RootsChat.Com

Angela,

In researching your family in Ireland you should begin with the townland where they lived in the period.  Grandparent’s names and maiden names help.

The 1911 Irish census is now online and searchable:

http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/search/

The Griffith Valuations were a census done around 1856-57. There are indexes, but easiest to search by name, county and townland.

One Griffith search page on the web:

http://www.failteromhat.com/griffiths.php

Let me know what townland you’re looking for, and what you find.

When researching Irish Wolfhound some years ago I noticed that there was some confusion between H. D. Richardson, a well-known Irish Wolfhound breeder from 1840--1870, and another famous dog (and IW) breeder named Major E. H. Richardson.

Hugh D. Richardson wrote beginning around 1830 and published several books about raising dogs, bees, poultry, etc.  But I never found any place he referred to himself as having been in the military, or where he used the title “Major.”  If you have one I’d like to know.

He died around 1869-1870.

Major Edwin Hauteville Richardson lived in a later period and did show IWs.  He was of the 45th Regt (Sherwood Foresters.) He founded the first British War Dog School at the beginning of WWI. He wrote "My Forty Years With Dogs," published in 1918.  See a biography:  http://community-2.webtv.net/Hahn-50thAP-K9/K9History13/


Another reference for this breeder: http://www.irishwolfhounds.org/earlyshows.htm

So far as I can find, he was not related to H. D. Richardson.

H. D. Richardson wrote in one of his books:

“When a youth I was ardently attached to athletic sports, and at most of such exercises met with few rivals and fewer superiors. I was for three successive years victor at the Scottish games. I won, wore, and retained the champion medal of the Holyrood Gymnastic Club, of which Club I was also President or Captain—an office to which I was annually re-elected while I remained in Scotland. I have heard much of remarkable feats in high leaping; I can only say that I was never personally vanquished. My peculiar method will be unfolded when treating of that exercise. As a swimmer I was long known as the champion of Newhaven, whither it was my custom to resort every morning during a long and happy residence in Edinburgh. As a runner I had few superiors; and at gymnastic exercises generally was anything but a mean proficient.”