Established in 1708, the Registry of Deeds holds details of deeds conveying ownership or interests in properties, from transactions such as sales, mortgages, leases, marriage settlements and wills, and was first established as a means to record property held largely by Protestant landowners. The system was not compulsory, and so many transactions were never recorded, whilst for its earliest years it tended to largely record transactions for properties held by adherents to the Church of Ireland. It was not until the late 18th century and early 19th century that Presbyterians and Roman Catholics became better represented within its pages, following the relaxation of the Penal Laws.
The registration system was fairly straightforward. Copies of deeds known as memorials were created after the originals had been signed by both parties. Once verified by a Justice of the Peace and signed by a witness, they were then recorded into the register in Dublin and the original memorials then filed away.
To search the indexes, please visit http://irishdeedsindex.net/search/index.php.
(With thanks to the Registry of Deeds Index Project Ireland Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/RegistryofDeedsIndexProjectIreland)
Chris
For details on my genealogy guide books, including A Beginner's Guide to British and Irish Genealogy, A Decade of Irish Centenaries: Researching Ireland 1912-1923, Discover Scottish Church Records (2nd edition), Discover Irish Land Records and Down and Out in Scotland: Researching Ancestral Crisis, please visit http://britishgenes.blogspot.co.uk/p/my-books.html.
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