The following census substitutes are most commonly used in Irish genealogy.
1708
In 1708 made a survey of the town of Downpatrick, Co. Down. He described each premise by name, giving its size, its principal tenant and the half yearly rent due. A manuscript copy of this survey, made by the Rev. David Stewart in 1927, is available at PRONI Reference Number D.1759/2A/8.
1740
In 1740 a list of Protestant householders was compiled in parts of Cos. Antrim, Armagh, Down, Donegal, Londonderry and Tyrone. It is arranged by county, barony and parish and gives the names only. A typescript copy of the 1740 return of Protestant householders is available on the Search Room shelves.
1766
In March and April 1766, Church of Ireland rectors were instructed by the government to compile complete returns of all householders in their respective parishes, showing their religion, as between Church of Ireland (Episcopalian), Roman Catholic (termed ‘Papists’ in the returns) and Presbyterians (or Dissenters), and giving an account of any Roman Catholic clergy active in their area. Some of the more diligent rectors listed every townland and every household, but many drew up only numerical totals of the population. All of the original returns were destroyed in the Four Courts in 1922, but extensive transcripts survive and are available on the Search Room shelves. Copies are also available PRONI Reference Number T.808/15264-15267.
1770
In 1770 a census was carried out for the town of Armagh giving individual names and occupations, size of family and religion and is arranged street by street PRONI Reference Number T.808/14938 and T.808/14977.
1796
As part of a government initiative to encourage the linen trade, free spinning-wheels or looms were granted to individuals planting a certain area of land with flax. The lists of those entitled to the awards, covering almost 60,000 individuals, were published in 1796. A typescript copy is available on the Search Room shelves. A microfilm index to the lists is also available PRONI Reference Number T.3419.
1824-1838
The Composition Act of 1823 specified that tithes due to the Established Church, which had been payable in kind, should now be paid in money. As a result it was necessary to carry out a valuation of the entire country, parish by parish, in order to determine how much would be payable by each landowner. The Tithe Applotment Books list the occupiers of titheable land and are not a list of householders as is the case in a census. Therefore, labourers, weavers etc. were all omitted, in addition to all purely urban dwellers. The Householders Index, available on the shelves of the Public Search Room, can be used as a guide to the surnames listed in the Tithe Applotment Books PRONI Reference Number FIN 5A.
1831-
National school registers, which record the age of the pupil, religion, father’s address and occupation, are a valuable source of information for anyone interested in tracing their family tree. PRONI has in its custody over 1,500 registers for schools in the Northern Ireland area and the Guide to Educational Records, available on the Search Room shelves, includes an alphabetical index to these records.
1848-1864
Popularly known as Griffith's Valuation, the Primary Valuation of Ireland lists every householder and occupier of land in Ireland. It is arranged by county, barony, poor law union, civil parish and townland. A printed edition of the Griffith's Valuation is available on the Search Room shelves. See also Valuation Records.
1876
The Landowners in Ireland; Return of owners of land of one acre and upwards... records more than 32,000 owners of land in Ireland in 1876, identifying them by province and county. A copy of this publication is available on the shelves of the Public Search Room.
regards
RW
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