Genealogy

More than 60% of the visitors to PRONI are interested in researching their family tree. Although most of the 1841 - 1891 census returns were pulped into waste paper during the First World War or were destroyed later during the Irish Civil War, there are a number of ways for an enterprising genealogist to get round this problem.

One of the most important collections held at PRONI is the Church Records. Of particular interest to researchers are the registers of baptisms, marriages and burials. These were kept by most of the denominations in Ireland and many of those for the nine counties of UIster and indeed elsewhere in Ireland have been copied by PRONI or, in some cases, are deposited in PRONI.

There are also census-substitutes, such as Muster Rolls, Militia Lists, and Tithe Applotment Books which provide useful genealogical information dating from the seventeenth century. Of particular importance is the 1901 census which is available on microfilm for the whole of Northern Ireland, and which contains names and details of individuals who were born during the reign of George III.