Available Records for Genealogical Research in County Tyrone Ireland

This information was taken from (and in some cases) taken directly from John Grenham's book Tracing Your Irish Ancestors published by Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc. in 1992. No attempts are made to take credit for his work at all. I have not contacted Mr. Grenham or Genealogical Publishing to request permission to use this material. I have simply taken his book and paraphrased the portions pertinent to research in County Tyrone. I would suggest that you purchase the book in view of the fact that it is an extremely complete guide to genealogical research in Ireland. I purchased this book from Borders Book store for $19.95 + tax.

As time permits, I hope to be expanding this information to include pages for each listing below.

A considerable percentage of all births, marriages and deaths were simply not registered. When the individuals concerned or their relatives later needed a certificate for official purposes, it became necessary to register the event. The index references for these late registrations are included as an addendum in the volume for the year in which the event took place. In the case of births and deaths, these references are indexed separately from the main body of the index at the back of the volume. For marriages, late registrations are written in by hand at the relevant point in the main body of the index. Although the chances of finding a missing registration among these is quite slim, it is still necessary to include them in any thorough search of the indexes.

From 1864 to the present, the General Register Office has kept a separate Marine Register of births and deaths of Irish subjects which took place at sea. From 1886 only, a printed index to this register is bound into the back of the births and death index for each year. For earlier registers, the indexes have to be requested from the staff in the Office. No separate register was kept for marriages at sea.

The Births, Deaths, and Marriages (Army) Act of 1879 required these events to be registered with the Office of the Registrar-General in Dublin, where they affected Irish subjects serving in the British Army abroad. Separate indexes bound into the back of the main yearly indexes start from 1888 and continue until 1930 for births and 1931 for marriages and deaths. The deaths index for 1902 also contain an index to Deaths of Irish Subjects pertaining to the South African War (1898-1902).

From 1864 the General Register Office was required to keep a separate register of births of Irish subjects abroad, where such birth s were notified to the relevant British consul. There is no index to this register, which is small and is not available to the public research room. It may be requested from the staff of the Office.

The General Register Office also holds the General Index to Baptisms and Marriages purported to have been celebrated by the Rev. J. G. F. Shells, 1806-1837. This records 55 baptisms and about 8000 marriages celebrated in Dublin by this clergyman, without a license. When some of the marriages were later challenged in court, they were held to be legal and the volume was acquired by the Register Office. The bulk of the marriages celebrated at the German Lutheran Church in Poolbeg St, Dublin are for the years 1825 to 1837 and record only the names of the contracting parties.

State registration of non-Catholic marriages began in Ireland in 1845. All births, deaths and marriages have been registered in Ireland since 1864. In order to appreciate what precisely these records consist of, it is necessary to have some idea at least of how registration began. It was, in fact, an offshoot of the Victorian public health system, in turn based on the Poor Law, an attempt to proved some measure of relief for the most destitute. Between 1838 and 1852, 163 workhouses were built throughout the country, each at the center of an area known as a Poor Law Union. The workhouses were normally situated in a large market town, and the Poor Law Union comprised the town and its catchment area, with the result that the Unions in many cases ignored the existing boundaries of parishes and counties. This had consequences for research which we shall see later. In the 1850's a large-scale public health system was created, based on the areas covered by the Poor Law Unions. Each Union was divided into Dispensary Districts, with an average of six to seven Districts per Union, and a Medical Officer, normally a doctor, was given responsibility for public health in each District. When the registration of all births, deaths and marriages then began in 1864, these Dispensary Districts also became Registrars Districts, with a Registrar responsible for collection the registrations within each District. In most cases the Medical Officer for the Dispensary District now also acted as the Registrar for the same area, but not in every case. The superior of this local Registrar was the Superintendent Registrar responsible for all the Registers within the old Poor Law Union. The return for the entire Poor Law Union (also known both as the Superintendent Registrar's District and simply the Registration District) were indexed and collated centrally and master indexes for the entire country were produced at the General Register Office in Dublin. These are the indexes which are now used for public research.

Because of the history of the system, responsibility for registration still rests with the Department of Health. The arrangement at present is that the local Health Boards hold the original registers, with the General Register Office at 8-11 Lombard St, Dublin, holding the master indexes for all 32 counties up to 1921 and to the 26 counties of the Republic of Ireland after that date. For Northern Ireland from 1921, the indexes and registers are held at Oxford House, Chichester St. Belfast.

As well as the master indexes for the entire country, the General Register Office also contains microfilm copies of all the original registers, and is the only part of the registration system which permits public research. The indexes are available to the public on the first floor of 8 Lombard Street for a fee of £1.50 per five years searched or £12 for a general search. It is important to note that only the indexes are open to the public. To obtain the information contained in the original register entry, it is necessary to purchase a printout from the microfilm at £1.50 per entry. These printouts are supplied for information only and have no legal standing. Full certificates for use in obtaining passports or in testamentary transactions, costs £5.50. Limited research, covering five years of the indexes is carried out by the staff in response to postal queries only for £5.50. (These prices were valid in 1991).

Births were required to be registered by either the parent(s); or in the event the parents were unable to register the birth the occupier of the house or tenement in which the child was born; the nurse; or any person present at the birth of the child. Information required was the date and place of birth; the name (if any); the sex; the name, surname and dwelling place of the father; the name, surname, maiden surname and dwelling place of the mother; the rank, profession of occupation of the father.

Deaths were required to be registered by some person present at the death; or some person in attendance during the last illness of the deceased; or the occupier or someone else residing in the house or tenement where the death took place; any person present at or having knowledge of the circumstances of the death. Information required to supply was the date and place of death; the name and surname of the deceased; the sex of the deceased; the condition of the deceased marital status; the age of the deceased at last birthday; the rank, profession or occupation of the deceased; the certified cause of death and the duration of the final illness.

Marriages - From 1864 any person whose marriage was to be celebrated by a Catholic clergyman was required to have the clergyman fill out a certificate containing the date when married; the names and surnames of each of the parties marrying; their respective ages; their condition (i.e. bachelor, spinster, widow, widower); their rank, profession or occupation; their residences at the time of marriage; the name and surname of the fathers of each of the parties; the rank, profession or occupation of the fathers of each of the parties. All this information had to be forwarded within three days of the marriage to the Registrar. Prior to 1845, for all non-Catholic marriages the clergyman kept blank copies of these certificates, filled them in after the ceremony and forwarded them to the registrar. It is still important to remember, though, that legal responsibility for the registration actually rested with the parties marrying -- not the clergyman.

The listing of records here is current only up to 1991 in the Dublin repositories. This is NOT a complete listing of all surviving records. No attempt has been made to cover those records for which copies are only available in the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland. Only County Tyrone records of baptisms, marriages and burials are included (no vestry records, preachers' lists, etc. are given). The microfilm copies in the Representative Church Body Library (RCBL) are from the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland. National Archives M numbers may be either original records or transcripts. National Archives microfilms cover both originals and copies made locally before the originals were deposited in the Public Records Office and destroyed in 1922. For this reason the National Archives' own list showing records destroyed in 1922 is not always an accurate guide to what is actually available. It should be remembered that for microfilm copies of parish records of several areas will require written permission from the local clergyman before the Archives can allow research.

Voluminous government censuses were taken of the entire island in 1821, 1831, 1841, 1851, 1861, 1871, 1901 and 1911. The first four, (1821/31/41/51) were almost entirely destroyed in 1922 in the fire at the Public Record Office; surviving fragments are detailed below. Those for 1861 and 1871 were completely destroyed earlier by order of the government. Making the 1901 and 1911 censuses the earliest surviving comprehensive returns. Because of this the normal rule that census returns should not be available to the public for 100 years has been suspended in the Republic of Ireland, and the original returns can be consulted in the National Archives.

Most of these were destroyed in the 1922 fire, with only a few volumes surviving for parts of Counties Cavan, Fermanagh, Galway, Meath, and Offaly (King's County). These are now in the National Archives. The overall reliability of the population figures produced by the 1821 census has been questioned recently, but there is no doubt as to the genealogical value of the returns. However, the ages given should been treated with suspicion.

Very little of the 1831 census survived, and most remaining fragments relate to Co. Derry.

The official destruction of the returns for these two years was extremely meticulous. Virtually nothing survives. The only transcripts are contained in the Catholic registers of Enniscorthy (1861), and Drumcondra and Loughbraclen, Co. Meath (1871).

Almost anything recording more than a single name can be called a census substitute, at least for ancestral purposes. What follows is a listing, chronological where possible, of the principal substitutes. It is intended as an elucidation to some of the county census records and as a supplement covering sources which do not fit the county by county array.

Undertakers: The Historical Manuscripts Commission Report, 4 (Hastings MSS.) gives lists of English and Scottish large landlords granted land in the northern counties of Cavan, Donegal and Fermanagh.

Muster Rolls: These are lists of large landlords in Ulster, and the names of the able-bodied men that could assemble to fight if the need arose. They are arranged by county and by district within the county. The Armagh Country Museum copy is available in the National Library (Pos. 206). Published lists are noted under the relevant county along with later lists in the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland.

Books of Survey and Distribution: After the wars of the mid-seventeenth century, the English government needed solid information on land ownership throughout Ireland to carry out its policy of land redistribution. The Books of Survey and Distribution record ownership before the Cromwellian and Williamite confiscation's, circa 1641 and after, circa 1703-4. These are available at the National Library.

The Civil Survey: Another record of land ownership in 1640, compiled between 1655 and 1667 and more complete than the Books of Survey and Distribution. It contains a lot of topographical and descriptive information as well as details of wills and deeds relating to land title. It has survived for only twelve counties: Cork, Derry, Donegal, Dublin, Kildare, Kilkenny, Limerick, Meath, Tipperary, Tyrone, Waterford and Wexford. All were published by the Irish Manuscripts Commission.

Pender's Census: Compiled by Sir William Petty, who was also responsible for the Civil Survey, and records the names of persons with title to land (tituladoes), the total numbers of English and Irish living in each townland, and the principal Irish names in each barony. Only five counties are NOT covered: Cavan, Galway, May, Tyrone and Wickow. The work was edited by Seamus Pender and published in 1939 and is available in the National Library of Ireland in Dublin.

Subsidy Rolls: lists the nobility, clergy and laity who paid a grant in aid to the King. They supply name and parish, and sometimes, amount paid and occupation. They relate principally to counties in Ulster.

1664-66 Hearth Money Rolls: The Hearth Tax was levied on the basis of the number of hearths in each house. These rolls list the householders' names as well as this number. For copies of the Hearth Money Rolls listed in the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland under T.307; an index is available on the Public Search Room shelves.

Cess Tax Accounts: Cess (from an abbreviation of assessment) was a very elastic term which could be applied to taxes levied for a variety of reasons. In Ireland it was very often to support a military garrison. The accounts generally consist of lists of householders' names along with amounts due.

The Convert Rolls, edited by Eileen O'Byrne, Irish Manuscripts Commission, 1981 (NL Ir.). A list of those converting from Catholicism to the Church of Ireland. Most of the entries date from 1760 to 1790.

Protestant householders are listed for parts of Counties Antrim, Armagh, Derry, Donegal and Tyrone. Arranged by barony and parish, it gives names only. Parts are at the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland, the Genealogical Office, the National Library and the Representative Church Body Library.

Elphin Diocesan Census, arranged by townland and parish, and listing householders, their religion, the numbers, sex and religion of their children, and the numbers, sex and religion of their servants.

By order of the government in March and April of 1766, the Church of Ireland rectors were to compile complete returns of all householders in their parishes showing their religion, giving an account of any Catholic clergy active in their area. The result was extremely inconsistent, with some of the rectors producing only numerical totals of population, some drawing up partial lists and the most conscientious detailing all householders and their address individually. All the original returns were lost in 1922, but extensive transcripts survive for some areas and are deposited with various institutions. The only full listing of all surviving transcripts and abstracts is in the National Archives Reading Room on the open shelves.

Charlton Trust Fund marriage certificates: As an encouragement to Protestant population growth, this fund offered a small marriage gratuity to members of the Protestant laboring classes. To qualify, a marriage certificate recording occupations and father's names and signed by the local Church of Ireland clergyman had to be submitted and these are now in the National Archives. They are useful for the years before the start of registration of non-Catholic marriages in 1845. The areas covered by the Fund were mainly in Counties Meath and Longford, but a few certificates exist for parts of Counties Cavan, King's (Offaly), Louth and Westmeath, as well as Dublin City. They are indexed in the National Archives Accessions Vol. 37.

Spinning-Wheel Premium Entitlement Lists: part of a government scheme to encourage the linen trade, free spinning-wheels or looms were granted to individuals planting a certain area of land with flax. The lists of those entitled to the awards, covering almost 60,000 individuals were published in 1796 and record only the name of the individual and the civil parish in which he lived. Over 64% were in Ulster, but some names appear from every county except Dublin and Wicklow. Only those counties with more than 3000 names listed include a reference. A microfiche index to the lists is available in the National Archives and the Public Record Office Of Northern Ireland.

Persons suffering losses in the 1798 Rebellion are listed for claims for compensation from the government for property destroyed by the rebels during the insurrection of 1798. Useful for the property-owning classes of Counties Wexford, Carlow, Dublin, Kildare and Wicklow. These are available in the National Library of Ireland.

National School Records: In 1831 a country-wide system of primary education was established under the control of the Board of Commissioners for National Education. The most useful records produced by the system are the school registers, which record the age of the pupil, religion, father's address and occupation and general observations. No effort to centralize these records has been made, they remain in the custody of local schools or churches. The Public Record Office of Northern Ireland has a collection of over 1500 registers for schools in the six counties of Northern Ireland. The administrative records of the Board of Commissioners are held by the National Archives in Dublin. These records include teachers' salary books.

London - Her Majesty's Stationery Office, 1876 [reissued by the Genealogical Publishing Company, Baltimore, 1988]. This records 32,614 owners of land in Ireland in 1876 and identifies them by province and county. The entries record the address of the owner and the extent and value of the property. These records are useful for only that minority actually owning land.

Freeholders: Freehold property is held either by fee simple, with absolute freedom to dispose of it, by fee in which the disposition is restricted to a particular line of heirs, or simply by life tenure. From the early 18th century freeholders' lists were drawn up regularly, usually because of the right to vote which wen with freehold of property over a certain value.

Voters' Lists and Poll Books: The Voters' lists cover a little more of the population than Freeholders' lists did, since freehold property was not the only determinant of the franchise. Freemen of the various incorporated towns and cities had a right to vote in some elections at least. State membership of a trade guild carried with it admission as a freeman and this right was hereditary, a wider range of social classes is covered.

Electoral Records: no complete lists exists, but they do list the eligible voters by townland and household on what records are available. The surviving electoral registers are available in the National Archives.

Valuations: Local valuations and revaluations of property were carried out with increasing frequency from the end of the 18th century, usually for electoral reasons. The best of these record all householders.

Convict Transportation Records - comprehensive records relating to convict transportees, original CT records in possession of Australian archives, microfilm copies of the British Public Record Office records, and Dublin Castle records of those transported from Ireland to Australia, which were computerized and presented to Australia as part of the Bicentennial celebrations of 1988. These last often include details of the conviction and place of residence, and are widely available, with copies in the National Library in Canberra and the genealogical library of Kiama, New South Wales and other repositories.

Immigration Records - of free and assisted immigration are less comprehensive than convict records, but are considerable. Data dealing with the period before 1901 is held in the State Archives Offices in the various state capitals, with the primary repositories being the New South Wales Archives Office, the Archives Section of the State Library of Victoria and the J. S. Battye Library of Western Australia.

Civil Records - Civil registration of all births, deaths, and marriages became compulsory at different times in the different colonies. The information supplied is variable, in the early years in particular, but can include a great deal of secondary material that is very useful, including very frequently, exact places of origin. The original registers and indexes are to be found in the Registrar-General's Offices of the states. These Offices sometimes also have copies of earlier Church registers.

Census Records - The earliest true census took place in 1828, in New South Wales, and has now been published in full. Earlier convict musters also exist. Because of the history of the creation of the various states, the best single records repository for early census returns remains the New South Wales Archives Office.

National and Provincial Archives - The vast bulk of information of genealogical interest can be found in the National and Provincial Archives of Canada, which are familiar with the needs of genealogical research and very helpful. The National Archives, 395 Wellington Street, Ottawa (Telephone: 613-995-5138) publishes a useful 20 page booklet, Tracing Your Ancestors in Canada, which is available by mail. Some of the information held in the Provincial Archives, in particular, the census records, is also to be found in Ottawa, but in general the Provincial Archives have a broader range of information relating to their particular areas.

Civil Records - In general, the original registers of births, marriages and deaths, which have broadly irregular starting dates, can be found in the offices of the Provincial Registrars General, although microfilm copies of some may also be found in the Provincial Archives.

Census Records - Country-wide censuses are available for 1851, 1861, 1871, 1881 and 1891. There are, however, many local returns available for earlier years which record a wide variety of information. The largest collection is in the Ottawa National Archives.

Other sources - Cemetery and burial records, passenger lists, Church registers and land records may all be of value. The greatest and most exhaustive guide is in Angus Baxter's In search of your Canadian roots (Baltimore, 1989), which gives details of a wide range of records to be found in the National and Provincial Archives.

Source: John Grenham's book Tracing Your Irish Ancestors published by Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc. in 1992.

Naturalization Records - may contain the date and place of birth, occupation, place of residence, and the name of the ship on which the immigrant arrived. These records, for the most part are still in the courts where the naturalization proceedings took place. Some records are now in Federal Record Centers, Indexes for the states of Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Rhode Island before 1906 are available at the National Archives in Washington D.C. Most state archives will have these records on microfilm.

Cemetery and Burial Records - there are two kinds of potentially valuable records: gravestone inscriptions and sexton's records. These vary enormously in usefulness, but may sometimes specify the exact place of origin.

Immigration Records and Passenger lists - The largest single collection is in the National Archives in Washington, D. C. The Customs Passenger Lists, dating from 1820, usually give only the country of origin. The Immigration Passenger Lists from 1883, include details of the last place of residence.

Printed Obituaries - Around the turn of the century, it became common practice to have an obituary printed in the local newspaper, particularly if a senior member of the family died. These are often useful for the information they give regarding the place of origin of the deceased.

Military Records - Again two kinds of records of possible value: service records and veteran's records. Depending on the date and branch of service, these may specify the place or country of origin.

Church Records - Depending on the date, these can provide a great deal of information on baptisms, marriages and deaths. In particular, the marriages of newly arrived immigrants may specify precise places of origin. Most Catholic records are still in the parishes and , in most cases, only the priest may search them. For other denominations, records may be in local custody or deposited with a variety of record-holding institutions, including the public libraries, universities and diocesan archives.

The Tithe Defaulters Lists of 1831 are application forms from Church of Ireland clergy whose tithe income was withheld when tithepayers failed to pay their tithe. The lists are available in the "OPMA" ("Official Papers: Miscellaneous and Assorted") boxes at the National Archives.

Some counties have more names listed than others, and some counties are not covered at all in the lists. Stephen McCormac has abstracted the information from the lists, and his extracts are now available on microfiche arranged geographically. The original records were sometimes patchy and lacked consistency but where the information was available the townland, parish and occupation of the defaulters have been transcribed. Each set includes an introduction explaining the history of the tithes, an example of the Form of Affidavit and the Clergy Relief Fund Act and an example of a Schedule (for Ballynemara, Co. Kilkenny). Also each set includes (for all counties) the OPMA index reference numbers for the National Archives, a comparison to the data in the 1831 census (statistical), the tithes due and tithe arrears by parish, and a list of clergy.

For further information regarding the lists see Suzanne C. Hartwick,"Schedules of the Clergy Relief Fund, 1831: Tithe-Defaulters and Their Occupations,"

1612-13	"Survey of Undertakers Planted in Co. Tyrone", Historical Manuscripts Commission Report, 4 (Hastings MSS.), 1947, 159-82
1630	Muster Roll, NL Pos. 206, PRONI T.808/15164
1631	Muster Roll, PRONI T.934
1654/6	Civil Survey, Vol. III, NL I 655I, Dublin
1660	Poll Book, NL Pos. 206
1661	Books of Survey and Distribution, PRONI T.370/C and D.1854/1/23
1664	Hearth Money Roll, NL MSS. 9583/4; also Clogher Record, 1965, Seanchas Ardmhacha, 1960/61 and PRONI T.283 D/2
1665	Subsidy roll, 1665, 1668, NL Pos. 206 PRONI T.458/1
1666	Hearth Money Roll, PRONI T.307
1699	Protestants in the parishes of Drumragh, Badoney and Cappagh, GO Sources Box 6
1740	Protestants, Derryloran and Kildress, RCB Library, PRONI T.808/15258
1766	Aghalow, Artrea, Carnteel, Clonfeacle, Derryloran, Donaghendry, Errigal Keerogue, Kildreess, NA IA 56 49
1795-98	Voters List, Dungannon barony, PRONI TYR 5/3/1
1796	Catholic migrants from Ulster to Mayo; Spinning-Wheel Premium Lists, microfiche index in National Archives, comprising over 11,000 names in Co. Tyrone alone.
1821	Some extracts, Aghaloo. Thrift Abstracts, National Archives
1820s/30s	Tithe Books
1834	Valuation of Dungannon, Parliamentary Papers, 1837, Reports from Committees, Vol. II (i), Appendix G; Clonoe (Coalisland), NL Pos. 5579
1851	Griffith's Valuation
1901	Census
1911	Census

Belmore, Earl of, Parliamentary Memoirs of Fermanagh and Tyrone, 1613-1885, Dublin, 1887

Drumquin - A Collection of Writings and Photographs of the Pst, NL Ir. 91411 p. 10

Hutchison, W. R., Tyrone precinct: a history of the plantation settlement of Dungannon and Mountjoy to modern times, Belfast, 1951

Marshall, J., History of the Town and District of Clogher, Co. Tyrone, parish of Errigal Keerogue, Tyrone, and Errigal Truagh in the Co. of Monaghan, 1930, NL I 94114

O'Daly B., "Material for a hisotry of the parish of Kilskeery", Clogher Record, 1953/4/5

Rutherford, J., Donagheady: Presbyterian Churches and Parish, 1953, NL Ir. 285 r 7

Shearman, H., Ulster, London, 1949 (includes bibliographies) Tyrone Almanac and Directory, 1872, NL Ir. 914114 t 2

Seanchas Ard Mhacha (Journal of the Armagh Diocesan Historical Society), NL Ir. 27411 s 4

Clogher Record (Journal of the Clogher Diocesan Historical Society), NL Ir. 94114 c 2

1819	Thomas Bradshaw, General Directory of Newry, Armagh, Dungannon, Portadown, Tandragee, Lurgan, Waringstown, Banbridge, Warrenpoint, Rostrevor, Kilkeel and Rathfryland
1820	J. Pigot, Commercial Directory of Ireland
1824	Pigot and Co., City of Dublin and Hibernian Provincial Directory, NL Ir. 9141 p 75
1842	Matthew Martin, Belfast Directory
1846	Slater's Directory
1852	James A. Henderson, Belfast and Province of Ulster Directory, issued also in 1854, 1856, 1858, 1861, 1863, 1868, 1870, 1877, 1880, 1884, 1887, 1890, 1894, 1900
1856	Slater's Royal National Commercial Directory of Ireland
1865	R. Wynne, Business Directory of Belfast
1870	Slater's Directory of Ireland
1881	Slater's Royal National Commercial Directory of Ireland
1887	Derry Almanac, annually from this year
1894	Slater's Royal Commercial Directory of Ireland

Gravestone Inscriptions

Irish World (26 Market Square, Dungannon, Co. Tyrone, Bt70 1AB) has transcribed and computerized the inscriptions of more than 300 graveyeards in the six counties of Northern Ireland, principally in the four western counties of Armagh, Derry, Fermanagh and Tyrone.

Source: John Grenham's book Tracing Your Irish Ancestors published by Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc. in 1992.

Parish	Baptisms	Marriages	Burials	Location

Barr	1890-1982	1845-1934	1885-1921	RCBL (mf)
Clogherny	1859-75	-	-	NA m5049
Donacavey	1878-1936	1845-1902	1878-1903	RCBL (mf)
Newtownsaville	1877-1901	1860-1935	1877-1933	RCBL (mf)

County TyroneGenWeb