FindMyPast & BritishNewspaperArchive: what's new/what's to come

While browsing round the FindMyPast website today I came across a New Year message from CEO Tamsin Todd. It contains some statistics for both FindMyPast its sister company BritishNewspaperArchive (BNA), the online home for the still-being-digitised newspaper collection of the British Library. I've noted below some of those likely to be of most interest to Irish genealogists.

I was surprised and pleased to learn that the newspaper database, currently approaching a page count of 47million after 5.6million were added in 2021, will continue to grow to 56million pages by 2023. This must surely mean there are more Irish titles yet to appear. (At present, there are 226 titles from Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland in the online holding, either at the BNA site, or via FindMyPast's top subscription package site.)

I'll keep my fingers crossed there are many new titles from Ireland in the pipe. Historical newspapers have been extremely useful for establishing ancestral facts and details not recorded elsewhere, as well as stories, colour and context.

FindMyPast released 10.7 million new Scottish birth, marriage and death records last year, plus some 32 million searchable Electoral Registers from England and Wales covering the period between the 1911 and 1921 Censuses.

In addition, more than 800,000 crime records were added. This, says the company, makes FindMyPast's Crime, Prisons and Punishment collection  the largest searchable archive of British crime records available anywhere online. Another popular collection to have made its way into the database is the Francis Frith Collection of 300,000 vintage photographs, which records life in 19th-century Britain.

Exclusive to FindMyPast, the greatly anticipated 1921 Census of England & Wales launched yesterday after a mammoth 3-year project with The National Archives of the UK. Its 38million records are now being avidly searched by goodness knows how many researchers, including many Irish, around the world.

View the full Message and a selection of videos about the 1921 Census.

English, Scottish & Welsh genealogy: 3-week summary of updates

Below is a summary of new and updated family history record collections for England, Scotland and Wales released by the major genealogy databases over the last three weeks (see previous summary, 15 December).

My regular summary of releases and updates relating to British collections is designed to help family historians whose Irish ancestors migrated, temporarily or permanently, to England, Scotland or Wales.

By default, it will also be useful to anyone carrying out research in those three nations, regardless of the origin of their ancestors.

The figures in parenthesis in the New Collections section are the numbers of records/images in the new record set.

Unless otherwise stated, the figures in parenthesis in the Updated Collections section reflect the number of records added to the collection in the recent update. In some instances, the supplier has not made this figure available. Where two figures are given, the first is the number of additions, the second is the new total.

Please note that I don't usually include updates of fewer than 1,000 records.

NEW COLLECTIONS

Ancestry

• UK, Royal Air Force Operations Record Books, 1911-1963 (758,658)

BritishNewspaperArchive shared with FindMyPast

• Gateshead Observer
• Louth Standard
• Bexhill-on-Sea Chronicle

FindMyPast

• 1921 Census of England & Wales (38,443,240)

UPDATED COLLECTIONS

FindMyPast

• Warwickshire Baptisms, in Coventry Union Workhouse (1,778)
• Warwickshire, Coventry Workhouse Deaths 1845-1943 (8,292)

FreeBMD

• Civil BMDs, England & Wales: 361,179 added. New total: 283,149,543 unique entries

National Library of Scotland

• Ordnance Survey 1:500 Town Plans of England & Wales, 1840s-1890s: More than 380 towns, each with 4,000+ inhabitants
• Ordnance Survey maps, 1944-1971: 1,481 maps at 1:1,250 and 1:2,500 (Scotland) | 728 at 1:10,000/1:10,560 (England, Wales & Scotland)

Scotland's People

• BMD registers 262,978 register records added: Births in 1921. Marriages in 1946. Deaths in 1971.

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Church of Ireland parish registers list updated with details of materials accessioned during the last two years

In its first Archive of the Month of 2022, the Representative Church Body (RCB) Library has released its invaluable List of Church of Ireland Parish Registers, complete with details of its 54 “new” parish collections added to the Library's holdings since the first pandemic Lockdown in March 2020. It means the RCB Library now holds 1,214 individual parish record collections.

Click to download the fully revised edition

Other additions of historical materials came from more than 90 parishes during this period. Among these were large tranches from parishes in the dioceses of Ardfert, Emly Killaloe and Limerick, and some of the city parishes in Limerick.

The fully updated and colour coded List of Church of Ireland Parish Registers holds details and live links to records of baptism, marriage and burials for each of the 1,214 parishes now in the Library's custody; these parishes are colour-coded yellow.

Additional information is also provided about the whereabouts of all other Church of Ireland parish materials, with details of where copies, transcripts and indexes can be located, and what remains in local custody and other locations. As such, it is an essential reference material for every Irish genealogist to keep in a readily accessible folder on their computer device, and it is free to download by clicking on the image, right.

The January Archive of the Month feature also offers researchers access to lists showing precisely which materials have been accessioned in each of the past two years, as well as providing more details about some of the newly accessioned materials.

PRONI releases indexes to Belfast Workhouse Admission Registers

The Public Record Office of Northern Ireland (PRONI) has delivered a very welcome New Year gift to Irish genealogists: the first instalment of Indexes for Belfast Workhouse Indoor Relief Registers have been scanned and made available to view, free of charge.

Small sample from an Index page

These indexes have not been fully digitised; they cannot be searched by name. Instead, the pages of each register have been scanned (by date) into high quality pdf files which you can download to your device and search at your leisure, or explore on-screen through PRONI's pdf viewer.

Spanning 1892 to 1921, the available 106 indexes record those who applied for Indoor Relief (meaning admission to the Workhouse). Each register is indexed alphabetically by first-letter-only of surname and then by date of admission. See the image, right. The information noted in the register is limited but hopefully sufficient to help you identify your ancestors or provide some direction for follow up research.

With the date of admission, register number, name and age of an individual, you should be able to locate the corresponding original records held by PRONI.

To search the Indexes: 

1. Go to PRONI's eCatalogue 
2. Where indicated, type in the PRONI ref: BG/7/GK/1 and click the Browse button, top right of page 
3. On the landing page, you'll see PRONI's reference entered. Immediately to the right of that box, click the Search button (don't use the one top right of the page) 
4. You'll see your Search Results for each register with a 'View' link to download the respective pdf.

Should you have any difficulty using the eCatalogue (as a non-regular user of the PRONI eCatalogue, I frequently get caught in a loop, so you're not on your own!), watch this How-to video on PRONI's YouTube channel.

PRONI has told IrishGenealogyNews that an online Belfast Board of Guardians Records demo event will be held towards the end of this month. It is currently being worked on, and when the date is confirmed, I'll make a note on this page and include details in my regular Events listing.

UPDATE, 14 Jan: PRONI's workshop will be on 27 January. Details.

The 1921 Census of England & Wales is nearly here: Register now

As I'm sure most readers of Irish Genealogy News will already be aware, the 1921 Census of England and Wales will be released early tomorrow, exclusively online at FindMyPast. All 18,235,242 images, fully indexed, will be live at 00:01 GMT.

FindMyPast's traffic is going to be heavy, not only from both sides of the Irish Sea but from around the globe, so if you're intending to be one of the first to dip in, and haven't already done so, be sure to register for a FindMyPast account in advance of midnight.

Happy hunting!

	FindMyPast Ireland		FindMyPast North America
	FindMyPast UK		FindMyPast Australia/NZ

Tenth President of Accredited Genealogists Ireland elected

Dublin-based Nicola Morris has been elected President of Accredited Genealogists Ireland (AGI), the island-wide accredited body for professional genealogists which also acts as a regulating body to maintain high standards amongst its members and to protect the interests of clients.

Nicola began undertaking work as a professional genealogist in 1999 after obtaining a degree in history from Trinity College, Dublin. She joined AGI in 2010 and has served on its governing Council as an ordinary member, as Hon. Secretary, and most recently as the Association’s Vice-President.

 Nicola Morris MAGI - new President of Accredited Genealogists Ireland

Over the past decade Nicola has worked closely with the TV production companies for Who Do You Think You Are?, facilitating ancestral discoveries for many well-known public figures and celebrities with Irish forebears.

She has also appeared on several Irish TV shows involving genealogy and history, the most recent being RTE's The Great House Revival.

She also lectures on the Family History Diploma course at City Colleges, Dublin and on similar courses at University College Cork and University of Limerick, and is a frequent speaker on the various lecture series run by National Archives of Ireland and National Library of Ireland.

Nicola also contributes to Who Do You Think You Are? and Irish Roots magazines.

In 2017 she was appointed to the Board of the Irish Manuscripts Commission and in 2022 joined the Genealogy and Heraldry Committee, which advises the Board of the National Library of Ireland.

In welcoming her successor, out-going President Joan Sharkey, who has completed her three-year term, said “I wish Nicola all the best for her term as President of AGI. Despite the restrictions imposed by the pandemic, AGI has been very active, and I have thoroughly enjoyed the past three years. I have no doubt at all that Nicola will do the same. Her clear head and ability to instantly grasp detail will serve her well in guiding our Association in the years ahead.”

Irish genealogy, history and heritage events, January 2022

While online talks continue to be offered by most organisations and event hosts, a few in-person events are beginning to re-appear in my listings. In the list below, you'll find all in-person events clearly indicated and the location highlighted in bold.

January

Relatively few events for 2022 have been organised or posted as the New Year begins, but I'll update the list below as the month progresses and more are confirmed.

Saturday 1 January to mid-March: The Treaty 1921: Records from the Archives, an in-person exhibition at the Coach House Gallery, Dublin Castle Gardens, Dublin Castle, Dublin 2. Open daily (7/7) 10am to 5pm. All welcome. Need to book free tickets.

Monday 3 January: Bank holiday across the island. All repositories, archives and libraries closed. Some exhibitions and tourist sites open.

Tuesday 4 January: Nearly all archives, libraries and similar repositories reopen after the festive holiday.

Thursday 6 January: Release of the 1921 Census of England and Wales. Hosts: FindMyPast for online searching. TNA in Kew for in-person research.

Monday 10 January: Imbolc/St Bridget’s Day, an online talk with Fiona Byrne. Host: North of Ireland Family History Society, Newtownabbey Branch. 7:30pm–8:30pm. Free. All welcome. Email Foyle@nifhs.org for zoom link.

Tuesday 11 January: Serendipity follows me on my journey. Family History in British India, an online talk with Jenny Mallin. Host: North of Ireland Family History Society, Lisburn Branch. 7:30pm–9pm. Free. All welcome. Email for zoom link. Details.

Thursday 13 January: Online tour: From Turmoil to Truce: Photographs of the War of Independence. Host: National Library of Ireland. Free. 2pm. All welcome. Find out more.

Friday 14 January Tipperary in 1921, with Denis G. Marnane. An in-person event. Part of the Tipperary People and Places Lecture Series. Host: Tipperary Studies. Phone or email to book your place. Starts 7pm. All welcome. Free. Postponed.

Friday 14 January and Saturday 15 January: The Handover of Dublin Castle: A Centenary Conference. Part of the Decade of Centenaries Programme, the conference will explore the immediate reactions, the expected consequences, and the implications of this dramatic shift in the centre of power. Host: Trinity College Dublin and Dublin Castle OPW. Free. Friday 2pm to 5:30pm; Saturday 9am to 5:30pm. In-person venue: Printworks, Dublin Castle – these tickets must be booked by 13 January. Live-stream of conference free and no booking required. See programme and other details.

Monday 17 January: Who do you Think You Are? and online talk with Dr Nick Barrett. Host: North of Ireland Family History Society, Larne Branch. 7:30pm-9pm. Email for Zoom link. Free. All welcome. Details.

Tuesday 18 January: Beyond 2022 - The National Archives, with Dr Ciarán Wallace. Host: Foxrock Local History Club. A free online talk starting at 8pm. Non-members welcome - send email to info@foxrocklocalhistory.ie requesting zoom link.

Wednesday 19 January: Tenement beginnings, first session of four-week online course on the history of housing in Dublin, with Donal Fallon. Hosts: Culture Connects/Dublin City Council. 7pm to 8:30pm on consecutive Wednesdays. Details.

Wednesday 19 January: The buildings of Georgian Cork 1714-1830 - city and county, with Frank Keohane. Host: Cork Historical and Archaeological Society. Free and online at 7.30pm. All welcome. Follow @CorkHistArchSoc for zoom link prior to event.

Friday 21 January: National Archives of Library's Reading Room will be closed for an official event from 10am to 2pm.

Monday 24 January: Morristown Lattin: the estate & its tenants in the 18th century, with Dr Emma Lyons. An online lecture hosted by Offaly History as the first of its 2022 Spring programme. All welcome. Free. 7:30pm via Zoom. Email info@offalyhistroy.com for the link.

Tuesday 25 January: Family History through Old Newspapers, with Dr David Hume 7:30pm-9pm. Host: North of Ireland Family History Society, Causeway Coast and Glens Branch. 7:30pm-9pm. Free. All welcome. Send email to Causeway@nifhs.org for link. Details.

Tuesday 25 January: Researching Scots-Irish Ancestors, an online class for intermediate researchers, with John Beatty. Host: Allen County Public Library, Indiana, USA. 2:30pm –3:30pm EST. Free and all welcome. Need to register.

Tuesday 25 January: Fate Unknown: Tracing the Missing after the Holocaust, an online talk with Elise Bath, marking Holocaust Memorial Day. Host: Public Record Office of Northern Ireland. 2-3pm. Free. All welcome. Booking essential. Details.

Wednesday 26 January: Getting Started Workshop - Using Online Resources. A free online workshop designed to help beginner researchers identify, locate and explore the collections held by the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland. 12:30pm. Need to register. (This regular event is usually over-subscribed, so book early.)

Thursday 27 January: Launch of Belfast Workhouse Indexes, a collection with downloadable files that was recently added to PRONI's ecatalogue. Host: Public Record Office of Northern Ireland. 1pm. Free. All welcome. Details and registration.

Thursday 27 January: Researching your Roman Catholic ancestors, an online talk with Joan Sharkey MAGI. Host: National Archives of Ireland's evening lecture series 2022. 6pm. All welcome. Book your free ticket here.

Thursday 27 January: Possessing Ireland: George Petrie and the Translation of Landscape, with Dr Elizabeth Tilley. Hosts: Society for the Study of Nineteenth-Century Ireland (Annual Lecture) and National Library of Ireland. 7pm. Free. All welcome. Need to book. Details.

Friday 28 January: WB Yeats: Folklore and Fairy Tales, with Ruth Concannon. An online talk to mark the 150th anniversary of the poet's death. Host: National Library of Ireland. 2pm. Free. Need to book. Details. Fully booked.

Friday 28 January: The experience of Waterford loyalists in the revolutionary decade 1912-1923, with Dr Pat McCarthy. Host: Waterford Archaeological and Historical Society. An in-person event to be held at St Patrick's Gateway Centre, Patrick St, Waterford City. 6pm. Free. All welcome. Seats allocated on a 'first come' basis. Details.

Monday, 31 January: The traditions and folklore associated with St Brigid's Day (1 Feb), with artish/folklorist Michael Fortune. Host: National Library of Ireland. An online presentation. Free. Starts 7pm. Need to book.

Final 2021 update from Ireland Genealogy Projects Archives

During December, volunteers donated a mix of transcriptions and photos from five counties to the IGPArchives database, as you can see below. An important milestone was also noted with more than 6,000 images of headstone in County Donegal now available to search and view.

Sweeny family stone in Doe RC graveyard, Cresslough,
Co Donegal. Photo courtesy Valerie Ackroyd and IGP Archives.
Click for larger view.

DONEGAL Genealogy Archives - Headstones
Doe R.C. Graveyard, Creeslough

DONEGAL Genealogy Archives - Miscellaneous
Destitution - Persons visited in Meenacung, Ardun & Upper Doore

DUBLIN Genealogy Archives - Headstones
Kilbarrack Cemetery, Sutton, Part 2 (Updated)

FERMANAGH Genealogy Archives - Marriages
Enniskillen Registry Office Marriages 1847-1921
Lisnaskea Registry Office Marriages 1845-1920

MEATH Genealogy Archives - Headstones
Church of the Nativity of Our Lady Graveyard, Kilmessan

MONAGHAN Genealogy Archives - Church Records
Stonebridge Presbyterian Marriages - 1845-1942

Half price New Year's Sale on Ancestry.com 6-month memberships

Ancestry.com has announced a whopping 50% off its 6-month membership subscriptions.

Similar savings are not available via the co.uk site, but they may be on those of other Ancestry 'territories'... I haven't checked.*

The discount reduces the cost of the half-year packages, all to be paid upfront, as follows:

US Discovery: Sale price $49 - reduced from $99
World Explorer: Sale price $74 - reduced from $149
All Access: Sale price $99 - reduced from $199

To take advantage of this half-price offer, be sure to place your order before 11:59pm ET on Monday 10 January. Click the image above to view the terms and conditions.

* 3 January: A similar half price sale has been announced for Ancestry.ca. Details on my Toolkit website. Nothing yet for UK or Australia.

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Early plans to digitise Irish Land Commission records announced

Happy New Year indeed!

The Irish Times has this morning published a feature about the Land Commission archive and its early-stage plans to digitise its vast collection. As one of the BIG trio of major collections still unavailable online (the others being the Registry of Deeds and the Church of Ireland registers), this announcement is absolutely mind-blowing. If the plans run their course, Irish genealogists will have a fabulous new resource at their finger tips.

Read the IT story for more information.

Obviously, I'll be following this story closely and will report news of all developments here on IrishGenealogyNews.