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Grand Lodge of Ireland Membership Records Online

1 Dec By Dwight

A major Irish record source has now come online at Ancestry.com. It is titled “Ireland, Grand Lodge of Freemasons of Ireland Membership Registers, 1733-1923,” and consists of 24 volumes of scanned and indexed records. The originals are housed at the Grand Lodge of Ireland (GLI) library in Dublin.

I have used these records for many years, and now having them online is a dream come true. The GLI is the second oldest in the world, founded in 1725. It serves individual lodges throughout the 32 counties of Ireland and, today, Northern Ireland. In addition, many lodges outside of Ireland would have warrants through the GLI, which makes this more than an Irish resource. This also includes militia units and British Army regiments.

While the records themselves may be somewhat basic, especially in the early volumes, information will include name and lodge number. Later records will include advancement information, resignation, transfers, occupation, and personal notes such as deaths. Regardless of what personal information is provided, the lodge number, such as Lodge #18 (Newry, County Down) may be the most valuable. The individual lodge covered a geographic area. If you do not know where in Ireland your ancestor lived, then the lodge location narrows your search considerably.

There are some quirks to this source. For example, after the 1830s, it was mainly, although not exclusively, a Protestant source. Prior to the Papal Bulls being published in Ireland in 1826 condemning the Freemasons, lodges were mixed Catholic and Protestant. Also, the class of people who were Freemasons were not the poor. Consider that a man had to have enough money to at least pay the dues! It was very common for the middle-class and upper-class segment of Irish society to be Freemasons.

A final word. These are only membership records. Once you have identified a lodge number, then the GLI library will have correspondence involving that individual lodge. These “Deputy Grand Secretary Correspondence Files (1820-1880)” may provide some additional details on members. This makes the Ancestry.com database your key into other records still held with the GLI.

If you would like help with your genealogy please call 385-214-0925.

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: database research, Databases, Societies

Unveiling the Secret Society

13 Jun By Dwight

Sometimes we give up looking for records especially if they are not easily accessible on the computer. Below I will present how understanding the context of an organization can lead to all kinds of amazing finds. Once the context is understood then the records seems to fall into place. The example chosen is the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn (HOGD), which included some very powerful and influential Irish members.

In the late nineteenth century, the HOGD arose as the most influential Western Occult organization in Great Britain. During this period, it was common for people to explore mysticism and occultism through various lodge-type organizations. Occult during this period simply meant hidden as opposed to apocalypse which meant revealed. The modern popular usage of “occult” as satanic or evil was not how members of these organizations understood their activities. They were simply seeking secret (hidden) knowledge.

The Context of the HOGD

Founded in 1888, the HOGD emerged out of the late nineteenth century occult revival. They were a secretive society. Their influence can still be felt under the surface of any number of New Age, and metaphysical groups.

Some of the more notable Irish members include Sarah Allgood (1879-1950), Irish stage actress and later film actress in America; Maud Gonne (1866-1853), revolutionary and actress; Bram Stoker (1847-1912), author of Dracula; John Todhunter (1839-1916), Irish poet and playwright; and W.B. Yeates (1865-1939), Irish poet and writer. Another, of Irish descent, was Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (1859-1930), author of Sherlock Holmes, doctor, scientist and Spiritualist.

To understand the philosophies rooted in the old HOGD would be to indirectly understand more about your ancestors.

The HOGD as a Secret Society

HOGD was founded by three men who were Freemasons and members of the Societas Rosicruciana in Anglia. They created the Golden Dawn system. This magical lodge had initiations. Women were admitted as equals with men. Its foundation document was the Cipher Manuscripts which outlined the rituals and teachings merging Hermetic Qabalah, astrology, occult tarot, geomancy and alchemy. Members would progress through orders based upon the teachings they had completed.

The founders claimed to be in contact with the Secret Chiefs, who formed a cosmic spiritual hierarchy and oversaw the affairs of humanity. Thoughts about whether these Secret Chiefs were human, supernatural personages or simply symbolic representations seems to have varied among the membership.

Lodges were established in England, Scotland, France and the United States. Its high point was the mid-1890s when the HOGD was well established in Great Britain, drawing several hundred members from all classes in Victorian society. However, by the end of 1899, dissatisfaction with leadership arose, and in 1901 the original Isis-Urania Temple in London, founded in 1888, withdrew and became independent. Others would follow and splinter groups would be formed with the original HOGD imploding. No temples from the original chartered lineage survived past the 1970s. Several organizations have since revived the Golden Dawn teachings and rituals.

Early Membership

Because the HOGD attracted such influential people; researchers and historians have been fascinated with the organization. This is where academics have done the foundational research for the genealogist. There is no shortage of articles online or published about the HOGD, all of which will mention names.

Sally Davis is compiling biographies on the members of the HOGD. She draws from and expands on R.A. Gilbert’s The Golden Dawn Companion (Northampton: The Aquarian Press, 1986).

Gilbert lists members in the original HOGD or its many daughter Orders between 1888 and 1914. His HOGD membership list is taken from the administrative records and its Members’ Rolls. Basically it is a large parchment on which all new members signed their names when they were initiated. This information is now in the Freemasons’ Library at the United Grand Lodge of England. Records were kept by this secretive society and they are deposited in a major London repository. Davis’ additions tap into many records used by the average genealogist.

Conclusions about Secret Society Research

The HOGD seems to have been founded in the right place and at the right time. It collected the currents of late nineteenth century Victorian society. HOGD, academics and researchers have completed the legwork for the genealogist. The family historian, with a context for what the organization was all about, will be able to intelligently finish biographical sketches. Being able to document the HOGD early membership proves it wasn’t so secretive after all!

If you would like help with your genealogy please call 385-214-0925.

 

 

 

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: Occult, Research, Societies, Strategies

The Irish Hell-Fire Clubs

4 Feb By Dwight

The infamous Hell-Fire (Hellfire) Clubs is a fascinating and bizarre topic and has direct applications for genealogists. Trained historians have plowed through many of the same sources genealogists do in order to reconstruct the history of the Hell-Fire Clubs. This makes understanding how historians identify pertinent documents and then utilize them can provide lessons for all family historians. Plus, it’s a great story!

What Were the Hell-Fire Clubs?

So what were the Hell-Fire Clubs? They were secretive brotherhood organizations which ritually acted out and practiced anything counter-culture to their time period. They were founded by freethinking, living on the edge, Protestant elite gentry. The clubs were intended to counter the heavy hand of the established Protestant Church in every opposite way possible. Prostitution, sex, orgies, drinking, blasphemy, dark occult practices, and any other type of cultural depravity were accepted. Combine all that with rumors of Satan worship, homosexuality (illegal at the time), murder and human sacrifice and the Club’s reputation as a type of “holy other” would be solidified. By the 1770s the Hell-Fire Clubs had disbanded, but their influence remained in other groups such as the Pinkindindies and Cherokees.

Locations of the Irish Hell-Fire Clubs

The first Irish Hell-Fire Club was founded in 1735 in Dublin at Mount Pelier. There were three additional “regional” Hell-Fire Clubs in Ireland: Askeaton, County Limerick; Grangemellon, County Kildare and an unspecified location in the Midlands. However, there were other meeting places, such as Doonass, County Clare. Research shows these were rendezvous points for similar groups. The ruins of the Dublin Hell-Fire Club, is a tourist attraction. More can be found on the Abandoned Ireland website.

The Definitive Work on the Irish Clubs

The definitive work on the Irish Hell-Fire Clubs is Blasphemers & Blackguards: The Irish Hellfire Clubs, by David Ryan. An article by the author can be found on the Writing.ie website.

One fascinating aspect of this book is the author takes some of the same sources we would use in genealogy and reconstructs the history of a very secretive and forbidden society. For the family historian it demonstrates what can be done with sound logic, limited records and not being timid with controversial subject matters. Most of his research was conducted at the National Library of Ireland. His sources include private manuscripts, estate papers, print files, printed sources, newspapers and biographies. To use these sources to reconstruct a secret society is nothing short of amazing. We as family historians can learn much from such authors’ research by the manner in which they crafted their stories.

Additional Hell-Fire Club Information

To round out the story of the Hell-Fire Clubs, the English counterpart provides a rich supply of history and research. The best known is the elaborate Hell Fire Caves, which is a major tourist destination, located in West Wycombe, Buckinghamshire.An interesting commentary on the Hell-Fire Clubs comes from the Grand Lodge of British Columbia and the Yukon website.

A Word of Warning

A word of warning on topics such as the “Hell Fire Club.” If you are looking for history, be careful what you place in the search engine. You may get more than you bargained for, as all websites are not historical!

If you are seeking professional assistance with your genealogical research you may call us at 385-214-0925.

 

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: Historical, Irish Records, Research, Societies

Clogher Historical Society

22 Oct By Dwight 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.

Filed Under: Irish Ancestry Tagged With: Genealogy, Indexes, Libraries and Archives, Societies

The Daughters of the Utah Pioneer Collections

16 Aug By Dwight 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.

Filed Under: Irish Ancestry Tagged With: Libraries and Archives, Societies

Who were the Loyalists?

6 Aug By Dwight Leave a Comment

 

Flag for the Little Forks Branch

Part of Revolutionary War (1775-83) genealogy is the Loyalists. They were those who did not side with the Americans during the war but with Great Britain. They either left en mass during the war or were rooted out of their communities fleeing as exiles to Canada and the Caribbean.

It’s sometimes surprising to hear people talk about how the Irish and Scots-Irish all sided with the Americans. However, as with all history, it’s more complex. It’s more common than you think for families to be split during the 1770s and 1780s.

Loyalists are the subject of much documentation which is helpful from a genealogical perspective. Most Loyalists resettled in what is today Quebec, Ontario, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. This marked the beginning of a predominantly English speaking population in the future Canada. The honorific title given to these individuals and families is United Empire Loyalist.

It is estimated that an estimated 70,000 left the thirteen newly independent American states for British territory elsewhere. Of these about 62,000 were white (with 17,000 slaves) and 8,000 Blacks. Of these about 40,000 went to what is now Canada, 7,000 to Britain and 17,000 to the Caribbean. Some would later return to the United States from the Caribbean and Nova Scotia.

Badge for the United Empire Loyalists

If you cannot find out where your American branch of the family was from in Ireland during this period; then look for a Loyalist branch. An excellent place so start is the United Empire Loyalists’ Association of Canada: www.uelac.orgTheir website has a “Directory of Loyalist” which lists name, rank, where resettled, status as Loyalist, and the source. To be descended from a Loyalists is as important in Canadian genealogy as being descended from an American Patriot is to Americans. Each has generated records which help us all in genealogy.

 

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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

 

 

PICS: GO TO THE UELAC.ORG SITE AND FIND SOMETHING COOL.

Filed Under: Irish Ancestry Tagged With: Canada, Colonial Research, Military, Societies

New Zealand Society of Genealogists

14 Jul By Dwight Leave a Comment

The New Zealand Society of Genealogists (NZSG): www.genealogy.org.nz is a reputable and quality organization which you should never hesitate to contact for your research needs. The question is why would a non-New Zealand genealogists need their help?

I’m a firm believer that in order to reconstruct the entire story of a family, you have to trace out the siblings of your ancestor no matter where they immigrated. That’s one approach. Another approach is that it may be within the New Zealand branch of the family that the birthplace in Ireland for the entire family is preserved. Birthplaces are often difficult to identify from North American and UK records. However, they are more common place in New Zealand records.

NZSG has an active Irish Interest Group: www.genealogy.org.nz/Irish_Interest_Group_202.aspx and to perhaps broaden your horizons a Maori Interest Group: www.genealogy.org.nz/Maori_Interest_Group_205.aspx Since the Irish definitely intermarried with this ethnic group, Maori Studies should never be neglected in your explorations. In 2011, the Irish Interest Group library holdings were integrated into the NZSG collection. The combined collection resulted in one of the best material collections of Irish resources in New Zealand

The Society publishes the bi-monthly journal The New Zealand Genealogist which is a

respected journal in family history. They have also been active in indexing records, and producing CDs. The current “Kiwi Index v. 1.0” CD has over 8 million entries from a variety of sources. NZSG members have access to this CD. A list of sources on the CD can be found on the website.

Whether you have an ancestor or a branch of your family who settled in New Zealand, then you will benefit from learning more about the resources at the NZSG. Remember, the answer to Irish origins may lie in a New Zealand record!

Filed Under: Irish Ancestry Tagged With: New Zealand, Societies

American Hereditary (Lineage) Societies

27 Jun By Dwight Leave a Comment

Genealogies have been compiled by people wanting to join a particular lineage society. Most people have heard of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR). This is a lineage society based upon service on the American side of the Revolutionary War. Societies typically see themselves as educators, historians and genealogists. They gather and preserve material for future generations to draw from.

There are hundreds of societies, each with different membership requirements. Yet, the common bond is genealogy. Membership is based upon an unbroken lineage from the applicant to an ancestor who meets the membership requirements. This has created a mountain of historical research, and a valid genealogical research tool for the rest of us. The Hereditary Society Community of the United States of America acts as an umbrella organization: – www.hereditary.us/about_hsc.htm Their website has links to the various societies.

The focus of a society can be immigration, time period, occupation, residence, religion or military service. Once you have determined how your ancestors fit historically in American history, then you can look for a lineage society which may have documented them.  

Standards for lineage documentation have improved over the years. As with any genealogical material, lineage society papers are not always correct and must be tested for accuracy. The societies themselves monitor applications, often with a professional genealogist on their staff.

The papers for some lineage societies are on microfilm at the Family History Library. This makes research easy as you can study at the collections and applications for membership yourself.

Do not limit yourself to societies which may document an Irish immigrant. For example, if your Irish ancestor married a Norwegian, then you may want to look at any Norwegian societies to see if some mention is made about your Irish ancestor! Lineage society papers are an amazing resource.

Filed Under: Irish Ancestry Tagged With: Genealogy, Societies

Irish Genealogical Research Society

25 Jun By Dwight Leave a Comment

The Irish Genealogical Research Society (IGRS): http://igrsoc.org  is a well-respected organization based in London, with an Irish branch. It was founded in 1936. This is an important society which has helped to preserve, and make available privately held Irish records. Membership is open to anyone interested in Irish family history.

The IGRS was founded due to the destruction of the Public Record Office in 1922. The society set a goal to locate and preserve printed and manuscripts dating prior to that date, which includes wills, genealogies and Church of Ireland registers to name a few. The best use of their holdings for the family historian is when the family lineage has already been traced back to the mid-1800s.

The IGRS has created the largest private library of Irish genealogical material in Britain. They publish the widely acclaimed journal The Irish Genealogistonce a year since 1937. They also publish a bi-annual newsletter. The society has launched a monthly bulletin about Irish genealogy. Most major libraries with Irish collections will have the journal. Issue from 1937-1993 are now available on CD from Eneclann: www.eneclann.ie

The IGRS library is staffed by volunteers, and they cannot undertake private research. The benefits of society membership is access to the library and online resources. A list of the major manuscript collections housed at the IGRS library can be found on the society website.

If you are well-versed in Irish genealogy, you probably know about the IGRS. If you are a new to research, then I would suggest you find copies of their journal for study, explore their website, and see at what stage of your research, you may be ready for membership. Their goals for Irish research are certainly the same goals we all have regardless of what country we live.

Filed Under: Irish Ancestry Tagged With: Databases, Irish Ancestry, Irish Records, Libraries and Archives, Societies

Society of Australian Genealogists

10 Jun By Dwight Leave a Comment

The Society of Australian Genealogists (SAG): www.sag.org.au is an excellent genealogical organization. However, why would people outside of Australia even care?

Often in our research we plow through records only to see “Ireland” as the place of birth. Now consider this. In the nineteenth century, most immigrants had a relative who went to Australia, either as a convict or free. So to identify that ancestor, and begin using the Australian records is to open up an extra avenue from which to explore the question of Irish origins.

Sometimes I find it quicker to contact the SAG for the name of a genealogist for help rather than plowing through rolls of microfilm at the Family History Library. I’ve had the pleasure of working with many of them in the past. Like they have told me, it is common for the name of a county, parish and even townland in Ireland to be preserved in their records. This makes your Australian branch of the family very important.

The SAG members publish books and create databases. The SAG Library in Sydney has family histories and biographies, local and school histories, vital records indexes (civil registration), shipping records, probate collections, cemetery transcripts and burial registers, various commercial databases and indexes. Also at the SAG Library is a growing manuscript collection of more than 28,000 files. Within the files are family papers, pedigrees, photographs, certificates and research notes.  Their quarterly journal Descent is recognized internationally for its quality.

From my personal experience, if you have a lost Australian branch, I would highly recommend contacting the SAG. They have a special Irish Interest Group: http://irelandhome.com.au  

Filed Under: Irish Ancestry Tagged With: Australia, Genealogy, Libraries and Archives, Societies

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Dwight A. Radford

Dwight A. Radford is a professional family history researcher. Along with his staff they specialize in Ireland, England, Canada, African American, Native American, and United States. Connecting families together through historical documents and then creating a cherished family heirloom published book for generations to enjoy. Full bio…

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