TheGenealogist adds Dublin city 1851 census names

From TheGenealogist (www.thegenealogist.co.uk):

Search for Dublin Ancestors with the latest release from TheGenealogist

This week TheGenealogist is pleased to be releasing almost 60,000 records from the 1851 Dublin City Census Index. This new release will be a great aid for those researchers with ancestors who may have been living in Ireland’s Capital City on the 30 March 1851 at the time when the census was taken.

Researchers will find the Index to the 1851 Dublin census to be a wonderful tool for anyone searching for people in Dublin city in the mid-nineteenth century. It provides the names and addresses of approximately 59,000 heads of household and was compiled by Dr. D. A. Chart.

You can search over a million early Irish census records from 1821 to 1851. Also the only complete surviving censuses for Ireland that exist, 1901 and 1911 (over 8 Million records) can be searched via TheGenealogist’s unique search tools, allowing you to search for an ancestor using their address or keywords.

Earlier records compiled for 1813 to 1891 were destroyed at the government's request or by the civil war in 1922. This only leaves census substitutes for researchers of nineteenth century Ireland to use in their quest to delve into their family history.

Fortunately for Dublin Dr. D. A. Chart used the census to compile a “1851 Dublin Heads of Household Index” in 1915. At the time this was primarily to assist staff working in the Public Record Office of Ireland (PROI) searching for proof of age for applicants for the old-age pension.

This index survived the fire and is one of the few remaining fragments of census information available for that time.

TheGenealogist also has a number of Irish Trade and Residential Directories that can be useful for those researching their Dublin ancestors, as well as the previously released Dublin Will and Grant Books.

The 1851 Dublin City Census Index in this current release covers the parishes of
St. Andrew's, St. Anne's, St. Audeon's, St. Bridget's, St. Catherine's, St. George's, St. James's, St. John's, St. Luke's, St. Mark's, St. Mary's, St. Michael's, St. Michan's, St. Nicholas Within, St. Nicholas Without, St. Patrick's Deanery, St. Paul's, St. Peter's, St. Thomas's, St. Werburgh's and the civil parish of Grangegorman.

(With thanks to Nick Thorne)

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.

More than ten per cent of Scottish households have still to fill in census

Some 86% of households in Scotland have completed the 2022 census so far, with over two million having done so online, according to the National Records of Scotland. Due to the initial poor rate of returns by the end of April, the census deadline was extended until the end of this month, May 31st (see http://scottishgenes.blogspot.com/2022/04/scotland-2022-census-deadline-extended.html). 

Aberdeenshire has seen the highest rate of returns so far, at 91%, with Glasgow and West Dunbartonshire having the lowest rate.

For more on the story, visit https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-61614733.

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.

MyHeritage offers free access to military records until May 31st

MyHeritage (www.myheritage.com) is offering free access to its military records until May 31st, as part of commemorations for the US Memorial Day. From the site:

MyHeritage is home to 694 collections of 74 million military records from all around the world — including draft, enlistment, and service records, pension records, and other military documents. Several important military record collections have been added in the past few months, including collections from France, Germany, and the United States. The collections contain records going back as far as the mid-1700s, providing information on people across the globe who were involved in the major armed conflicts of the past few centuries.

To access the records visit https://www.myheritage.com/research/catalog/category-3000/military.

(Source: https://www.myheritage.com/research/catalog/category-3000/military)

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.

Ancestry adds Scotland, National War Memorial Index 1914-1945

Ancestry (www.ancestry.co.uk) has added the following third party index:

Web: Scotland, National War Memorial Index, 1914-1945
https://www.ancestry.co.uk/search/collections/70908/
Original data: Edinburgh, Scotland: The Scottish National War Memorial (SNWM). "Roll Search." Accessed, 2022. "https://www.snwm.org/roll-search/.

General collection information

The Scottish National War Memorial collection includes names and details for people killed during the First and Second World Wars.

Using this collection

Information about each person may include:
First and last name
Military rank
Service number
Military awards and medals (decorations)
Birthplace
Date of death
Place of death
Cause of death
Unit name

If you only know that your ancestor served in the armed forces during one of the world wars, this database may provide details that shed light on their particular experience. Discovering your ancestor's military rank will provide insights into their role and the name of their unit can lead to unit histories that contain details of the battles in which they were involved.

Additional background details are available on the Ancestry collection page.

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.

Forces War Records adds further medal rolls

Forces War Records (www.forces-war-records.co.uk) has added medal rolls from commemorative events at former royal pageant occasions:

The new collections available online on Forces War Records include*:

· King George V 1935 Silver Jubilee Medal Roll - Nominal rolls and category lists for the commemorative medal issued to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the coronation of King George V. The National Day of Celebration was held on the 6th May 1935 with a thanksgiving service held at St. Paul’s Cathedral. An approximate total of 85,235 medals were awarded.

· King George VI 1937 Coronation Medal Roll - Nominal rolls and category lists for the commemorative medal issued to celebrate the coronation of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth which took place on 12th May 1937 (with original digitised documents). An approximate total of 90,279 medals were awarded.

· Queen Elizabeth II 1953 Coronation Medal Roll - Nominal rolls and category lists for the commemorative medal issued to celebrate the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II on 2nd June 1953 and an approximate total of 138,214 medals were awarded.

· Queen Elizabeth II 1977 Silver Jubilee Medal Roll - Nominal rolls and category lists for the commemorative medal issued to celebrate the Silver Jubilee of Elizabeth II's accession to the throne on 6th February 1977 and an approximate total of 68,377 medals were awarded.

* A full access membership is required to view the records in the featured collection. See https://www.forces-war-records.co.uk/for full terms and conditions. 

Further details at the website.

(With thanks to Neil White)

 

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.

Scottish Genealogy Society library in Edinburgh closed until further notice

Yesterday I mentioned that there were issues with access to the Scottish Genealogy Society library in Edinburgh on Tuesday (http://scottishgenes.blogspot.com/2022/05/access-to-scottish-genealogy-society.html). 

The society has now posted the following update on its website at https://www.scotsgenealogy.com:

DUE TO UNFORESEEN CIRCUMSTANCES THE SOCIETY LIBRARY IS CLOSED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE.

We apologise to members & the public for the inconvenience .

Please check the website for updates.

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.

National Records of Scotland creaks slowly back towards normality

There's been an update from the National Records of Scotland (www.nrscotland.gov.uk) about its plans to return to some kind of normal, outlined at https://www.nrscotland.gov.uk/about-us/service-status. The following is the key part: 

We recognise the demand for access to our Historical Search room and active planning is underway to return historical search room services to their original location. This move will present opportunities to increase capacity and the ability to add additional aspects of service delivery. This move is likely to take place during June 2022 and a specific date will be communicated to customers on the NRS website, when that information is available.

This is 'likely' to happen in June, but it is not confirmed yet. And so it drags on...

Probably the most telling line though is this:

We have experienced significant and unique challenges due to the requirement for good ventilation in our category A listed buildings. 

The NRS has some fantastic archivists and registrars, and it's ScotlandsPeople website has been a game changer for many within the family history world. But there is a difference between having a Category A listed building and a Category A archive service provision. The poor ventilation of the building is the reason cited that the public has not been able to gain access - surely somewhere the penny must have dropped by now that the building is clearly not fit for purpose? 

Over the last two years I have been fortunate to have been able to concentrate on other areas of work to keep me going, rather than be held hostage to the inadequacies of the NRS provision, but many folk have had livelihoods severely disrupted by their inability to gain acess, within the family history world, the historical and academic world, and from other requirements - not least of which being just general access for the public to their own national archive. 

When the ScotlandsPeople Centre service area was initially re-opened, it was on the basis that professional genealogists only could use it, and not the general public. With the re-opening of the NRS search room, there have again been limitations on who could use it and when. Even the Information Commissioner has taken the NRS to task (https://scottishgenes.blogspot.com/2022/03/the-nrs-was-wrong-to-deny-access-to.html). I have no doubt that some good folk have been trying to do their best with all of this, but such search room feudalism stems from having a physical facility that is simply not up to the task. 

In 2019, some BMD registers were damaged because of flooding at the facility (see https://britishgenes.blogspot.com/2019/07/shock-as-national-records-of-scotland.html). A few years before this, in 2015, the NRS announced an Estates Review (see http://britishgenes.blogspot.com/2015/01/national-records-of-scotland-estates.html). I was contacted by the NRS at this point and was advised of the following:

"Our long-term aspiration is to co-locate the majority of our staff in a fit-for-purpose facility in Edinburgh, and to expand and improve our archive and public facilities at Thomas Thomson House in the west of the city. Although there are no immediate plans for NRS to move out of General Register House or New Register House, these buildings do not feature in our core estate over the long-term. This intention remains subject to a number of challenges and constraints, not least funding, and at this stage this is our preferred direction of travel over the long-term, not a hard and fast commitment."

As researchers, from various communities, we require access to the documents that we need for our research - we don't travel to archives to enjoy the pretty buildings. If the last two years have shown anything, it has shown that it is time for a 21st century archive in Scotland, as enjoyed in London by TNA and in Belfast by PRONI. 

If no-one is listening - and if the return to normal simply means that we are going to be right back to where we were before the pandemic - perhaps a few more holes could be knocked into the building to let some more air in. 

And preferably before the next pandemic hits...

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.

Access to Scottish Genealogy Society

I've been contacted by a reader to say that he was unable to visit the Scottish Genealogy Society library yesterday (Tuesday), as an unexpected issue emerged which apparently prevented visitors from being allowed in. 

Hopefully it may be a temporary issue, but if planning a visit to the library - which is well worth a visit! - it may be worth contacting them in advance first to double check that you can gain access. (The facility is currently advertising that it is open on Mondays, Tuesday and Thursday.)

Indeed, this is a piece of advice I would give for visits to all archival repositories!

The society's contact details are available at https://www.scotsgenealogy.com.

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.

FamilySearch adds UK Prisoners of War 1715-1947 collection

FamilySearch (www.familysearch.org) has added the following collections:

Prisoners of War, 1715-1947
https://www.familysearch.org/search/collection/4459223

Comprised of various records held by The National Archives (England) detailing refugees and individuals taken as prisoners of war during major conflicts around the globe. The records contain the names of military personnel, civilians, diplomats, missionaries, and merchant seamen from nations all over the world.

Images are only available to FamilySearch members, their family history centres, their affilates, or at the National Archives in England (which holds the originals).

From the FamilySearch wiki entry at https://www.familysearch.org/en/wiki/Prisoners_of_War_-_FamilySearch_Historical_Records

Conflicts include:

• Napoleonic Wars, 1747-1889
• Crimean and Boer Wars, 1795-1951
• World War I, 1913-1918

Sources:

• ADM 1, Admiralty, and Ministry of Defence, Navy Department: Correspondence and Papers
• AIR 1, Air Ministry: Air Historical Branch: Papers (Series I)
• BT 167 Registry of Shipping and Seamen: Precedent Books, Establishment Papers, etc.
• CAB 45, Committee of Imperial Defence, Historical Branch and Cabinet Office, Historical Section: Official War Histories Correspondence and Papers
• CO 693, Colonial Office: Dominions (War of 1914-1918), Prisoners Original Correspondence
• FO 372, Foreign Office: Treaty Department and successors: General Correspondence from 1906
• FO 383, Foreign Office: Prisoners of War and Aliens Department: General Correspondence from 1906
• MT 9, Board of Trade and Ministry of Transport and successors: Marine, Harbours and Wrecks (M, H and W Series) Files
• WO 161, War Office: Miscellaneous Unregistered Papers, First World War
• WO 900, War Office: Specimens of Series of Documents Destroyed

 

Comment: Unfortunately, this is not an easy collection to use, as FamilySearch's default search fields are largely incompatible with the data fields presented in the returns. It looks like you can only search by name and date - and in most cases that I have seen so far, it seems to be the initial returned for a first name only.

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.

Monaghan records added to RootsIreland

Just added to RootsIreland (www.RootsIreland.ie): 

New Monaghan Records added 

We are delighted to announce the addition of 12,846 new Monaghan census substitute records to our database at Roots Ireland! They are as follows: 

Poor List Ellis Bequest (1803) 100 records

Poor List Currin (1811-52) 2208 records 

Poor List Mrs Leslie's (1822-36) 2269 records 

Poor List Ematris (1830-50) 2828 records 

Poor List Trough Relief Fund (1846) 343 records 

Poor List Trough Relief Fund (1847) 3576 records 

Poor List Clontibret (1847-64) 1522 records 

These poor lists note those in receipt of charity at various dates in County Monaghan, including during the Great Famine. 

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.