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Essential Resource No. 5

Parish Records

Civil Registration in Ireland began comprehensively in 1864 (*with the exception of the Registration of Non-Catholic Marriages, beginning in 1845). However, if your Ancestors were Born, *Married or Died pre-1864, then you will most certainly need recourse to Church Records to complete your research.

KNOWING WHERE YOUR ANCESTORS COME FROM IN IRELAND

Before you can Search Parish Registers, you will need to know the Name of the Townland where your Ancestors came from. Whilst this may seem an obvious point, many people stumble on this first hurdle. If you do not have a Townland name, but know the County and have an approximate date of birth, marriage or death post-1864, then you could start by obtaining a copy of the Civil Registration first - This should provide you with a Townland, and get you off the Starting Blocks. If Civil Registration is not an option, then you should consider Emigration Records to see whether these provide any clues on your Ancestor's Townland.

If you know the Name of the Townland, you should consider obtaining a Historical Map of the area. There are Two reasons why Historical Maps can help:

  • Firstly, a Historical Map will provide you with an idea of many Churches there were in the area at that time.
    You will be able to identify with accuracy the Churches nearest to your Ancestor's Home. If you find, for example, that there were three Churches, all within the same distance to your Ancestor's Home - then you will need to contact all three.

  • Secondly, for those of you Researching Catholic Ancestors, the Catholic Church created a number of New Parishes in the 19th Century, just to further complicate matters, which is why Historical Maps are so important in any Irish Family Research. For More information about Historical Maps, please refer to our Historical Maps Article, or to purchase a Map, click here.

    CATHOLIC PARISH REGISTERS

    If your Ancestors were Catholics, you will find that the Majority of Parish Registers began in the early 19th Century, with a few dating back to the mid 18th Century. Catholic Registers consist of Birth and Marriage Registers. A few Death Registers exist, but these are few and far between. For example, Armagh Catholic Cathedral does keep Burial Records for its Sandy Road Graveyard dating back to the first burial, but it is in a minority.

    Depending on the Parish Priest in question, it is not unusual to find manuscript notes alongside entries usually noting dates of confirmation, marriage, emigration and so on. But be careful what you wish for - in the early 1800s a local Parish Priest kept notes relating to the comings and goings of his Parishioners which, by today's standards, would be deemed to be an invasion of privacy.

    Below is a list of key data that you are likely to find from Catholic Records.

    Baptismal Registers will provide you with the following information:

  • Date of Baptism;
  • Child's Given Name;
  • Father's Name;
  • Mother's Maiden Name;
  • Address; and
  • Names of Sponsors.

    Generally speaking, 19th Century Catholic Baptisms took place during the first week of the baby's life, and often the day after birth - probably because of the high infant mortality rates at that time.

    Marriage Registers will provide you with the following information:

  • Date of Marriage
  • Names of Parties;
  • Addresses;
  • Whether the Parties were of Full Age (ie. 21 or older);
  • Fathers' Names & Addresses;
  • Names of Witnesses (Maid of Honor & Best Man);
  • Whether any Dispensation from Banns was required.

    Burial Registers (where they exist) should provide you with the following information:

  • Date of Purchase of Plot;
  • Plot Number;
  • Name & Address of Purchaser of Plot and Relationship to Deceased;
  • Deceased's Name;
  • Date of Initial Burial;
  • Names of Deceaseds and Dates of Subsequent Internment (where a Family Plot).

    Where can Catholic Registers be Found ?

  • National Library of Ireland has most Registers on Microfilm;
  • PRONI has Registers for Northern Ireland available on Microfilm;
  • LDS also has an extensive collection of Registers on Microfilm.
  • Most Parish Registers are still held in local custody.

    CHURCH OF IRELAND REGISTERS

    Most Church of Ireland Registers began between the mid-18th and early 19th Century, and consist of Birth, Marriage and Burial Registers. Whilst the Registers began earlier than their Catholic counterparts, sadly, they are not as detailed, and very much depends on what the Vicar decided to record.

    Generally speaking, Church of Ireland Baptismal Registers will provide you with the following information:

  • Date of Baptism;
  • Child's Given Name;
  • Father's Name;
  • Mother's Christian Name;
  • Name of Officiating Priest.

    Marriage Registers should provide you with the date of Marriage and the names of the Bride & Groom. Whilst this information is seriously lacking, don't forget that Church of Ireland Marriages were also recorded under Civil Registration System from 1845 onwards, and you will find more information recorded in the Civil Records to help bridge the knowledge gap - especially regarding details such as addresses of parties, and names of the Bride & Grooms' Parents.

    The Church of Ireland also operated a Marriage Licence Bond System and Indexes to these Bonds are available at the National Archives, Dublin, and at the Genealogical Office in Dublin.

    Burial Registers will provide you with the following information:

  • Name of Deceased;
  • Townland; and possibly
  • Age of Deceased.

    Where can Church of Ireland Registers be Found ?

  • For Northern Ireland, PRONI has an extensive collection of Registers on Microfilm;
  • The National Archives in Dublin has a list of available Registers, dates & locations.
  • Some Registers may still be in custody of the local Church.

    METHODIST REGISTERS

    Methodism was introduced in Ireland by John Wesley in 1747. From 1747-1816 Methodist Records can be found amongst the Church of Ireland Registers. From 1816 to 1878 the Methodist Movement was split and records were either kept with the Church of Ireland or with the Wesleyan Methodist Church. If you do not know what faction your Ancestors belonged to, then it would be best to check both the Methodist & Church of Ireland Registers. Once again, Historical Maps of the area should give you an idea of the local Churches close to your Ancestors Home, and this should help when deciding who to contact.

    Methodist Registers should provide you with exactly the same information as contained in the Church of Ireland Registers (listed above).

    Where Can Methodist Registers be Found ?

  • For Northern Ireland, PRONI has a List of all available registers with details of dates & location.
  • Local Methodist Churches.

    PRESBYTERIAN REGISTERS

    Early Presbyterian Records can be found in Church of Ireland Registers, and will provide you with exactly the same information as contained in the Church of Ireland Registers (listed above). Once again, Historical Maps of the area should give you an idea of the local Churches close to your Ancestors Home, and this should help when deciding who to contact.

    Where Can Presbyterian Registers be Found ?

  • For Northern Ireland, PRONI has an extensive collection of Registers on Microfilm;
  • Presbyterian Historical Society, Belfast
  • Local Presbyterian Churches.

    QUAKER REGISTERS

    If your Ancestors were Quakers, you will be pleased to hear that the Society of Friends kept records of all births, marriages and deaths of their members. Names and addresses are provided for all entries.

    Where Can Quaker Registers be Found ?

    Libraries of the Society of Friends, Dublin and/or Lisburn.

  • Latter Day Saints Library - microfilms available
  • National Library, Dublin.

    Contact details for all Libraries, Archives and Repositories can be found on our Contacts Page, accessible from the Homepage.

    If you have any queries regarding this Article, please feel free to e-mail us at:

    support@irishfamilyresearch.co.uk