Wednesday 4 January 2012

Records from Clonfert diocese now online

FindMyPast Ireland has released an online collection from Clonfert diocese relating to Wills, Administrations and Marriage Records from 1663 to 1857.

This will be of huge interest to those with ancestors from the east of Co.Galway, parts of Co.Roscommon and a small section of Co. Offaly on the east bank of the River Shannon (see list of the civil parishes below).

Details in the Marriage Licence Bonds Index include the name of the intended bride and bridegroom and the year of the bond. They refer to marriages celebrated in the Established Church (ie Church of Ireland) only, so if your ancestors were RC or Presbyterian, you won’t find their marriages in this collection.

Pre-1858, Wills were proved either in the Diocesan Court (if the deceased owned property in only one diocese) or in the Prerogative Court. This regulation applied to both Catholics and Protestants, so a large number of Catholics appear in the Indexes to Wills.

If a person died intestate prior to 1858, their affairs had to be settled by their next of kin or his principal creditor in the Diocesan or Prerogative Courts. Before the Bishop granted the administration, the administrator was required to enter into a bond of a specified sum as security that they would justly administer the effects.

Details in this index includes the name and address of the deceased and the year in which administration was granted.

The original marriage and wills/administration bonds were destroyed in the Public Record Office fire of 1922, so all that survives are indexes.

The civil parishes covered by this collection are:

• Abbeygormacan, Co.Galway
• Aughrim, Co.Roscommon
• Ballymacward, Co.Galway
• Ballynakill, Co.Galway
• Bullaun, Co.Galway
• Clonfert, Co.Galway
• Cloonkeen, Co.Galway
• Clontuskert, Co.Galway
• Creagh, Co.Roscommon
• Donanaghty, Co.Galway
• Duniry, Co.Galway
• Fahy, Co.Galway
• Fohanagh, Co.Galway
• Kilchreest, Co.Galway
• Kilcloony, Co.Galway
• Kilconickny, Co.Galway
• Kilconierin, Co.Galway
• Kilcloony, Co.Galway
• Kilconnell, Co.Galway
• Killaan, Co.Galway
• Killaghtan, Co.Galway
• Killeenadeema, Co.Galway
• Killimordaly, Co.Galway
• Killinan, Co.Galway
• Killora, Co.Galway
• Killoran, Co.Galway
• Kilmalinoge, Co.Galway
• Kilquain, Co.Galway
• Kilrickill, Co.Galway
• Kilteskill, Co.Galway
• Kiltormer, Co.Galway
• Kiltullagh, Co.Galway
• Lickmolassy, Co.Galway
• Loughrea, Co.Galway
• Lusmagh, Co.Offaly
• Meelick, Co.Galway
• Taghmaconnell, Co.Roscommon
• Tiranascragh, Co.Galway
• Tynagh, Co.Galway