Diane, I have only looked at House Books, so really can't compare. The House Books looked much like rough tithes and not all have survived, sad to say. I would imagine that the rent books would be interesting and when I get through with my tithe research, that is where I will look next for my family. If someone on the list has looked at any other of these books, I would love to hear what they they found in them. BTW, I attended a genealogy conference in Boston in 2006 and attended a session presented by people from the Archives of Ireland in Dublin. They were quite excited about these books and mentioned that they had just recently been discovered. According to the NAI site, the Family History Library was still filming the records in 2001. I believe, at the time of the conference, the House Books were the only films available at the NAI to the public and since Dublin was the next stop on my trip, they were one of the first things I looked at a NAI. > Pat, I'm interested in researching my families in the years just before > Griffith's was published, but between quarto books, house books, rent books, > old house measurement books, and field books, some organized by county, some > by barony, and some by parish, it's a daunting and expensive proposition. > Woould the house books likely be the most useful? That would narrow things down > a bit. > -- Pat Connors, Sacramento, CA http://www.connorsgenealogy.com