SOURCES FOR IRISH RESEARCH IN THE UK

The National Archives

1. Irish materials from the Middle Ages

2. Largest collection, within one institution of Primary Sources Materials for Ireland

3. Reflects the activities and interests of the British Government in Ireland

4. Only about 5% of its materials have been digitised

Irish Offices

1. The Viceroy

2. The Chief Secretary – principal seat of operation was Dublin

3. The Irish Office in London – a channel of communication between Dublin and ALL of the Departments of the British Government

4. Some Departments so heavily involved in Irish affairs that they had to establish direct contact with Dublin, bypassing The Irish Office

Government Departments1. The Treasury

a) The Board of Works

b) The Valuation Office

c) The National Debt Office – see Tontines

2. The Home Officed) Oversight of all civil and some military administration in Ireland

e) Civil order and policing

f) Criminal proceedings and records

g) Convict Transportation Records to Australia 1787-1871

3. The Commonwealth Office

4. The War Officea) The Ordnance Department

b) The Army Department – In 1830 about 42% of enlisted men were of Irish origin but this fell to about 30% but the end of the century

Life Annuities

A copy of a “ Life Annuities – 1773 ” document

The Regimental Museums

1. Archives and library collections

2. Letters, diaries, portraits, histories, regimental silver, medals

3. VERY HELPFUL additional materials to those in National Archives

The National Archives

1. Access to Archives – Holdings of Record Offices in England and Wales

2. The National Register of Archives – materials held by businesses, families or individuals, churches, societies etc. a) Personal index

b) Companies index

c) Subject Index

3. The ARCHON Directory – useful links to lesser known sources, libraries and archives; e.g. Birmingham Roman Catholic Diocese and Oscott College

The National Register of Archives

1. Hampshire Record Office – Earl of Northampton papers; Kilkenny Rent Rolls 1790s. Leases from 1771, lists of inhabitants, maps etc.

2. Warwickshire Record Office – Shirley Family papers for Farney, Monaghan, rentals 1737- 1822, Some Rent Rolls as early as 1624

3. Leicestershire Record Office – Hartopp family papers from Armagh and Tyrone, including Lord Carbery’s rentals for Limerick and Kerry 1785 etc.

4. Cheshire Record Office – Smith-Barry papers containing rentals for Timoleague 1721, County Louth Tenant list 1743, James Barrymore Estates at Timoleague and Rathbarry 1748, and 1856/57

5. Oxford Record office – papers of the Dillons of Costello Dillon, Roscommon and Westmeath, also Rent Rolls Mayo 1687 and 1691

The British Postal Museum & Archive

1. First official Post office established in Ireland in 17th Century and managed from London until 1784. From then until 1831 it remained separated from London.

2. Irish Letter Books (1672-1677).

3. Lists of Postmasters in Ireland in 1690.

4. Reports of Commissioners of the Post Office Revenue; Ireland from 1829 onwards.

5. Treasury Letter Books 1636-1976.

6. Printed establishment Books with manual annotations.

Post Office Establishment - Dublin

A copy of the

Post Office Establishment

Book 1857

forIreland

The Old Bailey

The Central Criminal Court Records 1674 - 1913

1. Fully searchable online records of over 200,000 trials.

2. Searchable by those being prosecuted, witnesses and victims, with occupation and residence.

3. Plus Ordinary Accounts produced at time of executions with additional family information – speeches before executions. These were sold to the Public who regarded executions as a form of entertainment.

4. Links to Criminal Registers the National Archives and Registers of Newgate Prison.

The Catholic Records

1. The Catholic Record Society – founded 1904Publications Vols 1 - 81. Catholic Registers, Old Catholic Missions, Convent papers, diaries, e.g. Volume 12: Obituaries from the Laity’s Directory 1773-1839

2. The Catholic National Library – Farnborough, HantsHas Catholic Parish Register Transcriptions

3. Catholic Family History SocietyPublishes The Catholic Ancestor and some Catholic Parish Registers

LOOK for records such as Parish Benefit and Thrift Societies such as Stafford Catholic Brotherly Society (1837) and Casey’s Charity 1794-1847 in Manchester

The British Library

1. The Manuscript Library

2. The Newspaper Library

3. Oriental and India Office Library

The Oriental and India Office Library

The Oriental and India Office Library now at The British Library

1. Bengal 1713 - 1948

2. Madras 1698 - 1948

3. Bombay 1709 - 1948

4. Wills from 1618

5. Enlistment/entry papers for The East India Company 1789 - 1860

6. Families in British India Society

The Petition of Ignatius O’Callaghan

The India Company Petition of Ignatius

O’Callaghan

Note the sponsorship of Daniel O’Connell Esquire, 1840/41.

Lambeth Palace LibraryThe principal repository of the documentary history of The Church of England

1. The Carew Papers 1515-1624

2. Sir George Carew, Lord President of Munster

3. Used for Pacata Hibernia by Sir Thomas Stafford, published in 1633

4. 42 volumes calendared in 1870

5. Mss 599 “A List of Pedigrees of the Mere Irish”

6. Signed agreements of chiefs and petty chiefs

The Bodleian Library

1. The Carte Manuscripts – 276 Volumes collected in 1703 relating to James Butler, 1st Duke of Ormonde; mss from Kilkenny Castle

a) Calendars of Petitions 1649/50.Registers of Petitions 1648-64, 1682-84

b) Dispossessed land owners 1684

c) Records of the Court of Claims 1663/64

d) Irish Army Orders and Warrants 1660

e) Tipperary Business Petition 1683

f) Papers of 2nd Duke of Ormonde, civil and military establishments and pension lists

2. Talbot of Malahide Family paper; Rentals from Dublin and from 1740s Rochestown.

The College of Arms

A private collection of genealogical materials

1. Series of Abstracts made by John Lodge form Irish PRO, including Patent Rolls, grants, wardships, liveries, deeds etc.

2. Records of the Exchequer – 9 Volumes

3. Inquisitions Post Mortems – 4 Volumes

4. Register dating from 1806 from Ulster King of Arms

5. Records transferred in 1943 when Office of Ulster King of Arms transferred to London

6. 39 photocopied Volumes of Sir William Bethams genealogical abstracts – originals destroyed in 1922

7. Manuscripts belonging to Sir Bernard Burke (1814 - 1892)

8. Manuscripts belonging to Sir Henry Farnham Burke, son of the above.

The Honourable The Irish Society

1. Formed in 1610 from City of London companies to colonise City and County of Derry

2. Trace settlers and native Irish

3. Lists of tenants, bills, payments to officers, leases etc.

4. Not all indexed or calendared

5. Held in City of London Archives

Other Sources

1. Local Authority Collections – Local Record Offices

2. The Society of Genealogists Library

3. The Irish Genealogical Research Society Library

4. Family History Societies – web sites and library collections