Ireland Research Outline - Church Records

Church records are an excellent source of names, dates, and places. In
fact, church records are the primary source for pre-civil registration
(pre-1864) Irish research.

Church records include records of births or christenings, marriages, and
sometimes deaths or burials. These records were kept in registers,
usually called parish registers. Church records may include other types
of records such as religious census returns, emigration lists, and
session or vestry minutes.

Presbyterian Records

In 1605 Scottish Presbyterians began a massive migration into Northern
Ireland. Congregations were organized at that time, but only a few
congregations, mostly in County Antrim, kept early records. Most
congregations started keeping records in the early 1800s.

In the 1700s and early 1800s several groups split off from the
Presbyterian church. Seceding, non-subscribing, and reformed
congregations were formed in many areas of Northern Ireland. These
congregations kept their own records. In 1840 most of these
congregations rejoined the main body of Irish Presbyterians. For a
discussion and the names of the seceding, non-subscribing, and reformed
Presbyterian congregations in Ireland, see the following book:

Stewart, David. The Seceders in Ireland. Belfast: Presbyterian
Historical Society, 1950.(FHL book 941.5 K2ste; computer number
0171108.)

The following book lists Presbyterian congregations in Ireland and their
ministers:

A History of Congregations in the Presbyterian Church in Ireland
1610-1982. Belfast:
Presbyterian Historical Society of Ireland, 1982. (FHL book 941.5 K2h;
computer number 0199388.)

Records kept by Presbyterian ministers include birth, baptism, and
marriage records. These records are similar in content to Church of
Ireland records except that mothers'maiden names are often given in the
birth and baptism records.

Session Minutes

The session is the presiding council of a Presbyterian congregation.
Minutes of session meetings often mention members of the congregation,
appointments of committee members, and other items of congregational
business. Occasionally records of births,christenings, and marriages are
included in the minutes.Most session minutes are in local custody.

Locating Presbyterian Records

Presbyterian ministers have custody of original Presbyterian records.
James G. Ryan, ed., Irish Church Records lists the Presbyterian records
in local custody. The jurisdictions and addresses of local ministers can
be found in The Presbyterian Church in Ireland: Directory and
Statistics.

The Public Record Office of Northern Ireland has microfilm or paper
copies of most of the Presbyterian registers for Northern Ireland and
for the counties of Donegal, Cavan, and Monaghan. For a list of the
office's Presbyterian records, see James G. Ryan, ed., Irish Church
Records.

The Presbyterian Historical Society has copies of some of the
Presbyterian and seceding Presbyterian records for Northern Ireland. The
society's holdings are not complete. To determine which records the
society possesses, contact the society at the following address:

       Presbyterian Historical Society
       Room 218
       Church House
       Fisherwick Place
       Belfast BT1 6DW
       NORTHERN IRELAND

The Family History Library also has copies of some Presbyterian records.
These are listed in the Locality Search of the catalog under IRELAND,
[COUNTY], [PARISH], [TOWN] - CHURCH RECORDS.

 Irish Church Records
We have just released a new edition of this title.
The relevant address is:

http://www.flyleaf.ie/irchre.htm

James Ryan
Managing Editor; Flyleaf Press
e-mail:   flyleaf@indigo.ie
Phone/Fax:  (353 1) 283 1693
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Note: For additional detailed information about locating church records
in Ireland, Presbyterian as well as other religious denominations, see
the LDS Family History Research Outline for Ireland on-line:
http://www.familysearch.org/
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Ulster Historical Foundation:

In addition to having access to civil records of birth, death and
marriages, valuation and tithe records the Ulster Historical Foundation
is in the process of computerising the
following church records:

                   Roman Catholic records commencing in 1798
                   Church of Ireland records commencing in 1637
                   Presbyterian records from 1675 and
                   Non-Subscribing Presbyterian records from 1757.

They will research these for a fee. They also have a number of
excellent books available at reasonable prices.
See: http://www.mayo-ireland.ie/Geneal/AntmDown.htm
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