Public records: non-departmental
About non-departmental public records
The Public Record Office of Northern Ireland (PRONI) holds a wide and varied range of public records beyond those created by government departments – for example, records of the courts of law, local authorities and non-departmental public bodies like the Sports Council.These archives provide an extremely useful and unique insight into the economic and social life of Northern Ireland.
As with departmental public records, non-departmental public records selected for permanent preservation must be transferred to PRONI under the Public Records Act (Northern Ireland) 1923 (80KB) 
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.Non-departmental records are catalogued according to their abbreviated initials (for example, the Boards of Guardians archive bears the reference prefix BG).
Since the foundation of Northern Ireland, a number of bodies have merged, changed their names or function or become defunct, however, their files and papers still retain the original classification scheme. New reference letters have been allocated to the new body. This is usually indicated in the introductions to the records of each organisation found in the catalogues.
Under the terms of the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act 2000, you can request to see public records which have been closed for a period of 30-100 years under the pre-FOI system.
Examples of notable non-departmental public records include:
Crown and Peace Courts
- generally from the last quarter of the nineteenth century through to the modern day
- classified by county and by type of case (Criminal, Civil, Coroner’s Inquest, etc.) up until 1978
- replaced by a new crown and county court system from 1978
Boards of Guardians
- the records of Poor Law relief administered in Northern Ireland from 1838-1948
- Northern Ireland was divided into 27 Poor Law Unions
Local Authorities
- the records of county, urban and rural district and borough councils from 1898
- document the history of local government in Northern Ireland
- in the past, local authorities had many more functions than the councils of today, covering many important areas of life such as social services, housing and education
Schools
- the records of national, public elementary and primary schools from the 1860s onwards
- records relating to schools prior to the introduction of the national school system in 1831 can also be found in some privately deposited archives.
Hospitals
- records of the various hospitals (including mental hospitals) in Northern Ireland
List of non-departmental public records held by PRONI
| Archive Title | PRONI Reference Prefix |
|---|---|
| Air Ministry (G.B.) | AM |
| Antrim Crown and Peace | ANT |
| Appeal Records, Supreme Court of Judicature | APP |
| Area Education and Library Boards | AELB |
| Area Health and Social Services Boards | AHSSB |
| Armagh Crown and Peace | ARM |
| Armagh District Probate Registry | TARM |
| Armagh Observatory | OB |
| Arts Council of N.I. | AC |
| Association of Chief Executives, Education and Library Boards | ACE |
| Association of N.I. Education and Library Boards | ASELB |
| Bankruptcy Records, Supreme Court of Judicature | BANK |
| Belfast College of Technology | BCT |
| Belfast Crown and Peace | BELF |
| Belfast District Probate Registry | TBEL |
| Boards of Guardians | BG |
| Central Council for Education and Training in Social Work in N.I. | CCETSW |
| Central Office of Information, London | COINF |
| Chancery Division Records, Supreme Court of Judicature | CH |
| Chief Electoral Officer | CEO |
| Civil Aviation Authority | AA |
| Clerk to the Crown | CC |
| Commonwealth War Graves Commission | WGC |
| Community Relations Commission | CREL |
| Community Relations Council | CRC |
| Crown Courts | CRCT |
| Development Commissions | DC |
| District Electoral Areas Commission | DEAC |
| Down Crown and Peace | DOW |
| Electricity Board for N.I. | NIE |
| Enterprise Ulster | EU |
| Exchequer and Audit Department | EXA |
| Fermanagh Crown and Peace | FERM |
| Fire Authority for N.I. | FA |
| Fisheries Conservancy Board | FCB |
| Foyle Fisheries Commission | FFC |
| General Consumer Council for N.I. | GCC |
| General Post Office | GPO |
| Harbour Commissioners’ Records | HAR |
| Health and Safety Agency for N.I. | HSA |
| Historic Monuments Council | HMC |
| Home Guard (Ulster), Ministry of Defence | HG |
| Hospital Records | HOS |
| Judgements, Supreme Court of Judicature | JGT |
| King’s Bench Division Records, Supreme Court of Judicature | KB |
| Labour Relations Agency | LRA |
| Lands Tribunal for N.I. | LT |
| Library and Information Services Council (NI) | LISC |
| Livestock Marketing Commission | LMC |
| Local Authority Records | LA |
| Local Enterprise Development Unit | LEDU |
| Local Government Boundary Commissions | LGBC |
| Local Government Staff Commission | LGSC |
| Londonderry Crown and Peace | LOND |
| Londonderry District Probate Registry | TDER |
| Magee University College Presbyterian Trust | MPT |
| Man Made Fibres Producing Industry Training Board (N.I.) | MFTB |
| Matrimonial Office, Supreme Court of Judicature | MAT |
| Mental Health Commission | MHC |
| Mental Health Review Tribunal | MHRT |
| Milk Marketing Board for N.I. | MMB |
| Miscellaneous records, Supreme Court of Judicature | MISC |
| N.I. Agricultural Trust | AT |
| N.I. Assembly | NIA |
| N.I. Audit Office | AO |
| N.I. Central Services Agency | CSA |
| N.I. Certification Office for the Trade Unions | CO |
| N.I. Commissioner for Complaints | NICC |
| N.I. Council for Continuing Education | CCE |
| N.I. Council for Educational Development / Curriculum Council | CURC |
| N.I. Council for Educational research | NICER |
| N.I. Council for the Curriculum, Examinations and Assessment | CCEA |
| N.I. Court Service | CS |
| N.I. Economic Council | ECNI |
| N.I. General Health Services Board | HSB |
| N.I. Health and Social Services Training Council | HSTC |
| N.I. Health Promotion Agency | HPA |
| N.I. Housing Council | HC |
| N.I. Housing Executive | HE |
| N.I. Parliamentary Commissioner for Administration | PCA |
| N.I. Seed Potato Marketing Board | SPMB |
| N.I. Tourist Board | TOUR |
| N.I. Training Authority | NITA |
| N.I. Transport Holding Company | THC |
| N.I. Tuberculosis Authority | TBA |
| N.I. Youth Council | NIYC |
| N.I. Youth Employment Service Board | YESB |
| National Assistance Board | NAB |
| National Board for Nursing, Midwifery and Health Visiting | NBN |
| Pigs Marketing Board | PMB |
| Planning Appeals Commission | PAPC |
| Principal Probate Registry, Belfast | TPRN |
| Privacy Council of N.I. | PRI |
| Rent Officer for N.I. | RO |
| Road Safety Council | RSC |
| Royal Commission on Civil Liability | LCO |
| Royal Commission on Gambling | RC |
| School Records | SCH |
| Schools Examination Council | SEC |
| Sports Council for N.I. | SCNI |
| Staff Commission for Education and Library Boards | STCE |
| Testamentary General | TG |
| Testamentary Will Calendars | TWC |
| Tyrone Crown and Peace | TYR |
| Ulster Folk and Transport Museum | UFTM |
| Ulster Museum | UM |
| Ulster Savings Council | SAV |
| Ulster Transport Authority | UTA |
| Unproved Wills | TUW |
| Water Commissioners | WAT |
