This was posted to another list and I thought that it might be of interest. ---------------Original Message--------------- Taken from PRONI : Local History 1 Ireland and its counties are sub-divided in a unique way; counties into baronies, baronies into parishes, and parishes into townlands. The townland is a unique feature of the Irish landscape and is one of the most ancient divisions in the country. The origins of the townland remains obscure but they are undoubtly of great antiquity. They existed long before the parishes and counties and were eventually written down in anglised form as they sounded to English court scribes. A good example of names written down anglised form as they sounded can be found in the Raven maps (T.510/1). Then it is possible to trace how they became increasingly anglised in the General Alphabetical Index to the Townlands and Towns, Parishes and Baronies of Ireland and the Ordance Survey maps. The townland name may originally have referred to an easily identifiable feature of the landscape such as Carraig (meaning rock) or Tullagh (meaning a hill) or a botanical feature such as Annagh (meaning marsh). The social customs or history of the people who have lived in a particular place can also be reflected in the name of the townland. Often these names are the only records which survive of the families who held land in pre-plantation times. Bally or Baile (both meaning settlement) are usually compounded with personal or family names and examples can be found all over Ireland including such names as Ballywalter, Ballyrussel and Ballysavage. Many townlands throughout Ireland took their names from early habitation sites, both eccelesiastical and secular, and these include Rath (meaning fortification) or Dun (meaning fort) or Chill (meaning church). Townlands originally consisted of a number of sub-divisions such as gneeves and ploughlands but they are now recognised as the smallest administrative division in the country. There are approximately 62,000 townlands in Ireland and great variations are evident in townland sizes due to the fact that their shapes and sizes are related to local topography and farming practices. Anything from five to thirty townlands may be grouped together to form a civil parish. From the 17th century onwards land was let by landlords on a townland basis and townland names were recorded in a variety of documentation concerning land. The rentals of estates were organised according to townlands, the Tithe Applotment Books used the townland as its smallest division and it was also used as a distinct unit in the Census and Valuation Books. The easiest way tofind the name of your townland is to consult the Alphabetical Index to the Townlands and Towns, Parishes and Baronies of Ireland. These indexes were compiled during the 19th and early 20th century after each census and lists all the baronies,parishes,villages and townlands that existed at the time. They are available on the Search Room shelves. Once you have located your particular townland you should consult the Computerised Geographical Index, available in the reception area. It lists the records available for the vast majority of townlands in Northern Ireland. 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----------