1. BACKGROUND
Religious census returns for
certain places were taken in the 18th Century (c.1740-66).
These were some of the first census returns in Ireland and
some still survive today. However, the first complete census
returns were taken in 1813. This enumeration was followed by
others in 1821,1831, and every ten years thereafter until
1911. Most of these census returns have been destroyed. The
1901 census is the first complete census in existence today.
Although many of the census records were destroyed, there are
some substitutes that may be helpful.
Registration of non-Catholic
marriages began in 1845 in Ireland. Registration of births,
marriages and deaths, regardless of religion, began January 1,
1864. Birth certificates include the date and place of birth;
the name; the sex; the name, surname and residence of the
father; the name, surname, maiden surname of the mother; the
rank, profession or occupation of the father; and the name
and qualifications of the informant, usually a family member.
A given name was not obligatory, so some entries are Kelly,
Male or Clarke, Female. The FHLC holds microfilm copies of
the Birth Index 1864-1955; Records 1864-1881 and 1900-1955 (note
the gaps 1882-1899 and 1913-1930 in the FHLC). Some pages are
missing from 1869: p. 49-50 (gap between Carroll, John, of
Dungannon and Carvill, James Richard, of Limerick; and
all pages following Thompson, Elenor Jane, of Belfast.
2. CONTENT (available
censuses only)
Religious censuses (1740-66).
This census
varies in their details, but may include the heads of
households, parish by parish, and indicate their
religion; or may give statistics only.
Some returns
are available for Dioceses such as Ardagh, Armagh,
Clogher, Cloyne, Connor, Cork, Derry, Dromore, Down,
Elphin, Ferns, Kildare, Kilmore, Ossory, Raphoe and
Ross.
1821 Census
This census gives names of
inhabitants, relation to head, ages, occupations, and
information about the house and property.
Some
returns are available for parishes A-M, County Cavan;
A-D, County Offaly; A-R, Fermanagh; A-L, Galway; A-T,
Meath.
1831 Census
This census gives names of
inhabitants, relation to head, ages, occupations, and
information about the house and property.
Some
returns are available for the following parishes in
Londonderry County: Agevey, Aghanloo, Arboe, Artrea,
Banagher, Glendermot, Killowen, Macosquin, Tamlaght-Finlagen,
Templemore, and Termoneeny.
1841 Census
This census gives names of
inhabitants, ages, sex, relation to head, marital
condition, year of marriage, occupation and
birthplace (country, county, or city).
The only
return available is for Killeshandra Parish, County
Cavan.
1851 Census
This census gives the same
information as the 1841 plus a list of those people
belonging to the family that are not present (including
their names, ages, sex, relation to head, present
occupation, and country, county, or city of current
residence) and a list of those family members who
died while residing with the family during the last
10 years (including names, age, sex, relation to
head, occupation, season and year of death).
Returns
are available for Drumkeeran, County Fermanagh and
the following parishes in County Antrim: Aghagallon,
Aghalee, Ballinderry, Ballymoney, Carncartle, Craigs
(Ahoghill), Dunaghy, Grange of Killyglen, Killead,
Kilwaughter, Larne, Rasharkin, and Tickmacreevin.
1861, 1871, 1881 & 1891 Census Fragments
Those for 1861 1871 1881 and 1891 were completely destroyed earlier,
by order of the government. Virtually nothing survives. The only
transcripts are contained in the Catholic registers of Enniscorthy,
Co. Wexford, (1861), and Drumcondra and Loughbraclen, Co. Meath (1871).
1901 Census
This census gives name of
inhabitants, relation to head, religion, age, sex,
occupation, marital condition, birthplace (country,
county, or city), information on house and property
including the name of the lease holder. This census
is available online in its entirety.
http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/
1911 Census
-
This census gives same
information as the 1901 plus the number of years
married, total number of children born alive, and
number of children still living. This census is available online in its
entirety.
-
http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/
3.
Availability
a). Most of the existing census
records are on film at the Genealogical Society up to 1901.
For the 1911 Census, only parts of County Antrim are at the
Genealogical Society.
b). In Ireland, these records are
found at the Public Record Offices in Belfast and Dublin and
the Genealogical Office in Dublin.
4.
Substitutes
-
Old Age
Pensioners Claims (1841- 51).
- In 1908 the Old Age Pension Act was passed and with this act
came the need for proof of age. In many instances, census
returns of 1841 and 1851 were used. In some cases,
actual extracts are available for these censuses. In most
cases, Old Age Pension Search Forms are all that survive. These
search forms ask for the claimant's name, father, mother,
exact address when census was taken, age in census, age at
claim, and census year for which the search is requested.
These records exist primarily for Northern Ireland and most
are on film at the Genealogical Society.
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Tithe Applotment Books
(1823 -1838).
- This
record provides a detailed account, parish by parish, of the
land occupiers in each townland and includes the extent and
value of their individual farms. Those in urban areas are not
included. The Tithe Applotment Books for all of Ireland are
on microfilm at the Genealogical Society. Indexes for these
records are available at the Public Record Offices in Belfast
and the National Library in Dublin.
Please note
in some areas there are no names listed
only the townland and land description are recorder.
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Griffiths Valuation (1848 -1864).
- This government survey of all privately
held lands and buildings was taken to determine the amount of
tax that each person should pay toward support of the poor
and destitute in each Poor Law Union. All occupiers or
tenants, and the immediate lessors of all lands, buildings,
etc. for private or business use were liable for the tax. In
some areas, these valuations start in 1839; but the majority
exists from 1848-64. Such information as the name of tenants,
lessor, townland, parish, and tax will be found on these
records. They exist for all of Ireland and for the most part
are available at the Genealogical Society. An index by
surname by parish and county is available at the National
Library of Ireland in Dublin.
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School Records (c. 1850 -1920).
- These are primarily records of public
schools and include names of pupils, ages, religion, days
absent or present, occupation of parents, residence of
family, and the name of the school. Sometime the name of the
county and school last attended may be given or the cause of
withdrawal and destination of the pupil. Most of these
records are indexed and are at the Public Record Office in
Dublin and Belfast or the Genealogical Office in Dublin. The
Genealogical Society has microfilmed many of those available
from Northern Ireland.
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5.
17
Century Census Substitutes
The Historical Manuscripts
Commission Report, 4, (Hastings
Mss) gives lists of English and Scottish large
landlords granted land in the northern counties of
Cavan, Donegal, and Fermanagh. These were known as
undertakers.
These are lists of large
landlords in Ulster, and the names of the able-bodied
men that they could assemble to fight if the need
arose. They are arranged by county, and by district
within the county. The Armagh County Museum copy is
available in the
National
Library of Ireland
(Positive microfilm 206). Published lists are noted
under the relevant county, along with later lists in
the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland.
After the wars of the mid
seventeenth century, the English government needed
solid information on land ownership throughout
Ireland to carry out its policy of land
redistribution. The Books of Survey and Distribution
record ownership before the Cromwellian and
Williamite confiscations, c.1641, and after, c.1666.
The Books for Clare, Galway,
Mayo and Roscommon have been published by the Irish
Manuscripts Commission. For other counties,
manuscript copies are available at the National
Library.
1654-56
The Civil Survey
This too was a record of land
ownership in 1640, compiled between 1655 and 1667,
and fuller than the Books of Survey and Distribution.
It contains a great deal of topographical and
descriptive information, as well as details of wills
and deeds relating to land title. It has survived for
twelve counties only, Cork, Derry, Donegal, Dublin,
Kildare, Kilkenny, Limerick, Meath, Tipperary,
Tyrone, Waterford and Wexford. All of these have been
published by the Irish Manuscripts Commission.
1659
Penders Census
This was compiled by Sir
William Petty, also responsible for the Civil Survey,
and records the names of persons with title to land (tituladoes), the total numbers of English and Irish
living in each townland, and the principal Irish
names in each barony. Five counties, Cavan, Galway,
Mayo, Tyrone and Wicklow, are not covered. The work
was edited by Seamus Pender and published in 1939. (NLI
I 6551 Dublin).
1662
Subsidy Rolls
These list the nobility,
clergy and laity who paid a grant in aid to the King.
They supply name and parish, and, sometimes, amount
paid and occupation. They relate principally to
counties in Ulster.
1664
Hearth Money Rolls
The Hearth Tax was levied on
the basis of the number of hearths in each house;
these Rolls list the householders' names, as well as
this number. They seem to be quite comprehensive.
Details of surviving lists will be found under the
relevant counties. For the copies of the Hearth Money
Rolls listed in The Public Record Office of Northern
Ireland under "T.307", an index is
available on the Public Search Room shelves.
-
Cess
Tax Accounts
- Cess (from an abbreviation of
assessment) was a very elastic term, which could be
applied to taxes levied for a variety of reasons. In
Ireland it was very often to support a military
garrison. The accounts generally consist of lists of
householders names, along with amounts due.
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Note!
- Prior to the destruction of the
1851 census, Dr. D.A. Chart of the Public Record Office
compiled a comprehensive list of the names and addresses of
heads of households for Dublin City. This unique genealogical
source has now been edited and converted to database format
by Seán Magee making it available to all researchers
worldwide. It contains over 60,000 names and addresses (and
some occupations) in the City of Dublin. This CD-ROM also
contains scanned images of the original 1847 Ordnance Survey
Town Plans of Dublin City, courtesy of Dublin Corporation.
These 33 maps contain remarkable detail of all the streets
and houses within the city at this time, to help users
identify specific addresses
- Update: - Family History Centres have most of these
records on microfilm.
- Visit your local
LDS (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day
Saints) church were
the centres are usually found and check to see what records are
available.
Please
report any links or images which do not open to
mjbrennan30@gmail.com
- The
information contained in these pages is provided solely for the
purpose of sharing with others researching their ancestors in
Ireland.
- © 2001 County Carlow
Genealogy IGP
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