About Irish Records – Categories of Records

1. Censuses and name lists
2. Church records
3. Civil registrations
4. Land records
5. Military records
6. Taxation records

Information and details

1. Census and name lists (For specifics, check FHL guide and books by Grenham and Ryan)
   1. Censuses (most before 1901 lost in destruction of the Four Courts Building during the Irish Civil War in 1922.)
      • 1901 and 1911 available in full, but no indexes
      • earlier years - fragments only (some Antrim lists, thanks to Brian Mavrogeorge's GenealogySF Home Page, with)
      • 18th and 19th century census substitutes
   2. Name lists
      • Church Censuses
      • Freeholders lists
      • Catholic qualification lists
      • 1796 spinning wheel survey - IGSI - Spinning Wheel Records - 1796
      • Voter registrations
      • Old Age Pension Applications
      • Tithe Applotment Books, Griffith’s Primary Valuation, and index for them
        1. Tithe Applotment Composition Books - IGSI - Tithe Applotment Books (1823-1838)
           1. In support of the Church of Ireland
           2. 1823 – 1837
           3. Based on amount of land occupied
           4. Everyone had to pay regardless of religion
           5. Filmed copies for all counties at
              1. FHL
        2. Griffith’s Primary Valuation - IGSI - Census Substitutes, Griffith's Valuation
           1. 1847 - 1864
           2. Estimate of valuation of land and buildings
           3. Arranged by Poor Law Union, Barony, Civil Parish and Townland
           4. Lists a greater proportion of population than Tithe Applotment
           5. Use Griffith’s to find people in locality
              1. Use to find map coordinates, find neighbors
              2. Indexes and records available online, microfiche at IGSI, FHL
              3. Manuscript materials - Land field books, House books (list occupiers) at NAI, PRONI
        3. Householders Index (abouthttp://scripts.ireland.com/ancestor/browse/records/land/ingrif.htm)
           1. Indexes the
              1. Tithe Applotment Books – 1823-1838
              2. Griffith’s Primary Valuation – 1847-1864
           2. Use Householders Index to
              1. Find a civil parish where a surname is found
              2. Search for an uncommon surname
              3. Determine frequency of a surname in Griffith’s
           3. Arranged by county
              1. Whole county – list barony
              2. By civil parish within each barony
              3. G and # = number of occurrences in Griffith's
              4. T = listing in Tithe Applotment Books
        4. Available at Tithe Index Griffith’s Index Householders
           1. IGSI – CD (N Ireland) CD fiche
           2. FHL film
           3. Griffith’s online
2. Church Records
   1. Denominations – Roman Catholic, Church of Ireland, Presbyterian, Methodist, Quaker
   2. Check Church of Ireland regardless of religion. Church of Ireland cemeteries were public cemeteries
   3. Many are filmed and at FHL
   4. To find church and record availability, check
      • County Heritage Center
      • Irish Church Records by Ryan
      • The Irish Times – Irish Ancestors Web sitehttp://scripts.ireland.com/ancestor/browse/records/church/
   5. Irish Church Membership in 1861
      • Total Population 5,794,864
      • Roman Catholic 4,505,265
      • Church of Ireland 693,357
      • Presbyterian 523,291
      • Methodist 45,399
      • Independent 4,532
      • Baptist 4,237
      • Quaker 3,695
      • Jew 393
      • Other 14,695
3. Civil Registrations
   1. Births, Marriages and Deaths
      • Non-Catholic marriages start in 1845
      • All recorded after 1864 up to present day
      • After 1921 separate records for North and South
      • Details included
        • Births – Name of child, date and place of birth, parents’ names (including mother’s maiden name) and residence, father’s occupation, and name and address of informant
        • Marriages - Date and place (name of church or registrar’s office) of marriage, name, age and residence of bride and groom; names and occupation of bride’s father and groom’s father, names of witnesses
        • Deaths - Name of deceased, date and place of death, age, occupation, cause of death, name and address of informant and sometimes relationship to deceased
      • Place names on records
        • Superintendent Registrar’s Districts = Poor Law Union
          • These often crossed County boundaries
          • (see p 201 of Radford and Betit)
        • Townland / street address and sometimes parish given
          • Required to use official names
          • Often local names used instead
          • Often misspelled
        • NOTE: Place in Civil Registration may differ from place in Church record
   2. Indexed:
      • Yearly to 1877, quarterly thereafter
      • Indexes from 1845 to 1958 at Family History Library (FHL) – with gaps (many at Oakdale Family History Center)
      • IGI has some of the earliest births and marriages
      • LDS CD-ROM some early records not in International Genealogical Index (IGI)
4. Land Records
   • Only a few owned land
     • Most were tenants through layers of subleases
     • A deed may list tenants
   • Deeds registered from 1708
   • Surname Index – personal-name
     • Sellers only to 1833
     • Sellers and buyers and location after 1833
   • Lands Index or County Index
     • Arranged geographically
   • Records and indexes from 1709 to 1929 at FHL
      
5. Military Records
   • Irish made up large portion of British Army
   • All classes in Army – often a family tradition
   • Most at Public Record Office in England
     • Not indexed by name (PRO index of pensions 1760-1854)
     • Essential to know regiment – how to find
       • Pictures of ancestor in uniform
       • Badges and medals – lists
       • Battles and places of service –
       • Local sources
       • Civil registration after 1879