Ancestry (www.ancestry.co.uk) has released the following seven Irish collections as sourced from the National Archives of Ireland (www.nationalarchives.ie) in Dublin:
Ireland, Exchequer Court of Equity Bill Books, 1674-1850
688,470 records
www.ancestry.co.uk/search/collections/62071
This collection includes records from the Bill Books of Exchequer in Ireland relating to individuals involved in court proceedings between the years 1674-1850. The Exchequer Court of Equity was at the very centre of Ireland's legal system and from the mid-17th century held jurisdiction over financial disputes such as titles of land, debts and wills. Surviving records consist mainly of bill books which detai case participants and proceedings.
Ireland, Court of Chancery Records, 1633-1851
841,316 records
www.ancestry.co.uk/search/collections/62070
This collection includes records from the Court of Chancery in Ireland relating to individuals involved in court proceedings between the years 1633-1851. As one of the four older 'Superior' courts in Ireland, the Courts of Chancery were at the very centre of Ireland's legal system. Surviving records consist mainly of bill books with some other records including an Index to Pleadings and records of Pleadings themselves.
Ireland, Church of Ireland Search Forms for Baptisms, Marriages and Burials, 1731-1870
13,624 records
www.ancestry.co.uk/search/collections/62061
The Church of Ireland was decreed the State Church in Ireland in 1536 by an Act of the Irish Parliament. After that date, the parishes of the Church of Ireland became an administration focal point for matters of probate and matrimonial jurisdiction.
Historically, each parish in Ireland kept its own records and, since the Church of Ireland was the established church, these parish records were considered state records. In 1876 a law was passed requiring that Church of Ireland parish registers be sent to the Public Record Office (now the National Archives) in Dublin for safekeeping. This law was amended in 1878 to allow parishes with good storage to retain their records, so not all parish records were sent to Dublin. In addition, some ministers made copies of their records before sending the originals away. Therefore, many Church of Ireland records remain, even though the registers sent to Dublin were lost in 1922 in the fire at the Public Record Office. However, prior to this date, there are surviving records of requests for searches carried out within the records and these are included in this collection.
Church of Ireland parish registers list christenings, marriages, and burials. The amount of information recorded varies from parish to parish and from minister to minister.
Ireland, Catholic Qualification and Convert Rolls, 1701-1845
32,134 records
www.ancestry.co.uk/search/collections/62057
This collection is made up of both qualification and convert rolls. Convert rolls, as the name suggests, details the names of individuals who renounced the Catholic church in favour of the official state church, the Church of Ireland. Converting in this period was the only way to fully escape the sentences and penalties handed out to Catholics and other non-conformists. The Qualification rolls include names of those who took an oath of allegiance to the King. Taking this oath 'qualified' the person to recover some (but not all) rights denied to non-members of the established church. However, those taking the Oath were not required to convert.
Ireland, Poor Law and Board of Guardian Records, 1839-1920
1,738,323 records
www.ancestry.co.uk/search/collections/62013
The Irish Poor Law Act of 1838 followed very closely the English Poor Law Act of 1834 and divided the country up into Poor Law Unions, centred on a workhouse, which became the main vehicle of assistance to the poor. Each Union elected a Board of Guardians, which was then responsible for care of the poor across all of the individual parishes.
Many people who had fallen on hard times or were born into poverty received help through these Poor Laws, including the elderly, orphaned, abandoned, unemployed, and sick. Aid came as more than just money; the poor could also be provided food, clothing, and work. Children from poor families might be placed in apprenticeships or sent to schools and other institutions. Conditions in workhouses were often extremely hard meaning sickness and, sadly death, was common amongst those who were admitted.
This collection includes workhouse records relating to the North Dublin Union, South Dublin Union, and Rathdown Union (part of counties Dublin and Wicklow). It also includes records relating to Balrothery Union (part of county Dublin), Bawnboy Union (part of county Cavan), and Dromore West Union.
Ireland, Census Search Forms, 1841-1851
127,288 records
www.ancestry.co.uk/search/collections/62026
This collection includes records of census search forms for Ireland for the years 1841 and 1851. In 1908, the Old Age Pensions Act was introduced in Ireland for those aged 70 and over. Proof of age was essential in receiving the pension and, since civil registration was not introduced in Ireland until 1864, applicants did not have their own documentation to use as proof. As a result, they sent off forms to the Public Record Office which held the 1841 and 1851 census records with names and dates for them to confirm so that they could be entitled to the pension. These surviving census search forms are even more valuable given the 1922 fire at the Public Record Office and destruction of the majority of those census records.
Ireland, Valuation Records, 1824-1856
1,740,993 records
www.ancestry.co.uk/search/collections/62024
This collection comprises records from books relating to the Griffith's Valuation of property in Ireland which took place between 1848 and 1864. These books, including General Notes, Field Books, House Books, Tenure Books and Quarto books contain the information underpinning the conclusions drawn up by Griffith's Valuation or the Primary Valuation. They are an extremely important resource, with comprehensive detailed and descriptive notes on land and property across Ireland in the mid-19th century.
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.
