FindmyPast adds historic Irish republican military nominal rolls

FindmyPast (www.findmypast.co.uk) has added the following Irish collection:

Ireland, Defence Forces' Military Archives Nominal Rolls

This new collection from the Military Archives of Ireland contains the names of individuals who served with Irish Volunteers, the Irish Republican Army, Cumann na mBan and Na Fianna Éireann during a transformative chapter in Ireland's history. There are 487,575 records for you to explore. 

For a link, and details of other collections added this week, visit https://www.findmypast.co.uk/blog/new/irish-military-rolls-guernsey-bmds

Chris 

Order Researching Ancestral Crisis in Ireland in the UK at https://bit.ly/4jJWSEh. Also available -Tracing Your Belfast Ancestors, Tracing Your Irish Ancestors Through Land Records, Sharing Your Family History Online, Tracing Your Scottish Family History on the Internet, Tracing Your Irish Family History on the Internet (2nd ed), and Tracing Your Scottish Ancestry Through Church and State Records - to purchase, please visit https://bit.ly/ChrisPatonPSbooks. To purchase in the USA visit https://www.penandswordbooks.com. Further news published daily on The Scottish GENES Facebook page.

Ancestry adds new searchable indexes for the Ulster Covenant and WW1 Royal Victoria Hospital register

Ancestry (www.ancestry.co.uk) has added two new third party databases of records from PRONI. 

The first deals with the Ulster Covenant of 1912, the protest document signed by half a million Protestants against the prospect of Home Rule in Ireland:

Web: Ulster, Ireland, Ulster Covenant, 1912
https://www.ancestry.co.uk/search/collections/70924/
Original data: Ulster Covenant 1912. Northern Ireland: Public Records Office of Northern Ireland. https://apps.proni.gov.uk/ulstercovenant/Search.aspx: Accessed February 2023.

There is no description of the collection on the site, although you can find out more about the records on the PRONI site at https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/articles/about-ulster-covenant. To do an address search in the collection, use the 'Lived in' field.

Bizarrely, the collection does not pop up in the catalogue when you search for it, unless you first untick the 'Only search for records in the UK and Ireland' box. (It's possible our American friends don't know where Ulster is...!) 

The second collection is for Royal Victoria Hospital, Belfast, records from 1914-1916:

Belfast, Antrim, Ireland, Royal Victoria Hospital Register, 1914-1916
https://www.ancestry.co.uk/search/collections/70914/
Original data: Royal Victoria Hospital Register, 1914-1916. Belfast, Northern Ireland, UK: Public Records Office of Northern Ireland. https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/articles/royal-victoria-hospital-register-1914-1916: Accessed October 2022.

About Belfast, Antrim, Ireland, Royal Victoria Hospital Register, 1914-1916

This collection contains medical registers for more than 700 soldiers from the Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast between the years 1914 and 1916. Most records are in English.

Using this collection

Records in the collection may include the following information:

• Name
• Rank
• Hospital Admission Date
• Hospital Discharge Date
• Military Regiment
• Battalion Number
• Attaché Regiment
• Service Number
• Page Number

Military records can provide insight into your ancestor's military experience, both in peacetime and war. These records can provide a unique snapshot of their life at the time. Military records can also give insights into where your ancestor was located during key points in military history.

Chris

Order Tracing Your Belfast Ancestors in the UK at https://bit.ly/BelfastAncestors. Also available - Tracing Your Irish Ancestors Through Land Records, Sharing Your Family History Online, Tracing Your Scottish Family History on the Internet, Tracing Your Irish Family History on the Internet (2nd ed), and Tracing Your Scottish Ancestry Through Church and State Records - to purchase, please visit https://bit.ly/ChrisPatonPSbooks. For purchase in tthe USA visit https://www.penandswordbooks.com. Further news published daily on The Scottish GENES Facebook page, on Threads at @scottishgenesblog and via Mastodon at https://mastodon.scot/@ScottishGENES.

Watch the PRONI Centenary Event live on June 22nd

Next Thursday 22nd June sees an event which can be attended in person, or viewed online, to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland (www.nidirect.gov.uk/proni):

PRONI Centenary Event

22 June, 12pm-1.30pm 

Join us as we celebrate our 100th anniversary at an event highlighting our past, present and future, and hearing our guest speakers reflect on their PRONI experience.

Speakers include Tim McGarry (writer and comedian), Stephen Walker (former BBC NI political correspondent), Sam McBride (Northern Ireland editor of the Belfast Telegraph and Sunday Independent), Professor Marie Coleman (historian, Queen’s University Belfast), Bronagh McAtasney (private depositor and NI Screen access and outreach officer), Rhona Murray (Ancestry content and acquisition manager).

To sign up, please visit https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/proni-centenary-event-tickets-660417896707

COMMENT: I am looking forward to this one - PRONI is simply the best national archive in existence! (I'm biased!)

Chris

Order Tracing Your Belfast Ancestors in the UK at https://bit.ly/BelfastAncestors. Also available - Tracing Your Irish Ancestors Through Land Records, Sharing Your Family History Online, Tracing Your Scottish Family History on the Internet, Tracing Your Irish Family History on the Internet (2nd ed), and Tracing Your Scottish Ancestry Through Church and State Records - to purchase, please visit https://bit.ly/ChrisPatonPSbooks. For the USA visit https://www.penandswordbooks.com. Further news published daily on The Scottish GENES Facebook page, and on Twitter @genesblog.

Glimpses of the revolutionary period in Dublin

On my walk around Dublin yesterday, as well as seeking locations relevant to my ancestor Teresa Mooney (see https://scottishgenes.blogspot.com/2023/06/researching-my-ancestor-teresa-mooney.html), I decided to prioritise one other place I had never been to before, and that was Dublin Castle. This was the seat of British power in Ireland for centuries, until the point in August 1922 when the British Army symbolicallly handed over control of the nation to the Irish Free State Army (the 'National Army'). I did not have time to do a tour, and so simply visited the place briefly to get a sense of where it was, in anticipation of a future visit. The courtyard is huge, and packed with tourists. You can find more about the castle at https://www.dublincastle.ie. 

I also had time to briefly pop into the General Post Office on O'Connell Street (which used to be known as Sackville Street), my first time inside in about 20 years, as I'm always in Dublin on Sundays or bank holidays, when it is closed! Another remarkable location, and where the proclamation was read in 1916 during the Easter Rising stating that Ireland was to become a republic (finally achieved in 1949).

Close to the Travelodge Plus hotel where I was staying I came across a wonderful statue of Constance Markiewicz, the first women ever to be elected as a Member of Parliament at Westminster (as a member of Sinn Fein). Markiewicz was also a founding member of Cumann na mBan and the Irish Citizen Army, which fought in the rebellion in 1916.    

Finally, a glimpse of the Parnell monument on O'Connell Street, dedciated to Charles Stewart Parnell, which carries the famous wording that "No Man has a right to fix the boundary to the march of a nation. No man has a right to say to his country "Thus far shalt thou go and no further". We have never attempted to fix the ne-plus-ultra to the progress of Ireland’s nationhood and we never shall".

* For more on the revolutionary period, including how to research members of both the Republican and Crown forces, there is a chapter on the Decade of Centenaries in my book, Tracing Your Irish Family History on the Internet (2nd edition) - see below for details on how to order! 

Chris 

Order Tracing Your Belfast Ancestors in the UK at https://bit.ly/BelfastAncestors. Also available - Tracing Your Irish Ancestors Through Land Records, Sharing Your Family History Online, Tracing Your Scottish Family History on the Internet, Tracing Your Irish Family History on the Internet (2nd ed), and Tracing Your Scottish Ancestry Through Church and State Records - to purchase, please visit https://bit.ly/ChrisPatonPSbooks. For the USA visit https://www.penandswordbooks.com. Further news published daily on The Scottish GENES Facebook page, and on Twitter @genesblog.

War of Independence and Irish Civil War compensation claims files to go online

From the National Archives of Ireland (www.nationalarchives.ie):

On 30 November last, Minister for Finance Paschal Donohue TD visited the National Archives to announce the transfer from his department to the National Archives of 3500+ files relating to compensation claims for injuries, death or damages sustained during the War of Independence or Civil War. This collection contains first-hand accounts by claimants – including medical and personal data – relating to tragic events during a turbulent period, demonstrating that people of all ages, from all and no sides were affected in varying ways during these difficult years.

Work will now begin to prepare these files for public release in April 2023 so stay tuned for updates

Further information about the project is available at https://www.gov.ie/en/press-release/f0245-records-for-compensation-claims-relating-to-personal-injuries-or-death-during-the-period-of-the-war-of-independence-and-civil-war-to-be-released-to-the-public/

(With thanks to the NAI via email) 

Chris

My new book Tracing Your Irish Ancestors Through Land Records is now available to buy at https://bit.ly/IrishLandRecords. Also available - Sharing Your Family History Online, Tracing Your Scottish Family History on the Internet, Tracing Your Irish Family History on the Internet (2nd ed), and Tracing Your Scottish Ancestry Through Church and State Records - to purchase, please visit https://bit.ly/ChrisPatonPSbooks. Further news published daily on The Scottish GENES Facebook page, and on Twitter @genesblog.

Ireland's Virtual Record Treasury launches

If there is one thing to learn about Irish genealogy and history, it is that the glass is always half full when it comes to the survival of records, it is never half empty. You'll hear a lot of doom and gloom from folk about records being destroyed, and how it just can't be done. Ignore them, there is often a way!

Today, Ireland pulled off a miracle, in retrieving a great deal of the material thought to be forever lost in the Public Record Office fire of 1922, during the Irish Civil War. Through transcripts, surrogate copies, conservation miracles, and collaboration with other archives worldwide (not least PRONI and TNA), the new Virtual Record Treasury of Ireland platform has now been launched at https://virtualtreasury.ie.

Having just watched the official launch online, which I found to be extraordinarly emotional, it's just too big to review right now, so I am merely going to suggest that you get stuck in, and in due course, when I can breathe a little more, I will properly review it! 

Suffice to say that having just typed in my home town of Carrickfergus, 506 entries have popped up, and they will be duly plundered very soon. My home town of Carrickfergus has a Latin motto - Gloria Prisca Novatur - meaning 'the glory of old renewed'. Today, whilst our old PRO has not been fully restored, much of its former glory has been renewed in Dublin. A superb effort from all concerned, and a fitting conclusion to the Decade of Centenaries.

For more on the launch visit https://beyond2022.ie/ and https://www.rte.ie/news/ireland/2022/0624/1306668-virtual-record-office/.

The glass is half full, it is not half empty. Have fun!

Chris 

My new book Tracing Your Irish Ancestors Through Land Records is now available to buy at https://bit.ly/IrishLandRecords. Also available - Sharing Your Family History Online, Tracing Your Scottish Family History on the Internet, Tracing Your Irish Family History on the Internet (2nd ed), and Tracing Your Scottish Ancestry Through Church and State Records - to purchase, please visit https://bit.ly/ChrisPatonPSbooks. Further news published daily on The Scottish GENES Facebook page, and on Twitter @genesblog.

The Decade of Centenaries: Researching Ireland 1912-1923 talk

I gave a talk last night to the Guild of One-Name Studies (https://one-name.org) on the topic of The Decade of Centenaries: Researching Ireland 1912-1923. The session looked at the tumultuos period in which Ireland's constitutional argument with the UK ended up with the partition of the island and a full blown civil war, but in which other struggles were also happening, including that of the Suffragettes, the rights of workers to unionise, and of course, the First World War.

The session was recorded by the society and is freely available online at https://one-name.org/the-decade-of-centenaries-researching-ireland-1912-1923-webinar-with-chris-paton/ until May 8th (or click on the image below to be taken directly there).

If you want to know more about the period, there is a dedicated chapter on the topic in my book Tracing Your Irish Family History on the Internet (2nd edition), available from Pen and Sword at https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/Tracing-Your-Irish-Family-History-on-the-Internet-Paperback/p/16483 (if seeking to buy it from Ireland, postage is cheaper if bought from Books Ireland at https://www.booksireland.org.uk/store/books/tracing-your-irish-family-history-on-the-internet-second-edition)

Chris

My new book Tracing Your Irish Ancestors Through Land Records is now available to buy at https://bit.ly/IrishLandRecords. Also available - Sharing Your Family History Online, Tracing Your Scottish Family History on the Internet, Tracing Your Irish Family History on the Internet (2nd ed), and Tracing Your Scottish Ancestry Through Church and State Records - to purchase, please visit https://bit.ly/ChrisPatonPSbooks. Further news published daily on The Scottish GENES Facebook page, and on Twitter @genesblog.

Ireland's Military Archives updates Military Service Pensions Collection

From Ireland's Military Archives (www.militaryarchives.ie), news of the latest update to its Military Service Pensions Collection:

May 2021 Release

The May 2021 release is the tenth release of records from the Military Service (1916-1923) Pensions Collection (MSPC). The files relate to claims lodged by 1,120 individuals/veterans or by their dependants and contain new information on the War of Independence and the Civil War. This release contains over 2,500 new files and brings the total of fully digitised files relating to individual claims to 34,500, representing over 11,840 individual entries on the MSPC database.

Taking into account all MSPC file series, approximately 104,000 files have now been catalogued and available for viewing either online or in the Military Archives reading room (in the case of the Medals series).

The files released include:

- 869 claims lodged by women
- 64 individuals from Northern Ireland (41 women)
- 15 wound pensions awarded
- 237 successful claims (service/wounds, etc.)
- 9 successful claims under the Military Service Pensions Act, 1924 (National Army veterans)
- 152 successful claims under the Military Service Pensions Act, 1934

View the full list of files released on this occasion: HERE 

To search the records visit https://www.militaryarchives.ie/collections/online-collections/military-service-pensions-collection-1916-1923

(Source: https://www.militaryarchives.ie/collections/online-collections/military-service-pensions-collection-1916-1923/release-history/may-2021-release @mspcblog)

Chris

Just out, Sharing Your Family History Online is on sale at https://bit.ly/SharingFamHist. Tracing Your Scottish Family History on the Internet, at http://bit.ly/ChrisPaton-Scottish2 is also out, as are Tracing Your Irish Family History on the Internet (2nd ed) at http://bit.ly/ChrisPaton-Irish1 and Tracing Your Scottish Ancestry Through Church and State Records at http://bit.ly/ChrisPaton-Scotland1. Further news published daily on The Scottish GENES Facebook page, and on Twitter @genesblog.

Irish Newspaper Archives 50% off subscriptions sale

The Irish Newspaper Archives has a sale on just now, with 50% off subscriptions.

You'll find the details, including a list of the newspaper titles available, at www.irishnewsarchive.com/blackfriday2020.

Chris

Pre-order my next book, Sharing Your Family History Online, at https://bit.ly/SharingFamHist. My book Tracing Your Scottish Family History on the Internet, at http://bit.ly/ChrisPaton-Scottish2 is also out, as are Tracing Your Irish Family History on the Internet (2nd ed) at http://bit.ly/ChrisPaton-Irish1 and Tracing Your Scottish Ancestry Through Church and State Records at http://bit.ly/ChrisPaton-Scotland1. Further news published daily on The Scottish GENES Facebook page, and on Twitter @genesblog.

Further release of Ireland's Military Service Pensions Committee claims

From Ireland's Military Archives (www.militaryarchives.ie), the latest release of Military Service Pension Collection records, with over 2 million pages of content now scanned as part of the project:

November 2020 Release

The November 2020 release is the 9th release from the Military Service (1916-1923) Pensions Collection.
The files relate to claims lodged by 1,170 individuals, or by their dependants, and contain new information on the War of Independence and the Civil War.
This release brings the number of individuals whose files are now available online to over 10,720 entries (representing over 32,000 files).
Taking into account all the MSPC file series (whether available online or in the Military Archives), over 100,000 files have been processed individually by the Project team to date.
The files released include:
 - 139 successful service pensions awarded under the Military Service Pensions Act, 1924 (National Army applicants/Pro-Treaty).
 - 604 files of claimants applying under the Military Service Pensions Act, 1934
 - 554 applications under Army Pensions Acts (from 1923 onwards), including wounds and Special Allowances linked to disability pensions. 

A full list of those named in this release can be found at http://www.militaryarchives.ie/fileadmin/user_upload/MSPC/2020/Release_names.pdf

(Source: http://www.militaryarchives.ie/collections/online-collections/military-service-pensions-collection-1916-1923/release-history/november-2020-release)

Chris

My next 5 week Scotland 1750-1850: Beyond the Old Parish Registers course starts November 2nd - see https://www.pharostutors.com/details.php?coursenumber=302. My book Tracing Your Scottish Family History on the Internet, at http://bit.ly/ChrisPaton-Scottish2 is now out, also available are Tracing Your Irish Family History on the Internet (2nd ed) at http://bit.ly/ChrisPaton-Irish1 and Tracing Your Scottish Ancestry Through Church and State Records at http://bit.ly/ChrisPaton-Scotland1. Further news published daily on The Scottish GENES Facebook page, and on Twitter @genesblog.