Here's a little background on Griffiths Valuation for those of you not familiar with the purpose: "In order to produce the accurate information necessary for local taxation, the Tenement Act of 1842 provided for a uniform valuation of all property in Ireland, to be based on the productive capacity of land and the potential rent of buildings. The man appointed Commissioner of Valuation was Richard Griffith, a Dublin geologist, and the results of his great survey, the Primary Valuation of Ireland, were published between 1848 and 1864. The Valuation is arranged by: county, barony, poor law union, civil parish and townland and lists every landholder and every householder in Ireland. Apart from townland address and householder's name, the particulars given are: name of the person from whom the property was leased (immediate lessor); description of the property; acreage; valuation. The only directly useful family information supplied is in areas where a surname was particularly common; the surveyors often adopted the Gaelic practice of using the father's first name to distinguish between individuals of the same name, so that John Reilly (James) is the son of James, while John Reilly (Michael) is the son of Michael. The Valuation was never intended as a census substitute, and if the 1851 census had survived, it would have little genealogical significance. As things stand, however, it gives the only detailed guide to where in Ireland people lived in the mid-19th century, and what property they possessed. In addition, because the Valuation entries were subsequently revised at regular intervals, it is often possible to trace living descendants of those originally listed by Griffith." ************************************** See what's free at http://www.aol.com.

BUT what has not been said here, if your family did not own land they were not recorded..........this griffith valuation will always only remain a guide to surnames, of head owners of land or head lessor ( i think that is spelt right if not shoot me) Although quoted as one of the greatest replacements for the missing census's I have never found any of my lonely old relatives on it, we must have been a poor lot, probably robbing the poor to feed ourselves. But a useful tool it remains just the same. Cara ----- Original Message ----- From: <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Thursday, April 05, 2007 12:32 AM Subject: Re: [IRL-WEXFORD] IRL-WEXFORD Digest, Vol 2,Issue 55 - GRIFFITHS VALUATION > Here's a little background on Griffiths Valuation for those of you not > familiar with the purpose: "In order to produce the accurate information > necessary > for local taxation, the Tenement Act of 1842 provided for a uniform > valuation > of all property in Ireland, to be based on the productive capacity of land > and the potential rent of buildings. The man appointed Commissioner of > Valuation > was Richard Griffith, a Dublin geologist, and the results of his great > survey, the Primary Valuation of Ireland, were published between 1848 and > 1864. The > Valuation is arranged by: county, barony, poor law union, civil parish > and > townland and lists every landholder and every householder in Ireland. > Apart > from townland address and householder's name, the particulars given are: > name of > the person from whom the property was leased (immediate lessor); > description > of the property; acreage; valuation. > > The only directly useful family information supplied is in areas where a > surname was particularly common; the surveyors often adopted the Gaelic > practice > of using the father's first name to distinguish between individuals of the > same > name, so that John Reilly (James) is the son of James, while John Reilly > (Michael) is the son of Michael. > > The Valuation was never intended as a census substitute, and if the 1851 > census had survived, it would have little genealogical significance. As > things > stand, however, it gives the only detailed guide to where in Ireland > people lived > in the mid-19th century, and what property they possessed. In addition, > because the Valuation entries were subsequently revised at regular > intervals, it is > often possible to trace living descendants of those originally listed by > Griffith." > > > ************************************** > See what's free at > http://www.aol.com. > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > [email protected] with the word 'unsubscribe' without the > quotes in the subject and the body of the message >

The Griffith valuation Cd's that are around and for sale, are like two a penny now, as they are not the complete version that G Lane quoted on, that is a most expensive CD and is generally found in the Wexford Library, but they themselves lost the source to that with a flood, then you see the value of Griffiths. But the CD's we have purchased are only indexes not the complete Griffiths..........pity the people selling these other CD/s do not tell us this before we purchase. Sorry I am having a moan today, which is not my usual style, I will try to find my happy self again. But Griffiths whether its an idex of not is as was pointed out still a useful source. Cara