (Sources for Business History)
National Maritime Museum (The museum hold records of shipping companies and are mainly business records and do not cover operations, voyages or passenger lists. The Museum also has a large collection of books on the history of famous shipping companies, such as Cunard, P&O and the White Star line)
Science and Industry Museum (The museum explores how ideas can change the world, from the Industrial Revolution to today. The collections include company information, books, photographs, documents and films detailing Britain’s industrial heritage. Search the Archive Catalogue information about items in the Science Museum Group’s archive collections or search Science Museum Library catalogue as well as the museum’s collection catalogue)
Tyne & Wear Archives (Collections include business records of all types, including local industries such as shipbuilding, engineering and coal mining. Records include photographs, plans and other material)
Sheffield Archives (The Steel Industry Collection includes records of over 100 iron and steel businesses, relating to production, finance, directors and shareholders, sales and marketing, workforce, legal matters, photographs and company magazines. A number of images from the Local Studies Library are available online at Picture Sheffield)
National Records of Scotland (Company registrations from the Registrar of Companies dating from the 1840s, details of dissolved companies and other collections of business records)
Glasgow City Archives (The Business Archives collection consist of local businesses both large and small reflecting the wide variety of commercial activity in Glasgow and the West of Scotland over the centuries. The archives of many businesses are held by the University of Glasgow, including the Scottish Brewing Archive)
Glasgow University Archive Services
Scottish Business Archive. Together with the University’s own records the organisation is also the guardian of Scotland’s business and industrial history. The archives mainly includes records of Scottish business and industries such as banking, retail, distilling and shipbuilding dating from the 18th century to the present. The subject guides list the main collections we hold of records of businesses and organisations. The research library comprises over 7,000 books as well as a unique collection of business pamphlets formerly in the possession of the Business Archives Council.
Public Record Office of Northern Ireland (PRONI) (Collection of business records and details of dissolved companies in Northern Ireland)
Period Covered
1500 – Onwards
Genealogical Value
- Names, addresses, occupations, family relationships and careers.
- Schools, colleges and universities attended.
Further References
- Foreman, Carol. Glasgow Shops: Past and Present: Birlinn, 2010
- Goodall, Francis. Bibliography of British Business Histories: Gower, 1987 (Preview available from Google Books)
- Jeremy, David (ed). Dictionary of Business Biography: A Biographical Dictionary of Business Leaders Active in Britain in the Period 1860-1980: Butterworth-Heinemann, 1984
- Orbell, John. Tracing the History of a Business: The History Press, 2009
- Probert, Eric. Company & Business Records for Family Historians: Federation of Family History Societies, 1994
Websites
The National Archives Research Guide
How to look for records of companies and businesses. This is a guide to the various kinds of company and business records held at The National Archives and how to access them. These are predominantly records of dissolved companies.
The National Archives Research Guide
How to look for records of company and business history records held by other archives. Use this guide if you are researching records of businesses and industry held in other archives other than The National Archives.
The National Archives Research Guide
The National Archives Research Guide. How to look for records of people in business and trades. Most surviving historical business and trade records in the UK are held by local archives.
National Records of Scotland Research Guide
Company Registration Records. Companies can be incorporated in one of three ways: by Royal Charter; by act of parliament; and by registration with the Register of Companies. This guide is concerned with records of the third, and commonest, method: registration.
Grace’s Guide
The Guide is the leading source of historical information on industry and manufacturing in Britain from the start of the Industrial Revolution to the present time. It provides a comprehensive digital archive with detailed historical information about companies, products and people involved in British industry from the start of the Industrial Revolution to recent times. It also includes digitised copies of early engineering and automotive publications spanning from the 19th century to mid-20th century.
The London Archives
Research Guide. Trade Directories. This guide will explain how to explore London trade directories with a particular focus on what is available on Ancestry.co.uk.
The London Archives
Research Guide. Stock Exchange Records. This guide outlines the key records within the Stock Exchange collection for researching listed companies and members.
Companies House blog
What is Companies House? History of Companies House.
Companies House Blog
Registering Companies since 1844: Some of our oldest companies revealed
Devon Archives and Local Studies
Research Guides: Sources for Business and Industry.
Business Archives Council
Founded in 1934, the objects of the Council are to promote the preservation of business records of historical importance and encourage interest in the history of business in Britain. The site hosts published surveys on the archives of specific industries, such as brewing, banking and shipbuilding, as well as surveys of archives of the oldest registered companies in Britain. The Business History Explorer is an online bibliography for locating publications relating to the history of specific businesses and industries operating in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. The BAC’s former collection of corporate and sector-based histories, and a unique collection of business pamphlets, is now located at the Centre for Business History in Scotland, University of Glasgow.
Guildhall Library
Business History. This is a general guide to the resources available to those researching the history of a specific company or industry sector. The types of records include company archives, directories, business bibliographies and annual reports.
Museum of English Rural Life
Located in Reading and run by the University of Reading, The museum is dedicated to recording the history of farming, food, rural life and countryside in England. The library and archive holds a comprehensive collection of material related to rural England and a large archive of photographs and films related to farming and rural life. The museum holds farm records from hundreds of individual farms across the UK holds records of agricultural and rural cooperatives dating back to the 19th century as well as records of major countryside organisations such as the National Farmers Union, CPRE and others.
Sainsbury Archive
The Archive is an online resource dedicated to preserving and sharing the rich history of Sainsbury’s, one of the UK’s leading supermarket chains. It offers a wealth of digitised historical materials that showcase the company’s heritage from its origins to the present day. Digitised Content includes historical photographs of Sainsbury’s shops, photos, videos, audio stories and documents online.
House of Fraser Archive
The archives offers a glimpse into the history of one of Britain’s leading department stores. It covers detailed records on companies, products, activities, people and types of trade associated with House of Fraser from its founding in 1849 to the end of the twentieth century. Searchable records includes company histories, product catalogues and staff registers. The physical Archive is held at Glasgow University Archive Services.
Waitrose Memory Store
Explore the History of Waitrose & Partners. Browse photos, personal memories, stories and historical information about Waitrose & Partners, documenting Waitrose’s evolution from its founding in 1904 by Messrs Waite, Rose and Taylor, up to the present day.
John Lewis Partnership Memory Store
Explore the History of John Lewis Partnership. Browse photos, memories, stories and historical information about John Lewis Partnership, past and present.
Teesside Archives
The online catalogue incorporates the British Steel Collection. The collection preserves and catalogues the British Steel archives previously held in storage and includes photographs, maps, ledgers and deeds. The archives includes other businesses and companies including ICI, Head Wrightson, Furness Shipbuilding as well as many smaller businesses.
M&S Archive
The archive is a collection of over 72,000 items that documents the history of Marks & Spencer since its founding in 1884, including company documents, photographs, films, clothing, packaging, advertising and merchandise. The Digital Archive includes digitised and born-digital materials from the archive collection.
P&O Heritage
The site highlights the history and the collections and archives of the P&O shipping line as well as the companies acquired by the group over the years. The archive is on permanent loan to the National Maritime Museum with an appointment required to view documents in person. The site hosts a number of Research Guides and an online database of nearly 2,500 P&O ships.
BT Group Archives
The archive houses the records of BT plc which includes all the telegraphy and telecommunications businesses associated with company going back to the mid-19th century including staff establishment books, staff magazines, photos, and information on old telephone exchanges. The archive holds a near complete set of UK telephone directories from the first in 1880 to the present. The directory listings also include businesses and companies and were issued every two years. BT directories are available online at Ancestry. The BT Digital Archives is a research resource and archive catalogue, containing digitised photographs, reports and items of correspondence preserved by BT from the 1830s.
Lloyds Banking Group Archives
The archives manages the historical records of the UK’s largest retail bank. Dating back to 1695, these include records of the company’s main brands Lloyds Bank, Halifax, Bank of Scotland, Scottish Widows and many historical constituents. Records include minute books, branch records, photographs, advertisements, staff registers and banknotes.
Transport for London Corporate Archives
A Journey Through Time. The collection, hosted on the Google Arts & Culture platform, features over 2,000 historical documents and images from TfL’s archives, covering London’s transport history. The collection includes over 400 digitised maps, historic documents, station designs, oral histories and other materials that illustrate the evolution of London’s transport network.
National Archives Guide
Business collections guide. The National Archives holds a vast collection of business records from Ireland’s history. These collections offer unique insights into social and economic history but online access is limited.
Online Databases
https://archiveshub.ac.uk (Archives Hub: The Archives Hub provides online access to information about the collections found in UK universities and colleges and a number of research institutes and museums. The catalogues contain the whereabouts of collections generated by individuals, families, or organisations. The records consists of archive material and not printed matters such as books and journals. The catalogue is not comprehensive of all the holdings of the participating institutions. The site has a list of contributors to the Archives Hub with an overview of the organisation and their holdings)
www.findmypast.co.uk (The Business Index: Index to British shopkeepers, businessmen and women, ‘captains of industry’ and their companies provided in association with the Society of Genealogists. The Society has partnered with findmypast.co.uk to publish online record sets from its unique collection. For more information on the available records see here. Members of the Society will be able to view these records for free at SoG Data Online via their existing membership)
www.findmypast.co.uk (UK Electoral Registers & Companies House Directors. Search UK electoral registers beginning from 2002 to 2021. Also included in the dataset are registers of UK directors whose companies are registered with Companies House. The records are provided to Findmypast by 192.com and cover England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland, Isle of Man and the Channel Islands)
www.gov.uk/get-information-about-a-company (Companies House: Get information about a company. Online access to free company information including registered address and date of incorporation; current and resigned officers; document images; mortgage charge data; previous company names and insolvency information)
Ancestry
UK, Royal Mail Pension and Gratuity Records, 1860-1970.
www.ancestry.co.uk (Ireland, Guinness Archive Index, 1824-2002. This database contains an index of details about Guinness employees extracted from personnel files)
www.ancestry.co.uk (Ireland, Jameson Distillery Staff Wage and Employment Books, 1862-1969. This collection includes details of staff employed at Jameson distillery provided in wage books, time books and insurance books)
www.thegazette.co.uk (The Gazette: Official Newspaper of Record – London, Edinburgh and Belfast editions. The Gazette consists largely of statutory notices and includes searchable corporate insolvency and personal bankruptcy notices and an individual or company’s financial history)
Scottish Archive Network (Online catalogue covering archive records but not printed material of 52 of Scotland’s archives. The site also includes an extensive links page, a Knowledge Base and other research tools. The catalogue includes the catalogues of the National Archives of Scotland and the National Library of Scotland. The material covers business and society records and family and estate papers but not those held in private hands or in solicitor’s offices)
Business History Explorer
Business Archives Council. The BHE is a search facility for bibliography relating to the history of UK companies and industries, containing details of over 50,000 publications. The database includes monographs, periodical articles, theses, chapters in multi-author works, unpublished works and selected product literature and employee literature.
Ancestry
West Dunbartonshire, Scotland, William Denny & Bros. Ltd. Shipbuilding Employee Registers, 1901-1915. The registers include apprenticeship books, staff and production records, as well as ship specifications and plans.
www.gla.ac.uk/services/archives/about/historyofthescottishbusinessarchive (Scottish Business Archive: Collections of business records covering the whole of Scotland and beyond dating from the 18th century to the present)
www.bl.uk (British Library Newspapers Catalogue: Whereabouts of company/staff magazines and trade journals)
www.nls.uk/catalogues (National Library of Scotland Online Catalogues: Whereabouts of company/staff magazines and trade journals)
www.hawleysheffieldknives.com (Hawley Collection: Name on a Knife Blade: View the history of knife manufacturers and cutlers in Sheffield and across the UK)
https://discover.libraryhub.jisc.ac.uk (Library Hub Discover: Search a database of 202 UK and Irish academic, national and specialist library collections including rare and unique materials as well as open access content)
www.familyrelatives.com (Search the Directory of Directors Collection 1897-1946)
www.northwestfamilybusiness.arts.manchester.ac.uk/Intro.aspx (Family and Business in North-west England, 1760-1820 project: Records of 3000 small businesses between 1760 and 1820 online mostly relating to Manchester and Liverpool. Searches can be carried out via name, business or historical document)
http://freepages.rootsweb.com/~frpayments/history/LM1677/index.htm (London Merchants of 1677. Transcribed collection of the merchants living in and about the city of London)
CD Roms
S & N Genealogy Supplies (The Directory of Directors 1936)
Stepping Stones (The Directory of Directors 1936)
