Public Records in Ireland
First Report of the DKPRI, 1869
What is the history of public records in Ireland?
Too long for me to recount here! Seriously, Ireland was once the envy of the Western world in terms of the richness and depth of public records that had been amassed for nearly a thousand years ... until 1922 *sigh*.
The second half of the 19th century saw a particularly vigorous period of Victorian invention with respect to paperwork - witness the colossal output generated by the reform of probate law and the inception of civil registration. However, there was also a concerted effort to gather up lots of historical documents that were previously held in mostly ecclesiastical and legal hands.
The Public Records (Ireland) Act,1867, created the Public Record Office of Ireland in the Four Courts in Dublin and set out its responsibilities and powers of acquisition. Every year, the Deputy Keeper of the Public Records in Ireland (DKPRI) was required to submit a report to Parliament describing the work of the year, the first of which appeared in 1869.
Too long for me to recount here! Seriously, Ireland was once the envy of the Western world in terms of the richness and depth of public records that had been amassed for nearly a thousand years ... until 1922 *sigh*.
The second half of the 19th century saw a particularly vigorous period of Victorian invention with respect to paperwork - witness the colossal output generated by the reform of probate law and the inception of civil registration. However, there was also a concerted effort to gather up lots of historical documents that were previously held in mostly ecclesiastical and legal hands.
The Public Records (Ireland) Act,1867, created the Public Record Office of Ireland in the Four Courts in Dublin and set out its responsibilities and powers of acquisition. Every year, the Deputy Keeper of the Public Records in Ireland (DKPRI) was required to submit a report to Parliament describing the work of the year, the first of which appeared in 1869.
Page from Appendix to 26th Report (click to enlarge)
Why are these reports valuable for genealogy?
They vary hugely in length and scope and, truth be told, do sometimes run to reams of flowery Victorian language of the sort beloved of civil servants. However, hidden in the pages are detailed accounts of EXACTLY which records were accessioned in particular years. Perversely, this means that, given so much was lost in 1922, you will be able to understand what you are unlikely to find anywhere in an original form. You might also be surprised at the paucity of some classes of records that made their way to the PROI - Rosemary ffolliott wrote that some dioceses gave up very few testamentary records for example. So, whilst we lament the destruction of so many wills, it does rather beg the question as to where those that never made it to the PROI eventually ended up! Who knows, they may be lurking at the end of an Irish rainbow somewhere!
Where is does get more interesting, is that later reports started to add Appendices that could contain some genealogically valuable indexes. Having acquired lots of documents, industrious clerks set about making indexes to make the job of locating them easier. Some of these appendices have been digitised and indexed as online resources. Principally, the grant books for the Dublin Diocese and the Prerogative Court of Armagh were indexed and appeared as appendices to the 26th & 30th and DKPRI reports. These mostly list marriage licences/bonds, wills and administrations, dating from the 18th century onwards, despite the year range stated below.
These are the same resources and have been indexed for searching.
The same records are available to browse for free via the Internet Archive.
You may not learn a great deal from the indexes, as sadly the documents they refer to are long gone, but as this small example illustrates, you will find some names and dates that might help solve a people puzzle somewhere in your tree. In fact, the alphabetical lists can often reveal a run of possible generations, which is what I think is represented in the Brass entries here, for example.
The column headed "Nature of Record" uses codes of which there are many, but the most common are the following.
They vary hugely in length and scope and, truth be told, do sometimes run to reams of flowery Victorian language of the sort beloved of civil servants. However, hidden in the pages are detailed accounts of EXACTLY which records were accessioned in particular years. Perversely, this means that, given so much was lost in 1922, you will be able to understand what you are unlikely to find anywhere in an original form. You might also be surprised at the paucity of some classes of records that made their way to the PROI - Rosemary ffolliott wrote that some dioceses gave up very few testamentary records for example. So, whilst we lament the destruction of so many wills, it does rather beg the question as to where those that never made it to the PROI eventually ended up! Who knows, they may be lurking at the end of an Irish rainbow somewhere!
Where is does get more interesting, is that later reports started to add Appendices that could contain some genealogically valuable indexes. Having acquired lots of documents, industrious clerks set about making indexes to make the job of locating them easier. Some of these appendices have been digitised and indexed as online resources. Principally, the grant books for the Dublin Diocese and the Prerogative Court of Armagh were indexed and appeared as appendices to the 26th & 30th and DKPRI reports. These mostly list marriage licences/bonds, wills and administrations, dating from the 18th century onwards, despite the year range stated below.
These are the same resources and have been indexed for searching.
- Ireland, Diocese of Dublin Wills and Grants, 1272-1858 (FMP=£) Wills and intestacies
- Ireland, Diocese of Dublin Marriage Licences, 1638-1858 (FMP=£) Couples listed for bonds and licences.
- Dublin, Ireland, Probate Record and Marriage License Index, 1270-1858 (Anc=£) Same records combined on Ancestry.
The same records are available to browse for free via the Internet Archive.
- Appendix to the 26th Report (Index to Act or Grant Books and Original Wills of the Diocese of Dublin to 1800)
- Appendix to the 30th Report (Index to Act or Grant Books and Original Wills of the Diocese of Dublin, 1800-1858)
You may not learn a great deal from the indexes, as sadly the documents they refer to are long gone, but as this small example illustrates, you will find some names and dates that might help solve a people puzzle somewhere in your tree. In fact, the alphabetical lists can often reveal a run of possible generations, which is what I think is represented in the Brass entries here, for example.
The column headed "Nature of Record" uses codes of which there are many, but the most common are the following.
- I. = Intestate (therefore a grant of administration would have been made.)
- W. = Will
- O.W. = Original Will
- M.L. = Marriage Licence (be sure to hunt for a church register entry or civil record too, or even a marriage settlement in the Registry of Deeds.)
Where can I access the reports online?
You can also access digital copies of the whole reports via the Internet Archive. Yes, there are reams of them, but this set (minus a couple I haven't located yet) represent the history of the Public Record Office of Ireland virtually right up to its cataclysmic destruction. Work your way through them, checking the description of the contents first, and you may well deepen your understanding of the different types of records. Remember, the Beyond 2022 project is working hard to recreate some of these resources and it would be good to be able to relate new digital replacements back to the originals.
You can also access digital copies of the whole reports via the Internet Archive. Yes, there are reams of them, but this set (minus a couple I haven't located yet) represent the history of the Public Record Office of Ireland virtually right up to its cataclysmic destruction. Work your way through them, checking the description of the contents first, and you may well deepen your understanding of the different types of records. Remember, the Beyond 2022 project is working hard to recreate some of these resources and it would be good to be able to relate new digital replacements back to the originals.
(c) Irish Geneaography - 2022
