County directories
County directories, developed around the beginning of the 19th century, provide lists of the wealthier householders and tradesmen of each parish, together with other related information on local public buildings, schools, police stations, and so on.
Street directories
Street directories give considerably more detailed coverage of individual towns, listing most heads of household in order of street and house number, with a separate section on tradesmen.
What we hold
The Record Office collection of directories dates from 1792.
The Sussex county directories and the majority of the street directories are on microfiche. If no fiche are available, the original volume may be used, which will be found on the shelves in the searchroom.
There are also collections of directories held at West Sussex libraries.
