Irish Family Tree Top Tips
Local and family history A-Z > Family history
Before you start
- 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'
- 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.
- 1911 census
- Hyde Park Family History
Centre - has the 1901 and 1911 census on microfiche/film
Scroll down the home page for a list of Irish resources, see also the 'Other UK centres' tab for list of nearer centres - National Archives, Dublin 1901 and 1911 census - in person
- Society of Genealogists, London - the society has some Irish resources but you have to become a member to use the facilities, there is a cost for this
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:
See guides from the:- National Archives, Dublin,
- Representative Church Body Library,
- Some are retained in the parish.
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
- Tracing your Irish family history by Anthony Adolph
- How to trace your Irish ancestors by Ian Maxwell
Useful articles
- Family Tree Magazine July 2007 & May 2008 (Bedford Central Library, Leighton Buzzard Library and Dunstable Library have back files)
Useful websites
- www.movinghere.org.uk
- BBC Family History Pages
- WebLink: Gateway to the Internet - A list of websites to help you trace your family history.
- Local and Family History A-Z - Describes other sources that are held in Bedford Borough and Central Bedfordshire libraries that may help you learn more about your ancestors once settled in England and Wales
Going further in your research
- Find a class on tracing your family history at a local college through the Local Information Database
- Join a local family history society. Bedfordshire Family History Society has monthly meetings and events