Parochial history of Mullingar digitised

The Representative Church Body of Ireland's Library in Dublin has added a digitised copy to its side of A Parochial History of Mullingar, compiled by the Revd William Reynell, 13th–19th Centuries, as its Archive of the Month offering. The work is essentially a scrapbook of sorts of a variety of sources, running to some 300 pages, as compiled by Rev Reynell.

For further information on Mullingar and the book, visit https://www.ireland.anglican.org/news/8980/parochial-history-of-mullingar-compiled.

The digitised book itself is directly accessible at https://issuu.com/churchofireland/docs/molyngar

Chris

Order Tracing Your Irish Family History on the Internet (2nd ed) at https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/Tracing-Your-Irish-Family-History-on-the-Internet-Paperback/p/16483. My next Scotland 1750-1850: Beyond the OPRs course starts 4 November 2019 - see https://www.pharostutors.com/details.php?coursenumber=302. Further news published daily on The GENES Blog Facebook page, and on Twitter @genesblog.

ScotlandsPeople adds more dissenter Presbyterian baptism records

From ScotlandsPeople (www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk):

More than 3,000 baptism records covering the period 1752-1855 have recently been added to ScotlandsPeople. These new additions cover Presbyterian congregations in Ayrshire, Fife, Dundee Renfrewshire, Aberdeenshire and Midlothian and may be helpful for anyone searching for a person who was born before the introduction of statutory registration in 1855.

The baptismal entries occur within the records of Presbyterian churches which were outside the Church of Scotland in the 18th and 19th centuries but had united with the Church of Scotland by 1929. The Church of Scotland compiled what are known as Old Parish Registers (OPRs) of baptisms, marriages and burials prior to 1855 but OPRs do not always record baptisms carried out by other churches, which kept their registers of baptisms, marriages and burials. NRS has been indexing these ‘Other Church Registers’ and adding them to the ScotlandsPeople site since 2016. More baptism entries from other congregations are in preparation.

If you are unable to find an ancestor within the OPRs, consult the ‘Roman Catholic Church records’ and within ‘other churches’ for pre-1855 events, especially for the period 1843-54, when a third of the Church of Scotland members left to set up the Free Church.

Search the church baptism registers or read more about them in our church registers guide.

List of volumes released in August 2019

Beith – Head St Relief (CH3/1054/10) 1802-1820
Dundee – Tay Square United Secession (CH3/94/15) 1831-1848
Dunfermline – Gillespie Relief (CH3/1689/5/1) 1752-1782
East Calder Associate (CH3/349/2) 1777-1802
Greenock – Trinity Associate, Nicholson Street United Presbyterian (CH3/659/9) 1836-1850
Irvine Relief, Irvine United Presbyterian (CH3/409/1) 1778-1831
Kintore Free (CH3/195/3) 1843-1855

Fiurther information is available at https://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk/article/news-article-release-additional-presbyterian-church-records

Chris

Order Tracing Your Irish Family History on the Internet (2nd ed) at https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/Tracing-Your-Irish-Family-History-on-the-Internet-Paperback/p/16483. My next Scottish Research Online course starts 2 September 2019 - see https://www.pharostutors.com/details.php?coursenumber=102. Further news published daily on The GENES Blog Facebook page, and on Twitter @genesblog.

FindmyPast clarifies source info for Scottish Catholic records

Yesterday I blogged that FindmyPast (www.findmypast.co.uk) had updated its Scottish Catholic collections, but that no source information was present. With Catholic records also available on ScotlandsPeople, I was unclear if this was a further release from some other source, or the same collection, or an extension of material from the same source. Following my blog post I contacted FindmyPast and had an interesting exchange, where I was initially advised that if I looked at the transcripts, it would tell me that the source was the Bishops Conference of Scotland, of which the Scottish Catholic Archives is an agency. I replied that not having a current subscription, such info is not immediately accessible, and suggested that the main search pages should perhaps be updated instead.

I've just noticed that FindmyPast has now seemingly taken note of my suggestion, and has now updated the pages to reflect the source info, as follows:

Discover more about these records

This extensive collection of Roman Catholic marriages in Scotland consists of marriages from all eight Scottish dioceses: Aberdeen, Argyll & The Isles, Dunkeld, Galloway, Glasgow, Motherwell, St Andrews & Edinburgh, and Paisley. However, the collection is not exhaustive and does contain gaps. The following counties are missing from the records: Shetland, Berwickshire, Kincross, and Clackmannan. You can access greater detail about the parishes available in the Scottish Roman Catholic records in the Scotland Roman Catholic parish list available in the Useful links and resources section.

The sacramental records are provided by The Scottish Catholic Archives. Records begin as early as 1736 and continue until 1942. Due to data protection restrictions, we will only publish records which are more than 75 years old. Record keeping was the responsibility of the parish priest; therefore, the amount of detail recorded and the standard of registers can vary between parishes.

In 1538, the Roman Catholic Church was disestablished as the state religion in Scotland. This was the beginning of centuries of persecution and discrimination against Catholics. The practice of the Catholic faith was banned, and Catholics were excluded from public life. However, in spite of these restrictions, many retained their Catholic faith and practices. In 1694, Bishop Thomas Nicolson was appointed the first vicar-apostolic of Scotland by Pope Innocent X. The Bishop laid new foundations for the Catholic Church in Scotland. In 1793, The Relief Act lifted the restrictions on Catholic worship in chapels and granted permission for Catholics to own and inherit land. Full Catholic emancipation culminated in 1829 with the removal of the remaining restrictions against Catholics, such as taking a seat in Westminster. 

That's a bit more like it! Individual parishes are selectable from the relevant drop down menu option.

(With thanks to FindmyPast)

Update: there is a stil an error in there - the Scottish Reformation was in 1560, not 1538! Have emailed them again...

Chris

Order Tracing Your Irish Family History on the Internet (2nd ed) at https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/Tracing-Your-Irish-Family-History-on-the-Internet-Paperback/p/16483. My next Scottish Research Online course starts 2 September 2019 - see https://www.pharostutors.com/details.php?coursenumber=102. Further news published daily on The GENES Blog Facebook page, and on Twitter @genesblog.

More Scottish Catholic records added to FindmyPast

The latest releases from FindmyPast (www.findmypast.co.uk):

Scotland Roman Catholic Parish Baptisms
Over 236,000 additional records covering 146 parishes have been added to our collection of Scottish Catholic baptisms. Each result includes both a transcript and an image of the original document that will reveal a combination of your ancestor’s birth date, baptism date, baptism place and parents' names. Images may also reveal the names of godparents or sponsors as well as additional comments.

Scotland Roman Catholic Parish Marriages
A further 129,000 Scottish Catholic marriages are also available to search. These transcripts and images reveal when and where your ancestor was married as well as the names of their spouse and father. Images will often reveal additional details such as the names of witnesses and couple’s residences.

Scotland Roman Catholic Parish Burials
Discover where your Catholic ancestors were laid to rest with over 16,000 additional burial records. All of this week’s Scottish Catholic additions are exclusive to Findmypast and cover 124 parishes across the country. As well as birth year, death date, burial date and location, images may reveal their marital status, cause of death or additional comments.

Scotland Roman Catholic Parish Congregational Records
Last but not least, a further 114,000 congregational records are now available to search. Covering all eight Scottish Catholic dioceses, this collection includes registers of confirmations and communion recipients, as well as parish lists, seat rentals, and lists of people who converted to Catholicism.

Yorkshire School Logs
Discover your Yorkshire ancestors who attended or were teachers in schools between 1862 and 1959. This new and exclusive collection of more than 137,000 transcripts allows you to explore their school records to find the year and the school they attended.

International records update – Portugal
Explore your Portuguese roots with three indexes to more than 570,000 transcripts of baptisms, marriages and deaths.

British & Irish newspaper update
This week sees 100,598 brand new pages joining The Archive, with updates to 14 of our existing titles, as well as five new titles joining our collection. Four new Scottish titles are now available to search; the Ayrshire Post, the Wishaw Press, the Irvine Herald and the North British Agriculturalist. This bi-weekly specialty title described itself as a ‘magazine of farming, gardening, forestry and rural economy.’ Rounding off our new publications for this week is another specialist title – Holmes’ Brewing Trade Gazette. This curious journal, published by one Joseph Holmes, a brewer’s chemist from Leeds, was a ‘monthly journal dedicated to the interests of Brewers, Publicans, Wine & Spirit Merchants.’

Further information and links at https://www.findmypast.co.uk/blog/new/here-is-whats-new-this-findmypast-friday

COMMENT: I've no idea what the source is for the Scottish Catholic records - have asked, and will update if I get a response.

Update: Just received a response saying "You can see the source at the bottom left of the transcription page. One I have found shows as © Catholic National Endowment Trust Charity No. SCO 16650 (known as The Bishops' Conference of Scotland). So check that section please."

The thing is, you can only actually access the transcription page if you have a subscription. I currently don't. I've suggested they perhaps indicate it on their search page!

Chris

Order Tracing Your Irish Family History on the Internet (2nd ed) at https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/Tracing-Your-Irish-Family-History-on-the-Internet-Paperback/p/16483. My next Scottish Research Online course starts 2 September 2019 - see https://www.pharostutors.com/details.php?coursenumber=102. Further news published daily on The GENES Blog Facebook page, and on Twitter @genesblog.

FindmyPast adds Scottish Court and Criminal database

The latest additions to FindmyPast (www.findmypast.co.uk):

Scotland, Court & Criminal Database
Were your Scottish ancestors in trouble with the law or a victim of a crime? Search from them in this database of more than 28,000 Crown Office Precognitions and High Court Trial Papers between 1801 and 1917. The collection also includes The Fife Kalendar of Convicts, and index to many of the Courts in Fife from 1708 to 1909, as well as the High Court Records.

Each result will include both a transcript and an image of the original document. The amount of information listed in each documents will vary, but most will reveal a combination of the accused’s name, birth year, birth place, address, occupation, the nature of their offence, the date and location of their trail as well as the sentence they received. Some records will also include trial notes, verdict comments, and previous convictions and additional comments (added by the licensor as opposed to being factual information included or taken from the records).

Crown Office Precognitions are factual statements that have been given by witnesses to both the prosecution and defence before the case goes to trial. Precognitions differ from a witness statement, a witness statement is an account of what the witness has said or seen were as a precognition is an account of the witness’s evidence. Precognitions are not put the witnesses during a trial.

The High Court is the highest court in Scotland, it has jurisdiction over the most serious crimes such as murder, rape, treason, heresy, counterfeiting and crimes of a sexual nature. A single judge hears cases with a jury of 15 people.

Church of Scotland Ministers 1560-1949
Explore PDF images of the “The Succession of Ministers on the Church of Scotland from the Reformation”. Compiled by Hew Scott, D.D., The work was revised and continued up to 1949 under the Superintendence of a Committee appointed by the General Assembly.

As quoted in the book, “the design of the present work is to present a comprehensive account of the Succession of Ministers of the Church of Scotland since the period of the Reformation. An attempt is made to give some additional interest by furnishing incidental notices of their lives, writings and families, which may prove useful to the Biographer, the Genealogist, and the Historian.”

Isle of Man Roll Of Honour WW1
Find your Isle of Man ancestors who fell in the Great War. The Isle Of Man Roll Of Honour recorded the names of more than 1,900 men who died during the First World War or died as a result of wounds, injury or disease contracted on active service. These transcripts will reveal your ancestor’s rank, regiment, parish and biography.

Originally published in 1934 by the War Pensions Committee, the publication was funded entirely by Lord Stanley, Earl of Derby. In 1936, the War Pensions Committee donated copies to each parish church throughout the island. The foreword, provided by Lord Stanley, reads ‘It is well that the deeds of those who died in the Great War should find a permanent memorial in such a list. Whilst this generation lives their names will not be forgotten, but other generations will arise to whom they will not be personally known. This Roll will serve to keep their memory green and future Manxmen and Manxwomen, when reading it, will realise that in our great struggle the Isle of Man played a noble part’.

International Records – Lichtenstein
Discover if your ancestors were born in Liechtenstein. Search through thousands of records from the Liechtenstein birth and baptism index. The records were created through the International Genealogical Index.

British & Irish Newspaper Update
Over 94,000 new pages covering 123 years of history are have been added to our newspaper collection this week. We have updated seven of our existing titles, with significant updates to Newcastle publication the Newcastle Daily Chronicle, to which we have added over 60,000 pages spanning the years 1870-1914. We also have significant updates to society publication The Queen, as we continue to augment our early twentieth-century holdings for this newspaper. We have added pages to regional titles covering the North West of England – Penrith Observer and Lichfield Mercury – as well as Aberdeen – Aberdeen Press and Journal and Aberdeen Evening Express. Rounding off our updates this week is the Sunday World (Dublin).

Further details and links at https://www.findmypast.co.uk/blog/new/did-your-ancestors-have-a-brush-with-the-law

Chris

Order Tracing Your Irish Family History on the Internet (2nd ed) at https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/Tracing-Your-Irish-Family-History-on-the-Internet-Paperback/p/16483. My next Scottish Research Online course starts 2 September 2019 - see https://www.pharostutors.com/details.php?coursenumber=102. Further news published daily on The GENES Blog Facebook page, and on Twitter @genesblog.

Ancestry adds Essex parish records

Ancestry (www.ancestry.co.uk) has added a series of datasets for the English county of Essex:

Essex, England, Church of England Births and Baptisms, 1813-1918
https://www.ancestry.co.uk/search/collections/essexbaptisms/

Essex, England, Church of England Marriages, 1754-1935
https://www.ancestry.co.uk/search/collections/essexmarriages/

Essex, England, Church of England Deaths and Burials, 1813-1994
https://www.ancestry.co.uk/search/collections/essexburials/

Essex, England, Church of England Baptisms, Marriages and Burials, 1538-1812
https://www.ancestry.co.uk/search/collections/essexearlyparish/

The source for all records is given as Essex Church of England Parish Registers, Essex County Council, Chelmsford, Essex, England.

Happy hunting!

Chris

Pre-order Tracing Your Irish Family History on the Internet (2nd ed) for just £11.99 at https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/Tracing-Your-Irish-Family-History-on-the-Internet-Paperback/p/16483. Details of my genealogical research service are available at www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk. Further news published daily on The GENES Blog Facebook page, and on Twitter @genesblog.

American records added to FindmyPast

The latest additions to FindmyPast (www.findmypast.co.uk):

Daughters of the American Revolution Lineage Books, 1890 – 1921
Explore lineage books consisting of information submitted by tens of thousands of individuals with connections to Revolutionary War patriots. First formed in 1890 in Washington DC, The Daughters of the American Revolution is dedicated to the preservation of American Revolutionary War genealogies. This database, containing over 57,000 references to Revolutionary War ancestors and their descendants, will reveal birth years, relative's names, family lineages and descriptions of American revolutionaries. Some records may even include a photo or sketch of a veteran or member.

Scotland, Wigtownshire & Minnigaff Parish Lists 1684
Search for your Scottish ancestors in parish lists containing over 53,000 names.

Philadelphia Roman Catholic Parish Baptisms
Over 53,000 new records have been added to our exclusive collection of Philadelphia Catholic Baptisms. Each record includes both a transcript and an image of the original register entry that will reveal a combination of your ancestor's birth date, baptism date, baptism place, residence and parent's names.

Philadelphia Roman Catholic Parish Marriages
Over 30,000 new additions are now available to search. Spanning the years 1800 to 1917, each new record includes a transcript and an image of the original sacramental register that will reveal a combination of the couple's names, birth years, marital status and parents' names as well as the date and location of their wedding.

Lincolnshire Parish Records
Over 266,000 additional records have recently been added to our collections of Lincolnshire parish baptisms, banns, marriages and burials.

British & Irish Newspaper Update
This week we have added 108,044 new pages to The Archive. We are delighted to welcome three brand new publications to our collection. For those with an interest in economic history we have added the Course of the Exchange, which is a record of various financial data such as stocks, shares and bonds across the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. For this specialist journal we have published the years 1825 to 1908, with 8,455 issues now available to search. Also joining us this week are two further regional publications, Herefordshire title the Kington Times, and Somerset title the Bridgewater Journal. We have also updated three of our London titles, including the Tottenham and Edmonton Weekly Herald, as well as adding further issues of the Irish Independent and the Crawley News.

International Records Update – Grenada
Explore your Caribbean heritage with over 30,000 birth and baptism records from Grenada. Saint Andrew, Saint David, Prospect Hill, Carriacon, and Grand Bay are a sample of the places represented in this collection. The index was created as part of the International Genealogical Index.

Further details and links at https://blog.findmypast.co.uk/findmypast-friday-may-10th-2636757452.html

Chris

My next Scotland 1750-1850: Beyond the OPRs course starts May 13th 2019 - see https://www.pharostutors.com/details.php?coursenumber=302. Details of my genealogical research service are available at www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk. For my Scottish and Irish themed books, visit https://britishgenes.blogspot.com/p/my-books.html. Further news published daily on The GENES Blog Facebook page, and on Twitter @genesblog.

150 years of a Disestablished Church of Ireland

This year the Church of Ireland is commemorating the 150th anniversary of its distestablishment, the historic separation of the Anglican based denomination in Ireland from state control, through the Disestablishment 150 programme.

From its announcement at https://www.ireland.anglican.org/about/welcome-to-disestablishment-150:

The official launch of the National Programme will begin at the opening commemorative National Service in Saint Patrick’s Cathedral which will take place on the 23rd November 2019 with the Archbishop of Canterbury as preacher. We hope to also have a service in autumn 2020 in St Anne’s Cathedral, Belfast, to close the programme.

Other projected events include a colloquium in the Church of Ireland Theological Institute on 30th November 2019, architectural walking tours incorporating the key sites in Dublin during Heritage Week 2019 and 2020 and a symposium at the Royal Irish Academy on Thursday 27th February 2020. There will also be a small exhibition within the Representative Church Body Library and a small exhibition that will travel to the Cathedrals across the Church of Ireland. It is also projected that a cultural exchange take place in 2020 between the Church of Ireland and the Church of Wales who will be commemorating the centenary of their own Disestablishment from the Church of England in 2020.

In January 2012 the Representative Church Body Library hosted the papers of the General Convention and its related committees, which re–organised the Church following Disestablishment,  as part of its ‘Archive of the Month‘ series.These have been made available again at a dedicated page at https://www.ireland.anglican.org/about/welcome-to-disestablishment-150/rcb-library-collection, along with a catalogue list, correspondence and a slide presentation.

(With thanks to the Church of Ireland)

Chris

My next Scottish Research Online course starts March 11th 2019 - see www.pharostutors.com/details.php?coursenumber=102. Details of my genealogical research service are available at www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk. For my Scottish and Irish themed books, visit https://britishgenes.blogspot.com/p/my-books.html. Further news published daily on The GENES Blog Facebook page, and on Twitter @genesblog.

New hours at the RCB Library in Dublin from February

The Dublin based Representative Church Body Library (www.ireland.anglican.org/about/rcb-library), which hosts records from the Anglican based Church of Ireland, has announced new opening hours from February, as follows:

Commencing in February 2019, members of the public are advised that access to the Archives and Manuscripts Collections in the Library is restricted to four days per week: Monday to Thursday.

Opening hours remain the same: 9.30am to 1.00pm and 2.00pm to 5.00pm with last orders for manuscripts and archives at 4.30pm each evening (Mon–Thurs) but going forward there will be NO access to Archives and Manuscripts on Fridays.

This will allow us to consolidate limited staff time, and facilitate our work on digitization.

Access to the Printed Collection for ordinands, clergy and Library Members is not affected by this change, with the Printed Collections being available five days per week, and Library services for books remain unchanged.

For further information please contact

(If you would like to contribute to the RCB Library Conservation Fund, please click here.)
Dr Susan Hood

Librarian and Archivist
RCB Library
Braemor Park
Churchtown
Dublin 14
01 492 3979

library@ireland.anglican.org

With thanks to @DMoughty via Twitter - original RCBL announcement at https://www.ireland.anglican.org/news/8546/new-public-access-times-for

Chris

For my genealogy guide books, visit http://britishgenes.blogspot.co.uk/p/my-books.html, whilst details of my research service are at www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk. Further content is also published daily on The GENES Blog Facebook page at www.facebook.com/BritishGENES.

Latest FindmyPast additions

The following records have been added to FindmyPast (www.findmypast.co.uk) in the past week:

Chicago Roman Catholic Parish Baptisms
Were your Catholic ancestors baptised in the Archdiocese of Chicago in Illinois? Over 1.2 million additional Sacramental registers dating from the mid-1800s up to 1925 have been added to our existing collection of Chicago Catholic Baptisms. Records will reveal the date and location of your ancestor's baptism, the names of their parents and their residence. Each result will provide a transcript and image of the original baptism register.

Chicago Roman Catholic Parish Marriages
Explore over 597,000 additional parish marriage records covering the Catholic population of Cook and Lake Counties in north-eastern Illinois.

Chicago Roman Catholic Parish Burials
Search over 229,000 recently added burial records to discover when and where your Catholic ancestors were laid to rest. Images may reveal additional details such as cause of death, residence, place of birth, father's name, mother's name and the name of the priest who conducted the service.

Chicago Roman Catholic Parish Registers Browse
Our collection of Chicago Roman Catholic Parish Registers is now available to browse. Our browse function enables you to delve through original registers of baptisms, marriages and burials page by page.

Chicago Roman Catholic Parish Congregational Records
Were your ancestors members of a Catholic congregation in Chicago? Explore more than 430,000 assorted congregational records from across the archdiocese to uncover vital biographical details as well as where and when your ancestors worshiped.

Ireland National School Registers
Over 43,000 additional records covering schools in County Mayo have been added to our collection of Ireland National School registers. The entire collection now contains more than 186,000 records from many areas of the country spanning the years 1860 to 1922.

Scotland Monumental Inscriptions Index
Over 33,000 additional records have been added to our collection of Scottish Memorial Inscriptions. The collection includes records from 14 Scottish counties including the Isle of Skye and 209 burial grounds. A full list of the burial grounds, organised by county, found in Scotland monumental inscriptions index can be found through the link provided in Useful links and resources.

Further details and links at https://blog.findmypast.co.uk/findmypast-friday-2573964835.html

Chris

For my genealogy guide books, visit http://britishgenes.blogspot.co.uk/p/my-books.html, whilst details of my research service are at www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk. Further content is also published daily on The GENES Blog Facebook page at www.facebook.com/BritishGENES.

June's PRONI stakeholder forum meeting in Belfast

On Friday 1 June 2018 I attended the latest Public Record Office of Northern Ireland (www.nidirect.gov.uk/proni) user forum meeting in Belfast. Upon arrival I was greeted by Stephen Scarth, who handed me a copy of the new Plantations of Ulster, 1640-41: A Collection of Documents guide, which has been reprinted and updated, and which I will review separately – suffice to say, the smile on Stephen's face and on everyone else who received a copy was well warranted!

The meeting started with a demonstration of PRONI's contribution to the Conflict Archive on the Internet (CAIN) web platform. This is a platform which has been up and running for a few years now, and which is essentially an official record of The Troubles, with documents from governments north and south, and in England, concerning the last 40 years. Access to PRONI's contributed records is available through the CAIN archive's website at http://cain.ulst.ac.uk/proni/index.html. On 10 MAY 2018, some 500 document records from 1988-89 and earlier were added, some 2200 pages of content, following the latest 20 year release of government papers, covering politics, security, the economy, Harland and Wolfe, the Irish language, education, social issues, health, and much more, including the talks at the time about ending the conflict. The archive presents the records in thematic areas or by annual listings (though not chronologically within a year), and contains a fascinating insight into our Troubled society at the time. There was some very Sir Humphrey type language in parts, with phrases such as 'spotting icebergs' used in one document to mean unexpected items coming their way, etc!

Another topic discussed was one that might be of interest to Northern Irish folk who experienced life in the Troubles, the possible establishment of an oral history archive, as posited in the 2014 Stormont agreement. Such an archive will need to be established by legislation, and so a consultation is currently under way, which closes on 10 SEP 2018. The consultation is online at https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/addressing-the-legacy-of-northern-irelands-past.

We then had an update on recent acquisitions. These include papers relating to PACE (Protestant and Catholic Endeavour) from 1992-2018, a single volume from 1919 containing an inventory of household goods belonging to Robert Young (of Young and Mackenzie architects), and 121 diaries of a Major Henry John Furnace Potter covering 1941-2000 – though sadly, most of us who were in the room will never likely see them, as they have a 50 year closure on them, as requested by the family.

On cataloguing, the Londonderry Papers have had more work on them including records relating to the Women's Legion from the 1930s and 1940s, and Mount Stewart estate papers from 1933-35. PRONI's efforts to digitise recently borrowed Anglican and Methodist records has now been completed for this year – for more on this, and a summary of all digitised records that can be accessed on site at PRONI (including those added last year), see http://britishgenes.blogspot.com/2018/06/new-digitised-northern-irish-church.html. The records will be available through PRONI's on site catalogue from autumn.

On the exhibitions front, Northern Lights: A Century of Design by Young and Mackenzie Architects kicks off on 7 June, with a lecture on site at 1pm by Paul Harron, and after finishing a stint in PRONI the exhibition will then travel across Northern Ireland. There will also be a Spanish Flu conference at PRONI at 2pm on 14 June 2018.

The big event for this year will be the Voices and Votes: Suffrage and Representation of the People 1832-1928 exhibition, commemorating the 1918 Representation of the People Act centenary which extended the vote to women for the first time. We had a sneak peak at parts of the exhibition, which launches on 2 July 2018, and which will look at the legislation, who championed the change, the early experience of women, suffragists and suffragettes, women, class and war, reform, equality, and much more. The exhibition panels will also include QR (Quick Response) codes for attendees to engage with on their mobile devices, lining to other websites and more. In addition, an exciting addition to the Spatial NI website will see an interactive map with links to documents and stories at various locations across Northern Ireland linked to the fight for the vote. There will also be a graphic novel launched to illustrate the stories of Lady Edith Londonderry and Countess Markiewicz, which will tie in to the key stage 3 of the Northern Irish schools curriculum. There will be a few other events and releases tied into the exhibition, so keep an eye on the PRONI website for more details!

A further exhibition in the works is one on prisons in Northern Ireland, from bridewells to the present day, mostly dealing with the late 19th and early 20th century.

On publications, as well as the new Plantations of Ulster, 1640-41: A Collection of Documents reproduction, PRONI is currently working on a re-invention of its former Steps to Partition facsimile pack, for release in September. The exact format of this is still being worked on, but there may be two versions, one for school use, and one in more depth for a more general release.

Finally from the meeting, PRONI is still working on being Northern Ireland's first accredited archive, and made its submission in March, with assessors visiting the archive in May. Good luck to the archive, the best in the UK as far as I'm concerned!

After finishing the meeting, I made my way to the search room, and kept bumping into folk, including Michael Rooney from Ancestor Network, and a couple called Alex and Nancy who heard me give a talk in Toronto three years ago, and who are active members of the Toronto branch of the Ontario Genealogical Society. Requisite selfies were duly acquired...!

Chris

For my genealogy guide books, visit http://britishgenes.blogspot.co.uk/p/my-books.html, whilst details of my research service are at www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk. Further content is also published daily on The GENES Blog Facebook page at www.facebook.com/BritishGENES.

New digitised Northern Irish church records at PRONI from autumn 2018

The following church record sets from Northern Ireland have been digitised by the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland (www.nidirect.gov.uk/proni) last year and this year (2017/2018), with permission of the Church of Ireland, the Methodist Church and the Congregational Church. This completes PRONI's Church Records digitisation efforts for this year, with most of the collections not previously available at the archive in any format.

For the most part they will be accessible from the autumn in a digitised format via the onsite catalogue at the PRONI archive's premises in Belfast only, and not online. There are some closure periods in play for some of the registers - most notably all the new Methodist baptism records sadly - but most of the rest have an overlap with the commencement of the civil registration period in Ireland (April 1845 onwards for civil marriages, Jan 1864 onwards for baptisms).

Here is the list, with the catalogue accession numbers in brackets after the church name:

Church of Ireland Records (2017/2018 Batch)

Christ Church, Deriaghy, Lisburn, Co. Antrim (CR1/1)
Burials 1873-1913

Knockbreda Parish Church, Belfast. Co. Antrim (CR1/24)
Graveyard Book c.1763-2014

Craigs Parish Church, Cullybackey, Co. Antrim (CR1/55)
Baptisms 1839-1925 (records from 1864-1925 are closed)
Marriages 1841-1925
Burials 1841-1944
Vestry minutes 1874-1904
Register of Vestrymen 1870-1910

St Matthews Parish Church, Shankill, Belfast, Co. Antrim (CR1/65)
Baptisms 1893-1905
Marriages 1897-1916
Burials 1887-1917
Vestry minutes 1858-1900
Confirmation register 1893-1930 (records from 1893-1930 are closed)

Dromore Cathedral , Dromore, Co. Down (CR1/119)
Church Warden Books 1801-1836

Christ Church, Lisburn, Co. Antrim (CR1/123)
Baptisms 1849-1909
Marriages 1874-1907

Magheragall Parish Church, Lisburn, Co. Antrim (CR1/124)
Baptisms 1775-1850
Marriages 1772-1845 **
Burials 1772-1858 **
Vestry Minutes 1771-1870 **
** for marriages 1772-1845, burials 1772-1842 consult combined Baptism, Marriage & Burial Registers in CR1/124/1. For Vestry Minutes 1771-1870 consult Baptism, Marriage, Burial & Vestry Register in CR1/124/1/1

St. Mark's Parish Church, Ballysillan, Belfast, Co. Antrim (CR1/125)
Baptisms 1856-1890
Marriages 1860-1906
Vestry Minutes 1870-1914

St. James Parish Church, Dunaghy, Cullybackey, Co. Antrim (CR1/126)
Baptisms 1824-2001** (records from 1877-2001 are closed)
Burials 1906-2001**
Vestry Minutes 1794-1906
Register of Vestrymen 1870-1995
** Please note for Baptisms 1824-1826 consult Vestry Minutes in CR1/126/4/1/1 (Baptisms 1827-1886 not received). For Burials please consult CR1/127/3/1, records of Killagan Parish Church

Killagan Parish Church, Cullybackey, Co.Antrim (CR1/127)
Baptisms 1880-2001 (records from 1880-2001 are closed)
Marriages 1845-1935 (records from 1845-1935 are closed)
Burials 1894-1939

St. Columba's Parish Church, Kings Road, Belfast, Co. Antrim (CR1/128)
Baptisms 1890-1945 (records from 1890-1945 are closed)
Marriages 1896-1917


Methodist Church Records (2017/2018 batch)

Dungannon Methodist Church, Co. Tyrone (CR6/23)
Baptisms 1830-1943 (records from 1830-1943 are closed)
Marriages 1865-1900

Primitive Wesleyan Methodist, Moy & Dungannon, Co. Tyrone (CR6/25)
Baptisms 1874-1997 (records from 1874-1997 are closed)

Stewartstown Methodist Church, Co. Tyrone (CR6/25)
Baptisms 1868-1911
Marriages 1869-1921

Carrickfergus Methodist Church, Co. Antrim (CR6/26)
Baptisms 1826-2015 (records from 1826-2015)
Marriages 1864-1916


Congregational Church Records (2017/2018 batch)

Albert Bridge Congregational Church, Belfast, Co. Antrim (CR7/14)
Marriages 1878-1900

(With thanks to David Huddleston at PRONI)


Previously digitised collections, made available this time last year, are also accessible on site, and detailed as follows:

Church of Ireland Records

St. Columb’s Cathedral, Londonderry (CR1/113)
Baptisms 1642 – 1983 (records from 1905 – 1983 are closed)
Marriages 1826 – 1830, 1843 – 1904
Burials 1829 – 1955 (records from 1874 – 1955 are closed)
Vestry Books 1741 – 1793
Vestry Minutes 1823 – 1935

Derryloran Parish, Co. Tyrone (CR1/114)
Baptisms 1797 – 1995 (records from 1913 – 1995 are closed)
Marriages 1832 – 2000 (records from 1930 – 2000 are closed)
Burials 1855 – 1878

St. Anne’s Cathedral, Belfast, Co. Antrim (CR1/115)
Baptisms 1745 – 1911
Marriages 1745 – 1914
Burials 1745 – 1809

Drumcree Parish Church, Portadown, Co. Armagh (CR1/116)
Baptisms 1784 – 1930 (records from 1906 – 1930 are closed)
Marriages 1784 – 1930 (records from 1926 – 1930 are closed)
Burials 1784 – 2013

St. Andrew’s Parish Church, Hope Street, Belfast, Co. Antrim (CR1/117)
Baptisms 1886 – 1933 (records from 1903 – 1933 are closed)
Marriages 1870 – 1889

St. Mary Magdalene Parish Church, Donegall Pass, Belfast, Co. Antrim (CR1/118)
Baptisms 1847 – 1872
Marriages 1862 – 1872
Burials Not Received
Register of Vestrymen 1870 – 1932
Select Vestry Minutes 1900 – 1911

Dromore Cathedral, Dromore, Co. Down (CR1/119)
Baptisms 1784 – 1846
Marriages 1784 – 1845
Burials 1784 – 1853

St. Luke’s Parish Church, Mullaglass, Co. Armagh (CR1/120)
Baptisms 1852 – 1865
Marriages 1845 – 1880
Burials 1853 – 1865
Preachers 1860 – 1865
Vestry Minutes 1870 – 1911
Register of Vestrymen 1890 – 1902
Roll of Subscribers 1877 – 1913

St. George’s Parish Church, High Street, Belfast, Co. Antrim (CR1/121)
Baptisms 1817 – 1870
Marriages 1817 – 1875
Burials Not Received
Minutes of Congregational Committee 1837 - 1840
Rector’s Notebook 1837 – 1843

St. Patrick’s Parish Church, Ballymacarret, Belfast, Co. Down (CR1/122)
Baptisms 1827 – 1883
Marriages 1827 – 1874
Burials Not Received
Minutes of general Vestry Meetings 1850 – 1980 (Closed)
Select Vestry Minutes 1891 – 1913


Methodist Church Records

Ballymacarrett Methodist Church (later known as Newtownards Road Methodist Church and now East Belfast Mission) (CR6/18)
Stewards Book 1871 – 1884

Hyde Park Methodist Church, Parish of Grange, Mallusk, Co. Antrim (CR6/19)
Marriages 1840 – 1931

Ligoniel Methodist Church, Belfast, Co. Antrim (CR6/20)
Baptisms 1870 – 1908

Frederick Street Methodist Church, Belfast, Co. Antrim (CR6/21)
Baptisms 1841 – 1877
Marriages 1840 – 1873

Salem Methodist New Connexion Church, York Street, Belfast, Co. Antrim (CR6/22)
Baptisms 1829 – 1904
Marriages 1836 - 1844

Chris

For my genealogy guide books, visit http://britishgenes.blogspot.co.uk/p/my-books.html, whilst details of my research service are at www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk. Further content is also published daily on The GENES Blog Facebook page at www.facebook.com/BritishGENES.

Gibraltar and Yorkshire records added to Ancestry

The following collections have been added to Ancestry (www.ancestry.co.uk):

Yorkshire, England: Church of England Parish Records, 1538-1873
https://search.ancestry.co.uk/search/db.aspx?dbid=61630
Source: This information is compiled under licence from the printed parish registers published by the Parish Register Section of the Yorkshire Archaeological Society or the Yorkshire Parish Register Society (together "the Section").

This database is a collection of historical parish registers from Yorkshire, England. The records in this collection can range in date from the early 1500s to the mid- to late-1800s. Parish records--primarily baptisms, marriages, and burials--provide the best sources of vital record information in the centuries before civil registration. Baptismal records generally list the date of the baptism, the name of the child being baptized, and the name of the father. Marriage records generally include the date of the marriage and the names of the bride and groom. Burial records generally list the date of the burial and the name of the deceased individual. Occasionally burial records will include other bits of information, such as where the individual was from or if he/she was a widow.

Records from various parishes throughout Yorkshire will continually be added to this database for the next couple of months.


Web: Gibraltar, WWII Evacuee Embarkation Records, 1940
https://search.ancestry.co.uk/search/db.aspx?dbid=70853
Source: http://www.nationalarchives.gi/gna/EvacList_Surname.aspx accessed 5th February 2018.

Sourced from Gibraltar's National Archives. 15,021 embarkation records are included - see website for details.

Chris

For my genealogy guide books, visit http://britishgenes.blogspot.co.uk/p/my-books.html, whilst details of my research service are at www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk. Further content is also published daily on The GENES Blog Facebook page at www.facebook.com/BritishGENES.

US and Danish records added to MyHeritage

New records from MyHeritage (www.myheritage.com):

New York City Marriage License Index 1908-1972

A significant update to this index of marriage licenses — from the New York City Clerk Offices from 1930 to 1972 — adds 6.6 million additional records to the 2.9 million records we released just a few months ago. Images of the records were provided by Reclaim the Records.

The marriage records are from all five boroughs of New York City. The index contains the given names and surnames of both the bride and the groom, the date of the license application, and the license number. The images are split by borough, bride and groom, and then sorted alphabetically. We have linked the bride and groom together, when possible, using the license number.


Denmark Church Records 1576-1919

This is a collection update to the existing Denmark Church Records collection: About 17.7 million of these records are from the years 1576–1814 and about 1 million are from 1814–1919. This is an exclusive collection you can only find on MyHeritage.

Significantly, this new set includes three new types of historical records the original collection did not have: Communion, Introduction, and Absolution records.

Communions (Confirmerede): These records show the individuals who received communion on a given date. Sometimes individuals were recorded in family groups with only the head of the family listed by name, and the other individuals in the family being referenced by number and relationship to the head. For example, “Hans Jensen and wife and 2 sons and a daughter”.

Introductions (Introduserede): These records show the women who were reintroduced into the congregation by their husbands, after childbirth. At the time, after a woman gave birth, according to the Denmark Church, she was considered “unclean” and had to be reintroduced into the congregation. The woman may be listed directly (by her name), or indirectly (by her husband’s name, e.g. “wife of ….”).

Absolutions: These records show absolved individuals. At the time, according the the Denmark Church, certain transgressions had to be absolved by the Church. The most common absolution was for pre-marital sex resulting in a pregnancy, in which case both parties had to be publicly absolved before they could return to the congregation. Other transgressions that could be absolved included failing to receive communion regularly, public drunkenness, violence, blasphemy, theft, and murder. These records were kept up until about 1767.


Kentucky Newspapers 1848-2009

This exclusive collection includes about 1.38 million records published in newspapers from various cities and towns in the state of Kentucky from the years 1848–2009.
A sample record from the new Kentucky newspapers collection with an article about the funeral of KFC (Kentucky Fried Chicken) founder, Colonel Sanders


West Virginia Newspapers 1930-2009

This exclusive collection includes about 371,000 records published in newspapers from various cities and towns in the state of West Virginia from the years 1930–2009.
A sample record from the new West Virginia newspapers collection with an article honoring Charles “Chuck” Elwood Yeager, the first person to break the sound barrier by flying faster than the speed of sound

Further details are available at https://blog.myheritage.com/2018/03/new-historical-records-added-in-march-2018/.

Chris

For my genealogy guide books, visit http://britishgenes.blogspot.co.uk/p/my-books.html, whilst details of my research service are at www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk. Further content is also published daily on The GENES Blog Facebook page at www.facebook.com/BritishGENES.

More US Roman Catholic records added to FindmyPast

FindmyPast (www.findmypast.co.uk) has added the following records:

New York Roman Catholic Parish Records
Search brand new indexes of Sacramental Registers released online for the very first time in partnership with the Archdiocese of New York to uncover details relating to the baptisms and marriages of your New York Catholic ancestors. This landmark release is the latest in a series of substantial updates to Findmypast's exclusive Catholic Heritage Archive, a groundbreaking initiative that aims to digitize the historical records of the Catholic Church in North America, Britain and Ireland for the very first time.

Today's release includes baptism and marriage records covering the boroughs of Manhattan, the Bronx and Staten Island in New York City, as well as the Counties of Dutchess, Orange, Putnam, Rockland, Sullivan, Ulster, and Westchester. The records date back to 1785, span more than 130 years of the region's history and come from over 230 parishes across the Archdiocese.

Chicago Roman Catholic Parish Baptisms
Were your catholic ancestors baptised in the Archdiocese of Chicago in Illinois? Search over 411,000 Sacramental registers dating from the mid-1800s up to 1925 to uncover the date and location of their baptism, the names of their parents and their residence. Each result will provide a transcript and image of the original baptism register.

Chicago Roman Catholic Parish Marriages
Explore over 153,000 parish marriage records covering the Catholic population of Cook and Lake Counties in north-eastern Illinois.

Chicago Roman Catholic Parish Burials
Search over 37,000 burials spanning from the late 1800s up to 1925 to discover when and where your Catholic ancestors were laid to rest. Images may reveal additional details such as cause of death, residence, place of birth, father's name, mother's name, and the name of the priest who conducted the service.

Chicago Roman Catholic Cemetery Records, 1864-1989
Explore over 1.9 million burial index cards, burial registers, daily burial logs, and registers of cemetery lot owners to find out where your Catholic ancestors were laid to rest.

Baltimore Roman Catholic Parish Registers Browse
In this browse search, you can look through over 54,000 individual baptism, marriage, burial, communion, and confirmation registers from the Archdiocese of Baltimore in their entirety. The registers span the years from 1782 to 1918 and will provide a variety of important biographical details about your ancestor.

Further details and links are available at https://blog.findmypast.co.uk/findmypast-friday-2541666848.html

Chris

For my genealogy guide books, visit http://britishgenes.blogspot.co.uk/p/my-books.html, whilst details of my research service are at www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk. Further content is also published daily on The GENES Blog Facebook page at www.facebook.com/BritishGENES.

Ancestry adds Edinburgh and Liverpool electoral registers

Ancestry (www.ancestry.co.uk) has added electoral registers for Edinburgh and Liverpool to its site:

Edinburgh, Scotland, Electoral Registers, 1832-1966
https://search.ancestry.co.uk/search/db.aspx?dbid=61486
Source: Poll Books for Councillors for the City of Edinburgh/List of Burgh Voters for the City of Edinburgh/Register of Voters for the City of Edinburgh and the Burgh of Leith. Edinburgh City Archives, Edinburgh, Scotland.

Liverpool, England, Electoral Registers, 1832-1970
https://search.ancestry.co.uk/search/db.aspx?dbid=61319
Source: Liverpool Electoral registers, Burgess rolls and Voters Lists, Liverpool Record Office, Liverpool, England.

For both collections, note that no registers were produced during the war years 1916, 1917 and 1940, 1941, 1942, 1943 and 1944.

Ancestry has also added Anglican church records for the English county of Worcestershire:

Worcestershire, England, Extracted Church of England Parish Records, 1541-1812
https://search.ancestry.co.uk/search/db.aspx?dbid=61551
Source: "Electronic databases created from various publications of parish and probate records."

Chris

For my genealogy guide books, http://britishgenes.blogspot.co.uk/p/my-books.html, whilst details of my research service are at www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk. Further content is also published daily on The GENES Blog Facebook page at www.facebook.com/BritishGENES.
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Jersey Church of England records added to FindmyPast

The following records have been added to FindmyPast (www.findmypast.co.uk):

Jersey Baptisms 1540-1915
Does your family tree have roots in the Bailiwick of Jersey? Explore over 228,000 Church of England baptism registers from the island of Jersey, a British Crown dependency in the English

Jersey Marriages 1542-1940
Search over 119,000 transcripts of Church of England marriages from the Island of Jersey to uncover details of your ancestor's spouse and add new branches to your family tree.

Jersey Burials 1541-1940
Discover the final resting place of your Jersey ancestors with a collection of over 155,000 transcripts of original Church of England burial registers covering 17 sites across the Island.

Connecticut, Stonington Cemetery Records
Explore over 1,800 records from Connecticut's Stonington Cemetery, a twenty-two acre non-sectarian burial ground founded in 1849. Once known as the Evergreen Cemetery, the cemetery began as the family graveyard for the Phelps family, with the first burials occurring during the mid-18th century.

New Jersey Birth Index 1901-1903 Image Browse
Browse through more than 2,000 images of the New Jersey birth index from 1901 to 1903. Discover your ancestor's name and parents' names. This collection has been obtained from the New Jersey State Archives with images courtesy of Reclaim the Records. Additional information can be found on the source's website.

England, Greater Manchester Baptisms 1571-1910
Find out when and where your Greater Manchester ancestors were baptised with over 1.7 million records the Diocese of Manchester. Most of records within this collection pertain to parishes within the historic county of Lancashire.

For further details and links, visit https://blog.findmypast.co.uk/findmypast-friday-january-1-2526621202.html

Chris

For my genealogy guide books, visit http://britishgenes.blogspot.co.uk/p/my-books.html, whilst details of my research service are at www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk. Further content is also published daily on The GENES Blog Facebook page at www.facebook.com/BritishGENES.

Ancestry adds Derbyshire parish records collections

Ancestry (www.ancestry.co.uk) has released the following parish registers collections for Derbyshire:

Derbyshire, England, Church of England Baptisms, Marriages and Burials, 1538-1812
http://search.ancestry.co.uk/search/db.aspx?dbid=61407

Derbyshire, England, Church of England Deaths and Burials, 1813-1991
http://search.ancestry.co.uk/search/db.aspx?dbid=61410

Derbyshire, England, Church of England Marriages and Banns, 1754-1932
http://search.ancestry.co.uk/search/db.aspx?dbid=61409

Derbyshire, England, Church of England Baptisms, 1813-1916
http://search.ancestry.co.uk/search/db.aspx?dbid=61408

The source for all collections is given as Derbyshire Church of England Parish Registers, Derbyshire Record Office, Matlock, Derbyshire, England.

Chris

My next 5 week long Scotland 1750-1850: Beyond the OPRs course commences Nov 6th 2017 - details at https://www.pharostutors.com/details.php?coursenumber=302. For my genealogy guide books, visit http://britishgenes.blogspot.co.uk/p/my-books.html, whilst details of my research service are at www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk. Further content is also published daily on The GENES Blog Facebook page at www.facebook.com/BritishGENES.

Further Warwickshire parish added to FindmyPast

The latest releases from FindmyPast (www.findmypast.com):

Warwickshire Baptisms
Over 1.1 million additional records have been added to our collection of Warwickshire Baptisms. The collection contains records from a variety of sources and many will include a scanned images of the original document. Transcripts that include an image were created by Findmypast with images that were provided courtesy of the Warwickshire County Record Office. Records that only provide a transcript have been provided by the Rugby Family History Society, Birmingham & Midland Society for Genealogy & Heraldry, and FamilySearch International's Genealogical Index. Since the collection has many sources, it is possible that you may find up to three records related to one individual.

Warwickshire Banns
Over 265,000 new records have been added to Warwickshire Banns. These records are a valuable research tool for family historians because they date back centuries before civil registration. Banns were announcements made in the church on three separate Sundays during the three months leading up to the wedding day. The announcements were intended to give the congregation an opportunity to voice any objection to the marriage.

Warwickshire Marriages
Over 527,000 records have been added to our collection of Warwickshire Marriages.

Warwickshire Burials
Over 725,000 records have been added to our collection of Warwickshire Burials. Each record includes a transcript of the original burial registry or details from the monumental inscription and a number will include an image of the original document.

Browse Warwickshire Parish Registers
Browse through individual volumes in their entirety.

Irish Newspapers
Over 144,000 articles and one brand new title, the Portadown Times, have recently been added to our collection of historic British newspapers.

Also available:

Connecticut Baptisms, 1600s-1800s
Connecticut Church Records, 1600s-1800s
Connecticut Burials, 1600s-1800s

Records covering the towns of Coventry, East Hampton, Mansfield, New Haven, Norfolk, Norwich, Simsbury, Windsor, and Woodstock.


United States Marriages
Over 95,000 new records have just been added to our collection of United States Marriage records. Released in partnership with FamilySearch international, these latest additions mark the latest phase of efforts to create the single largest online collection of U.S. marriage records in history.

Further details and links at https://blog.findmypast.co.uk/findmypast-friday-september-29th-2490694673.html

Chris

My next 5 week long Scotland 1750-1850: Beyond the OPRs course commences Nov 6th 2017 - details at https://www.pharostutors.com/details.php?coursenumber=302. For my genealogy guide books, visit http://britishgenes.blogspot.co.uk/p/my-books.html, whilst details of my research service are at www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk. Further content is also published daily on The GENES Blog Facebook page at www.facebook.com/BritishGENES.

Details of new digitised church records at PRONI

This Friday sees a significant event in Belfast at the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland (www.nidirect.gov.uk/proni) with the formal launch event for a newly digitised series of church records at the archive. First, here are the details of the launch event, and how to register:

PRONI will highlight the availability of church records that it has digitised at an event at 12:30pm on Friday 22nd September. Digitised records dating from 1642 from 15 churches are now available to view onsite in PRONI. The itinerary for the day is as follows:

12:30pm – 12:45pm: Welcome address by Dr Michael Willis, PRONI Director

12:45 – 1:00pm: How to Search for Digitised Church Records on the PRONI Catalogue, demonstration by Lorraine Bourke, PRONI

1:00 – 1:15pm: Rev Robin Roddie, Archivist, Methodist Historical Society of Ireland, ‘A History of the Methodist Historical Society of Ireland’.

1:15 – 1:30pm: Dr Susan Hood, Librarian and Archivist, Representative Church Body, Dublin.

1:30pm: tea/coffee

If you are available to attend the event, please email Avril Loughlin (avril.loughlin@communities-ni.gov.uk) or register through Eventbrite https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/launch-of-digitised-church-records-at-proni-tickets-37691207416

I am unfortunately unable to attend this event, being currently tied up in Crete on a family matter, and so I emailed the archive to ask for details of the church records in question. Most are new sets of records, with some a re-scan of registers that in the past were very poorly photographed in black and white. Many are from Belfast based churches, but there are others from across the north - they are noted here, with their call numbers immediately after the name:

Church Records Available as Digital Copies in PRONI

Church of Ireland Records

St. Columb’s Cathedral, Londonderry CR1/113
Baptisms 1642 – 1983 (records from 1905 – 1983 are closed)
Marriages 1826 – 1830, 1843 – 1904
Burials 1829 – 1955 (records from 1874 – 1955 are closed)
Vestry Books 1741 – 1793
Vestry Minutes 1823 – 1935

Derryloran Parish, Co. Tyrone CR1/114
Baptisms 1797 – 1995 (records from 1913 – 1995 are closed)
Marriages 1832 – 2000 (records from 1930 – 2000 are closed)
Burials 1855 – 1878

St. Anne’s Cathedral, Belfast, Co. Antrim CR1/115
Baptisms 1745 – 1911
Marriages 1745 – 1914
Burials 1745 – 1809

Drumcree Parish Church, Portadown, Co. Armagh CR1/116
Baptisms 1784 – 1930 (records from 1906 – 1930 are closed)
Marriages 1784 – 1930 (records from 1926 – 1930 are closed)
Burials 1784 – 2013

St. Andrew’s Parish Church, Hope Street, Belfast, Co. Antrim CR1/117
Baptisms 1886 – 1933 (records from 1903 – 1933 are closed)
Marriages 1870 – 1889

St. Mary Magdalene Parish Church, Donegall Pass, Belfast, Co. Antrim CR1/118
Baptisms 1847 – 1872
Marriages 1862 – 1872
Burials Not Received
Register of Vestrymen 1870 – 1932
Select Vestry Minutes 1900 – 1911

Dromore Cathedral, Dromore, Co. Down CR1/119
Baptisms 1784 – 1846
Marriages 1784 – 1845
Burials 1784 – 1853

St. Luke’s Parish Church, Mullaglass, Co. Armagh CR1/120
Baptisms 1852 – 1865
Marriages 1845 – 1880
Burials 1853 – 1865
Preachers 1860 – 1865
Vestry Minutes 1870 – 1911
Register of Vestrymen 1890 – 1902
Roll of Subscribers 1877 – 1913

St. George’s Parish Church, High Street, Belfast, Co. Antrim CR1/121
Baptisms 1817 – 1870
Marriages 1817 – 1875
Burials Not Received
Minutes of Congregational Committee 1837 - 1840
Rector’s Notebook 1837 – 1843

St. Patrick’s Parish Church, Ballymacarret, Belfast, Co. Down CR1/122
Baptisms 1827 – 1883
Marriages 1827 – 1874
Burials Not Received
Minutes of general Vestry Meetings 1850 – 1980 (Closed)
Select Vestry Minutes 1891 – 1913


Methodist Church Records

Ballymacarrett Methodist Church (later known as Newtownards Road Methodist Church and now East Belfast Mission) CR6/18
Stewards Book 1871 – 1884

Hyde Park Methodist Church, Parish of Grange, Mallusk, Co. Antrim CR6/19
Marriages 1840 – 1931

Ligoniel Methodist Church, Belfast, Co. Antrim CR6/20
Baptisms 1870 – 1908

Frederick Street Methodist Church, Belfast, Co. Antrim CR6/21
Baptisms 1841 – 1877
Marriages 1840 – 1873

Salem Methodist New Connexion Church, York Street, Belfast, Co. Antrim CR6/22
Baptisms 1829 – 1904
Marriages 1836 - 1844


COMMENT: No doubt there will be something in here for some of you, but I am personally over the moon that the records of St Anne's have been rescanned - the original microfilms were virtually illegible and impossible to use. These records cannot be consulted from home, but must be consulted at the archive itself. But when they are hosted at the best archive across Britain and Ireland, that's not such a chore. Another trip to PRONI beckons soon then - well done team...! :)

(With grateful thanks to Lorraine Bourke and Gavin McMahon at PRONI)

Chris

My next 5 week Scottish Research Online course commences Sept 11th 2017 - details at www.pharostutors.com/details.php?coursenumber=102. For my genealogy guide books, visit http://britishgenes.blogspot.co.uk/p/my-books.html, whilst details of my research service are at www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk. Further content is also published daily on The GENES Blog Facebook page at www.facebook.com/BritishGENES.