London Directories
Kent's London Directories were published annually between 1732 and 1828. They consist of a listings of Name, Trade and Address for London tradesmen, merchants and professionals. I have obtained copies of two - 1740 (from ancestry.com) and 1794 (from London Ancestor and put them in the usual database.
To perform your own detailed analysis, try the Database Search. See, for example, the List of Suppliers to the Royal Family as an example of what is possible.
I will try and add more directories as and if I find them.
The Top hundred or so
The table below shows a hundred or so of the more numerous businesses and the total number of each in 1740 and 1794 but there are many more you can extract via the Database Search where you can also search for individual businesses.
Note that an individual business might appear in two or more categories. For example, a business described as "Gold and Silver Smiths" will appear in both the Gold and Silver categories.
Sorted Alphabetically
| Occupation | 1740 | 1794 |
|---|---|---|
| Agents | 2 | 113 |
| Apothecaries | 11 | 19 |
| Army Supplier or Agent | 0 | 29 |
| Attornies | 20 | 144 |
| Auctioneers | 0 | 44 |
| Bakers | 17 | 26 |
| Benders | 0 | 3 |
| Booksellers | 23 | 123 |
| Boot Makers or Sellers | 0 | 15 |
| Brass Founders | 1 | 26 |
| Brewers | 17 | 85 |
| Brokers | 56 | 360 |
| Brush Makers | 0 | 17 |
| Button Makers | 1 | 32 |
| Cabinet Makers | 2 | 99 |
| Chandlers | 1 | 99 |
| Cheesemongers | 1 | 99 |
| China Dealers | 10 | 43 |
| Chymists | 2 | 113 |
| Clockmakers | 0 | 54 |
| Clothiers | 0 | 8 |
| Coachbuilders | 0 | 70 |
| Coal Suppliers | 6 | 183 |
| Coopers | 10 | 86 |
| Copper workers | 0 | 30 |
| Corn Dealers | 21 | 96 |
| Cotton Dealers | 5 | 17 |
| Curriers | 0 | 47 |
| Cutlers | 1 | 36 |
| Cutters | 0 | 84 |
| Dentists | 0 | 6 |
| Distillers | 9 | 72 |
| Doctors | 0 | 3 |
| Drapers | 97 | 460 |
| Druggists | 40 | 123 |
| Dyers | 12 | 48 |
| Embroiderers | 0 | 2 |
| Engravers | 0 | 16 |
| Fellmongers | 0 | 11 |
| Floor Cloth Makers | 0 | 11 |
| Flour Merchants | 0 | 14 |
| Founders | 1 | 59 |
| Glassworkers | 2 | 106 |
| Glovers | 2 | 39 |
| Gold workers | 18 | 168 |
| Grocers | 115 | 321 |
| Gunsmiths | 1 | 38 |
| Haberdashers | 21 | 199 |
| Hardware | 13 | 71 |
| Hatters | 16 | 184 |
| Hop Merchants | 8 | 65 |
| Hosiers | 16 | 230 |
| Insurance Brokers | 5 | 120 |
| Iron workers | 17 | 184 |
| Jewellers | 10 | 148 |
| Lace Suppliers | 6 | 60 |
| Leatherworkers | 6 | 117 |
| Lightermen | 0 | 51 |
| Linen Drapers | 0 | 369 |
| Manchester | 0 | 40 |
| Manufacturers | 0 | 293 |
| Mathematical Instrument Makers | 0 | 19 |
| Mercers | 20 | 149 |
| Merchants | 878 | 1912 |
| Musical Instrument Makers | 0 | 23 |
| Notaries | 5 | 27 |
| Oil Suppliers | 13 | 234 |
| Opticians | 0 | 16 |
| Ostrich Feathers | 0 | 7 |
| Packers | 31 | 36 |
| Paper | 0 | 45 |
| Perfumers | 0 | 53 |
| Pewter workers | 9 | 18 |
| Plumbers | 0 | 32 |
| Potters | 2 | 21 |
| Printers | 0 | 17 |
| Ribbons | 0 | 31 |
| Rope | 1 | 36 |
| Saddlers | 0 | 1 |
| Sails | 1 | 46 |
| Seed Suppliers | 0 | 45 |
| Ship workers | 6 | 114 |
| Silk workers | 24 | 118 |
| Silver workers | 0 | 44 |
| Soapmakers | 14 | 25 |
| Stationers | 23 | 177 |
| Stockbrokers | 5 | 81 |
| Sugar | 15 | 107 |
| Surgeons | 3 | 24 |
| Swordmakers | 2 | 13 |
| Tallow workers | 1 | 60 |
| Tanners | 0 | 26 |
| Tea Sellers | 3 | 287 |
| Timber workers | 14 | 78 |
| Tin workers | 0 | 64 |
| Tobacconists | 13 | 92 |
| Turners | 0 | 44 |
| Undertakers | 1 | 6 |
| Upholsterers | 1 | 119 |
| Warehousemen | 34 | 492 |
| Watchmakers | 8 | 131 |
| Weavers | 11 | 128 |
| Wharfingers | 0 | 60 |
| Wholesalers | 1 | 251 |
| Wine, Brandy, Beer, Porter or Cyder | 40 | 382 |
| Wool workers | 21 | 109 |
| Worsted workers | 0 | 16 |