This was posted to another list and I thought it might be of interest. ---------------Original Message--------------- Taken from PRONI : Local History 3 In 1824 a House of Commons committee recommended a townland survey of Ireland with maps at the scale of six inches to one statute mile to facilitate a uniform valuation for local taxtion. The survey was directed by Colonel Thomas Colby, who had available to him officers of the Royal Engineers and three companies of sappers and miners. In addition to this, civil servants were recruited to help him with sketching, drawing and engraving maps, and eventually, in the 1830s, the writing of the memoirs. The Memoirs were written descriptions intended to accompany the maps, containing information which could not be fitted on to them. They are a unique source for the history of the northern half of Ireland before the Great Famine as they document the landscape and situation, buildings and antiquities, land-holdings and population, employment and livelihood of the parishes. The surveyors recorded the habits of the people, their food, drink, dress and customs. Details of ruined churches, prehistoric monuments and standing stones were also included. The memoirs for parishes in county Londonderry and Antrim also record the names of the people known to have emigrated from the community in the previous few years. This was at a time when the pressures of growing population, reduced employment opportunities and especially the decline of farmers` income from domestically-spun yarn (which was now being done mechanically) induced many people in Ulster to emigrate. The majority of those recorded in the Memoirs are cited as having gone to Canada, though many subsequently migrated from there to the United States. The first report of the Ordance Survey appeared in 1839 but the government decided to discontinue the Survey on grounds of expense. By this time the Memoirs covered the Province of Ulster primarily, with only fragments for areas further south. They remain a marvellous wealth of information on life in Ulster during the 1830s and provides much more detailed information on the daily life of its inhabitants than any census could hope to do. PRONI has in its custody microfilm copies of the Ordance Survey Memoirs for Cos Antrim, Armagh, Down, Fermanagh, Londonderry and Tyrone as well as for Cos Cavan, Donegal, Monaghon, Queen`s County, Roscommon, Sligo and Tipperary (ref MIC.6). It is important to note that this set of Ordance Survey Memoirs on microfolm also includes `Name Books` containing details of the origin and meaning of townland names arranged by parish, for Cos Antrim, Armagh, Down, Fermanagh, Londonderry, with some material for Cos Cavan, and Monaghan. This is an invaluable source for the student of placenames. Typed extracts are also available for selected parishes in Northern Ireland and for Co Monaghan. Researchers should also consult extracts from the Memoirs in T.2383 which also include copies of topographical drawings which were originally prepared in connection with the projected publication of the Ordance Survey Memoirs. Alex Hughes >from Ayrshire, Scotland Searching for Duncan,Bleakie,Bruce,Kilpatrick,Campbell,Fairley,Milne,McKechan, Jamphray,Strathern,Kelso,Smith & Auld in Scotland Searching for Hughes,Hughs,Graham,McCutcheon,Donaghy,Irvine,Dorian, Kelley & Black in Ireland ----------End of Original Message----------