Postal Directories

I have continued perusing the sight I mentioned before, archive.org, and found that more than just one postal directory for Edinburgh exists. Many from the entirety of the nineteenth century (and some of the eighteenth century) exist for Edinburgh and it's immediate suburbs/surroundings. The Symes, amongst others, exist in these directories and have opened up interesting avenues of research.

James Syme
1784-85 (a quadruple dip... what's going on? James Syme Sr. Daddy?)

Syme James, Efq; of Norll field, Chalmers's clofe-

Syme James, Efq; of Northfield, Monteith's clofe

Syme of Noi ;li field, foot of Chalmer's clofe

Syme James of Nor thfield,. Chalmers's cMe

1790-92

Syme James, Efq; of Northfield, Chalmers's clofe

1794-95
Syme James Efq; of Northtfeid, foot of Chalmer's dofc :

1799-1800

Syme James of North-field, Lauriston

1800-01
Syme James of Narthfield, No 8. Society

1805-6

Syme, James 2 1 , York place

1807-8

Syme, James 20. York place

1808-9


Syme, James esq of Northfield, 1 1. Argyll square

1809-10
Syme, James esq. of Northfield, 11. Argyll square

1811-12
Syme, James esq. of Northfield, 26. New street

1812-12

Syme, James esq. of Northfield, 25. New street

1816-17
Syme, James esq. of Northfieid, 26. New street

1817-18
Syme, James esq. of Northfield, 26. New street

1818-19
Syme, James esq. of Northfield, 26. New street

1819-20

Syme, .Tames esq. of Northfield, 26. New street

1820-21
Syme, James esq. of Northfield, 26. New street

1821-22
Syme, James esq. of Northfield, 26. New street

1822-34

absent from the record and then suddenly shows up in "Prestonpans and
Cockenzie" as "Syme, James, esq. of Northtield" in the 1834-35 directory.
You see this same title until the 1838 directory and then George, the
younger brother, is suddenly the "Esq. Northfield" in 1839-40 postal
directory.

It looks like an unbroken line from James to George but since James Syme
the elder died in 1819 according to his will and testament, the James Syme
 you see in the 1820s and the mid 30s most probably is James Syme, Jr.

Interesting: 1775-6 has a directory not naming any Northfield or Esquire but
the James Sime (sic), SLATER, of Monteith Close shows up again. Is this the
Syme daddy I've been seeking?