northern ireland

[slothbear]

hello

my friend has asked me to do some reasearch on his family,they were from belfast.
i have herd that alot of records were lost or destroyed is this right
and what records are there left.ie are all the census years still available

thank you

[akanex2]

The main problem is lack of census records, I'm afraid!  Only 1901 and 1911 are available in full, but the good news is 1911 is online and free at http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/search/

1901 is only available on microfilm at the moment but is currently being digitised and indexed on the same site and is due online by the end of 2009.

For the 1850-60 period a useful census substitute is Griffith Valuation which lists the head of each household (but not family members).  It is online and searchable for free at

http://griffiths.askaboutireland.ie/gv4/gv_family_search_form.php

All civil registrations survive and the index is online (and free to access) up to 1922

http://pilot.familysearch.org/recordsearch/start.html#p=collectionDetails;t=searchable;c=1408347

and certificates can be ordered using the index information at

http://www.groni.gov.uk/index/order_certificates.htm

For the Co Down side of Belfast see the Ros Davies site, to look for particular surnames and church information.

http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~rosdavies/SURNAMES/Afrontpage.htm


The Ulster Historical foundation have civil and some church records on a pay-per-view database at
http://www.ancestryireland.com/database.php?filename=db_QUIS
If you join the Foundation (£30 per year), you can view certificate transcripts for £2 each (£4 for non members) and also access various other databases, including lots of gravestone inscriptions, for free.

Wills from 1858 are also indexed online at http://www.proni.gov.uk/index/search_the_archives/will_calendars/wills_search.htm

Many pre 1858 wills were also destroyed, but indexes survive both on the above site under "Name Search" and in the members only section of the Ulster Historical Foundation website.

The other great site (subscription required) for Northern Ireland records is EmeraldAncestors.com which has NI civil marriages from 1845-1921 and births 1864-75 as well as miscellaneous other records (church records/ census fragments/etc).

Always remember that Belfast is partly in Co Down and partly in Co Antrim when searching, so check both.

Best of all - ask on Rootschat and some of us will do our best to help

[slothbear]

thank you so much akanex,the info you have gave will be very helpfull im sure

i have recently done my welsh family tree using the census's so researching familys in northern ireland  is going to be so much different,and i expect rather harder to do than my welsh family tree.
im sure i will be in touch,
thank you very much again

 ian

[slothbear]

hello

i have try ed for a few days to find info on the mcclelland family i think they were from Belfast

there was thomas mcclelland
                  Susan  mcclelland ( Murphy)

there children thomas born 26/09/1906
                      patrick born  23/05/1911
                   john Joseph born 05/06/1915

also a Margaret either born in 1909 or 1916

I'm sure the children were born in Belfast but not sure where yet ,I'm trying to find out
i cant seem to find any of them on the 1911 census

or on any northern ireland searches for marrages or births

if someone could just find a little information to get me started i would be very grateful

thank you
                          Ian

[kingskerswell]

Ian,
      I have found a Thomas McClelland who married Susan Murphy in Bryansford R.C. Church, Kilkeel, Co. Down on 29 Nov. 1902.  This date is too late for my resources to list children.

Regards

[TF13]

hi ian,

it's not easy,is it?  
you have exact dates for the children,how did you get those? it's possible the surname was mis-transcribed on the census or they are in another county.

there is a birth registration for a john joseph mclelland, april-june 1915 in kilkeel district,county down,(only one C in the surname) which would fit in with the possible marriage of thomas and susan in kilkeel.

tony

[slothbear]

wow thats great,tony and kingskerwell

which search engine did you find them on?

my friend asked me to do his mcclelland family tree,and after a few days i couldnt come up with anything,
tony i will ask my friend how he came by the dates of birth.
 
so what do you advise for my next step,do i get the marriage cert?

i would love to find the mcclellands on the census ,i have tryed different spellings but i get no returns.
if i can find them on the census me and my friend plan to visit the area

thanks for everyones help,just need more of a hand and advice

kind regards
                              ian

[kingskerswell]

Ian,
      Go to www.census.nationalarchives.ie and enter Thomas McCelland (note spelling) and Co.Down.
If I have got the link right your friend will be pleased.

Regards

[slothbear]

thanks kingskerswell

i have been looking through the census for a few ,using various spelling,but i had no luck

then my friend said he thinks they lived in newcastle and not Belfast
so after a few pages searching i found them

thomas mcclelland age 30,lived at number 53 in kings street ,newcastle county down.
along with his wife Susan also 30 and 3 children,Mary ,thomas and Margaret,it did name 4 children born ,there were only 3 in the house .

when i have researched my family in wales,i just went back through the census,but i cant do that with the Irish census can i,as they were destroyed i believe.

where do i go from here ,any advice would be very welcome

kind regards

                            Ian