HOW TO USE THE 1851-1871 IRISH CENSUS

All is not in vain when you have Irish ancestors and want to find them in Ireland and to locate their land. One always hears about the lost census records during the 1922 riots, but there were census records that were abstracted by the Irish government and then destroyed by them, but information about the land and property records of that time are available. You have to use the 1851 or 1871 census material to find where they live.   Learning to do this is a challenge, but it is very good way to find them. First you must have some good information and knowledge of Ireland and its land definitions to proceed.

Here are the steps you must follow to find your family.

1. Know the Internal Division of Ireland. Provinces, Counties, Baronies, Parishes, Townlands, Poor Law Unions.

2. Next go to the Griffiths Valuation either book or CD, or on Internet. If you know the County where your family comes from go to the county first to check for your name.   If you don't know the county, then you will have to check each county for your name.

Griffiths is also on microfiche at the LDS Family History Library,

and these are the microfiche numbers 6026722 Number of Fiche: 3 . Use this to order if needed. Goes by Counties

a. Know the County.   If you know the county then when you get there find the places in the county where the name is found and copy the Townlands where they are found. Then go to the front of the book and find the Baronies for those towns. Be sure to copy Barony name.

b. Don’t know the County. If you don’t know the County then you will have to go to each county looking for the name and then copy down with the Townland they are found in. Then you will have to go to each Townland looking for clues that this is your family. First names etc. Be sure to copy the Barony where it is located.

3. Check the book: ”Census of Ireland, General Alphabetical Index of the Townlands and Towns, Parishes, Baronies of Ireland.” Printed 1861 Dublin. Available at the many libraries in the Genealogy section and at most large LDS Family History Libraries. There is a book for 1851 and one for 1871 census. EASIER WAY: You can also check this easier by going to the Microfiche list of the “Census of year 1871" available from the LDS Family History Libraries.   The numbers are:6020345-6020353 to order from the Library.

These microfiches have all the Townlands, County, Barony, Parish, Poor Law Unions. Remember the Poor Law Unions are the key to the Electoral Divisions. Electoral Divisions are the key to land records to find your family. Also check on the Internet to see if your Irish County has this information. Some now have this available.

a. Check the Townland and Towns and get the Poor Law Union District for your town and the Electoral Division. It is the Poor Law Union that gets you to the Electoral Division. Note; not all Poor Law unions have the same name in the Poor Law Electoral Division.

b. EXAMPLE:

Town: Rathcolman

County: Westmeath

Barony: Moysahel & Magheradernon

Parish: Mullingar

Poor Law Union: Mullingar

Poor Law electoral Division: HOPESTOWN

Note: Hopestown is what I need to go to find my family. It is the Electoral division and there they were.

4. Now go to the computer and click on Internet Explorer and type in http://www.FAMILYSEARCH.COM now go to the very top to “SEARCH,” put in the county and Ireland, then click.

a. You should get a list of all the records for this county that are available. Click on LAND AND PROPERTY and then when you get that, click up top on DETAILS.

b. You will now see ELECTORAL DISTRICTS. Now read down to find the Townland you want and then copy the film number you need to order from LDS Family History Library in Salt Lake City Utah.

4. Now you have the film you ordered. Now go to the town or townlands that you are seeking and begin to scroll through looking for the name of the Electoral Division you found and then when you get there begin to check for your family. Note that the dates are on the far right side for the year. You will find names of all the tenants or owners of land that were there for many years. If you find a name crossed out be sure to check to see if it is yours. Whenever a person died, sold, or moved, then the name was crossed out and the new name above. You might find a widow, son, or new name. Very important. Gives you clues, especially when they migrated to US Remember all people living in dwellings, tenants and owners are listed, so even if your ancestor did not own land, they should be there.

NOTE; to find Townland, Barony, Poor Law Union try this site http://seanruad.com and also go to www.google.com
And search for other Irish records.

Source: Charlotte Smith charlotsmith@prodigy.net

Records

Major collections of Irish records at the FHL include:

Cemetery Records - Many published volumes of tombstone transcripts. Microfilm of the Mount Jerome Cemetery registers (Dublin City).

Censuses and Census Substitutes - The 1901 and 1911 censuses of Ireland. Census fragments, nineteenth century. Many census substitutes from the 1600s-1800s.

Church Records - Microfilm of church registers from about 1/3 of the Catholic parishes in Ireland; Quaker registers of births, marriages and deaths for all of Ireland.

Civil Registration - Microfilm copies of indexes to Irish civil registration from 1845 through 1958. Also copies of many of the original registers of birth, marriage and death, although there are gaps in the collection.

Directories - Country-wide and local town directories are available as books and/or on microfilm. Significant series of directories for Belfast and Dublin are included.

Estate Records - Relatively few are available, but some have been filmed at the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland, Belfast.

Genealogies - Most of the manuscripts of the Genealogical Office, Dublin, are available on microfilm.

Inventories and Catalogs - Descriptive catalogs of the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland, Belfast. Kew Lists for the Public Record Office in England. Many genealogical guides and inventories.

Land Records - Records of the Registry of Deeds from 1708-1929, along with indexes by the name of grantor and by the locality (such as townland), are available on microfilm from the FHL.

Military Records - Many British Army, Irish militia and yeomanry records microfilmed at the Public Record Office in England.

Occupational Records - Guild records for Dublin City and other cities. Royal Irish Constabulary records and indexes.

Place Names - Indexes to towns and townlands in Ireland, 1851, 1871, 1901.

Reference Material - Most Irish genealogy reference works and Irish county genealogy guides are available.

Taxation Records - Tithe Applotment Books (1823-1837). Griffith's Primary Valuation (1847-1864). Griffith's Revision Lists for Republic of Ireland counties.

Wills and Administrations - Indexes to pre-1858 records by diocese. Records and indexes by probate registry for post-1858 period.

Top

The information contained in these pages is provided solely for the purpose of sharing with others researching their ancestors in Ireland.