Before you start
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Talk to your family and try to obtain as much information as possible such as
first-hand accounts, memories and stories, especially from older generations.
They can often provide you with names, dates and key family events - although
you should never take anything at face value, as it will be your job to
investigate family myths.
- It is also important to look through old family correspondence, photos,
heirlooms and other material that can find its way into trunks, drawers,
attics or cellars. You will be amazed how much information you can extract
from these objects to obtain vital clues. Also try to establish where your
family is from, as this will play an important role in where to look for
relevant records
- Visit 'Moving Here' which is a
great starting point for those tracing ancestors who were not born in the UK
and the
Family History
section of the
BBC web site
- Read all you can about the subject. Using the
online catalogue search the catalogue and reserve items
using terms such as 'family history', 'genealogy' or 'Ireland genealogy'
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Your research begins
- The accepted method of research is to start with the known (yourself) and then
to work backwards, one step at a time, from relatives living here in Britain.
Decide which branch of your family to research first, your father's or
mother's
- If your ancestors were born in England or Wales on or after 1st July 1837
start your search with Births, marriages & deaths (civil registration)
- If your ancestors settled in the England or Wales after 6th June 1841 take a
look at Census records (1841-1901)
- If your ancestors were not born in England or Wales visit the 'Tracing
your roots' section of the
Moving Here web site for hints on
how to trace your Irish roots; see also the
Family History section of the
BBC web site
- If you wish to read up on the history of Irish settlement see the 'Migration histories' section of the
Moving Here web site
Key resources
- Birth, marriage and death records (Civil registration)
- Census records
- Church records
Birth, marriage and death records (Civil registration)
- 1st April 1845 to present Protestant marriages
- 1st Jan 1864 to present birth, marriage & deaths of everyone
- Certificates for Births, Marriages and Deaths from the
General Register Office (GRO)
Apply in person or by post. You can download the form from the website, but it
has to be sent by post. If you are unsure of the event date, you will
need to use the index
Index to Births, Marriages and Deaths
- Family Search
Click on 'Search Records', then on 'Record Search Pilot'
The Family Search website has just made the index available, as a pilot. At
present, it covers Protestant marriages 1845-1958 and all other births,
marriages and deaths 1864-1958.
Not all the information required to apply for a certificate is always listed
but the GRO will provide a certificate as long as most fields on the form are
completed
- Hyde Park Family History Centre, London
Has the index on microfiche/film. Scroll down the home page for a list of
Irish resources, see also the 'Other UK centres' tab for a list of nearer
centres
- General Register Office, Roscommon,
Ireland
You can visit the office in person and request information.
There is a daily search fee of € 20.00, this entitles you to search any of the
Birth, Marriage or Death index books or for € 2.00 you can do a 5 year search
of a given index.
Births, Marriage and Death Records Online
- Irish Roots
This is a pay-per-view website for civil birth, marriage and death records
between 1864 and the early 1900s. N.B. New records are being added all the
time.
These records include the same information as you would find on a certificate
so at a cost of €5 per record this is cheaper than a certificate which costs
€10 (Click the 'Samples' tab to see the information included in each record).
Go to 'Online research system (ORS)', then select the county e.g. Leitrim. If
you then click the 'Sources' tab you can see what sources are currently
available online. Click the 'Search' tab to begin your search.
Census Records
There are issues with accessing census records, as the 1821-1851censuses were
destroyed in the Four Courts Fire in 1922. Then 1861- 1891 were destroyed
by order of the British Government during WWI to save space or to hide the
evidence of decline in population after the famine. However, 1901 onwards
censuses do survive.
Census substitutes
- Griffiths Valuation 1847-1864 – Shows the names of occupiers of land and
buildings. An index to this is available on
Ancestry
- Tithe Applotment Books 1823-1837 – Lists the amount occupiers of
agricultural holdings had to pay in tithes to the Church of Ireland. Available
on Ancestry
Church Records (baptisms, marriages & burials)
The majority of original church registers are still held at local churches.
Many genealogy centres have transcribed and indexed church records.
N.B. None of these databases are as yet available on Ancestry
- Irish Roots - Records from the mid 1800s to early 1900s.
Very few Catholic church records pre-date 1820
- Church of Ireland (Anglican) - These records are more complicated. Many
original records were destroyed in the 1922 fire, some originals are held in
the:
- National Archives, Dublin,
- Representative Church Body Library,
- Some are retained
in the parish.
See guides from the:
National Library of Ireland
- Click on 'Family History', then 'Family History – getting started'. The Public Record Office
of Northern Ireland - Click on 'Family History', then 'Family History – key
sources'.
- Family Search
- Click on 'Search Records', then 'International Genealogical Index ( IGI)' as
it has some Irish church records.
Books to read
Useful articles
- Family Tree Magazine July 2007 & May 2008 (Bedford Central Library,
Leighton Buzzard Library and Dunstable Library have back files)
Useful websites
Going further in your research
Good luck with your search!
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