Irish Placenames Database

Irish Geography Terminology

Counties: There are 32 counties in Ireland.

Barony: A subdivision of a county. There are 331 Baronies in Ireland. A Barony can cross county lines.

Civil Parishes: There are 2508 of them in Ireland and they also do not follow county lines.

Townlands: There are over 60,000 and some have the same names. Despite their name they may not contain towns. People identified closely with their townland or village and they are often the most specific address available for rural dwellers.

Cities, Towns & Boroughs : Cities contain Boroughs and/or wards. Some towns have several parishes and some parishes have several towns!

Poor Law Unions: Also known as Superintendent Registrar’s Districts, there are 163 unions that are independent to any previously set up division in Ireland. Under the Poor Relief Act of 1838, Ireland was divided into unions in which the local taxable inhabitants were to be financially responsible for all paupers in the area. In 1898 the Poor Law Union was adopted as the basic administrative division in place of the civil parish and barony. Further subdivision into 828 registration districts and 3,751 district electoral divisions followed.

Dispensary District: A subdivision of Poor Unions, later known as Registrar’s District.

Archdioceses: There are four of these that are similar to the provinces.

Diocese: 22 dioceses within the four archdioceses.

Parish: Diocese are subdivided into parishes. Civil Parishes and Parishes do NOT always have the same boundaries.

Database lookups at http://expertgenealogy.com/Free/Placenames.htm

Map selections at;
Baronies for that County http://expertgenealogy.com/Free/IrelandBaronies.htm or
Townlands for that County http://expertgenealogy.com/Free/IrelandTownlands.htm or
Parishes for that County http://expertgenealogy.com/Free/IrelandParishes.htm

Making Genealogy Connections

First, let’s get our terminology straight.
What is the difference between the Internet and the World Wide Web?

* The Internet is a collection of interconnected computer networks.
* The World Wide Web is a network of interconnected web pages.

What are the main Internet communications tools and how can they help us? They are summarized in the following;
Task Internet Tool
Find Family History Records – World Wide Web
Find unknown relatives – Researcher Web Directories
Communicate with relatives – e-mail
Find people with common interests – e-mail lists, message boards and newsgroups

The Web

With the web, users retrieve web pages from Internet servers. Users control what they get by clicking on links or typing in web addresses. The web pages are displayed by an internet browser such as Internet Explorer.

E-mail

With e-mail, messages are sent between individuals or groups. The sender controls what is sent and who it is sent to.

More at http://expertgenealogy.com/Free/Connect.htm

The WorldGenWeb Project

The WorldGenWeb Project at worldgenweb.org is dedicated to providing genealogical resources! The GenWeb goal is to have every region in the world represented by a website and hosted by researchers who are familiar with the region. The world is divided into countries, province/states/counties etc. each having web sites identifying genealogy resources.

This one link, worldgenweb.org, provides access to genealogy web sites representing different parts of the world. This is an important source of regional information and often includes links to online databases.

Because the management of GenWeb is distributed to local coordinators, there are great differences between one region and another.

USGenWeb archives search is at http://www.rootsweb.com/~usgenweb.
Information comes from Census records, Church records, Marriages records, Maps, Obituaries, Pension Records, and Special Collections.

The WorldGenWeb Digital Library (Archives) at http://www.worldgenweb.org/archives was intended to present actual transcriptions of public domain records on the Internet, but has few records and has not been updated since 2001. The USGenWeb and CanadaGenWeb have active archives web sites.

Further information at http://expertgenealogy.com/Free/GenWeb.htm

Genealogical Research and Slovak Translation Service

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Genealogical Research and Slovak Translation Service

SLOVAK GENEALOGY AND TRANSLATION SERVICES

If you are interested in your family tree, family history, ancestral past, having documents and letters translated or help to locate relatives and family members still living in the Slovak Republic, you have come to the right place. We provide Genealogy Research to trace your family history and upon completion we will send you a completed Ancestral Report containing your Personal Ancestral Chart, Family Group Sheets and Pedigree Charts listing all names and pertinent information on your Ancestors. In addition copies of church records containing baptismal, marriage and death information will also be included in your report. Research is conducted in those former areas of the Austria – Hungarian Empire and Czechoslovakia which are now present day Slovakia. We also provide a translation service to translate documents and letters into English, Slovak or Czech . If you are trying to find distant relatives and family members still living in Slovakia we will use our resources to help find them and put you in touch with them. We will also help you with any correspondence and letter writing that you may wish to do with your new found relatives.

Family History original sources in all parts of UK and Ireland

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Old-established, reputable firm with access to Family History original sources in all parts of UK and Ireland

We have traced the ancestry of more than seven thousand families from all walks of life. Each case is supervised by one of our team of experienced professionals, and we maintain the highest standards of proof to make sure that your family has been traced accurately.

In recent years, genealogy has been energised by the release of many records online, and a number of new organisations have sprung up offering to search these readily available resources.

The online sources still represent only a fraction of the material available to the experienced genealogist. Local archives hold a wealth of original records, most of which require specific expertise to interpret.

We have access to the full range of records in the UK and Ireland, from medieval times to the present, and we also undertake research in the countries to which ancestors emigrated: North America, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.

We offer a choice of fixed-budget research programmes, at the end of which we provide:

·a bound report setting out and analysing the results of research in full detail
·a detailed pedigree chart in calligraphic font
·copies of documents
·a full list of sources
·advice on further research if appropriate and required

A free assessment service is available, online or by post.

Genealogist researching at the Family History Library

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Accredited Genealogist researching at the Family History Library, Salt Lake City

Heritage Consulting is a professional family history research organization experienced in helping you learn more about your family’s heritage

Professional Family History Research

Don’t have access to the necessary sources? Frustrated by ‘hitting brick walls’ in your research? Don’t have the time or desire to do your own research? WE CAN HELP!

Our professional researchers have extensive experience in locations and languages worldwide, and can often find answers that are frequently hidden from the casual observer.

Family History Consulting

When you spend time and money visiting Salt Lake City to do your own family history research, we have professional consultants available at a modest hourly rate to help you find information sources, translate foreign language documents, and make your precious research time much more rewarding. Don’t just spin your wheels!

Frequently Asked Questions

We are here to answer your research questions and to help you in your research challenges. Here you will find answers to a number of questions that we are asked quite regularly. If you have additional questions, please send us an email or letter and we will respond promptly.

To place an order or get questions answered concerning research projects, or the heritage learning library cds, please call

Are you a beginning family historian or have you been “digging for your roots” for years? In either case, you may want to look to a professional genealogist for assistance. The consultants at Heritage Consulting and Services can bring more than 100 years of family history experience to bear on your particular research challenge. From complete, bound research projects destined to become a family heirloom to specific record searches, we can help you in your discovery process. Our professionals are able to deal with foreign languages, difficult-to-read script, and hard-to-find records that may have been stumbling blocks to your efforts. We understand the histories, migrations, governments and record sources available throughout the world.

Our goal is to help you in your research challenges by providing information, helping you understand the information that has been found and showing you the methodologies of genealogy.

Professional research is provided through two methods: Record Searches – A single search comprised of a specific name, record source and time period.
Research projects – Full-scale endeavors which encompass numerous names or a full line.
Both formats are available for most geographical regions around the world.

Spain & Portugal Genealogical Research

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Spain & Portugal Genealogical Research conducted primarily at the Family History Library in Salt Lake City.

Accredited Genealogist with 20 years experience. Will research Parish and or Civil Registers, and any other source of genealogical information, like military records, etc. Translations of documents are also available. Research on location in Spain can be done by arrangement.

* Translations: Translation of documents from Spanish or Portuguese to English. Any type of documents, letter, certificate, military record, town description, etc.

* Family History: No genalogy is complete without historical and place facts that will make the whole a family treasure for generations.

* Coat of Arms: These emblems are a very special symbol of the nobility and origin of a lineage in Spain. Once the place of origin of the surname is known, the associated Coat of Arms may be identified.

Devon England Genealogy Services

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Devon Origins Genealogy Services

I am a family historian based in South Devon. I have 25 years experience of genealogical research, having traced branches of my own family and those of colleagues and friends. I have researched families as far afield as India and South Africa. I have studied history and social sciences to degree level, and have been trained in research methods, so you may be assured that my findings will be backed up by rigorous checking of the evidence. My knowledge of local and national social, economic and political history enables me to set your ancestors’ lives in context and provide some flesh to the bones.

I am able to research your family using local and national records as well as Internet sources.

I am able to visit the following repositories in South West England:

DEVON RECORD OFFICE Exeter (30 mins away)
WESTCOUNTRY STUDIES LIBRARY Exeter (30 mins away)
PLYMOUTH LOCAL STUDIES LIBRARY (1 hour away)
PLYMOUTH AND WEST DEVON RECORD OFFICE (1 hour away)
SOMERSET RECORD OFFICE Taunton (1 hour away)
SOMERSET STUDIES LIBRARY Taunton (1 hour away)
DORSET HISTORY CENTRE (1 hour 30 mins away)
NORTH DEVON RECORD OFFICE Barnstaple (1 hour 30 mins away)

Scottish genealogical research

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Researcher with over 25 years experience in Scottish genealogical research

I have worked in and travelled throughout Scotland for 50 years and, as a result, have a close and intimate knowledge of the local geography, history, place names and people of Scotland. This can be a most useful asset when building a broader picture of a family and its history.

I undertake research for all parts of Scotland into all aspects of Genealogy and family history. Some of these and some of the records to which I have ready access are listed on my services page.

I also undertake research in more obscure records to try to progress research which has, apparently, been halted by “lack of records”. I am a specialist in solving difficult problems.

ANCESTRY RESEARCH/FAMILY HISTORY

I can research your ancestry/family history as far back as you wish to go or the records will allow. Typically, these would use, first, statutory and Old Parish Registers; census records, monumental inscriptions; Kirk Session records, property records etc.and develop into many other available records. The research can be basic or more detailed to reveal more of your ancestors lives, conditions, explanations of occupations etc.

LIVING RELATIVES

“AND SOME STAYED AT HOME – COME FORWARD TO GO BACK.”

Remember that not all members of a family left Scotland. Siblings of emigrants may have remained here and by finding their living descendants the present can be used to find the past. This can be most rewarding – in human terms and as a means of finding information about early generations – often not available in the records.

PROBLEM SOLVING SERVICE

I specialise in solving particularly difficult research problems. I live and work in Edinburgh where all the Scottish records are held. I have ready access to the very wide range of records available here. I can use these to try to find ways around difficult problems. Sometimes, a problem can be overcome by moving from the main research line, taking a different route, and returning to the main line at a later stage.

Ancestry | Family history | Living relatives | Sighting and copying of certificates etc. | Army records | Testaments (Wills). | Property records. | Judiciary records. | Old newspapers (Obituaries, death notices & event reports.) | Non conformist denomination records. | Monumental inscriptions. | Kirk Session records. | Old maps. | University, school and professional organisations

Heir locator and forensic genealogist in Ireland

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Heir locator and forensic genealogist in Ireland

Dublin, Ireland, is ideally situated to research and locate Irish next-of-kin. Specialising in genealogical research to establish kinship in international probate cases and intestate estates.

We offer a full service in all aspects of Irish and international probate research. Our staff also undertake general genealogical research in the 26 counties of Ireland post 1864 particularly in civil registration. All Irish birth, marriage and death certificates can be obtained and appostiled as required.