New Pocket Guide to Irish Genealogy
Census substitutes may still be on your mind if you read the July issue of The Septs, which featured that subject as its theme. How timely for the Genealogical.com blog to carry an article about Brian Mitchell's New Pocket Guide to Irish Genealogy:
The vast majority of Irish census records prior to 1901
no longer exist. Consequently, as Brian Mitchell explains in his New Pocket Guide to Irish Genealogy, census substitutes are of great importance to Irish researchers. Perhaps the most important, and certainly the most famous, substitute is Griffith’s Primary Valuation. Conducted between 1848 and 1864, the Valuation provides the amount of rates each household had to pay towards the support of the poor within their poor law union. Each Valuation names every head of household and occupier of land in Ireland, versus a townland or street address in Ireland. Griffith’s Valuation thus details the land occupier’s name; the landlord’s name; description of property; size of farm (if applicable); and ratable valuation of any buildings and land.
However the book covers far more than just Griffith's Valuation as a census substitute. Here's a partial description of the book from the publisher:
Mitchell describes the nature and uses of all significant record sources in Ireland, including but not limited to civil and parish registers, gravestone inscriptions, wills, census returns and census substitutes, the Griffith’s Valuation, tithe books, newspapers, hearth money rolls, the registry of deeds, estate records, and ordnance survey memoirs. Also included are the addresses, phone numbers, e-mail addresses, and websites for the major record repositories, as well as a section discussing DNA and genetic genealogy as applicable to Irish genealogy research. Finally, Mitchell offers a step-by-step guide to tracing your Irish ancestors, first itemizing the three steps researchers should take first, and then including case studies to illustrate how to apply these steps.
Genealogical.com offers the guide either as an ebook ($17.95) or paperback ($26.50).
