talk report - AUGUST 2008
27 August 2008: Irish Ancestry - Mrs Pam Richardson
Pam gave us a very interesting talk about her attempts to trace her father's grand-parents in Ireland. Until she had started trying to trace her family's history she did not even know that some of her ancestors came from Ireland. Her first task, having discovered the Irish connection was to find out when they came over from Ireland. She was able to find this by using the British Census records. But this did not give which county they came from which you need to continue your search.
The Map of Surnames, together with Cindys List, and Griffiths Valuation (taken between 1847 and 1864 and very good for the rural population), helped to locate the possible origin of the family. Civil Registration started later in Ireland than in England, in 1864, and Roman Catholic marriages before 1864 were not registered. She also found death certificates very useful in giving additional information not found elsewhere.
She used a number of sources (which are listed on page 9 of this issue of the magazine). Irish censuses began in 1821, however those between 1821 - 1851 were lost in a fire during the civil war in 1916, but some had been transcribed and can still be found. The 1901 census is available as are parts of the 1911 census, both of which have been made available earlier than the UK ones because of the loss of earlier documentation.
Pension records can be useful and anyone over 70 could apply for a pension from 1909 and they had to produce documentary evidence of their age which was recorded and fill in a Green Form which is still held in the National Archives in Dublin. Those who owned or rented property came under a Land Commission in 1880 which gives very useful information as to the background of the tenant.
A very informative talk and a useful guide to the sources available.