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GENEALOGY
 The Library has an extremely important genealogical collection. Most of it is on open access, with many items available for loan (Level 4):
Primary Sources
These include the Blackwood Pedigrees, a collection of over 1000 manuscript family trees; and an index to births, marriages and deaths in the Belfast News Letter, covering the years 1738-1864. The Greeves Pedigrees are another important collection of Ulster family trees.
A more recent Belfast News Letter Index covers births, marriages and deaths from 1945-1960. We have transcripts of the parish registers for Belfast Parish Church (1745-1799), Seaforde Church (1760-1938), and Clough Presbyterian and Non-Subscribing Presbyterian Congregations (1791-1934). A register of deaths (1693-1862) and marriages (1727-1862) of persons in Downpatrick and neighbourhood is also available. The Irish Presbyterian Fasti is an index to over 3000 ministers.
Secondary Sources
Of our published sources, special mention should be made of the 1796 Spinning Wheel Premium Entitlement Lists (this is currently being conserved, and therefore not available). These are lists of almost 60,000 names of individuals granted free spinning wheels by the government with the intention of encouraging the linen trade. We have one of the two surviving copies, and an alphabetical index on microfiche to all the names listed. Griffiths Valuation is a nineteenth-century survey of all rateable property in Ireland; Ireland's Memorial Records names all Irish servicemen killed in the First World War. There are over 400 histories of individual families, many privately printed. Other works include gravestone inscriptions, indexes to wills, army and navy lists, and registers of school and university graduates. We have extensive holdings of Burkes, Debretts, and other guides to the nobility and gentry. There are many books on emigration, including passenger lists.
HERALDRY
The Library's remarkable collection of books on heraldry contains many rare published works, and a three-hundred year old manuscript, compiled by Sir William Hawkins, Ulster King of Arms.
Check out our Links page for other organisations with information on Genealogy & Heraldry.
Contact the Irish & Reference Department for further information or T: 028 9032 1707 |
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