Sligo and Clare workhouse records and Australian convict records now on FindmyPast

FindmyPast (www.findmypast.co.uk) has released two new workhouse records collections for Ireland. These are as follows:

Containing of over 9,000 records, the Sligo workhouse registers 1848-1859 consist of handwritten registers taken at the Sligo Union workhouse, one of three workhouses in the County Sligo. The records pre-date civil registration and will be a valuable resource to those with Sligo ancestors given the lack of 19th century census material available in Ireland. Each record includes a transcript and an image of the original document. The registers list the names of new arrivals and details including their age, occupation, religion, any illnesses or infirmities, family members, local parish, their condition on arrival (usually describing clothes or cleanliness) and when they were discharged or died.

Containing over 63,000 records, the Clare Poor Law Unions Board of Guardians Minute Books cover the Kilrush and Ennistymon unions, two of eight poor law unions located in County Clare. The Board of Guardians oversaw the running of the poor law unions as well as the hiring of teachers, staff and contractors. Guardians were elected by those who paid the taxes that funded poor law relief. The books recorded weekly reports on the number of inmates, new arrivals, births, deaths and discharges. They also recorded expenditures including food supplies and salaries as well as the number of inmates receiving medical treatments. Each record contains a transcript and an image of the original handwritten minutes.

Also released are some Australian convicts collections, and some English parish records:

• Nearly 27,000 Australia Convict Conditional and Absolute Pardons 1791-1867.
• New South Wales Registers of Convicts’ Applications to Marry 1825-1851 contains over 26,000 records.
• Over 188,000 Australia Convict ships 1786-1849 records
• Over 7,000 records from Victoria Prison Registers 1855-1948, for prisoners who passed through Pentridge prison, Coburg, Victoria.
• Over 4,000 parish records for Southfleet, Kent.

Full details at http://blog.findmypast.co.uk/fridays/

(With thanks to Alex Cox)

Chris

The latest British GENES podcast is available at http://britishgenes.blogspot.co.uk/p/podcasts.html. For details on my latest book Down and Out in Scotland: Researching Ancestral Crisis, and my other genealogy guide books, please visit http://britishgenes.blogspot.co.uk/p/my-books.html.