Wow! Thanks to a note from Glenn Wright, this most unusual resource has already added some snippets to my family history.
Grace’s Guide, a UK registered charity, is “the leading source of historical information on industry and manufacturing in Britain. This web publication contains 149,809 pages of information and 235,489 images on early companies, their products and the people who designed and built them.”
A lot of information is free, while there’s a small charge for downloading PDF files. Those include issues of The Engineer – (1856-1940), Engineering – (1866-1930), Autocar – (1895-1915), Automobile Engineer – (1910-1930), Automotor Journal – (1896-1917), Car Illustrated – (1902-1903), Light Car and Cyclecar – (1912-1939) and Motor – (1902-1914).
In the “Search Graces Guide” box, enter the name of a company, a place or, in some cases, a person. I found the history of the company where my grandfather worked and the date the eventual owner of a company, who appears in my extended family tree, apprenticed to the original owner. There was information about major businesses in Great Yarmouth .
Great Yarmouth was among the list of towns on the Smith’s Crisps package. Perhaps you recall the contents included a particularly tasty blue one! Grace’s Guide will outline the company’s history and what happened to it.
I found this fantastic resource a few years ago when research my nana’s career at Selincourt and Sons (dressmakers) and her sister’s career at Gorringe’s (department store)…