SNIPPET: State registration of non-Catholic marriages began in Ireland in 1845. All births, deaths and marriages have been registered in Ireland since 1864. Registration was an offshoot of the Victorian public health system, in turn based on the Poor Law, an attempt to provide some measure of relief for the most destitute. Between 1838 and 1852, one hundred and sixty three workhouses were built throughout the country, each at the centre of an area known as a Poor Law Union. The work houses 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. In the 1850s 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 6-7 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 marriage then began in 1864, these Dispensary Districts also became Registrars' Districts, with a Registrar responsible for collecting the registration 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 to 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 as both 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 (1993) is that the local Health Boards hold the original registers, with the General Register Office in Dublin city holding the master indexes to 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. The General Register Office also contains microfilmed copies of all original registers. The LDS (Mormon) Family History Centers have also microfilmed much data. Per John Grenham, author of "Tracing Your Irish Ancestors," a certain portion of civil registration simply went unregistered. The thoroughness of local registration depended very much on local conditions and on the individuals responsible, but experience in cross-checking from other sources such as parish and census records suggest that as much as 10 to 15 percent of marriages and births simply do not appear in the registers. Grenham warns that the ages given in early records should be treated with caution and may be off by several years and the true day is most often well before the one reported. It would appear that early on very few people actually knew their precise date of birth or knew exactly how to spell their name and emphasis was not placed on exactness as is seen today. He feels that of the three categories, the most useful is probably the marriage entry. Birth records are difficult to identify correctly from the indexes due to the high concentration of people of the same surname (and given names) within particular localities of the country. Unlike many other countries, older death records in Ireland are not very useful as there was no obligation to record other family information, and the age at death is often imprecise. This much said, these death records can sometimes be of great value in that the person present at death (informant) was often a family member and their relationship to the deceased is sometimes given. One of the peculiarities of the system of registration is that, although the local Registrars were responsible for the Registers (books) themselves, the legal obligation to register events actually rested with the public, and was enforced with hefty fines. The classes of people required to carry out registration in a Birth, for example fell to the parent or parents -- or in the case of death or inability of same the occupier of the house or tenement in which the child was born or the Nurse or any person present at the birth of the child. Note to the Registrar of the birth was to be given within 21 days, and full details within three months. It should be noted that it was not obligatory to register a first name for the child. In those cases they appear as "Kelly male" or "Murphy female." If the location of a family farm is known, the approximate death of date can often be worked out from the changes in occupier recorded in the Valuation Books of the Land Valuation Office. Check their website for more details. Similarly, if the family possessed property, the Will Calendars of the National Archives after 1858 can be the easiest way to pinpoint the precise date of death. Of note is Late Registration. In some cases where events were not registered and an individual or relative later needed a certificate for official purposes, it became necessary to register the event after the fact. The index references for these late registrations are included in the volume for the year in which the event took place. Thus, the index reference for someone born in 1880, but whose birth was not registered until 1900, is to be found in the index for 1880. In the case of births and deaths, these references are indexed separately from the main body of the index, appear 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 are quite slim, it is still necessary to include them in any thorough search of the indexes. Per Mr. Grenham, (who is Irish and a reputable genealogist), other resources include: 1. Maritime records and Army Records. 2. Occupational Records. 3. The Foreign Register from 1864 of Irish subjects abroad where such births were notified to the relevant British cousul (although there apparently is no index) but check with the staff at the GRO to see the register. 4. The Schulze Register (General Index to Baptisms and Marriages purported to have been celebrated by Rev. J. G. F. Schulze, 1806-1837). There are 55 baptisms and approx. 8,000 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's 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 name of the contracting parties. 5. Census Records - particularly valuable & comprehensive are those for 1901 and 1911 (check with your local LDS FHC and/or on the web. 6. Land Records to include 32,614 owners of one acre or more of land in Ireland in 1876. See "Landowners in Ireland: Return of owners of land of one acre and upwards" - orig. published London 1876; a second publication published by the Genealogical Publishing Company (LDS) USA in the 1980s. 7. Census Substitutes (on LDS microfilm and transcribed in part or whole on the web) including Freeholders, Voter's Lists, Poll Books, Electoral Records, Valuations (particular Griffith's mid 1850s and Primary Valuation of 1848-64). 8. Newspapers, books, old trade directories, journals at National Library Dublin (some on LDS microfilm). 9. Local parish records. Many on microfilm although a few parishes denied photocopying of their records.

I am doing research on my family who lived in County Down, Newtownards area, They attented the Killinchy Church which I am having trouble obtaining access to. You mention a Mr. Grenham, how do I get in touch with him? The name Of my GGrandfather is James Ledgerwood, wife Elizabeth Wallace. I have no names for siblings or parents. Thanking hyou in advance, I am, Sincerly, Ethel V./\(Ledgerood) Davis Portland, Oregon USA EMAIL; ETVio@hevanet.com Subject: [Irish Genealogy] Civil Records, Offshoot of Poor Law/Workhouses > SNIPPET: State registration of non-Catholic marriages began in Ireland in > 1845. All births, deaths and marriages have been registered in Ireland > since > 1864. Registration was an offshoot of the Victorian public health system, > in > turn based on the Poor Law, an attempt to provide some measure of relief > for > the most destitute. Between 1838 and 1852, one hundred and sixty three > workhouses were built throughout the country, each at the centre of an > area > known as a Poor Law Union. The work houses 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. In the 1850s 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 6-7 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 > marriage then began in 1864, these Dispensary Districts also became > Registrars' Districts, with a Registrar responsible for collecting the > registration 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 to 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 as > both > 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 (1993) is > that the local Health Boards hold the original registers, with the General > Register Office in Dublin city holding the master indexes to 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. > > The General Register Office also contains microfilmed copies of all > original > registers. The LDS (Mormon) Family History Centers have also microfilmed > much data. > > Per John Grenham, author of "Tracing Your Irish Ancestors," a certain > portion of civil registration simply went unregistered. The thoroughness > of > local registration depended very much on local conditions and on the > individuals responsible, but experience in cross-checking from other > sources > such as parish and census records suggest that as much as 10 to 15 percent > of marriages and births simply do not appear in the registers. > > Grenham warns that the ages given in early records should be treated with > caution and may be off by several years and the true day is most often > well > before the one reported. It would appear that early on very few people > actually knew their precise date of birth or knew exactly how to spell > their > name and emphasis was not placed on exactness as is seen today. He feels > that of the three categories, the most useful is probably the marriage > entry. Birth records are difficult to identify correctly from the indexes > due to the high concentration of people of the same surname (and given > names) within particular localities of the country. Unlike many other > countries, older death records in Ireland are not very useful as there was > no obligation to record other family information, and the age at death is > often imprecise. This much said, these death records can sometimes be of > great value in that the person present at death (informant) was often a > family > member and their relationship to the deceased is sometimes given. > > One of the peculiarities of the system of registration is that, although > the > local Registrars were responsible for the Registers (books) themselves, > the > legal obligation to register events actually rested with the public, and > was > enforced with hefty fines. > > The classes of people required to carry out registration in a Birth, for > example fell to the parent or parents -- or in the case of death or > inability of same the occupier of the house or tenement in which the child > was born or the Nurse or any person present at the birth of the child. > Note > to the Registrar of the birth was to be given within 21 days, and full > details within three months. It should be noted that it was not obligatory > to register a first name for the child. In those cases they appear as > "Kelly > male" or "Murphy female." > > If the location of a family farm is known, the approximate death of date > can > often be worked out from the changes in occupier recorded in the Valuation > Books of the Land Valuation Office. Check their website for more details. > > Similarly, if the family possessed property, the Will Calendars of the > National Archives after 1858 can be the easiest way to pinpoint the > precise > date of death. > > Of note is Late Registration. In some cases where events were not > registered > and an individual or relative later needed a certificate for official > purposes, it became necessary to register the event after the fact. > The index references for these late registrations are included in the > volume > for the year in which the event took place. Thus, the index reference for > someone born in 1880, but whose birth was not registered until 1900, is to > be found in the index for 1880. In the case of births and deaths, these > references are indexed separately from the main body of the index, appear > 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 are quite slim, it > is > still necessary to include them in any thorough search of the indexes. > > Per Mr. Grenham, (who is Irish and a reputable genealogist), other > resources > include: > 1. Maritime records and Army Records. > 2. Occupational Records. > 3. The Foreign Register from 1864 of Irish subjects abroad where such > births > were notified to the relevant British cousul (although there apparently is > no index) but check with the staff at the GRO to see the > register. > 4. The Schulze Register (General Index to Baptisms and Marriages purported > to have been celebrated by Rev. J. G. F. Schulze, 1806-1837). There are 55 > baptisms and approx. 8,000 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's 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 name of the contracting parties. > 5. Census Records - particularly valuable & comprehensive are those for > 1901 > and 1911 (check with your local LDS FHC and/or on the web. > 6. Land Records to include 32,614 owners of one acre or more of land in > Ireland in 1876. See "Landowners in Ireland: Return of owners of land of > one acre and upwards" - orig. published London 1876; a second publication > published by the Genealogical Publishing Company (LDS) USA in the 1980s. > 7. Census Substitutes (on LDS microfilm and transcribed in part or whole > on > the web) including Freeholders, Voter's Lists, Poll Books, Electoral > Records, Valuations (particular Griffith's mid 1850s and Primary > Valuation > of 1848-64). > 8. Newspapers, books, old trade directories, journals at National Library > Dublin (some on LDS microfilm). > 9. Local parish records. Many on microfilm although a few parishes denied > photocopying of their records. > > > Check out the Ireland GenWeb website at: http://www.irelandgenweb.com/ > > Great place to get help with your family research. > > County Clare has been adopted! > > Help wanted: County Coordinators > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > IRELANDGENWEB-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the > quotes in the subject and the body of the message > -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- No virus found in this incoming message. Checked by AVG - www.avg.com Version: 8.5.339 / Virus Database: 270.12.54/2159 - Release Date: 06/06/09 18:04:00