The
Ulster Covenant
Search hints & tips
To carry out a search, input the search criteria in the appropriate field(s) and click on the Find button. The Ulster Covenant can be searched by any of the following but Surname is the most straightforward and, therefore, the recommended method:
- Surname (*Recommended method)
- Forename
- Gender
- Address
Addresses can be difficult to search because, in some cases, the name of a town is given, but not the street, whereas in others the street name is given, but no town.
Searching is also possible by Parliamentary Division, District and Agent in Charge although this can be difficult because of lack of consistency in the original recording method.
Searching is also possible by Parliamentary Division, District and Agent in Charge although this can be difficult because of lack of consistency in the original recording method.
Refining Search
You may enter more than one search criterion. Refining your search is recommended in order to restrict results to a manageable number, e.g. searching simply on surname for 'Wilson', returns in excess of 5,500 hits, whereas searching for surname 'Wilson' and forename 'Joseph' would return 106 hits.Wildcard Search
A 'wildcard' feature has been built into the search facility. This feature may help you to find a name or address when you are unsure of the spelling. For example, inputting 'Bally' in the address field will retrieve addresses such as Ballymena, Ballymoney, Ballycross. The wildcard feature is built into each of the following search fields: Surname, Forename and Address.Sort Search Results
Sort options are available on the search the covenant page. You can sort your search results alphabetically, by surname, forename, gender, address, parliamentary division, district, place of signing or agent in charge. Results can be organised into ascending or descending order.Download Viewer
Images can be viewed as 'png' (Portable Network Graphics) - a web optimised version of the document, or 'DjVu' - an image of the original scanned document. To view images using DjVu you must first download a DjVu viewer. You can do this by clicking on the DjVu download button found on the Results pages.Other Search Features
- Selecting the Clear button resets all search fields to their default values.
- You can specify the number of Results per Page by selecting an alternative value from the drop-down menu. The default value of 10 can be changed up to a value of 50.
- Once a set of results has been returned it is possible to select the Modify Search button at the bottom of the results page. This allows you to further refine their search without having to retype the original search criteria.
- Once an image has been opened, you can save a copy of the image to your local hard disk by clicking on the image with the right-mouse button. Select the ‘Save File As’ option and save as a DjVu image.
- You can print a copy of the image/s if required. Closing the image window will take you back to the results page.
- When printing (and viewing) from the DjVu images you will need the DjVu download. Use the Printer icon in the DjVu viewing screen to print, ensuring that "Reduce to Fit" is selected from the DjVu printer dialogue box.
- When printing from the PNG (Portable Network Graphics - image), you will need to "right click" on the image with your mouse and go to the printer properties dialogue box. Ensure that the settings are correct for reducing the image to fit on one page. This may differ for various operating systems/printers.
General Information
This database of names was created by transcribing nearly half a million original signatures. This massive task was complicated by the fact that the handwriting varies in quality, with many of the signatures bordering on illegibility: some were signed by the aged and infirm; in other cases members of the same family seem to have spelt their surnames in different ways.Townland names are similarly affected: consistency is absent; in most cases the names are spelt as they were pronounced locally, rather than in conformity with the official standardised spelling. A degree of subjectivity has, therefore, been used in interpreting names and addresses, and the result is far from perfect.
If you have any corrections and/or comments you wish to submit, please do so by filling in an amendments form.
