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Ireland Church Records: Difference between revisions
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'''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. | |||
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. | ||
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'''Vestry Minutes''' | '''Vestry Minutes''' | ||
The vestry is the presiding council of a parish. Minutes of vestry meetings often mention parishioners, appointments of parish officers, and other items related to the parish. Occasionally records of births, christenings, marriages, deaths, and burials are included in the minutes. They were divided between the ''Select Vestry ''and the ''General Vestry'', these minutes detail the workings not only of the religious business of the parish, but also the civil functions since they were the State Church. The Select Vestry were a group of Protestants who paid rates and levied small local taxes to support the maintenance of the Church and its officers. The General Vestry imposed a local tax (cess) to maintain local services such as road building/repair, street cleaning, fire brigades, and parish constables. The surviving lists provide a nice census substitute for the civil parish. Records for the poor of the parish and for those who are involved in the administration of the parish are also to be found among the Vestry Minutes. | [[Image:Church of Ireland 3.jpg|thumb|right|308x340px]]The vestry is the presiding council of a parish. Minutes of vestry meetings often mention parishioners, appointments of parish officers, and other items related to the parish. Occasionally records of births, christenings, marriages, deaths, and burials are included in the minutes. They were divided between the ''Select Vestry ''and the ''General Vestry'', these minutes detail the workings not only of the religious business of the parish, but also the civil functions since they were the State Church. The Select Vestry were a group of Protestants who paid rates and levied small local taxes to support the maintenance of the Church and its officers. The General Vestry imposed a local tax (cess) to maintain local services such as road building/repair, street cleaning, fire brigades, and parish constables. The surviving lists provide a nice census substitute for the civil parish. Records for the poor of the parish and for those who are involved in the administration of the parish are also to be found among the Vestry Minutes. | ||
'''Bastardy Bonds''' | '''Bastardy Bonds''' | ||
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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. | 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. | ||
<br><span | <br><span style="font-weight: bold;" class="Apple-style-span">Heritage Centers</span>. Many church of Ireland parish records, as well as catholic parish records, some as far back as the 1790's, as well as census records, are being collected in repositories called Heritage Centers. 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 transcribed and indexed are currently available for on-line research at http://www.brsgenealogy.com/ or [http://www.irish-roots.ie www.irish-roots.ie] for several, but not all, counties. Persons' names on birth, marriage and other records can be located, but a fee is charged to see the full transcription of a record, which may contain much additional helpful information.<br> | ||
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 National Archives, the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland, or other repositories. | 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 National Archives, the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland, or other repositories. | ||
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Original parish registers are in local custody. Sometimes a priest will search parish records for you. Names, addresses, and parishes of priests are listed in the Irish Catholic Directory and Diary. | Original parish registers are in local custody. Sometimes a priest will search parish records for you. Names, addresses, and parishes of priests are listed in the Irish Catholic Directory and Diary. | ||
<span | <span style="font-weight: bold;" class="Apple-style-span">Heritage Centers</span>. Many catholic parish records, some as far back as the 1790's, as well as records of other churches, as well as census records, are being collected in repositories called Heritage Centers. Heritage Centers are part of a country-wide system, the Ireland Family History Foundation, which has begun to digitize millions of the records. The digitized records are currently available for on-line research at http://www.brsgenealogy.com/ . Persons' names on birth, marriage and other records can be located, but a significant fee is charged to see the full record, which may contain much additional helpful information. | ||
Filmed copies of almost all pre-1880 parish records are held by the National Library of Ireland. Filmed copies of pre-1880 parish registers for Northern Ireland are also kept by the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland. Some of the filmed parish registers at the National Library are restricted. To search these registers, you must have written permission from the priest of the parish or the bishop of the diocese in which the registers were kept. | Filmed copies of almost all pre-1880 parish records are held by the National Library of Ireland. Filmed copies of pre-1880 parish registers for Northern Ireland are also kept by the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland. Some of the filmed parish registers at the National Library are restricted. To search these registers, you must have written permission from the priest of the parish or the bishop of the diocese in which the registers were kept. | ||