In Part 2 of this blog, I will continue a discussion of how to use the Prince Edward Island (P.E.I.) Lot system as a means to help identify where your ancestor was from in Ireland.

Research Strategies Using the Lot Number

Using the assumption your ancestors settled in P.E.I. because they had family and friends already there from Ireland, you can narrow this further by grouping potential associates by Lot number. In this case, you would pick a source, such as a census or a published compilation to see who was actually living in that Lot. Then between all the sources, you would see if a pattern emerges with the “neighborhood” being from the same area of Ireland.

Reconstructing a Neighborhood of Immigrants From Ireland

One of my favorite sources for doing this is combining my census work or church register with Peter Gallant’s work From Ireland to Prince Edward Island (Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island: Prince Edward Island Genealogical Society, 1990). In this work, Gallant uses tombstone inscriptions and obituaries from newspapers to reconstruct the Irish community. Many of these records tell the Lot the person was residing, and they often reveal what county or townland the person was born in Ireland. This is an easy way to reconstruct migration patterns out of Ireland. For example, it is know there was an Irish migration from the area of Donagh Parish, County Monaghan to around Lot 35 and Lot 36. This can be substantiated through Gallant’s compilation.

If you think locally in your research, by reconstructing a “neighborhood” where your ancestor lived, then you may be able to solve some difficult research problems. It may be the “neighborhood” all came from the same general area of Ireland. In the case of P.E.I., the Lot number is the key.

If you would like professional help with your Canadian ancestry, call us at: 385-214-0925.

We all know Irish immigrant research can be difficult. Before throwing up our hands, we need to step back and think strategically. One way to do this is to group an immigrant community geographically. An excellent example of how to do this can be found on Prince Edward Island (P.E.I.), Canada. However, this serves as only an example, as this strategy can be utilized with any number of political jurisdictions.

The Lot System of P.E.I.

On P.E.I. you would group the immigrant community by the Lot they were living on. The island is divided into three counties; Prince, Queens and Kings; each having a “royalty” or shire town. Within those three counties are 66 Lots roughly around 20,000 English Acres (80 square kilometers). A map of this can be found on the Island Register website under “The Lots of P.E.I.” These date back to an English survey completed in 1766. Within the Lots are various communities. For example, the community of Abney is in Lot 64. This can also be found on the IslandRegister website under “PEI Place Names vs Lot Numbers.” Basically a Lot would be a township in other Canadian provinces. The Lot number can be found in deeds, censuses and scores of other documents. If you only see a county and parish name, then here are the lots within each:

Prince County

• North Parish: 1, 2, 3
• Egmont Parish: 4, 5, 6, 7
• Halifax Parish: 8, 9, 10, 11, 12
• Richmond Parish: 13, 14, 15, 16, 17
• St. David’s Parish: Prince Royalty, 18, 19, 25, 26, 27, 28

Queens County

• Grenville Parish: 20, 21, 22, 23, 67
• Hillsboro Parish: 29, 30, 31, 65
• Charlotte Parish: Queens Royalty, 24, 32, 33, 34
• Bedford Parish: 35, 36, 37, 48, 49
• St. John’s Parish: 50, 57, 58, 60, 62

Kings Parish

• St. Patrick’s Parish: 38, 39, 40, 41, 42
• East Parish: 43, 44, 45, 46, 47
• St. George’s Parish: Kings Royalty, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 66
• St. Andrew’s Parish: 59, 61, 63, 64

In Part 2 of this blog, I will be discussing strategies you can use to help identify where your ancestor may have come from in Ireland. If you would like professional help with your Canadian ancestry, call us at: 385-214-0925.