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Irish Genealogical Research | Dwight Radford

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IGSI Estate Records Index

29 Oct By Leave a Comment

The Irish Genealogical Society International (IGSI): http://irishgenealogical.org is the major Irish genealogical society in the USA. One of their projects to make records more accessible is the “Estate Records Index” project.

Estate records are the landlord business papers of the estate and may include lease agreements and rent ledgers. These may document the average tenant farmer, and are an important, although underutilized resource. Prior to the advent of parish registers, the estate records are about the only record available to document the common family.

The difficulty with these types of records is they are scattered at different archives, no index, and often of little genealogically valuable; as not all estate records lists tenants. To find records, you have to know the townland or parish your ancestor lived in, and the landlord’s name. This is where the IGSI “Estate Records Index” is a major contribution.

IGSI has funded a prominent Irish genealogist to go through the estate records housed at the National Library of Ireland in Dublin, and inventory the valuable ones. Most of the volumes are by county and then by civil parish and by landlord/estate. Counties include: Armagh, Carlow, Cavan, Clare, Cork, Donegal, Fermanagh, Galway, Kerry, Kildare, Leitrim, Limerick, Mayo, Monaghan, Roscommon, Sligo, Waterford, Westmeath and Wicklow. Individual estates include: “Lismore – Cork (Bandon Area), Tipperary; and the Inchiquin Peninsula – Clare, Limerick, Tipperary.” The prices are reasonable at between $7-$25 USD. They can be ordered from the IGSI Bookstore link on the website.

I personally use these inventories. Once I have found an estate of interest, then I contact an agent working out of the National Library of Ireland: http://www.nli.ie

The “Estate Records Index” series is worth investing in for your particular county research needs. For any library with an Irish collection, the entire series is worth purchasing.

The Community of Christ and its Records (Part 2)

25 Oct By Leave a Comment

This second part focuses on the records generated by the Community of Christ (RLDS). Although this church was not officially reorganized until 1860, it is important to remember its roots and membership extend back to 1830. The period 1844-1860 in Latter Day Saint history was one of redefining identity for many Mormons.

Susan Easton Black’s monumental six volume work Early Members of the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (1993) is a major resource to begin your research. Just be aware there are some errors in this work. There are many Irish born in these biographical sketches.

The majority of the church’s records are held at the Community of Christ Archives in Independence, Missouri.  Large segments of the collection are on microfilm at the Family History Library: www.familysearch.org in Salt Lake City.

Some of the major collections include “Archival Holdings” which include original documents by individuals such as letters, licenses, journals, diaries and autobiographical material; Branch Records, known as “Local Jurisdictional Record Books,: and are the records of the individual congregations; “Certificate of Child Blessing Card File,” an alphabetical card index to priesthood blessings given to newborn children or young children; “Deceased Membership Files,” cover information from 1860; “Early Church Membership Records (1852-1908),” which details religious information such as baptismal,

confirmation, ordinations, transfers and removals, and expellings; “Early Reorganization Minutes (1851-1872)”; “RLDS Membership Record Book (1872-1905),” containing the branch records of membership, blessing of children, ordinations and excommunications; “Saints’ Herald,” the official periodical of the church, dating from 1860; “Saints’ Advocate (1878-1886),” documents the RLDS missionary activities among the Utah Church.

For further reference in understanding the historic positions of the church, I recommend the following works: F. Henry Edwards, Our Legacy of Faith: A Brief History of the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (1991); Richard P. Howard, The Church Through the Years. 2 vols. (1992-1993); Peter A. Judd and A. Bruce Lindgren. An Introduction to the Saints Church (1976); Alan D. Tyree, ed. Exploring the Faith: A Series of Studies in the Faith of the Church Prepared by a Committee on Basic Beliefs (1987).

Clogher Historical Society

22 Oct By Leave a Comment

The Clogher Historical Society (CHS): www.clogherhistory.ie is a quality organization with a focus on research, history and preservation for counties Fermangh, Monaghan, South Tyrone, parts of South Donegal and West Louth. Keep in mind this geographic area crosses the border between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. County Fermanagh and South Tyrone are today in Northern Ireland.

The CHS boundaries are the Roman Catholic diocese of Clogher. Their core membership is from counties Fermanagh, Monaghan and Tyrone. However, they have an international membership also. They not only promote the history of the Clogher Diocese, but also worldwide immigration links from this region. The diocese boundaries actually cover County Monaghan, most of Fermanagh, parts of south and west Tyrone, south Donegal with small parts of counties Cavan and Louth.

The CHS publishes the reputable Clogher Record which can be found in many libraries worldwide. The CHS website has a link to an article index to the Clogher Record: www.clogherhistory.ie/Clogher-Record-Index

As a professional genealogist, I have used the Clogher Record for many years. Also, recently I was in need of some estate papers for a local landlord. I contacted the CHS and they found exactly what I needed and where these papers had been deposited. I was very pleased. I referred my question to them because I knew if they didn’t know the answer, they would know who would know the answer. Their help revolutionized this case I was working on!

I would recommend support of the CHS. It has been in operation since 1952, and has had time to research and publish some incredible findings.

The Rooms Provincial Archives

13 Oct By Leave a Comment

The Rooms Provincial Archives houses the records of Newfoundland and Labrador: www.therooms.ca/archives This is an important province for Irish immigration, dating back into the 1600s. The province represents the oldest and most enduring connection between Ireland and Canada. Migration was particularly heavy from counties, Cork, Kilkenny, Tipperary, Waterford and Wexford. The Rooms is an excellent place to begin your search into the history of Irish immigration.

The Rooms houses the vital statistics for the province as well as parish registers. The Rooms houses church, court, land, newspapers, probate, vital and voter records. To access collections such as church records, the archive website has finding aids such as a “Community Index” which is an alphabetical listing of communities and what churches were in the area. Then the archive references for the parish registers are provided. Church registers are important as they form the core of the vital records prior to government civil registration beginning in 1891.

A particularly interesting database is “Parish Register Finding Aid” which is by denomination, and then alphabetical by locality. These include: Church of England/Anglican, Congregational, Methodist/United Church, Moravian, Presbyterian, Roman Catholic and Salvation Army.

The Rooms collects non-governmental records, such as those generated by businesses. One of the strengths of their collection are mercantile records related to the Newfoundland fishery industry. There are also journals, diaries and correspondence from individuals houses at the archive as well as the records for various groups and associations.

The archive staff will conduct research by correspondence. However, they do require detailed information, especially with searching parish registers. For those who do not live near the archive in St. John’s, be aware, many of their core collections have been microfilmed by the Genealogical Society of Utah, and are available through the Family History Library: www.familysearch.org When using the FHL Catalog, make sure you look under the name of the town as well as the general province.

Prince Edward Island Archives

12 Sep By Leave a Comment

The Public Archives and Records Office of Prince Edward Island (Public Archives) is located in Charlottetown. It houses Government Records, Private Sector Records, and Genealogy. The Government Records include court cases, wills prior to 1920, vital statistics of birth, marriage, deaths, and land records prior to 1900. The Private Sector Records consist of materials donated by private individuals and make up a significant portion of the Public Archives’ holdings. These would include records from local businesses, diaries and journals, local organizations, correspondence and newspapers. The Genealogy section includes compiled indexes, family files, and bound genealogies. The Public Archives also has photograph, map, architectural plans and movie collections

The Public Archives website has online databases. These include the “Petition Index” (1780-1915) which are requests to the Governor and Executive Council for resources and assistance. The database “Baptismal Index” (1777-1923) indexes church registers from all denominations across the island. There are currently 168,700 baptisms. There is also a “Census Documents Data Search.”

The Public Archives has a “Master Name Index” which brings together many varied sources such as the censuses, passenger lists, censuses, cemeteries, atlases, marriage registers funeral home records, directories, genealogies, land and church histories. This is such a primary research tool that it has been microfilmed and is available at many libraries in the Canada and the United States.

For people outside the province, many of the Public Archives microfilm collections are available through interlibrary loan. They also recommend that researchers use the microfilm collections of the Family History Center. The FHL system does have a large collection of PEI records: www.familysearch.org The Library and Archives Canada: www.collectionscanada.gc.cahas the Master Name Index, Census records, and PEI newspapers.

PEI research is helped tremendously by the fact many records are being indexed, microfilmed and made readily available.

Tracking Down Particular Authors

2 Sep By Leave a Comment

In your research, you often come across an author who wrote something of particular interest to you. Perhaps you want to know what else this author wrote. How do you do this? Some authors have an interest in your county or state, and there may be an undiscovered book out there waiting for your exploration! I have my own short-cut methods.

My first effort is to look at the Family History Library Catalog: www.familysearch.org which has an author search. My logic behind this one is the FHL is the largest genealogical library in the world. So there is a good chance they have current and out-of-print books in their collection by this author.

If this doesn’t work, then search national libraries for authors of interest. However, you may still not find what you are looking for at a national library. If you need a composite catalog to search multiple libraries at the same time, then would need WorldCat: www.worldcat.org which will connect you to 10,000 and 1.5 billion items worldwide. Your local public library may have access to WorldCat.

If you know a particular author is localized in scope, then a copy may not be on deposit at any major library. In this case, always contact the local public library in the area that the books pertain. I find that books are usually on deposit in the area they were written about due to local interest. Websites detailing public libraries are available. If you have trouble finding what you need simply Google “[city or town] Public Library.” Something will come up.

Speaking of Google or some other search engine; don’t hesitate to type in the author’s name. You might be surprised what you come find!

Provincial Archives of New Brunswick

20 Aug By Leave a Comment

The Provincial Archives of New Brunswick (PANB): www.archives.gnb.ca is located in Fredericton. Within their holdings are governmental and private records. They also house maps and photographs. For records on microfilm, PANB participates in the inter-library loan system.

The PANB website has a “Research Tools” section. Here you will find well written county guides. These guides recount history of the county and the record groups generated. They provide the PANB reference numbers and the dates covered within a particular record of collection being featured. Some records featured are ones commonly used by genealogists, such as land and probate. Others may be more difficult to access such as school and church registers, so knowing they are at the PANB can save you a lot of time trying to track them down on the locally. These guides are highly recommended.

An important database under “Research Tools” is “Guide to Family Histories.” The database indexes the names in books, files or on microfilm. The full reference can range from a couple of lines to many pages. Both printed and microfilmed collections are featured. Among these are the Family Histories Collection (MC1), the New Brunswick Publications Collection (MC80), Private Records (MC/s), and family histories in the Vertical Files at the New Brunswick Museum in Saint John. This is only an index, with the reference to the source, not scanned images of the source itself. Other databases such as this one are also in the “Research Tools” section.

Large collections of records from PANB are on microfilm at the Family History Library (FHL): www.familysearch.org It is wise to check both of their cataloged so you can develop a good research strategy in your research. Remember the FHL also has records and periodicals not copied from the PANB.

The Daughters of the Utah Pioneer Collections

16 Aug By Leave a Comment

A little known organization outside the Intermountain West of the United States is the Daughters of the Utah Pioneer (DUP): www.dupinternational.org. This society was founded in 1901 as a women’s organization. Membership is based upon being able to trace an ancestor who arrived in Utah before the completion of the Transcontinental Railroad on 10 May 1869 which linked the United States for the first time by rail.

The DUP is international in scope with 21,451 members in 15 states and Canada. While many of its members are Mormon, and there is a focus on Mormon Studies, this is only part of the DUP. Many different types of people were attracted to Utah Territory prior to the 1869, making this a lineage society far beyond the pioneer Mormons.

There are 86 DUP museums where pioneer artifacts are displayed, histories and photographs gathered. These are in Utah, Idaho, Nevada and Wyoming. The largest is in downtown Salt Lake City.  

The DUP website has a “Pioneer Index – History Card” which lists the name of the pioneer, maiden name, birth and death date. If an ancestor’s name appears on the index, this means the DUP Library has information on that person. The website also has “Other Resources” which has links to organizations with an interest in pioneer Utah history. It has an index to the DUP Publication Pioneer Pathways, volumes 1-11.

The genealogies, books and even the DUP publications will document immigrants from Ireland. If you have an ancestor who settled or spent time in Utah Territory, then the DUP collections may have information you will find in no other place.

An Introduction to ScotlandsPeople

15 Aug By Leave a Comment

If there was ever a one-stop-shop in genealogy, it would be ScotlandsPeople: www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk  Here you will find scores of Irish immigrants. The primary sources we all used on microfilm in years past has now been indexed, scanned and available online for a fee at this website. ScotlandsPeople has developed into one of the largest online sources of original genealogical information with about 90 million records on this government website.                      

The major collections which affect your immigrants from Ireland to Scotland would include the 1841-1911 censuses. The website has indexes to the government recording of births, marriages and deaths from 1855 through 2009. More recent images are scanned due to right-of-privacy concerns. A major collection from which to document Irish Catholics is the index and scanned images to the Catholic parish registers. This includes births/baptisms, banns/marriages, deaths/burials, communicants, confessions, confirmations, seat rents, sick calls and Status Animarum (a census).

ScotlandsPeople also has an index and scanned images to the Old Parish Registers (OPR) which are the records of the main Church of Scotland (Presbyterian). Because this was the state religion, persons of all faiths can be found in its records, so don’t neglect it as a source for non-conformist research. This includes Irish Catholics also.

Other important collections include an index and the images to the wills and testaments from 1500-1901. Then there is the Coat of Arms indexes which is the “Public Register of All Arms and Bearings in Scotland 1672-1907.”

More keeps being added to ScotlandsPeople so you need to constantly refer back to the website. This website is among one of the best I have ever used. As a genealogist, I use it constantly, and I have no difficulty recommending it! Don’t forget to check out the link to the sister website ScotlandsPeople – The Center: www.scotlandspeoplehub.gov.uk

Cork City and County Archives

3 Aug By Leave a Comment

Map of County Cork

A fascinating and important repository for County Cork is the Cork City and County Archives in Blackpool: www.corkarchives.ie A wide variety of records are housed at this archive. Some of the record categories include; cemetery/burial registers, the workhouse records from the Poor Law Unions, tax and valuation books, local government and health records, election and voters records, school registers, landlord estate papers, directories, Quaker records and published genealogical indexes and reference material.

Where records have been digitized and placed online, this has been noted on the website. For example, some of the major cemetery interment registers are online; as is an 1831 Valuation List of tenants from Holy Trinity Parish in Cork City. Other important works are the Cork Electors of Freemen prepared for the 1783 Irish Parliament election in Cork City; a list of Freemen in Cork City (1710-1841); directories (1845) and a membership in the Irish Volunteers (1913-14).

Cork City and County Cork Archives

One part of the website not to be overlooked is the inventory of “Collections.”  These are inventories of the collections by name of the depositor, topic or place. They range from the straightforward to the pleasantly surprising and odd. One of these odd ones is the “Cork Shakespearian Society” (1894-1901, 1941). If this involved your ancestor then the minute books, lectures, and newspaper clippings would certainly be of interest. Detailed inventories also include more common records such as the Poll Books and the Board of Guardian records. Another important inventoried source is to the Quaker records (Cork and Munster) which is to the 32 rolls of microfilm of records held in Dublin covering 1650-1909.

This archive is not only amazing, but has the potential to help fill in details in your family history beyond what you may have already found in the church registers.

 

 

Professional Links

Dwight Radford, visit me at: www.thejourneyhomegenealogy.com

Leland Meitzler Publisher of genealogy products and books: www.FamilyRootsPublishing.com

Irish Genealogical Society International: www.irishgenealogical.org  I write articles for their journal The Septs

Kelowna & District Genealogical Society located in beautiful British Columbia: www.kdgs.ca I will be speaking at their conference in September

Mike O’Laughlin author of Irish family history books: www.irishroots.com

Sharon DeBartolo Carmack, MFA, CG professional book editing: www.nonfictionHelp.com 

Come enjoy the December research tour: www.SaltLakeChristmasTour.com I am one of the consultant’s at this wonderful event

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