Dublin Metropolitan Police records join FindmyPast

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

Ireland, Dublin Metropolitan Police Prisoners Books 1905-1908 and 1911-1918
The Dublin Metropolitan Police prisoners books cover the year ranges of 1905 to 1908 and 1911 to 1918. These valuable records provide great insight into social and political life in Dublin during periods of great upheaval, including the start of the First World War and the Easter Rising. The records will provide useful information for those interested in genealogy, criminology, and family history.

Ireland, Dublin Metropolitan Police general register 1837-1925
Discover your ancestor in the Dublin Metropolitan Police's general registers. The records pertain to recruitment and transfers within the police force from 1837 to 1925. While the register was used up until 1975, due to data protection reasons, only the entries up to 1925 have been digitised and made available.

Wiltshire registers & records
Learn more about your Wiltshire ancestors with our collection of registers and records from the English county.

Westmorland registers & records
Learn more about your Westmoreland ancestors with three local publications, including:

Nebraska, Omaha births 1874-1887
Discover your ancestor in an index of Omaha, Nebraska, births from 1874 to 1887. Discover names, birth dates, and birth places, as well as parents' names.

British & Irish Newspaper update
This week we have added 140,716 new pages to our collection of historical British & Irish newspapers. We have added pages to six of our existing titles, including;

Evening Herald (Dublin) - 1892-1896, 1900, 1989, 1997, 2003-2004
Liverpool Echo - 1994-1995
Southern Times and Dorset County Herald – 1889
Horfield and Bishopston Record and Montepelier & District Free Press – 1912
Ampthill & District News – 1898
Drogheda Argus and Leinster Journal - 1905, 1913

Further details and collection links are available at https://blog.findmypast.co.uk/find-2598414060.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.

February events at PRONI in Belfast

The following events are taking place at the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland (https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/proni), in Belfast, during the month of February:

February 2018

• Suffrage and Society: Then and Now – Reflections on the Representation of the People Act, 1918
• The Art and Science of Linen
• War, women and the gypsy caravan: the emergence of Belfast's first female police officers, 1914-43
• The contribution of the Indian Community through Trade, Migration and Cultural rites of passage
• Western Front Association 2018 program
• National Monuments and Buildings Record NI lecture series
• Association football & Irish-born player migration to Britain & the USA, 1888-1939
• Practical Workshop – Using family and local history resources online

For further details visit https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/articles/talks-and-events.

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.

Recent English collections added to Ancestry

Some recent English records additions to Ancestry (www.ancestry.co.uk):

Bedfordshire, England, Electoral Registers, 1832-1986
http://search.ancestry.co.uk/search/db.aspx?dbid=61264
Original data: Electoral rolls for Bedfordshire 1832-1986, Bedfordshire Archives, Bedford, Bedfordshire, England.

London, England, Metropolitan Police Pension Registers, 1852-1932http://search.ancestry.co.uk/search/db.aspx?dbid=61310
Original data: Metropolitan Police Pension Registers MEPO 21. The National Archives of the UK, Kew, Surrey, England.

Dorset, England, Poor Law Settlement and Removal Records, 1682-1862
http://search.ancestry.co.uk/search/db.aspx?dbid=60673
Original data: Dorset Poor Law Records, Dorset History Centre, Dorchester, Dorset, England.

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.

Northumberland tithe maps and Hampshire police records online

From TheGenealogist (www.thegenealogist.co.uk):

TheGenealogist releases Police Letter Books and Northumberland Colour Tithe maps 

TheGenealogist has just launched a new collection of Police Letter Books for Hampshire. This is an intriguing mixture of promotions, retirements, movements, and other observations about Police officers in this county from 1891 to 1911. In amongst its pages you will be able to trace the career of your Hampshire police ancestors as they rise or fall.

These records reveal names and collar numbers of officers promoted, reduced in rank or dismissed from the force for committing various acts of misconduct. The misdemeanors often seem to involve alcohol, ranging from accepting a glass of beer to being drunk on duty. For those more competent officers who were commended for their actions in the pages of these documents, you can read the actions that had been seen as deserving of inclusion in the Letter Books.

In addition, TheGenealogist has released the Colour Tithe Maps for Northumberland. These maps join the previously released greyscale maps for the majority of the country that are already published on TheGenealogist.

* Contains over 600 colour maps, linking to over 62,000 tithe records for this county

* These maps are a fantastic resource that enable you to see where your ancestors owned or occupied land in Northumberland

* The only online National collection of tithe records and maps

The searchable schedules, or apportionment books, contain detailed information on land use and these are linked to the maps on TheGenealogist. Clicking through from the transcript to a map will jump straight to the plot for an individual and can reveal buildings, fields, houses, rivers, lakes, woods and also cover villages, towns and cities.

For more information take a look now at www.thegenealogist.co.uk.

(With thanks to Nick Thorne)

Chris

My next 5 week Scottish Research Online course commences Feb 21st 2017 - details at http://pharostutors.com/details.php?coursenumber=102. 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.

FindmyPast adds Irish police records and Scottish nonconformist indexes

The latest additions to FindmyPast (www.findmypast.com):

Ireland, Royal Irish Constabulary Service Records 1816-1922

Royal Irish Constabulary Service Records 1816-1922 contains over 486,000 records released in association with the National Archives. The collection will allow you to uncover intimate details of your ancestor's career with the R.I.C and includes a plethora of records related to the running and administration of the organisation including general registers, disbandment registers, nominal returns, and more. You can also find records of Royal Irish Constabulary clerical staff.

Each result includes an image of the original document and a transcript. The nature of the information recorded will vary significantly depending on the subject and type of the original document. A full list of the various record types included in the collection can be found at the bottom of the search page.


Ireland, Royal Irish Constabulary History & Directories

Over 43,000 records have been added to our Royal Irish Constabulary History & Directories collection. The collection allows you to explore a variety of publications printed between 1840 and 1921 that will provide further insight into the administration and daily operations of the police force as well as the history of the organisation.


New South Wales Passenger Lists

New South Wales Passenger Lists contains over 8.5 million records. This collection includes records of both assisted and unassisted passengers. The assisted passenger lists cover 1828 to 1896 and the unassisted passenger lists span the years 1826 to 1900. Assisted passengers refers to those who received monetary assistance from another party or agency/government for their passage. There were several assisted immigration schemes set up for this purpose in the hopes of encouraging migration and settlement in Australia.


Scotland Non-Old Parish Registers Vital Records 1647-1875

Scotland Non-Old Parish Registers Vital Records 1647-1875 is a collection of registers created by churches outside of the established church. It contains over 12,000 transcripts of births, marriages, and deaths and is a useful alternative to the Church of Scotland's old parish records.

Non-old parish registers are distinctively different from the Church of Scotland's old parish records. The original records are held by the National Records of Scotland and have been diligently transcribed by Graham and Emma Maxwell. The majority of records span from 1684 until 1861 and cover seven Scottish counties.

For further information and direct links to the collections visit https://blog.findmypast.com/findmypast-friday-december-2nd-2016-2122423265.html

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.

Ancestry adds RIC pension records & Belfast Newsletter update

Ancestry (www.ancestry.co.uk) has released an important new collection of records cioncerning pension payments to members of the Royal Irish Constabulary from 1873-1925. The following are the details:

Ireland, Royal Irish Constabulary Pensions, 1873-1925
http://search.ancestry.co.uk/search/db.aspx?dbid=60916

Source: Royal Irish Constabulary Pensions PMG 48. The National Archives of the UK, Kew, Surrey, England.

The Royal Irish Constabulary was an eighty-percent Irish Catholic police force which, between 1814 and 1922, employed some eighty-five thousand men. This collection comprises the records of pension payments to retired officers, their widows and children.

This Collection:

For each record, details given include, where available:

Full names of officers
Rank
County
Date of authority
Date of commencement
Pension per annum
Where paid

For deceased officers it provides the names of their widows and children, and how much they each received in allowances each month or a quarter. Some volumes contain records of five offices’ payment details for three consecutive years on a single page. Other volumes record widows’ and children’s payment details for a year, with three families on each page. It also records the officer's date of death in his/her yearly payment details section.

NB: Ancestry also has an index already available for RIC members, in the form of its Ireland, The Royal Irish Constabulary 1816-1921 collection at http://search.ancestry.co.uk/search/db.aspx?dbid=6087


Also updated is the Belfast Newsletter indexes to intimations columns, which are now extended to 1828-1877. The indexes are accessible at the following collection, with browsable images available for for earlier and later periods also:

Belfast, Northern Ireland, The Belfast Newsletter (Birth, Marriage and Death Notices), 1738-1925
http://search.ancestry.co.uk/search/db.aspx?dbid=2193


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.

Irish Police Gazettte 1861-1893 records on Ancestry

Ancestry has released a new collection, Ireland, Police Gazettes, 1861-1893, available at http://search.ancestry.co.uk/search/db.aspx?dbid=61046.

From the site:

About Ireland, Police Gazettes, 1861-1893

This collection contains printed publications used for communication among members of the police force in Ireland between 1861 and 1893. It contains information on wanted criminals, crimes committed, criminals who had been apprehended, and missing persons.

The collection can be searched by:

Name
Birth year
Publication year
Event year
Event location
Event Type
Role in Crime
Conviction Place


Ancestry has written a blog post about the collection at http://blogs.ancestry.com/ancestry/2016/08/22/wanted-criminals-and-reward-systems-revealed-in-new-irish-police-gazette-records/.

NB: In terms of coverage, the collection is very incomplete, with coverage for some years very hit and miss, and in some cases absent altogether. It starts in February 15th 1863, with no records at all then from 1864-1865, 1867-1869, 1872-1873, or 1881. Within the years presented, a quick search test has shown that in the year 1870, there are only six pages in total, whilst only 3 pages are returned for 1871, 5 for 1875 etc, so some years are very well represented, and some not at all. This is not Ancestry's fault, it has merely digitised the source as presented, which comes from Luminary Trading Ltd. Nevertheless, for what is available, you may find a useful gem.

Chris

For details on my genealogy guide books, including 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.

Dublin Metropolitan Police Prisoner Books 1905-1918

University College Dublin's Digital Library (http://digital.ucd.ie) has just uploaded digitised editions of four Dublin Metropolitan Police prisoners books from 1905-1908, and 1911-1918, at http://digital.ucd.ie/view/ucdlib:43945.

From the site, the following description:

Abstract: 
The Dublin Metropolitan Police (DMP) Prisoners Books for 1905-1908 and 1911-1918 are amongst the most valuable new documents to come to light on the revolutionary decade. They include important information on social and political life in the capital during the last years of the Union, from the period of widespread anticipation of Home Rule, to the advent of the 1913 Lockout, the outbreak of the First World War, the Easter Rising and its aftermath, including the conscription crisis of 1918. They will also be invaluable to those interested in criminology, genealogy, and family history.

Scope and content
The collection comprises of four large leather bound, double ledger volumes containing hand written entries that record the details of daily charge sheets issued by DMP members to offenders or alleged offenders. Each volume contains the name, age, address, occupation, alleged offence and, in most cases, outcome of cases involving over 30,000 people arrested by the DMP. Each volume also contains an index of prisoners with references to the pages containing details of the charge.

Three of the four volumes bear the title “Prisoners Book” and each page of arrest records has the running title “Prisoners charged with offences involving dishonesty”. Three of the volumes are numbered on the spine - the first volume in the collection as 1, the third as 4, and the fourth as 5. The third volume in the collection is missing the number on the spine, but as the entries in this volume are dated immediately before those in book number 4, it has been assumed that this volume was numbered as 3. There is a gap in the dates between the volume numbered as 1 and this volume, so it is assumed that there was a volume number 2. It is unknown whether this volume survives. Volume 1 records all those arrested from April 1st 1905 to January 1st 1908. The second volume (assumed to be number 3) runs from January 1st 1911 to September 30th 1913. Volume 4 contains the entries from October 1st 1913 to 31st December 1915. Volume 5 records the arrests from January 1st 1916 to September 30th 1918.

Each volume has a name index at the back - simply look up the name of interest, and if you find it there, look up the original entry at the page number directed to.

(With thanks to Claire Santry at http://www.irishgenealogynews.com/2016/05/dublin-metropolitan-polices-prisoners.html)

Chris

My next Scotland 1750-1850: Beyond the OPRs course starts Monday 17th May - see http://pharostutors.com/details.php?coursenumber=302. For details on my genealogy guide books, including 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.

FindmyPast adds Easter Rising and Irish martial law records

As hinted at by Brian Donovan at Who Do You Think You Are Live, the first of three major Decade of Centenaries collections has just been uploaded to FindmyPast (www.findmypast.com):

Findmypast release more than 75,000 records revealing the stories behind the Easter Rising
and Ireland under Martial Law

17 April: Findmypast launches online today the most complete collection of British War Office records relating to the Easter Rising and Irish War of Independence from 1916-1921. The collection, digitised from original records held by The National Archives in Kew, reveals the struggles of life under Martial Law in Ireland, and demonstrates how events under the occupying military served to galvanise support for the rebels.

Totalling more than 75,000 records, the collection will be free to access for ten days at Findmypast from today, 17 April, in advance of the 100th anniversary of the Easter Rising on 24 April 2016.

More than 3,000 people were injured or killed in a conflict which saw three civilians killed for every one rebel. The records reveal the impact that the conflict had on men, women and children across Ireland. There are eye-witness accounts, interviews with civilians and reports of the trials of the leaders of the Rising and their sentences of execution.

The once classified records shine new light on the subsequent period of Martial Law in Ireland which was declared by the Lord Lieutenant in 1916, including the War of Independence, when the British military assumed control of the executive, judiciary and legislative arms of the entire country.. The contents of the collection provide a picture of what life was like for ordinary citizens in Ireland during this turbulent time.

The 25,000 search and raid records show the efforts of the military and police to discover arms, ammunition and seditious material through thousands of raids as well as their search for individuals associated with Sinn Féin, Irish Citizen Army, Irish Volunteers and the Irish Republican Army. Members of the public accessing the records on Findmypast will find the names of the thousands of people who were detained and interned in prisons in Ireland, England and Wales and tried by courts martial, including the names of prominent nationalists and elected officials.

Military correspondence between the barracks in Dublin and the War Office in London grants new perspectives on the motivations and fears of the British Army leadership. The movements and actions of several key nationalist figures are also documented, including those of James Connolly, Eamon De Valera, Thomas Ashe, Joseph MacDonagh, Arthur Griffith, Padraig Pearse and Francis and Hannah Sheehy Skeffington and Countess Markievicz.

Key items from the collection include:

· Daily situation reports sent by the British Army from Dublin to London between 24 April and 12 May 1916 documenting events during the uprising
· A report from the General Officer Commanding-in-Chief confirming the execution of iconic Irish socialist and rebel James Connolly, who owing to injuries sustained in the conflict had to be strapped to a chair before being shot

· Court martial reports sentencing prominent nationalist, politician and suffragette Countess Markievicz to two years in prison for “assisting and promoting crime and murder”
· Witness statements from civilians caught up in the Rising
· Documents authored by Michael Collins seized from a safehouse used by the nationalist figurehead
· Details on raids of pubs such as the Brazen Head, hotels, nationalist club houses such as the Ancient Order of Hibernians and thousands of homes
· An urgent and secret warning from Sir C Spring Rice, British Ambassador in America, of gun running in Ireland
· A telegram to the Prime Minister to report the expected surrender of the rebels from the Lieutenant General John Marshall
· Internment files including the personal letters from prisoners or their relatives testifying to their innocence
· Details on the hunger strikes of interned prisoners
· Secret documents that reveal the British Military’s own concern with some of the behaviour of the Royal Irish Constabulary (RIC)

The collection was digitised in partnership with The National Archives in London and contains documents from their WO35 series, War Office: Army of Ireland: Administration and Easter Rising Records. Totalling more than 110 million records, Findmypast has the largest Irish family history collection available online.

Brian Donovan, Head of Irish Records at Findmypast, comments:
“These records constitute an extraordinary resource which will transform the search for answers about our ancestors' activities during 1916 and the years that followed. While those who fought were small in number, the war impacted on the lives of ordinary people in many ways. We’re extremely fortunate to have these records to help us make some sense of it.”

Neil Cobbett, Irish records expert at The National Archives, said:
"This represents a major contribution and potentially a vast step forward for public understanding of these events from all points of view. It will really help to throw light on the actions of participants and the whys and wherefores of what happened. Whether you are a researcher seeking answers to some of the bigger questions, or a family historian or biographer, this collection will help you in your historical research, or in finding out about your forebear's or other participant's involvement."

This important publication marks yet a further step in Findmypast’s commitment to making Irish family history more accessible. Findmypast is home to the most comprehensive Irish collection available anywhere online with over 110 million records including millions of exclusive records, published in partnership with The National Archives of Ireland, The National Archives UK, and a host of other local, county and national archives.

COMMENT: I've had a quick play (it's 4.30am here in Vancouver!), but have already located the arrest record for a great great uncle of my wife, who was interned in 1921. Note that a great deal of records complementing this collection can also be found on www.militaryarchives.ie, whilst all of these records and more are discussed in my latest book, A Decade of Centenaries: Researching Ireland 1912-1923.

(With thanks to Alex Cox)

Chris

For details on my genealogy guide books, including 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. My Pinterest account is at https://www.pinterest.com/chrismpaton/.

Cornwall records released on Ancestry

Ancestry (www.ancestry.co.uk) has released the following collections for Cornwall:

Cornwall, England, Bodmin Gaol Records, 1821-1899
http://search.ancestry.co.uk/search/db.aspx?dbid=60963

Cornwall, England, Penzance Dispensary Admissions, 1828-1841
http://search.ancestry.co.uk/search/db.aspx?dbid=61016

Bodmin, Cornwall, England, Inmates at St. Lawrence's Asylum, 1840-1900
http://search.ancestry.co.uk/search/db.aspx?dbid=61185

Cornwall, England, Workhouse Admission and Discharge Records, 1839-1872
http://search.ancestry.co.uk/search/db.aspx?dbid=61121

Truro, Cornwall, England, Police Charge Books, 1846-1896
http://search.ancestry.co.uk/search/db.aspx?dbid=61018

Falmouth, Cornwall, England, Congregational and Baptist Church Registers, 1763-1923
http://search.ancestry.co.uk/search/db.aspx?dbid=61004

Cornwall, England, Militia and Sea Fencibles Index, 1780 - 1831
http://search.ancestry.co.uk/search/db.aspx?dbid=61015

The source for the collections is Cornwall Record Office, Truro, Cornwall. Full details for each set are available via the links.

Chris

For details on my genealogy guide books, including 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. My Pinterest account is at https://www.pinterest.com/chrismpaton/.

Ancestry releases Irish independence struggle files

Ancestry (www.ancestry.co.uk) has released two major collections of files from the national Archives in England that detail courts martial and intelligence profiles of many involved in the Irish republican struggle for independence in the aftermath of the Easter Rising. The collections are as follows:

Ireland, Courts Martial Files, 1916-1922
http://search.ancestry.co.uk/search/db.aspx?dbid=61055

The Easter Rising of 1916 took place on Easter Monday, the 24th of April 1916.

Martial Law was declared in on the 25th of April 1916 in an attempt to maintain order on the streets of Dublin. This was later extended to the whole country. During the aftermath of the Easter Rising, and during the years of the Irish War of
Independence individuals were arrested under Martial Law if suspected of being pro-independence and committing treason to the Crown.

Under Martial Law individuals were tried without a defence council, without a jury and the trials took place in private chambers. Members of the public and members of the press were not allowed to be present at the trial.

This collection covers Field General Courts Martial Records, with nearly 2,000 searchable names and additional names found within the images. Each record contains evidence against the defendants, their statements and proclamations.

Original data: The National Archives of the UK, Kew, Surrey, England.
Source: War Office: Army of Ireland: Administrative and Easter Rising Records. WO 35/68,96-119,143.
Judge Advocate General's Office: Courts Martial Proceedings and Board of General Officers' Minutes. WO 71/344-358.


Ireland, Intelligence Profiles, 1914-1922
http://search.ancestry.co.uk/search/db.aspx?dbid=61054

As nationalists in Ireland struggled for independence, the British Intelligence Forces were keeping a close eye on their movements. The Dublin Metropolitan Police, as well as the Royal Irish Constabulary, recorded the known daily movements of those suspected of being disloyal to the Crown.

Included in this collection are photographs, newspaper clippings and notes recording Sinn Fein meetings as well as the everyday movements of those deemed to be suspects in the eyes of the British forces.

The records in this collection date mainly from 1917 but include some people who were involved in the nationalist movement prior to 1917.

The records relate to activities all across the island of Ireland and with close to 800 names searchable within, they shed light on major events happening at this time. There are over 22,000 images within the collection available to browse.

Original data: The National Archives of the UK, Kew, Surrey, England.
Colonial Office: Ireland: Dublin Castle Records. CO 904/193-216.
War Office: Army of Ireland: Administrative and Easter Rising Records. WO 35/206-207.


For more information on these and other records relevant for family history from the period, please see my book A Decade of Centenaries: Researching Ireland 1912-1923 (further details on how to purchase are available in the Books tab at the top of this page).



UPDATE: the following is the official press release (with thanks to Bryony Partridge):

1916 EASTER RISING FILES LAUNCHED ONLINE TODAY

Over 60,000 images telling story of 1916 Easter Rising now online at Ancestry.ie
· Collection dates from 1916 – 1922 and includes 2,600 records and 60,000 images
· Records include court proceedings, notes confirming executions had taken place, surveillance notes, hand drawn sketch maps, letters, photographs
· Collection will be free to view forever on Ancestry

For the first time in history these significant intelligence files regarding key figures in the 1916 Rising are being made available online to the Irish public. Over 2,600 Courts Martial Records, Intelligence Profiles and Prison Records from 1916-1922 are now available online for free, forever at Ancestry.ie, the world’s leading family history resource.

This rare collection includes the execution orders for the seven signatories of the Easter Rising Proclamation as well as 60,000 images, hand drawn maps, personal letters and photos concerning key figures involved in the events of 1916.

Rhona Murray, Family Historian at Ancestry comments: “These papers were deposited in the National Archives in Kew in 1922 so they are virtually unseen by most Irish people. They are a very significant part of Ireland’s history containing some crucial and fascinating information about the events of the 1916 Easter Rising and the people involved. We have digitised intelligence profiles, Courts Martial records, personal letters and photos which gives a very comprehensive picture of what happened during one of the most important events in the history of Ireland”.

Included in the collection are the following records:

Courts Martial Records

The Courts Martial Records ordering the execution of the seven signatories of the 1916 Proclamation – Padraig Henry Pearse, Eamon Ceannt, Thomas James Clarke, James Connolly, Sean MacDiarmada, Joseph Mary Plunkett and Thomas MacDonagh - as well as the orders for eight other executions held between 3rd-12th May 1916.

Their guilty pleas, evidence brought against them and their sentences of ‘death by shooting’ are also included.

Personal Letters

Many personal letters from concerned family are in the files, including the letter written by Padraig Henry Pearse to his mother Margaret. In the letter Pearse describes his movements between the GPO and Moore Street during his last surviving days before surrendering “in order to prevent further slaughter of the civil population and in the hope of saving the lives of our followers”.

He notes his struggle between the majority’s will to surrender versus his own personal desire to rally the troops one final time. He expresses his hopes that the British Forces will spare the lives of the followers of the Rising but does not believe that the lives of the leaders would be spared. Pearse’s letter was dated 1st May, he was executed by shooting two days later on 3rd May. His letter to his mother was never posted.

Sketch Maps

The collection also features hand drawn sketches recording the order in which the bodies of the leaders were buried. The bodies of the leaders of the 1916 Rising were interred in Arbour Hill and covered in quick lime and the order in which the bodies were buried remained a secret for many years.

Intelligence Profiles

Gathered by British intelligence against a large group of nationalists, the Dublin Metropolitan Police and the Royal Irish Constabulary kept daily records of the movements of those suspected of being disloyal to the Crown. Figures include Éamon De Valera who was the only leader of the Rising not to be executed.

Courts Martials of Civilians

Martial Law was declared in Ireland on the 25th of April 1916 in an attempt to maintain order on the streets of Dublin. During the aftermath of the Easter Rising, and during the years of the Irish War of Independence, civilians were arrested under Courts Martial if suspected of being pro-independence and committing treason against the Crown.

These records include details of arrests made for conspiracy, murder, treason, and securing and publishing secret government information. Also contained in these files is an alphabetical roll of prisoners and detailed individual prisoner cases imprisoned as a result of Court Martial Proceedings.

The new Easter Rising collection is available to view free and forever at www.ancestry.ie

The history of this collection:

The original paper records of this collection are held at The National Archives at Kew. The National Archives of Ireland has a portion of the collection - covering the period 29 May 1915 to 20 April 1916 - ending four days before the Easter Rising. The collection Ancestry has worked on with The National Archives records the intelligence gathered and the Courts Martial proceedings recording the handling of the aftermath following the Easter Rising.

COMMENT: Ancestry.ie does not seem to work for me, nor the previous Irish platform www.ancestry.co.uk/cs/uk/ireland - I've asked for an update as to what has happened with Ireland's previous dedicated platform on the site.

Chris

For details on my genealogy guide books, including 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. My Pinterest account is at https://www.pinterest.com/chrismpaton/.

FindmyPast adds Royal Irish Constabulary records

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

Irish Revenue Police, 1830-1857
Search over 37,000 records to find out if any of your forebears served with the Irish Revenue Police and worked to prohibit the illegal distillation of liquors and spirits. Discover when your ancestor joined the force and where they were stationed

Royal Irish Constabulary pensions 1873-1925
Find out if your relatives served with the Royal Irish Constabulary with over 125,000 pension records that will reveal their rank, number and discharge date as well as the names of their wives and children. Was your ancestor paid extra for outstanding service?

Royal Irish Constabulary History & Directories
Explore the history of the RIC by poring over 1,670 pages from 6 different publications printed between 1871 and 1920. Gain rare insights into their daily operations and the development of the force. Discover your family's place in the history of the RIC.

Also added are Western Australia birth, marriage and death indexes.

For further details visit https://blog.findmypast.co.uk/fridays/

Chris

For details on my genealogy guide books, including 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. My Pinterest account is at https://www.pinterest.com/chrismpaton/.

UK Police Gazette is released on Ancestry

From Ancestry (www.ancestry.co.uk):

CRIME AND PUNISHMENT: HISTORIC NOTICES OF WANTED CRIMINALS GO ONLINE
More than 90 years of Police Gazette records published online by Ancestry

* Police Gazettes reveal fascinating information on suspected wanted criminals, crimes committed and missing persons

* A suspect in the Whitechapel Murders and infamous Sheffield murderer Charles Peace appear in the records

* Entries reveal child murders committed by desperate single mothers who were ostracised from society

More than 100,000 records and images from Police Gazettes, revealing details of wanted suspected criminals, offenders in custody and missing persons have been published online by Ancestry, the world’s largest family history resource.

The UK, Police Gazettes, 1812-1902, 1921-1927 collection, sourced from Luminary Trading Limited and Lastchancetoread, contains copies of the “Police Gazette”, or “Hue and Cry”. The publication was used for communication between members of the police force across the United Kingdom – much like the National Crime Agency’s most wanted list today.

Searchable by name, age, type, date and location of crime, these records contain vital information and fascinating detail for anybody looking to find out more about either an historic offender or indeed a victim of crime in their family tree. The records can even give a glimpse at the faces of wanted suspected criminals through police sketches issued alongside requests from information.

Several interesting characters feature in the records, including:

* Charles Peace – Maimed in an industrial incident as a child, murderer Peace appears in the records in 1876 in an appeal for information about his location on several occasions. He’s described as ‘thin and slightly built’, with ‘grey (nearly white) hair, beard and long whiskers’. The record goes on to give details of his trade – a picture-frame maker, with a history of burglary. He murdered a policeman and a neighbour, but managed to stay on the run until he was arrested for burglary in London, and eventually faced the death penalty

* Michael Ostrog – Ostrog, one of the suspects in the Whitechapel Murders that made Jack the Ripper famous, was charged with larceny, but failed to report after he was released from Surrey County Lunatic Asylum in 1888. The record lists several of his aliases: Bertrand Ashley, Claude Clayton and Dr. Grant, and describes him as ‘’a dangerous man’, who had moles on his shoulder and neck, as well as ‘corporal punishment marks’. An accompanying sketch of a bearded Ostrog is an example the police tried to identify criminals on the run.

Ostrog was not the only man in the Police Gazettes to use aliases, with one in ten (9%) of all entries featuring a pseudonym, perhaps unsurprising given that most criminals attempt to shield their identity from the authorities.

The records also include a number of reports featuring murdered new-born babies, which illustrates the issues attached to illegitimate children in the 19th Century. The Bastardy Clause in the New Poor Law of 1834 made all illegitimate children solely the responsibility of their mother until the age of 16, which left mothers, often estranged from their families, with limited choices. In desperation, many mothers resorted to infanticide to protect themselves. Many of the mothers were never identified, with the police often seeking more information on the crime. Some examples from the records include:

* ‘Ann Yates’ – Murdered her daughter and threw the body into a well in Midsomer Norton, Somerset, in 1875 after being forced to live in the Shepton-Mallet Union Workhouse when she was unable to provide for her illegitimate offspring. The police believed the ‘good-looking’ 24-year old had fled to Cardiff to start a new life

* ‘Two women’ – In 1894, the body of a newly-born male child was found in the Leeds and Liverpool Canal at Hoghton, tied up in a white coarse apron. The police sought two women who were observed on the canal bank in Blackburn when a splash was heard, ‘caused by one of the women throwing something into the water’. The younger woman, who ‘appeared to be ill’, was leaning on the arm of an older woman who was ‘tall and stout’

Ancestry’s Senior Content Manager Miriam Silverman comments: “This collection provides rare insight into crime and punishment in the 19th Century as well as helping us to better understand how the British police force worked shortly after it was introduced.”

“Whether you’re locating the black sheep in your family tree, discovering more about an ancestor who was the victim of crime or even unearthing some infamous criminals, these records can help reveal the details.”

To search the UK, Police Gazettes, 1812-1902, 1921-1927 collection for free, and more than 16 billion other historical records worldwide, visit www.ancestry.co.uk.

(With thanks to Bryony Partridge)

COMMENT: Please note that this is not a complete collection. The years available are as follows:

1812, 1816, 1828, 1831-32, 1835, 1840, 1843-44, 1847, 1850, 1861-64, 1868, 1870-1881, 1882, 1889-90, 1894-97, 1899-1902, 1921-22, 1924-25, 1927

The collection is directly accessible via http://search.ancestry.co.uk/search/db.aspx?dbid=60861

Chris

For details on my genealogy guide books, including my recently released Discover Irish Land Records and Down and Out in Scotland: Researching Ancestral Crisis, please visit http://britishgenes.blogspot.co.uk/p/my-books.html. My Pinterest account is at https://www.pinterest.com/chrismpaton/.

England, Suffragettes Arrested 1906-1914 collection on Ancestry

Ancestry has released a new collection entitled England, Suffragettes Arrested 1906-1914. The source is the Home Office collection HO 45/24665 as held at the National Archives in England.

From the site:

At the outbreak of the amnesty the Home Office compiled a list of all suffrage campaigners they were providing amnesty to, and although the document is entitled ‘Amnesty of August 1914: index of women arrested 1906-1914’ it also includes the names of more than one hundred men. The Home Office actually began keeping indexes of suffrage supporters (male and female) prior to the amnesty, so that they could trace and link multiple convictions of the same person. Originally written on index cards, which were often out of order, in 1922 the records were copied into a book. Each record consists of the name of the person arrested, and the date and place of arrest. If a person was arrested more than once, the details of each arrest are documented. In the last half of the book were inserted letters, minutes, reports, and several news articles related to the activities of the suffragists and suffragettes. The value of the index was primarily for day to day office work in the Home Office. However, the clerk notes “should the history of the Suffragette Movement ever …. be written in detail, [it] would be a source of information not otherwise obtainable.”

The richness of this source is not in the story of the amnesty and the different reactions to war by many different suffrage societies. Instead, it is in the literal wealth of names to be found in the document - over 1000 male and female suffrage campaigners who were at some point arrested. It’s a document that moves away from viewing only the Pankhurst figureheads of the movement to look at the wealth of individuals who, for a cause they believed in, were prepared to risk their jobs, families, and sometimes their health by hunger striking. Though the details are brief, it provides a partial overview of the movement. Many individuals were part of varied societies that often don’t get their due attention, including the East London Federation of Suffragettes, the Artists Franchise League and the Women’s Freedom League. This index contains the names of Flora Drummond, who at the time of her imprisonment was in her first trimester of pregnancy; William Ball, temporarily certified insane after a being force fed in prison; and Princess Sophia Duleep Singh, who was at the front of the Black Friday procession when suffragettes clashed with the police. Most importantly, the index lists many largely unknown persons from across the country and argues against the London centric view of women’s suffrage. The very nature of this document’s focus on arrest naturally excludes those who campaigned by pacifist means, though ultimately this document illustrates a view of suffrage rarely seen: a mass movement of active women and men across the country from many different types of suffrage societies.

The collection can be searched at http://search.ancestry.co.uk/search/db.aspx?dbid=61005.

Chris

For details on my genealogy guide books, including my recently released Discover Irish Land Records and Down and Out in Scotland: Researching Ancestral Crisis, please visit http://britishgenes.blogspot.co.uk/p/my-books.html. My Pinterest account is at https://www.pinterest.com/chrismpaton/.

Dublin Metropolitan Police Movement of Extremists reports 1915-16

The National Archives of Ireland has released a series of records from Dublin Metropolitan Police (DMP), labelled Movement of Extremists 29 May 1915 - 20 April 1916. The records refer to the period leading up to the Easter Rising of 1916, the moment when an Irish Republic was first proclaimed as a breakaway state from the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. Although the rebellion was crushed, it was a classic case for the British of winning the battle but losing the war, with the treatment and execution of the rebellion's leaders, coupled with the conscription crisis, soon leading to a massive change of sympathy from the Irish population towards the rebels' aims.

The Dublin Metropolitan Police's reports can be accessed at www.nationalarchives.ie/digital-resources/chief-secretarys-office-crime-branch-dublin-metropolitan-police-dmp-movement-of-extremists-29-may-1915-20-april-1916/dmp-reports-june-1915/. A guide on how the archive conserved the reports can be found at www.nationalarchives.ie/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/How-we-conserved-the-Movement-of-Extremist-reports.pdf, whilst a separate guide to the conservation of newspaper clippings held within the reports is available at www.nationalarchives.ie/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/July-2015_v1.pdf.

(With thanks to @NARIreland and @archivesireland via Twitter)

Chris

For details on my genealogy guide books, including my recently released Discover Irish Land Records and Down and Out in Scotland: Researching Ancestral Crisis, please visit http://britishgenes.blogspot.co.uk/p/my-books.html. My Pinterest account is at https://www.pinterest.com/chrismpaton/.

Latest English records releases on FindmyPast

FindmyPast (www.findmypast.co.uk) has added the following English collections to its site:

• Hue & Cry Index 1797-1810 (newspaper index)
• Surrey, Southwark, St Saviour Poor Relief 1818-1821 (4000 outdoor relief applications)
• 16,000 marriage records for Kent - parishes of Queenborough, Shepherdswell, Ashford, Aldington, Birling, Chart Sutton, Snodland, Ryarsh, Kemsing, Halling and Lower Birling.
• 2,700 records of Banns for Kent - parishes of Birling, Brenchley, Ryarsh, East Sutton, Borden and Lower Halstow.

The PERiodical Source Index (PERSI) has also been updated. Further details are available at http://blog.findmypast.co.uk/fridays/.

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.

Dublin's Police Gazette or Hue and Cry 1863-1893 online

American blogger Dick Eastman is reporting that 470 copies of  the Irish edition of the Police Gazette or Hue and Cry is online for the period from 1863-1893, having been placed online at the Last Chance to Read website at http://lastchancetoread.com. (This is a new site to me, so haven't had much of a chance as yet to explore it).

For more information, read Dick's blog post at http://blog.eogn.com/2015/02/05/the-dublin-ireland-police-gazette-or-hue-and-cry-1863-1893-is-now-online/

A timely reminder that my British and Irish Newspapers book can also help to locate newspaper resources online and offline - see http://britishgenes.blogspot.co.uk/p/my-books.html for details on how to order a copy from the UK, Canada or Australia.

(With thanks to Dick Eastman)

Chris

For details on my range of genealogy guide books please visit http://britishgenes.blogspot.co.uk/p/my-books.html. To commission me for genealogical research, please visit my research site at www.scotlandsgreateststory.co.uk.

Local history talks at Edinburgh Central Library

Edinburgh Central Library has a series of local history talks commencing from january 21st 2015. The talks are as follows:

The History of policing in Scotland - a reflective journey
Wednesday, January 21, 2015, 2:30 - 3:30pm

Edinburgh ‘s golfing history
Wednesday, February 18, 2015, 2:30 - 3:30pm

Calton Hill and its astronomical heritage
Wednesday, March 18, 2015, 2:30 - 3:30pm

The Royal Edinburgh Hospital - tracing patient experiences in the nineteenth century
Wednesday, April 22, 2015, 2:30- 3:30pm

Queensberry House - a personal history
Wednesday, May 20, 2015, 2:30-3:30pm

The venue is the George Washington Browne Room, Edinburgh Central Library, George IV Bridge, Edinburgh, City of Edinburgh EH1 1EG. For further details visit http://us9.campaign-archive2.com/?u=a94bec979e9aac2981c9359a7&id=ca29f46254

(With thanks to Fiona Myles via LinkedIn)

Chris

For details on my range of genealogy guide books please visit http://britishgenes.blogspot.co.uk/p/my-books.html. To commission me for genealogical research, please visit my research site at www.scotlandsgreateststory.co.uk.

TNA podcast - From British bobby to Hong Kong copper

The latest podcast from the National Archives in England is entitled From British bobby to Hong Kong copper, a 41 minute long talk by Christine Thomas.

The lecture can be listened to at http://media.nationalarchives.gov.uk/index.php/british-bobby-hong-kong-copper/ or downloaded for free via iTunes.

Chris

Now available for UK research is the new second edition of the best selling Tracing Your Family History on the Internet: A Guide for Family Historians, whilst my new book British and Irish Newspapers is also now out. And please consider purchasing the great new version of Caledonia by The Libations at 79p via www.caledonia2014.com - all profits go to help fund Scottish foodbanks

The West Yorkshire Collection now available on Ancestry

From Ancestry (www.ancestry.co.uk), news of several new collection from Yorkshire. I've abridged the press release:

VICTORIAN YOUTH OFFENDERS REVEALED ONLINE

Tattoos, pigeon theft and financial fraud all detailed in newly digitised collection – Ancestry.co.uk

* More than 9,000 reformatory school records reveal criminal behaviour of kids as young as five

* Collection includes information on each crime, newspaper clippings and ‘mugshot’ photographs

* Records also detail nearly 400,000 adult convicts, with offences ranging from petty theft to cold-blooded murder

Thousands of 19th century child criminal records have been published online for the first time – shedding light on the delinquent and destitute children of Victorian Britain.

Digitised by Ancestry.co.uk, The West Yorkshire Collection 1779-1914 details the crimes of thousands of boys admitted to Calder Farm Reformatory, East Moor Community Home School and The Shadwell Children’s Centre. Close to 400,000 adult offenders in the West Yorkshire area are also featured within the records. Crimes range from gambling and petty criminality through to forgery, burglary and violent assault.

The first reformatory schools were established in the UK following the passing of two Youth Offender Acts in 1854 that required the Home Office to certify certain institutions in which to place not only juvenile offenders but neglected or abandoned children.

In addition to child criminals, the details of nearly 400,000 adult offenders are also included within The West Yorkshire Collection 1779-1914. Each record contains the prisoner’s name, age, occupation, nature of the offence, sentence, and dates of admission and discharge. Selected records also give background information and physical descriptions.

Physically located at the West Yorkshire Archive Service, The West Yorkshire Collection 1779-1914 collection is now available exclusively online at Ancestry.co.uk.

Also launched today as part of The West Yorkshire Collection 1779-1914 are over 32,000 historic Police Records and nearly 3,000 registers pertaining to local Militia.

Reformatory school records are available at http://search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=8633
Prison records at http://search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=5085
Police records at http://search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=5105
and
Militia records at http://search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=8545

(With thanks to Bryony Partridge)

Chris

Now available for UK research is the new second edition of the best selling Tracing Your Family History on the Internet: A Guide for Family Historians. And for those wishing to take Scottish ancestral research a bit further, my next Pharos course, Scotland 1750-1850: Beyond the Old Parish Records, commences May 14th 2014.