The People of Derry City, 1930

Description

Because of the destruction of the 1926 census for Northern Ireland during World War II, the first census that survives for the city and county of Londonderry, after 1911, is that of 1937 and this will not be available for inspection until 2038. From 1868 right through to 1949 inclusive, each annual edition of the Derry Almanac and Directory contained a “Street Directory” where heads of households were identified against their street address in Derry city. This means that each annual edition of Derry Almanac is the closest census substitute for Derry city between 1912 and 1936.

By 1930, despite a number of economic setbacks, Derry still retained its maritime importance as both a gateway to North West Ireland (i.e., counties Derry, Donegal, and Tyrone) and as a corridor across the Atlantic linking Western Europe with North America.

For genealogists, the Derry Almanac and Directory of 1930 names 9,084 heads of household and family businesses in Derry city. This list of inhabitants, in alphabetical order by surname, contains these 5 fields: Surname of Head of Household, First Name of Head of Household, Street Address, House Number, and Page Number of the listing. Author Brian Mitchell has re-arranged the contents of the 1930 almanac in a convenient tabular alphabetical format, so researchers can access this vital information with relative ease.