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October 22, 2018

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New Guides to tracing ancestors in Tipperary and Leitrim

By Jim Ryan | Genealogy Books, Genealogy Research | No Comments

Flyleaf Press has published two new guides: to tracing ancestors in Counties Tipperary and Leitrim. Both are filled with information on the records of these counties, and how and where they can be accessed. This includes guidance on Irish archives and on many on-line sources. Both titles are well illustrated with maps and examples of the types of records to be found; and with other background material. They also provide an understanding of the social history of the respective counties and how this history has affected the keeping and survival of records. There is also a comprehensive index.

Tracing your Tipperary Ancestors by Noreen Higgins-McHugh ISBN: 978-1-907990-32-8
Tracing your Leitrim Ancestors by Tom Coughlan ISBN: 978-1-907990-33-5
Both titles are published in the same format and offered at the same retail price: €14.00
160 pages; 227 x 145 mm; paperback; indexed; b/w illustrations.

Dr Noreen Higgins-McHugh is a Tipperary historian with a special interest in genealogy. She is secretary of Tipperary Historical Society, and holds a Master’s Degree in Local History from University of Limerick, and a PhD from University College Cork. Her PhD thesis focused on the 1830s Tithe War in the region. She gives genealogy classes, and writes for Tipperary Historical Journal and other publications. She has also supported the Clans of Ireland organisation; and the local Heritage Office through her membership of the South Tipperary Heritage Forum from 2003-2010. She is author of ‘Tipperary’s Tithe War 1830-1838: Parish Accounts of Resistance against a Church Tax’ (St. Helen’s Press, 2002).

leitrim Tom Coughlan is a professional genealogist with a Diploma in Genealogy and Family History from University College Dublin and significant experience in conducting family history research for international clients. Although he has conducted research in almost every county, his primary interest is Co. Leitrim where his own family roots lie, and where he lives. Tom has also presented genealogy courses and lectures; published articles ; and is a member of the expert team which provides genealogy advice to visitors to the National Library of Ireland. He is also engaged in a long-term, wide-ranging study of aspects of Leitrim’s genealogical story.

Flyleaf Press is the publishing arm of Ancestor Network Ltd. (http://ancestornetwork.ie) which provides research services to personal and professional clients. Flyleaf Press was founded in 1987 and is Ireland’s major specialist publisher of family history and genealogy titles. Flyleaf specialise in high-quality ‘how-to’ guides for research in various counties of Ireland. These are the latest in a series of county guides published by Flyleaf Press, and bring the total number of guides to 15. They include guides for Dublin, Kildare, Limerick, Sligo, Galway, Cork, Clare, Westmeath, Kerry, Limerick, Roscommon, Mayo and Donegal. They also publish reference works ‘Irish Church Records’ ‘Sources for Irish Family History and others. Reviewers of Flyleaf titles have noted that their titles contain ‘…information vital to the researcher, assembled by well-qualified genealogists’ (Books Ireland) while NY Genealogical & Biographical Record have said that “Genealogical Libraries will want to acquire all of them”. See www.flyleaf.ie

Further information:
Dr Jim Ryan
Managing Editor
FLYLEAF PRESS – 4 Spencer Villas, Glenageary, Co. Dublin
Ph. 353 1 2806231 – Mobile 087 2456402 – e-mail: books@flyleaf.ie www.ancestornetwork.ie

Flyleaf Press is the publishing arm of

www.ancestornetwork.ie

Other Flyleaf Titles

Title ISBN

Finding Your Ancestors in Kerry 9781907990083

Finding Your Kildare Ancestors 9781907990076

Finding Your Cork Ancestors 9781907990304

Finding Your Galway Ancestors 9780956362421

Finding Your Sligo Ancestors 9781907990045

Finding Your Westmeath Ancestors 9781907990038

Finding Your Donegal Ancestors 9780953997497

Finding Your Dublin Ancestors 9781907990311

Finding Your Limerick Ancestors 9781907990069

Finding Your Mayo Ancestors 9780956362438

Finding Your Roscommon Ancestors 9780953997473

Finding Your Clare Ancestors 9781907990052

Sources for Irish Family History 9780953997480

Irish Church Records – 2nd Ed (Soft cover) 9780953997413

Irish Church Records 2nd Ed (Hard cover) 9780953997404

Sources for Irish Family History 9780953997421

October 20, 2018

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Workmen's cash book from Fitzwilliam estate, Co. Wicklow, 1796 - 1805. NLI Ms. 4949

Workmen and traders in Coolatin, Co. Wicklow, 1796–1805

By Jim Ryan | Genealogy Research, General Genealogy News | No Comments

Small Sources 36: Below is a list of 114 workmen and traders serving the Fitzwilliam estate, Co. Wicklow in the period 1796 – 1805. The original ledger, which is in the National Library of Ireland (Ref. NLI Ms. 4949) records payments to workmen of the Fitzwilliam Estate at Coolatin over the period 1796 to 1805. The estate farm was located at Coolatin House (see illustration below) in the Civil Parish of Carnew. It is one of a series of similar account books, as previous volumes are referred to in the text. Most of the persons listed have specific accounts detailing the work done and payments made to them (in the debit/contra format) over a period of years. A typical example is above. Some of those listed do not have a specific account, but are referred to in the accounts of others. These are usually noted because the estate has reimbursed one of the workers for a payment made to others (see reference to William Morton in illustration above, for example). Note that there are many such persons listed and the accounts have not been exhaustively searched for such references. In some cases there is no indication as to the trade or work of the person listed in the account, in others it has been possible to guess the occupation from references in the text. The list includes 22 labourers; 18 Masons, 11 Carpenters and an assortment of other tradesmen and suppliers, including a chairmaker, draymen (i.e. a man with a horse and cart), plumbers and painters. The residence of a small number of the account holders is stated and this is indicated after the name. In a few cases (particularly if the name is common) a nickname or relationship is stated, e.g. ‘Red Larry’.

Tracing Your Leitrim Ancestors: the authors view

By Jim Ryan | Genealogy Books, Genealogy Research | No Comments

By Tom Coughlan, Author: Research always seems to throw up the unexpected. Before starting to write Tracing Your Leitrim Ancestors (Flyleaf Press 2018), I believed that Leitrim had always been the least populated county in Ireland – as it is today. However, this is not the case. In 1841 Leitrim had 155,000 residents, making it only the 6^thsmallest county in terms of population. It dropped to 112,000 in 1851, and continued to drop in every subsequent census. Other economic factors during the 20th century continued the decline to a low of around 25,000 in 1996. Since then it has risen to about 32,000. The decline of 28% between 1841 and 1851 can be attributed to the Great Famine of 1845-1849, and its aftermath of emigration and disease. The scale and duration of the impact makes Leitrim one of the most significantly affected. Perhaps the simplest explanation for this can be found in McPartlan’s Statistical Survey of the County Leitrim, 1802, which jokes that land in Leitrim was sold by the gallon and not by the acre. Like many other words written in jest, there is a large element of truth in this. Much of Leitrim is covered in water, and much of the rest is either mountain or bog. It is not a county offering a great living to a farmer, and neither does it support much industry.

New Title – “Tracing your Leitrim Ancestors” now available

By John Hamrock | Genealogy Books | No Comments

New Title – “Tracing your Leitrim Ancestors” now available
By Tom Coughlan

The title is a comprehensive guide to all of the records available for tracing families in County Leitrim and is filled with information on what the records contain, and how and where they can be accessed. This includes guidance on researching in Irish archives and on the many on-line sources now available. It is well illustrated with maps and with examples of the types of records to be found; and with other relevant background material. It also provides background on the social history of Leitrim and how this history has affected the keeping and survival of records. There is also a comprehensive index. This is the latest in a series of county guides published by Flyleaf Press. These include guides for Dublin, Kildare, Limerick, Sligo, Galway, Cork, Clare, Westmeath, Kerry, Limerick, Roscommon, Mayo and Donegal. Read More

July 25, 2018

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Papers of Commissioners of Education in Irl re Raphoe Royal School and estate at Townavilly, Co. Donegal; Boys and girls at Tawnavilly School 1849 NLI Ms 17960 (3)

Register of Tawnawully School, Co. Donegal 1849

By Jim Ryan | Genealogy Research, General Genealogy News | No Comments

Small Sources 34. This is a list of 59 boys and 21 girls attending Townavilly (alias Tawnawully or Tawnawilly) tenantry school in 1st May 1849. The lists are among the papers of the Commissioners of Education in Ireland, which are in the National Library of Ireland – Ms 17,960 (3). The Commissioners were set up in 1813 to manage ‘endowed’ schools, i.e. those that were funded by means of rent from lands they owned. A small number of schools owned such estates, either as a result of charitable donations, or ancient land-grants from the crown. One such was Raphoe Royal School, originally established in Donegal town in 1618, but moved to Raphoe in the 1680s. It still exists as the Royal & Prior Comprehensive School. This blog concerns a separate ‘tenantry school’ established by the Commissioners for the children of tenants on their land. These lands were in Townavilly or Tawnawully, which is a District Electoral Division situated Northwest of Donegal Town and containing 14 townlands. During the 1840s, which was the decade of the Great Famine, the relatively poor land was non-productive and little income was received from the estate. There were around 200 households on the estate at this time. The Annual Report of the Commissioners for 1848-49 notes that they had “… expended large sums in giving employment to tenantry, in squaring the farms, in building and establishing a school for them”. However, they also reported that “ …we regret to be obliged to report that the lawless spirit which so long prevailed in this mountainous district .. has again exhibited itself ….. we have determined to put at the disposal (of the agent) a sum of money by which he may assist in enabling such of the tenantry to emigrate as it is desirable to be removed from the estate”. Their 1849-50 report further states that “… we have felt ourselves coerced, by the peculiarities of the estate and the tenantry resident thereon, to … assist several families in emigrating to America…. And we have further to state that a large number of children continue to receive gratuitous instruction at a school established for us for their benefit”. Their report of 1853/4 seems to suggest that their efforts were successful as they note that the estate ‘.… long in an almost hopeless condition, appears now to hold out a prospect of improvement’. It is not clear which of the children and their families emigrated as a result of the above inducements. A search of the 1901 census found 13 men with the same names still living in the area. These are listed below with their townland of residence and their age in 1901. It is a reasonable presumption that at least the younger of these are the same people. Based on their ages in 1901, they would have been aged between 9 and 19 when attending the school in 1849. Read More

July 11, 2018

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‘Tracing your Leitrim Ancestors’ published by Flyleaf Press

By Jim Ryan | Genealogy Research, General Genealogy News | No Comments

Flyleaf Press have published ‘Tracing your Leitrim Ancestors’ by Tom Coughlan. It is a comprehensive guide to research on the families of county Leitrim, Ireland. It sets out the records available, where they can be accessed both on-line and in archives, and how the available records can be used to best effect in genealogical or family history research. It is fully indexed, richly illustrated with examples of the records available, and contains links to a wide range of on-line resources. It can by purchased from here.

Tom Coughlan is a professional genealogist with a Diploma in Genealogy and Family History from University College Dublin and significant experience in conducting family history research for international clients. Although he has conducted research in almost every Irish county, his primary interest is Co. Leitrim where his own family roots lie, and where he now lives. In addition to research, Tom has presented genealogy courses and lectures; published articles on family history; and is a member of the expert team which provides genealogy advice to visitors to the National Library of Ireland. He is also engaged in a long-term, wide-ranging study of aspects of Leitrim’s genealogical story. Read More