Irish: Conformist and Non-Conformist Church Records

Optional Print Course Material: Irish: Conformist and Non-Conformist Church Records

*Course material will only be sent to students who are registered in the course.

The course examines the differences between the various forms of church (parish) records in Ireland and in particular between the conformist records of the Church of Ireland and those ecclesiastical institutions which did not conform to the standards of the day. 

We will discuss time periods, historical backgrounds, contents of records, availability of records, access to these important record collections, and effective research procedures. Emphasis will be primarily on pre-1864 research problems in Ireland where parish registers should be used as major sources of information. These contain vital genealogical elements such as baptism/christening, marriage and death/burial entries. When used with records such as wills and deeds, parish registers can help build fairly complete family groupings. 

We will also touch on the extensive collection of marriage licenses (1629-1864) and comment on their historical background, contents, value, and availability to researchers.

Course Length: 7 weeks