GENEALOGY enthusiasts have been gifted a new index containing more than three million searchable names, to mark the centenary of the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland (PRONI).
Around 3.2 million name indexes, relating to valuation records for the period 1864 to 1933, are now free to access as a result of a partnership between PRONI and well-known genealogy platform Ancestry.
The new index makes it much easier to trace land transfer records and browse the digital scans of the original entries.
The huge loss of census records during the Irish Civil War means the land records can be crucial for making family tree connections back into the 19th century.
The two-day bombardment of the Four Courts in Dublin during June 1922 resulted in the loss of almost all census records prior to 1901.
Apart from a few fragments, the Irish censuses of 1821, 1831, 1841, and 1851 were burned in the Public Records Office, located in the west wing of the Four Courts.
The acting director of PRONI, David Huddleston, said the release of searchable names was an “invaluable substitute” for pre-1901 census records.
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“The new data set of searchable name indexes will also provide a rich genealogical source for those interested in tracing their ancestors,” he said.
“The indexes represent a major enhancement to existing digitized records that have been available on the PRONI website, but which were previously only searchable by geographic location.
“We have been delighted to work with Ancestry to make these indexes freely available to local communities and the wider Irish diaspora.”
The Northern Ireland, Valuation Revision Books, 1864-1933 can be accessed at www.ancestry.co.uk/search/collections/62658/
Access to the collection is free however researchers will need to register on Ancestry using a free registered guest account.
