This was posted to another list. I thought it might be of interest. ---------------Original Message--------------- Taken from PRONI : Your Family Tree 21 Gravestone inscriptions are a wonderful source of information for both the local historian and for the genealogist. As it was not customary practice until the mid- to late-nineteen-hundreds for all of the religious denominations to keep church registers (Roman Catholic and Presbyterian records are extremely poor in this respect), and civil registration of births and deaths was not introduced until 1864, gravestone inscriptions are an alternate way of tracing a family back beyond the middle of the nineteenth century. The difficulty of tracing families through church registers is compounded by the fact that, of the 1,600 registers in existence, 1,000 were in the safe-keeping of the Public Record Office of Dublin and were therefore destroyed in the Four Courts fire of 1922. The importance of gravestone inscriptions has long been recognised, and attempts have been made to record for prosperity some of the older and endangered epitaphs. PRONI holds a series of journals entitled `Memorials of the Dead`. These were published annually under the aegis of the Association for the Preservation of the Memorials of the Dead, Ireland and span the years 1888 to 1934. The contents were made up of submissions by voluntary contributors, who transcribed whatever took their interest. The Memorials therefore, have a piecemeal, hit and miss quality rather than being a meticulous study of each cemetery. Errors in transcription and translation also occur. They do, however, cover the whole of Ireland, and illustrations (some of which are very roughly drawn) are included. Entries are arranged alphabetically by county and subdivided by parish, also in alphabetical order. Additionally these journals contain letters and articles relating to memorials and the state of the graveyards, lists of subscribers to the Associatin, and some of the most dictatorial editorials ever written. For some years past, R.S.J. Clarke has compiled and edited a series of books entitled `Gravestone Inscriptions`, under the aegis of the Ulster Historical Foundation, formerly the Ulster-Scots Society. While the burial grounds sited in Co Down have been substantially covered, only some of the Belfast and Co Antrim graveyards have been published. More books are planned, but some of the earlier works are now out of print. However, PRONI holds the full run of twenty-seven volumes, twenty relating to Down, three to Antrim and four for the Belfast region. Twenty-one volumes are bound in a hard, green, cover: Co Down volumes 1- 18, Co Antrim, Volumes 1 & 2, and Belfast volume 1. In soft bindings are: Belfast volume 3, covering the Balmoral, Friends and Malone burial grounds. `Old Belfast families and the new burying ground, from gravestone inscriptions, with will and biographical notes`. volume 4 in the Belfast series (the new burying ground referred to is the Clifton graveyard, no longer `open`)`: Two editions of volume 19 in the Down series, one of which contains a list of all cemeteries covered in this series (this is reproduced overleaf): `Heart of Downe: old Banbridge families`, volume 20: `Old families of Downpatrick and district`, volume 21 (this contains a summary guide to documentary sources for the family and local historian, parish of Down): `Old Belfast families of Carrickfergus and Ballynure`, volumes 3 in the Antrim series. This includes three appendixes: (1) some Carrickfergus deaths, 1853-72; (2) summary guide to documentary sources for Carrickfergus; and (3) a list of subscribers. The introduction in the first book of the series gives an excellent exposition of the aims and objectives of the undertaking. In summary, however, Co Down was chosen as the initial area of research simply for its geographical proximity to the compiler. Date was defined according a compromise between best practice and economic considerations. Therefore,all gravestones having a date of death before prior to 1865 (by which date civil registration is up and running) have been copied completely; where practicable, stones containing dates prior to 1900 have been included and, in very small cemeteries,all headstones inscriptions have been transcribed. By imposing, strict geographical and period limitations, it was hoped that a more complete and accurate guide would ensue. Entries are arranged alpahabetically by name of graveyard, within which are listed, also in alphabetical order, the names on the stones. As much detail as was possible have been included but, naturally, due to exposure and to the elements over long periods, much of the detail on the headstones has been lost. Usually, however, a brief description of the physical appearance of the grave is given. Inscriptions which also appear in `Memorials` are cross referenced, and any inaccuracies noted. Of use to the local historian, as well as the genealogists, is the inclusion of the Ordance Survey grid reference of the burial ground, a potted history of the church or area in which the graveyard is sited, some detail on the oldest graves and their general condition, and some photographs and illustrations. The series is indexed every five volumes (ie., volumes 5,10,15 and 20 give details of 1-5,6-10,11-15 and 15-20, respectively) with alphabetical lists of surnames and of graveyards. Other sources available in PRONI, which have been loosely bound in soft covers, are photocopies of the following: `Gravestone inscriptions in Aghalurcher churchyard, Aghavea cemetery and Drumully cemetery`, taken from the Clogher Record, vols I-VI` `Gravestone inscriptions in Creggan graveyard, Donaghcavey cemetery, old Kilskeery graveyard, Drumglass cemetery` `Gravestone inscriptions in Lambeg churchyard` `Catholic gravestone inscriptions in the vicinity of Draperstown, Co Derry`, comprising Moneyneeny, Kilcronaghan and Straw. `Tombstone inscriptions`, copied from the Journal of the Co Louth Archaeological and Historical Society,vol XIX, 1, 1977, contains information on St Mary`s `Abbey`; Dunany; Salterstown;Co Louth; Rathdrumin; Bawntaaffe; Urnai; Fochart; St Nicholas, Dundalk. D. Johnston, `Clogher Cathedral graveyard` (1972) includes a short introduction entitled: `The graveyard in History` `Carved in Stone: a record of memorials in the ancient graveyard around the church of the Holy Evangelists` (Church of Ireland), Carnmoney, Newtownabbey. All of the above are available on the shelves of the Public Search Room. Other sources, including original documents, are given in the Subject Index under the heading, Graveyards. These are arranged by the county for both municipal and church cemeteries, and include: T/1761 Transcripts of gravestone inscriptions in the Shankhill graveyard, 1690 - 1953 D/3672 Gravestone inscriptions from churches in Co Antrim and Londonderry (13 volumes) MIC/1/29 Book containing tombstone inscriptions from tombstones in Enniskillen Cathedral graveyard. The Tennison Groves papers also contain transcriptions of headstones for a number of counties: See T/808/14917-14924 Alex Hughes >from Ayrshire, Scotland Searching for Duncan,Bruce,Kilpatrick,Campbell,Fairley,Milne,McKechan, Jamphray,Strathern,Kelso,Smith & Auld in Scotland Searching for Hughes, Graham, McCutcheon, Donaghy, Irvine, Dorian, Kelley & Black in Ireland ----------End of Original Message----------