September 2012 Groundbreaking Research on Irish Immigration to N

September 2012

Exclusive monthly e-bulletin to IGRS members

Inside this issue Catholic parish registers to be digitised

 Expert Tip: Protestant The National Library of Ireland (NLI) has They are Orphan Society Records announced plans to digitise its collection of available at parish registers and other items valuable to the Library  GRO Research Room policy genealogists. on micro- change film. As An official tender notice was published on  Hunger Museum opens in such, they the EU’s public procurement website on 26 Connecticut University are not in- September. It confirms that the NLI is looking dexed and  Ancestry adds Irish to enter into a service concession agreement searching for newspaper collection to its with one or more companies for the digitisa- an entry can database tion of four specific collections or ‘lots’. be a slow  Lecture programme  Materials of genealogical interest, process. announced for Back To Our including parish records, directories Speculation has been rife among family Past, 12-14 October and registers of electors. historians this week as to the future online  Browse the 1852 Church of  NLI’s newspaper collection model but there is little likelihood that such Ireland Directory online  NLI’s journals collection decisions will be made this year.

 Events for October  NLI’s photographic collection. In the meantime, interested parties have to The highlight of such a move would be the submit their applications before 1 November. provision of public online access to the Applicants can apply for one or more of the island's Roman Catholic baptism and marriage ‘lots’ and must have provided digitisation registers. Most date from the late 18th services to at least one cultural institution century or early 1800s to 1880. similar to the NLI in the last five years.

Groundbreaking research on Irish immigration to N America published

A new book by Terrence Punch, a Fellow of the The book provides a chronological list of the IGRS, has been published this week. voyages (there were about 1500 in total). It gives the names and carrying capacity of the North America’s Maritime Funnel: The Ships vessels and information about passenger acts, that brought the Irish 1749-1852 is the result the ports and their hinterlands and the con- of extensive research into the voyages made cepts of tonnage/burthen. It also provides the between Ireland and the Maritime Provinces dates of departure and arrival, and adds a of Canada. great variety of detail (including 5 appendices, The latter were rich in names) concerning passengers and crew convenient and the voyages themselves. destinations for Supported by a history of Irish emigration, the Irish immigrants book is built around a year-by-year listing of and functioned as known voyages. Only 123 passenger lists survive the narrow end of of the 1,500 voyages, but by dint of ground a funnel through breaking research, Terry Punch has managed to which tens of fill in many of the gaps. thousands dis- persed across the Published by the Genealogical Publishing Co., North American the 172-page book, with maps and index, costs continent. $33 +pp (or c£22/€24 +pp via Amazon).

1 Hello Sailors! GRO updates its Public Search Room policy

Ancestry UK has added a new The Council of Irish Genealogical Organisations has campaigned long and hard for improvements collection — Masters and Mates at the 'coal face' of Irish genealogy: Dublin's General Register Office (GRO). Finally, there Certificates, 1850-1927 — to appears to be a glimmer of hope that pleas for change are finally being heard! In the past its database. This is a couple of weeks the GRO has quietly introduced a change in policy for 'General Searches'. collection of certificates Previously, when a party of people came into the GRO's Dublin-based Public Search Room each issued to merchant seamen by of the party was required to pay a General Search fee of €20. the British Board of Trade, and Now, up to three persons can work on one General Search fee and can collectively take up to there are plenty of Irish among five years of indexes from the shelves at any one time. Further, each person on a General the register of 250,000 Search is now entitled to up to eight uncertified copies (photocopies) of register entries, rather individuals. than five, as had been the case until now. The certificates were issued to Whether these changes were made on foot of the criticism levelled at the GRO by the Irish those seamen who qualified as Ombudsman in her recent report (see last month’s e-bulletin) is not clear. However, it seems masters or mates aboard too much of a coincidence not to have played some part in this change. merchant ships. It is too early to say if these changes will have any marked effect on how researchers manage The documents include their time at the GRO. certificates of competency, certificates of service, exami- In the meantime, genealogists should keep in mind that they can also apply for uncertified nation applications, and other copies (photocopies) from the local Dublin registration office on Lombard Street East, about miscellaneous forms. eight minutes walk from the GRO. Provision of uncertified copies (photocopies) at Lombard Street East was secured four years ago through successful lobbying by CIGO. Collectively, they may include some or all of the following details: Magherafelt burials online Gearing up for Back To Our Past  name

 certificate number Magherafelt District Council cares for some As mentioned in last month’s e-bulletin, the  birth date 60 burial grounds across its region. They IGRS will be exhibiting at Back To Our Past on include parish churchyards, modern ceme- the weekend of 12-14 October 2012. The show  birthplace teries and old burial grounds once connect- is at the RDS in Dublin and you’ll find us at  issue port ed to workhouses, penal institutions and Stand No 1, which is a prominent spot close to  issue date decommissioned churches. the main lecture area. If you’re attending the show, please do pop by to say hello.  address It commissioned a Belfast company of graveyard surveyors to survey and create a The Lecture Programme is now available on  examination date detailed map for each of them, to take the organiser’s website and it looks great,  history of service (dates, photos and record inscriptions, and then to both in terms of the wide range of topics on vessels, occupations, present the information collected on a free- offer and the quality of presenters. Several years in service) to-access website. IGRS members are, of course, in the line-up.

The results from the survey includes 24,415 Advance tickets are just €5, but you need to Ancestry gives this advice for burial records from 1800 to 2012. They are act quickly to secure one. Otherwise the price examining this record set: free to view at www.discovereverafter.com. on the door is €10. 'Some of the information is included on the back of the certificates, and some documents in a seaman’s Browse the 1852 Church of Ireland Directory online folder have not been indexed, so when you find a record, use the arrows to browse The earliest Church of Ireland Directory — the 1852 edition — has been digitised and released surrounding documents to online on the website of the Representative Church Body Library as the September Archive of the make sure you see all the Month. records available. You may Published by James Charles in response to demands from readers of his other publication, the want to browse through an Irish Ecclesiastical Gazette, the Directory contains information about the church's structures — entire roll since the original its parishes, dioceses, clergy and other key personnel — and the income of each benefice and folders were sometimes filed diocese. in random order.' For those with clergy ancestors this Directory holds plenty of interest. Details of the incumbent A video provides additional and curate for each benefice are recorded, along with a snapshot view of the acreage and value background to the collection. of the respective glebe land. All 192 pages can be viewed here.

2 Ancestry adds Irish newspapers $5.3m Irish Library opens in Arizona

Ancestry has added a collection of Irish news- After five years of planning and building, the papers to its database. McClelland Irish Library in Phoenix, Arizona, Homeward Bound will open to the public on Tuesday 2 October. The library holds more than 5,000 books, journals and periodicals on Irish genealogy, A new TV series starts on RTÉ literature and culture. It aims to be recog- One on 2 October to promote nised as the leading US Irish genealogical Ireland's big 2013 happening research centre with tools and resources to called The Gathering. help Irish-Americans discover their heritage.

In each episode, a well-known There are also reading rooms, computer Irish person who lives abroad resources and a Book of Kells exhibition. will return to their home or It was founded by Norman McClelland, chair- other significant place to dig in man of Shamrock Foods, who had traced his deep with the local communi- own roots in Ireland and Scotland. Four of his ties as they prepare for the The papers have not been indexed, so you can't books now form part of the library collection. return of the Diaspora. search by name or by event, but you can browse through selected batches by date. The 15,000 sq ft building, at 1106 N. Central The celebrities featured are Avenue, Phoenix, resembles a traditional Irish comedian Brendan Grace The collection, listed below, spans the years castle, and elements were constructed by an (Dublin, 2 October); musician 1763 to 1890. Irish stonemason using Irish Blue limestone.

Bressie (Mullingar, 9 October);  Cork Mercantile Chronicle 1802-1818 The project has cost $5.3m, much of it raised rugby star Trevor Brennan  Northern Star 1792-1797 by public donations. (Leixlip, 16 October); Kerry GAA Notes from Ireland 1886-1890 & Aussie Rules footballer Tadhg  For opening hours and more details see the Kennelly (Listowel, 23 October);  The Belfast Mercury 1783-1786 Library’s website. dancer Jean Butler (Westport,  The Belfast Evening Post 1786-1787 30 October); and actress  The Cork General Advertiser 1777 Fionnula Flanagan (Connemara,  The Dublin Builder 1859-1866 Armagh, Cork and Waterford records 6 November).  The Dublin Evening Mail 1855 added to RootsIreland database As well as portraying each  The Dublin Penny Journal 1832-1836 individual's response to their  Freeman's Journal 1763-1882 RootsIreland.ie, the website of the Irish return journey, the series will  The Hibernian Chronicle 1769-1802 Family History Foundation, has uploaded new examine the area's own story of  The Irish Builder 1867-1890 records from Armagh Ancestry, Mallow emigration, meeting local  The Irish Felon 1848 Heritage and Waterford Heritage Centres to historians, visiting libraries and its pay-to-view database. viewing church records.  The Irish People 1863-1867  The Irish Times 1864-1889 The announcement email gives no indication Finally, each of the six will  The Irishman 1819-1825 of the type of records, nor the parishes create a video invitation to the  The Leinster Journal 1800-1828 covered, in this release, so you’ll need to world, asking them to return to consult the full list of sources for each  The Londonderry Journal 1785 the person's chosen town in genealogy centre (or county) on the website. 2013.  The Meath People 1857-1863 Meanwhile, the anticipated upload of Cork  The Morning News 1882-1887 The opening episode sees City records has not taken place. These  The Nation 1850-1852 Brendan Grace return from registers were supposedly handed over to the  The Nationalist 1886-1890 Florida to celebrate the IFHF in early summer, already transcribed, Liberties in Dublin city and hear  The Northern Star 1792-1793 but the local diocese seems to have had what plans are afoot to attract  The Roscommon Constitution 1889-1890 second thoughts. people to come home for The  The Tralee Chronicle 1870-1875 The most recent Gathering 2013.  The United Irishman 1848 statement from the diocese The series will be broadcast at  The Waterford Chronicle 1777 suggests that 7.00pm on Tuesdays from 2nd  The Waterford Herald 1792-1793 discussions are October. Unusually, it will be  The Waterford Mirror 1801-1827 continuing with available for viewers around the  The Waterford News 1848-1868 the National world on www.rte.ie/player. The span of dates shown does not mean that Library of View the trailer. every issue within that time frame is available. Ireland and the state-funded In addition, a copy of Thom's Directory 1904 free –to-access website irishgenealogy.ie. can now be browsed on Ancestry.

Expert Tips In each issue, an IGRS member suggests an unexpected or overlooked source for research. This month, Aideen Ireland recommends a resource at the National Archives of Ireland (NAI)...

Forward dates for 2013 The Protestant Orphan Society (1828-1973)

The Protestant Orphan Society collection was Records of use to genealogists include: Make sure you make a note of received by the NAI from the Society during orphan application forms (1045/5/3-4 & these dates in your diary. 1974. It consists of: 1045/11/2-3) and application forms for grants of marriage portions by POS Ireland Branch AGM & Lecture: Protestant Orphan Refuge Society (or Chari- (1045/5/9). Dublin: Saturday 20 April 2013 table Protestant Orphan Union), 1830-98; Children’s Home (for girls) Sunnyside, Kilter- The orphan application forms note: appli- IGRS AGM & Lectures: nan, Co. Dublin, 1893-1953; Fingal (Swords, cant’s and orphan’s name and relationship; London: Saturday 11 May 2013. Co. Dublin) Orphanage (for boys), 1919-42; date of birth and state of health; parents’ Ireland Branch Open Day: Percy Place Orphans’ Home, 1858-79. religion, occupation and whether living; and from 1877, in the POS records, data of other Dublin: Saturday 25 May 2013 The Dublin-based Protestant Orphan Society family members. (POS) was founded in 1828 to provide support for children where at least one parent The marriage portion applications note: the was dead. Until 1898 it accepted only chil- applicant orphan’s name, occupation, resi- dren whose parents were both Church of dence, place of worship, name when an or- Ireland. After union with the Protestant phan, master or mistress when apprenticed, Orphan Refuge Society in 1898 it accepted employment since apprenticeship, income children with only one Church of Ireland par- and dependants, fiancé(e)’s or spouse’s ent. name. age, address, occupation, religion, whether fiancé(e)’s or spouse’s parents are Initially, the main function of the Society alive, their names, occupations, residence, was to send orphans to approved nurses and religion. then to apprentice them to approved masters. From the twentieth century onwards Under section If you know someone who the Society sought to support children either 1045/5/10 are might like to join the with their mother (if she be alive) or at an photographs of IGRS, please feel free to approved orphanage: Fingal Orphanage, orphans. Most are pass on this e-bulletin Percy Place Orphans’ Home or Sunnyside held in one large and direct them to the Children’s Home. The smaller Protestant photograph album membership application Orphan Refuge Society was founded in 1830, while the remainder form on the last page. filling the gap left by the POS in that it ac- are loose photo- cepted children with only one Church of graphs. All orphans Ireland parent. are named.

Great Hunger Museum opens in Connecticut

The Great Hunger Museum/Museam An Gorta Mór will open to the public at Quinnipiac University, Connecticut on 11 October. It aims to offer 'a unique opportunity for people of all ages and backgrounds to explore the largely unrepresented, unspoken and unresolved causes and consequences of the Great Hunger, as well as to appreciate the art that it continues to inspire.' The museum's collection focuses on the famine years from 1845-52, Have you signed CIGO’s petition and includes works by noted contemporary Irish artists including to open the 1926 census? internationally-known sculptors John Behan, Rowan Gillespie and Read all about this important Eamonn O’Doherty, and contemporary visual artists Robert Ballagh, campaign and sign up to Alanna O’Kelly Brian Maguire and Hughie O’Donoghue. support it here. Featured paintings include several important 19th and 20th-century works by artists such as James Brenan, Daniel MacDonald, James Arthur O’Connor and Jack B. Yeats.

4 Events to the end of October

Sunday 30 September: Explore Your Genealogy, Wednesday 17 October: Merchants and mari- with Carolyn Williams, NZ Society of Genealo- ners in 16th-century Meath, with Fionnán Tuite. gists, Family Research Centre, Panmure. 10am- Lismullin Institute, Lismullin Conference Centre, 12noon. Part of the Auckland Heritage Festival. Tara. €3.00. Free, but booking required. Wednesday 17 October: Home Rule: lost oppor- Thursday 4 October: Celebrating Ireland's tunity or sell-out? A HistoryIreland Hedge School Archival Heritage Conference, Harbour Hotel, at the National Library of Ireland, Kildare St, The Docks, Galway. Very interesting programme Dublin, with Stephen Collins (Irish Times), Brian with well-respected speakers. Details. Hanley (Inst of Irish Studies, Liverpool) and Margaret O'Callaghan (QUB). 7pm. Free. Friday 5 October: The Civic Guard Mutiny, with Dr Brian McCarthy. Garda Siochana Historical Thursday 18 October: Tracing your Irish Society. Garda Club, Harrington Street, Dublin. ancestry, with Godfrey Duffy. Part of the Tyne- 7.30pm. All welcome. side Irish Festival. 7-9pm. 43 Gallowgate, New- castle, Tyne and Wear, NE1 4SG. £3 on the door. Saturday 6 October: An introduction to Irish family history, with Dr Irene O'Brien. Mitchell Thursday 18 October: Presbyterianism in Library, Granville Street, Glasgow G3 7DN. 10am Armagh, with Rev Joe Thompson. Hosted by the -1pm. £15. To book: tel: 0141 287 2999. Presbyterian Historical Society. Venue: The Mall IGRS Ireland Branch Presbyterian Church, Armagh. 8pm. Saturday 6 October: Irish genealogy workshop, Monday 22 October: Naked Savages: Irish Autumn Lecture with Tom Toohey. Six ways to research your customs at the end of the Middle Ages, with Dr family history. Part of a series of three work- Hiram Morgan. Continental views of the Irish as shops, each independent of the others. Public savages. Linen Hall Library, Belfast. 6-8pm. Tuesday 30th October 2012 Library, Main Street, Amesbury, MA 01913. 2pm. Email or tel: 028 9032 1707. Space limited. Registration required. National Library of Ireland, Tuesday 23 October: The Ulster Covenant and Saturday 6 October: Local History Day, at Dub- Kildare Street, Dublin 2. the partition of Ireland, with Michael Laffan. lin City Library & Archive, Pearse Street, Dublin. Howth Peninsula Heritage Society. Howth An- See programme. Free, but booking essential. Time: 7:00pm. gling Centre, West Pier. 8pm. Monday 8 October: The Augustinian's Tale, with Thursday 25 October: 400 years of Urban Stuart Kinsella. Part of the Tales of Medieval Professor Jane Ohlemeyer Growth in the North of Ireland, with Janice Dublin series. 1.05pm. Free. Wood Quay Venue, Holmes. First of the PRONI/Open University will present her lecture on Civic Offices, Dublin. series of lectures on Urban History in Ulster. genealogical sources relevant Friday 12 to Sunday 14 October: Back To Our Venue: PRONI. 6.30pm. Free. to her recent book – Making Past, Ireland's very own genealogy exhibition Friday-Saturday 26-27 October: The Genealogy Ireland English: How the and fair, RDS, Dublin. €10.00 on the door. Event, New York's only family history event this year. Includes a dedicated lecture segment on Aristocracy shaped Seven- Tuesday 16 October: What's in a name? – Per- Getting Started in Irish Genealogy, with the Irish sonal naming patterns in Ireland, with Richard teenth Century Ireland. Ancestry Research Centre. Metropolitan Pavil- Forrest looking at various features, trends and ion, 125 WEst 18th Street, New York. $15 ad- peculiarities in Irish naming customs over the vance ticket, $20 on the door. Admission is free. centuries. Cloyne Literary & Historical Society. 8pm in Hartys Cloyne. All welcome. Members Monday 29 October: The archaeology of witch- All are welcome to attend. free of charge. Non-members €5. craft and superstition in Ireland, with Roisin O'Reilly. Ulster Archaeological Society, Lecture Tuesday 16 October: Tracing Irish Ancestors, Theatre, School of Geography, Archaeology and with Chris Paton. Hosted by Alloway and South Paleoecology, QUB, Elmwood Building, Elmwood Ayrshire FHS (www.asafhs.co.uk). Venue: Allo- Avenue, Belfast. 8pm. way Church Hall, Octagonal room. Time: 7.30pm for 7.45pm start. Tuesday 30 October: IGRS Ireland Branch Au- tumn Lecture. See side panel for details. Free. Tuesday 16 October: What was pre-Plantation Ulster really like? Roddy Hegarty asks the ques- Wednesday 31 October: Raiders of the Lost tion. Coleraine Historical Society, Guide Hall, Archives – Covenant records at PRONI, with Terrace Row. 8pm. £2 for non-members. Stephen Scarth. LinenHall Library’s Lunchtime Includes tea and biscuits. Lectures. 1pm. Free; booking recommended.

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