Irish Family History - A Lost Cause?
The Irish Diaspora
Genealogy has become hugely popular throughout the world in recent decades but has long had an important position in Ireland. Many of the surviving medieval Gaelic manuscripts are accounts of the pedigree of important, powerful Irish families. This was, to some extent, a display by such families of the legitimacy of their position and power but was also a display of the respect for ancestor's which has always been a feature of Irish society.
Where did this ancestral respect come from? Well it could be said to have come from the land and the Irish love of the land. Under the ancient Brehon Law ownership of property was not vested in individuals or even necessarily families but in kinship. What you could own depended on who you were descended from. So, yes, it was vitally important you knew who your ancestors were.
Despite centuries of British rule and being banned under that rule from owning land this sense of kinship has persisted strongly amongst the Irish. Even today, despite the massive changes Irish society has seen in the past 2 decades, extended family is still important to the Irish. A very good illustration of this kinship is the fact that the island of Ireland has barely 7 million inhabitants yet some 80 million people worldwide claim Irish ancestry... The Irish Diaspora.
Most of these people were born in far flung corners of the world and have never been to Ireland. Yet so strong is this sense of kinship ingrained in the Irish psyche that it is still a part of their make-up. Though long separated from Ireland they are still proud of their heritage, of being Irish, their kinship.
Irish Genealogy: Myths and Reality
A big consequence of this is that along with the worldwide growth in genealogy has come a huge surge in the number of people looking to trace their Irish ancestry. Starting out on their Irish Family History can be daunting for many. There are a number of myths about Irish genealogy which can be an obstacle in themselves.
Perhaps the greatest myth but the one closest to the truth is that all Irish records were destroyed at the outset of the Irish Civil War in 1922. However, it is just that... a myth. Yes, the Public Records Office was destroyed in an explosion. Yes, this was the repository for almost all the public records for the island of Ireland for the best part of 700 years. Yes, most of these records were destroyed including about two-thirds of pre 1870 Church of Ireland parish registers and all wills probated in Ireland prior to 1900.
The loss of these alone is significant for genealogy but when you add in the previous destruction of all 19th century census returns the loss could be considered catastrophic. Another myth is that surviving Irish records are uniquely difficult to access and use.
Add to all this, the fact that Catholicism, the faith of the majority, was banned for more than a century. It wasn't until 1791 that the British Parliament started the process of Catholic Emancipation. However, in Ireland the process started later and it wasn't really until 1829 that full emancipation was granted to Catholics in Ireland. Consequently the faith was practised underground up to that time and few records were kept. By and large Catholic records, with a few exceptions in larger urban areas, do not predate this period.
Is Irish Genealogy A Lost Cause?
Gosh, no. This is a myth perpetuated by failed and frustrated researchers but is still just a myth. 1922 was a disaster for Irish genealogy but looking on the bright side it also simplified things. Although as the renowned Irish Genealogist John Grenham said, albeit tongue in cheek, "in much the same way that Cromwell's visit in 1649 simplified Ireland".
Records not in the Public Records Office have survived. These include all non Church of Ireland parish records, though with the caveat regarding Catholic records, and all these have been microfilmed and centralised. Even though the majority of the original Church of Ireland parish records were destroyed transcripts for many had been retained in the parishes and these too have been microfilmed and centralised. All civil records of Births, Marriages and Deaths from the 1st January 1864 and Protestant marriages from 1834 have survived and are available in the General Registrars Office in Dublin. The 1901 and 1911 censuses have survived and are open for research.
A census was also due in 1921 but couldn't be undertaken as that was at the height of the War of Independence. However, a census was taken in 1925 and though subject to the hundred year rule the Irish Government is considering legislation to allow it be made public soon. For much of the material lost there are abstracts, transcripts and fragments of the originals. There are also census substitutes such as Griffiths Valuation, Land registry records, Tithe Applotment records, Tithe Defaulters lists and much, much more.
Irish records are also relatively easy to access in that almost all relevant records are held in repositories in Dublin. Perhaps the greatest difficulty for researchers in this day and age is that so few of the records have been digitised and so are not available online.
This is where a dedicated and professional research service such can be invaluable. With their intimate knowledge of these sources and the repositories they are held in commissioning professional research can be a cost effective and rewarding solution in your quest for your family history.
Sources Abroad
Emigration has been a feature of Irish society for centuries. There is another myth that emigration began during and after the "Great Famine" 1846 - 52. But in fact the Irish had been upping sticks and moving long before that.
It is often forgotten that until 1922 Ireland was part of the UK, The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. As such they were one and the same country and migration between the two islands was commonplace.Consequently records of Irish born are common in British civil, parish and other records. Indeed one-sixth of all residents of the UK currently claim an Irish grandparent. I grew up believing I was a true blooded Irishman.
Being a fluent Gaelic speaker, steeped in Irish traditional culture, raised a Catholic and having the surname Murphy I guess I had every right to think that. But after several years of researching my own ancestry I now know that going back to the early 1800's I am in fact descended from many Protestant English ancestors who, for whatever reason, migrated to Ireland. I have a 4xgreat grandmother with the glorious name of Betty Birtles. Born in the English town of Warrington in 1798 she married John Whitlow, a respected and successful butcher of the same town. So migration was by no means one way.
Let me tell you little snippets regarding a couple of ancestor's from both my Mum and Dad's sides of the family. William Potter, my paternal 3xgreatgrandfather born in Dublin in 1807 spent some time in prison and developed chronic heart disease as a young man. Edward Hood, my maternal 3xgreatgrandfather, born in Ballinderry, Co. Antrim in 1789 was injured at the Battle of Salamanca in 1812 during the Napoleonic Wars. He was 5 foot 6 inches, had swarthy complexion, dark brown hair and grey eyes. He later developed chronic rheumatism. How do I know such intimate details of their lives? Quite simple really. They, along with hundreds of thousands of other Irishmen joined the British Army.
Their service records survive and are held in The UK National Archives in Kew, London. These service records hold a wealth of information. Before the introduction of Civil Records the British army routinely recorded the marriages and the births of the children of these soldiers. By the mid 19th century almost half of the vast British Army were Irish by birth and over the centuries many hundreds of thousands of Irishmen served.
Another, rather sad story that came to light through my research was that of my Great Grand Aunt Ellen Hanlon who was born in Woolwich, London in 1862 to my Irish 2xgreat grandfather Luke Hanlon. Luke was posted to Madras, India in 1876 and shortly after arrival there Ellen, at the tender age of 13 was married. A year later, at the equally tender age of 14 she was widowed and never remarried.
After the bloody and terrible War of Independence in 1921-22 the Irish people developed a collective amnesia, Irish people did not want to admit an association with the British Army and this important aspect of Irish Family History was written out of the National consciousness.
So if you are looking for your Irish ancestors it is entirely possible some of them served too. Again, this where a research service can be invaluable. With offices in both London and Dublin they are well positioned to explore this possible aspect of your Family History.
Of course the Irish went elsewhere as well. Few records were kept of those emigrating. But there are exceptions. Throughout much of the 19th century various schemes were devised to encourage the Irish to emigrate through sponsored passage. In some cases records of those who availed of such sponsorship still exist.
Likewise tens of thousands more were banished from Ireland as Convict Labour to Australia and many of the records of trials and subsequent transportation of these convicts have survived. Likewise records were often kept of those arriving on foreign shores. In many cases these records are quite detailed and a valuable source.
Mongrels and Cousins One and All
It is a truism that applies not only to the purchase of property but also to Irish genealogy... location, location, location. Most Irish records are location based so you will need to know at least what county your ancestors hailed from. However, even that might not be enough. If your ancestors had a common Irish name such as Murphy, Kelly, Ryan etc you will very probably need to know the parish from which they came. Also, you will need an approximate date for the main life events such as Birth, Marriage and Deaths.
Yes, Irish Family History Research can be a challenge but it can also be very rewarding in many ways. I hope the little tales from my own research have shown how unexpected the results can be. For a country that has had so many unresolved conflicts over religion, culture and even ethnicity Irish genealogy can contradict many of the deeply held tribal beliefs and call into question who we think we are. If you manage to go back far enough you will find you are from somewhere, someone different than you think. Go back far enough in your Irish genealogy and you will find there are no distinct bloodlines, we are all a mixture and all related... in the words of John Grenham, Mongrels and Cousins All.
Philip Murphy has been a very successful family history researcher for many years now and provides a UK and Irish family history research service. Irish Family History research can be both frustrating and very rewarding so for more information on how Philip can help you with your family search go to http://www.pancestors.com/ and let the journey into your past begin
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