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[[Image:Church of Ireland 3.jpg|thumb|right|204x210px]]  
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=== Introduction  ===
== Locating Church of Ireland Records  ==
 
Many Church of Ireland registers were destroyed in the fire at the Public Record Office in Dublin in 1922. To protect against further loss or deterioration, most existing records have been filmed or photocopied and the originals or copies deposited in national repositories in Ireland. Some of the deposited church records are closed to the general public. To search these records, you must obtain written permission from the minister of the parish or the bishop of the diocese over that parish.
 
'''Heritage Centers'''
 
Many Church of Ireland parish records, Catholic parish records, and census records are being collected into repositories called Heritage Centers. Many Heritage Centers are part of a country-wide system -- the Ireland Family History Foundation -- which has begun to transcribe and index millions of the records. The index and transcriptions are currently available for on-line research at [http://www.irish-roots.ie RootsIreland.ie] for several, but not all, counties. After you have registered on the web site, you can search for free, but a fee of 5 Euros is charged to see the full transcription of a record.
 
Ministers were never required to send vestry minutes to Dublin for safekeeping. Consequently, most vestry minutes are in local custody, though some have been deposited at the [http://www.nationalarchives.ie/ National Archives] in Dublin, the [http://www.proni.gov.uk/ Public Record Office of Northern Ireland] in Belfast, or other repositories.
 
'''Online Indexes'''
 
Here is a list of Web sites that include indexes to some Church of Ireland records:
 
*[http://www.rootsireland.ie/ RootsIreland] (the Irish Family History Foundation's searchable database of church records).
*[http://www.irishgenealogy.ie/index.html Irish Genealogy] (for Dublin City and the counties of Carlow and Kerry, so far).
 
'''Family History Library'''
 
Follow these steps to find Church of Ireland records in the collection of the Family History Library.
 
#Go online to the '''[https://www.familysearch.org/#form=catalog FamilySearch Catalog]'''.
#Click '''Place Search'''.
#Type the name of a parish and click '''Search'''.
#Select the name that matches your request.
#Scroll down and select the topic '''Church Records'''.
#Select a title.
#Click '''View Film Notes''' to find the film numbers
#Films may be sent for your use to a [https://www.familysearch.org/locations family history center] near you.
 
'''Writing for Information'''
 
To obtain information from a Church of Ireland record in Ireland, follow these suggestions:
 
*Request a copy of the record from the [http://www.ireland.anglican.org/index.php?do=about&id=42 Representative Church Body Library Representative Church Body Library]. A list of this library's parish records is found in:
**Ryan, James G. ''Irish Records: Sources for Family & Local History''. Salt Lake City, Utah: Ancestry Publishing, 1988. (Family History Library {{FHL|941.5 D23r|disp=book Ref 941.5 D23r}}.)
 
The library also has biographical sketches of Church of Ireland ministers.
 
*Request a copy of the record from the National Archives or the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland. To determine whether the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland has a copy of the record, consult the descriptive catalog of the office's holdings.
 
*Write to a parish minister to see if he will search his parish registers or vestry minutes for you. Ministers' addresses and jurisdictions are listed in the online [http://www.ireland.anglican.org/index.php?do=information.dioceses Church of Ireland Directory].
 
== Introduction  ==


The Church of Ireland was decreed the State Church in Ireland in 1536 by an Act of the Irish Parliament. While members of the Church of Ireland were very much a minority, this granted broad powers to primarily the English settlers to be the ruling class. Among this ruling class, numerous records were created to document the laws enacted and to legitimize the displacement of the Catholic citizens. From this point forth, those not of the State Church (also known as the Established Church) began to slowly regain their privileges.  
The Church of Ireland was decreed the State Church in Ireland in 1536 by an Act of the Irish Parliament. While members of the Church of Ireland were very much a minority, this granted broad powers to primarily the English settlers to be the ruling class. Among this ruling class, numerous records were created to document the laws enacted and to legitimize the displacement of the Catholic citizens. From this point forth, those not of the State Church (also known as the Established Church) began to slowly regain their privileges.  
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Many Church of Ireland (parochial) records are in the hands of the local clergy. Some are deposited in the National Archives, the Representative Church Body Library, Dublin and the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland, Belfast. Church records may contain the following information.  
Many Church of Ireland (parochial) records are in the hands of the local clergy. Some are deposited in the National Archives, the Representative Church Body Library, Dublin and the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland, Belfast. Church records may contain the following information.  


=== Key Historical Dates  ===
== Key Historical Dates  ==


*1534 Henry VIII of England enacts the Act of Supremacy enabling him to become the head of the Church of England.  
*1534 Henry VIII of England enacts the Act of Supremacy enabling him to become the head of the Church of England.  
*1536 Irish Parliament declares Henry VIII head of the Church of Ireland and recognizes it as the State Church in Ireland.  
*1536 Irish Parliament declares Henry VIII head of the Church of Ireland and recognizes it as the State Church in Ireland.  
*1617 Early attempt to require the registration of baptisms, marriages and burials. Efforts are widely ignored by 1620.  
*1617 Early attempt to require the registration of baptisms, marriages and burials. Efforts are widely ignored by 1620.  
*1634 46th Canon of the Irish Church required the recording of “Christenings, Weddings, and Burials.” Copies of the records are to be returned to the Bishop of each Diocese.  
*1634 46th Canon of the Irish Church required the recording of “Christenings, Weddings, and Burials.” Copies of the records are to be returned to the Bishop of each Diocese.  
*1660 Restoration to the English Crown of Charles II. Conditions ease for Catholics.  
*1660 Restoration to the English Crown of Charles II. Conditions ease for Catholics.  
*1661 Reconstitution of Episcopal State Church – A separate commission also investigates Irish land ownership.  
*1661 Reconstitution of Episcopal State Church – A separate commission also investigates Irish land ownership.  
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*1875 Act of Parliament proclaiming that the Church of Ireland parish registers are “public records” and as such must be deposited in the Public Records Office, Dublin. Parochial returns sent to the Bishops of each Diocese (bishop's transcripts) are also required to be deposited in the PRO, Dublin.  
*1875 Act of Parliament proclaiming that the Church of Ireland parish registers are “public records” and as such must be deposited in the Public Records Office, Dublin. Parochial returns sent to the Bishops of each Diocese (bishop's transcripts) are also required to be deposited in the PRO, Dublin.  
*1905 Parish Register Society of Dublin begins the printed publication of Church of Ireland parish registers. They complete sixteen (16) before the destruction of the records in 1922 and abandon the project thereafter.  
*1905 Parish Register Society of Dublin begins the printed publication of Church of Ireland parish registers. They complete sixteen (16) before the destruction of the records in 1922 and abandon the project thereafter.  
*1922 Public Record Office (PRO), Dublin is destroyed by explosion and fire on 21st June during the Irish Civil War. Anti-Treaty forces had occupied the record office portion of the Four-Courts building for more than six-weeks. By 1922, two-thirds of the extant Church of Ireland (1,006 parishes) had been deposited in the PRO for safe-keeping. The number of surviving Church of Ireland registers number 637 with copies of the destroyed registers made prior to deposit numbering 124 and the Public Record Office holding an additional 23 copies of registers. Only three of the known parochial returns survive.  
*1922 Public Record Office (PRO), Dublin is destroyed by explosion and fire on 21st June during the Irish Civil War. Anti-Treaty forces had occupied the record office portion of the Four-Courts building for more than six-weeks. By 1922, two-thirds of the extant Church of Ireland (1,006 parishes) had been deposited in the PRO for safe-keeping. The number of surviving Church of Ireland registers number 637 with copies of the destroyed registers made prior to deposit numbering 124 and the Public Record Office holding an additional 23 copies of registers. Only three of the known parochial returns survive.  
*1939 Representative Church Body Library (RCBL), the official library of the Church of Ireland located in Dublin, begins receiving Church of Ireland parish registers for preservation. As of 2006, the library held over 780 original parish registers or copies/transcripts, many of which pre-date Ireland’s civil registration which began in 1845.
*1939 Representative Church Body Library (RCBL), the official library of the Church of Ireland located in Dublin, begins receiving Church of Ireland parish registers for preservation. As of 2006, the library held over 780 original parish registers or copies/transcripts, many of which pre-date Ireland’s civil registration which began in 1845.


=== Records  ===
== Records  ==


The records that will provide the most vital information include:  
The records that will provide the most vital information include:  


==== Christenings (Baptisms)  ====
=== Christenings (Baptisms)  ===
 
Children were usually christened (baptized) within a few weeks of birth. Some christenings of older children or adults may also be recorded in the details. Parish registers provide at least the name of the person christened and the christening date and usually show father's full name, and mother's first name, and will also often include father's occuaption. Place of residence may be included, but may not be very detailed. Earlier records usually included less detail.


<br>
Children were usually christened (baptized) within a few weeks of birth. Some christenings of older children or adults may also be recorded in the details. Parish registers provide at least the name of the person christened and the christening date and usually show father's full name, and mother's first name, and will also often include father's occupation. Place of residence may be included, but may not be very detailed. Earlier records usually included less detail.


==== Marriages  ====
=== Marriages  ===


Pre-1845 parish registers usually provide only the date of marriage and the names of the bride and groom. Beginning in 1845, parish registers also include the place of marriage; the marital status, occupation, and place of residence; both fathers' occupations; and the names of witnesses (possible relatives). If the father was deceased, that fact was sometimes noted.  
Pre-1845 parish registers usually provide only the date of marriage and the names of the bride and groom. Beginning in 1845, parish registers also include the place of marriage; the marital status, occupation, and place of residence; both fathers' occupations; and the names of witnesses (possible relatives). If the father was deceased, that fact was sometimes noted.  
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*'''By banns'''. Couples were required by law to have the minister announce their intent to marry or post notice of their intent on the church door for three consecutive Sundays before the marriage could take place, unless a special license was obtained. This gave others time to object to the marriage.  
*'''By banns'''. Couples were required by law to have the minister announce their intent to marry or post notice of their intent on the church door for three consecutive Sundays before the marriage could take place, unless a special license was obtained. This gave others time to object to the marriage.  
*'''By license'''. A couple applied to the proper church authority, usually the bishop of the diocese or the Archbishop of Armagh, for a license to marry. An allegation and a bond were drawn up. The '''allegation''' listed the names of the bride and groom, their ages, marital statuses, and intended place of marriage. The '''bond''' was made to insure that all the information given was valid. The license granted permission to marry. Most Irish allegations, bonds, and licenses have been destroyed. However, some abstracts and indexes of these records for various dioceses remain. The indexes include the names of the intended bride and groom and the year their license was issued. To find marriage license indexes and abstracts available at the Family History Library, go to the[https://www.familysearch.org/#form=catalog FamilySearch Catalog] and do a Place Search&nbsp;for 'Ireland' and&nbsp;select the&nbsp;topic of 'Church Records.'&nbsp;
*'''By license'''. A couple applied to the proper church authority, usually the bishop of the diocese or the Archbishop of Armagh, for a license to marry. An allegation and a bond were drawn up. The '''allegation''' listed the names of the bride and groom, their ages, marital statuses, and intended place of marriage. The '''bond''' was made to insure that all the information given was valid. The license granted permission to marry. Most Irish allegations, bonds, and licenses have been destroyed. However, some abstracts and indexes of these records for various dioceses remain. The indexes include the names of the intended bride and groom and the year their license was issued. To find marriage license indexes and abstracts available at the Family History Library, go to the[https://www.familysearch.org/#form=catalog FamilySearch Catalog] and do a Place Search for 'Ireland' and select the topic of 'Church Records.


==== Burials  ====
=== Burials  ===


Burials usually took place in the deceased's parish within a few days of the death. Burial records give the name of the deceased and the date of burial. Sometimes they also give the deceased's age, place of residence, cause of death, and occupation. Occasionally a wife's burial entry will provide the name of the husband, and a child's entry, the name of the father. Stillbirths are sometimes recorded in the burial registers. Stillbirths are not, however, listed in christening records.  
Burials usually took place in the deceased's parish within a few days of the death. Burial records give the name of the deceased and the date of burial. Sometimes they also give the deceased's age, place of residence, cause of death, and occupation. Occasionally a wife's burial entry will provide the name of the husband, and a child's entry, the name of the father. Stillbirths are sometimes recorded in the burial registers. Stillbirths are not, however, listed in christening records.  
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Some church records are in the collection of the Family History Library. The Irish Family History Foundation at [http://www.irish-roots.net www.irish-roots.net] is the coordinating body for a network of government approved genealogical research centers in the Republic of Ireland (Eire) and in Northern Ireland which have computerized millions of Irish names in genealogical records.  
Some church records are in the collection of the Family History Library. The Irish Family History Foundation at [http://www.irish-roots.net www.irish-roots.net] is the coordinating body for a network of government approved genealogical research centers in the Republic of Ireland (Eire) and in Northern Ireland which have computerized millions of Irish names in genealogical records.  


=== Other Church of Ireland Records  ===
== Other Church of Ireland Records  ==


'''Vestry Minutes'''  
'''Vestry Minutes'''  
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'''Bastardy Bonds'''  
'''Bastardy Bonds'''  


These&nbsp;were records of unwed mothers who were interviewed by the Churchwardens to determine the name of the father. In many instances, this may be the only clue to the parentage of an illegitimate child. In a number of cases, the Churchwardens were unable to persuade the mother to name the father and one can only suspect that there were instances when the wrong father was named.<br>
These were records of unwed mothers who were interviewed by the Churchwardens to determine the name of the father. In many instances, this may be the only clue to the parentage of an illegitimate child. In a number of cases, the Churchwardens were unable to persuade the mother to name the father and one can only suspect that there were instances when the wrong father was named.<br>


'''Pew Schedules&nbsp;'''  
'''Pew Schedules'''  


These often provide a map of the location of the pews in the chancel and give the names of the parishioners who paid a fee for the pew and identify which pew&nbsp;they were assigned to for services.  
These often provide a map of the location of the pews in the chancel and give the names of the parishioners who paid a fee for the pew and identify which pew they were assigned to for services.  


'''Parish Deeds'''  
'''Parish Deeds'''  


The parish deeds&nbsp;are to be found both in the parish and in the Registry of Deeds, Henrietta Street, Dublin, Ireland. These are particularly useful for the tracing of prominent families prior to the beginning of the parish registers themselves. They are less significant for the general lay member. In some instances, parish property was sublet to tenants and the deeds in some rare examples may identify the&nbsp;names of tenants.<br>
The parish deeds are to be found both in the parish and in the Registry of Deeds, Henrietta Street, Dublin, Ireland. These are particularly useful for the tracing of prominent families prior to the beginning of the parish registers themselves. They are less significant for the general lay member. In some instances, parish property was sublet to tenants and the deeds in some rare examples may identify the names of tenants.


=== Web Sites For More Information  ===
== Web Sites For More Information  ==


The following are Web sites that tell you more about Church of Ireland records.  
The following are Web sites that tell you more about Church of Ireland records.  
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*[http://www.fourcourtspress.ie/searchproducts.php?intLowerLimit=0&intUpperLimit=10&strSearchText=church+of+Irelandl www.four-courts-press.ie/cgi/bookshow.cgi?file=churchIreland.xml]&nbsp;
*[http://www.fourcourtspress.ie/searchproducts.php?intLowerLimit=0&intUpperLimit=10&strSearchText=church+of+Irelandl www.four-courts-press.ie/cgi/bookshow.cgi?file=churchIreland.xml]&nbsp;


=== Locating Church of Ireland Records  ===
Many Church of Ireland registers were destroyed in the fire at the Public Record Office in Dublin in 1922. To protect against further loss or deterioration, most existing records have been filmed or photocopied and the originals or copies deposited in national repositories in Ireland. Some of the deposited church records are closed to the general public. To search these records, you must obtain written permission from the minister of the parish or the bishop of the diocese over that parish.
'''<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold">Heritage Centers</span>'''
Many Church of Ireland parish records, Catholic parish records,&nbsp;and census records are being collected into repositories called Heritage Centers. Many Heritage Centers are part of a country-wide system&nbsp;--&nbsp;the Ireland Family History Foundation&nbsp;--&nbsp;which has begun to transcribe and index millions of the records. The index and transcriptions are currently available for on-line research at&nbsp;[http://www.irish-roots.ie RootsIreland.ie] for several, but not all, counties. After you have registered on the web site, you can search for free, but a fee of 5 Euros is charged to see the full transcription of a record.
Ministers were never required to send vestry minutes to Dublin for safekeeping. Consequently, most vestry minutes are in local custody, though some have been deposited at the [http://www.nationalarchives.ie/ National Archives] in Dublin, the [http://www.proni.gov.uk/ Public Record Office of Northern Ireland] in Belfast, or other repositories.
'''Online Indexes'''
Here is a list of Web sites that include indexes to some Church of Ireland records:
*[http://www.rootsireland.ie/ RootsIreland] (the Irish Family History Foundation's searchable database of church records).
*[http://www.irishgenealogy.ie/index.html Irish Genealogy] (for Dublin City and the counties of Carlow and Kerry, so far).
'''Family History Library'''
Follow these steps to find Church of Ireland records in the collection of the Family History Library.
#Go online to the '''[https://www.familysearch.org/#form=catalog FamilySearch Catalog]'''.
#Click '''Place Search'''.
#Type the name of a parish and click '''Search'''.
#Select&nbsp;the name that matches your request.
#Scroll down and select the topic '''Church Records'''.
#Select a title.
#Click '''View Film Notes''' to find the film numbers
#Films may be sent for your use to a [https://www.familysearch.org/locations family history center] near you.
'''Writing for Information'''
To obtain information from a Church of Ireland record in Ireland, follow these suggestions:
*Request a copy of the record from the [http://www.ireland.anglican.org/index.php?do=about&id=42 Representative Church Body Library Representative Church Body Library]. A list of this library's parish records is found in:
**Ryan, James G. ''Irish Records: Sources for Family &amp; Local History''. Salt Lake City, Utah: Ancestry Publishing, 1988. (Family History Library {{FHL|941.5 D23r|disp=book Ref 941.5 D23r}}.)
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The library also has biographical sketches of Church of Ireland ministers.
*Request a copy of the record from the National Archives or the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland. To determine whether the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland has a copy of the record, consult the descriptive catalog of the office's holdings.
*Write to&nbsp;a parish&nbsp;minister&nbsp;to see if he will search his parish registers or vestry minutes for you. Ministers' addresses and jurisdictions are listed in the online&nbsp;[http://www.ireland.anglican.org/index.php?do=information.dioceses Church of Ireland Directory].&nbsp;&nbsp;


=== Selected Bibliography  ===
== Selected Bibliography  ==


1. Begley, Donal F., editor. ''Irish Genealogy – A Record Finder''. Dublin: Heraldic Artists Limited, 1981.  
1. Begley, Donal F., editor. ''Irish Genealogy – A Record Finder''. Dublin: Heraldic Artists Limited, 1981.  
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