Finding Your Roots: The Irish Factor (S3 E2)

I was recently asked if I could do a workshop on Irish Ancestry Research. I declined because although I have Irish ancestry and have researched my Irish ancestors, I do not feel I am enough of an expert to teach other how to use Irish records. And perhaps that is because, as Henry Louis Gates Jr. points out in this episode, the majority of Ireland's records were lost in the early 20th century.

The details Gates leaves out is that this is due in large part to the Irish Civil War. In June 1922 the national repository building, called Four Courts, was seized during the Battle of Dublin and was destroyed by explosives and subsequent fires. Now in order to do your Irish research you must know the county or parish from whence your ancestors came.

For many of us Irish-Americans that knowledge is lost. Eight of my 32 great-great-great grandparents were born in Ireland; a whole 25% of them. I can get two of those 8 lines across the pond to their Irish Counties of origin. One of those lines were research by elder cousins before I was even born. The other's County was discovered through an obituary.

That being the case, I have not had much opportunity to use the Irish records that do exist but Finding Your Roots did; specifically Gates showed their use of Griffith's Valuation. The Griffith's Valuation is a detailed guide to the property, land and households of mid-19th-century Ireland. It is not a census. Only the head of each household is identified. It only identifies who owned or rented what land, assessed the value of the land, and determined the tax to be paid on the property.

Gates also points out that aside from County records, church records are incredibly helpful. He reveals to Bill Maher a church baptismal record for his great-great grandfather. Gates tells Maher, a strong atheist, "The church is there. You could go visit the church." To which Maher replies, "Let's not go crazy, Skip." Gates then underscores that this is often the only documentation that a person existed, a church record. "Thank God for the Church," Gates says. Which is true. Churches and government agencies are the record keepers.

I tell most of my patrons when we start that some families are better documented than others. They keep really good documents on the wealthy and criminals. In other words if we can't find much, your people were probably just good ole regular joes.

I always feel a little bad when I find out something unsavory about a patrons ancestor but it's kind of true as this episode shows us when Gates reveals to Soledad O'Brien that her Irish ancestor who wound up in Australian was a criminal. Based on deeper research though, it is revealed that her ancestor who committed robbery did so due to the poverty in which he lived.

Digging into your ancestors records, digging up the dirt humanize them because, after all, they were human. Flawed and imperfect. You inherited part of them but you are not them. They lived their own lives, stories, had their own feelings and thoughts and struggles.

I really enjoyed seeing that realization and connection come across Bill Maher's face when he saw the baptismal record of his great great grandfather and says, "I wish I knew what they were like, and what they thought, what they dreamed about."

Don't we all, Bill, don't we all.

The result was Griffith's Valuation – full name The General Valuation of the Rateable Property in Ireland but also known as the Primary Valuation (of Tenements) – a detailed guide of the property, land and households of mid-19th-century Ireland. It is not a census. It covers who owned what and who rented what, and assessed the value on which each identifiable 'parcel' of land and/or property should be taxed.
Only the head of each household is identified. Family relationships and other personal information were not recorded.
- See more at: http://www.irish-genealogy-toolkit.com/Griffiths-Valuation.html#sthash.Y3lbvIBL.dpuf

The result was Griffith's Valuation – full name The General Valuation of the Rateable Property in Ireland but also known as the Primary Valuation (of Tenements) – a detailed guide of the property, land and households of mid-19th-century Ireland. It is not a census. It covers who owned what and who rented what, and assessed the value on which each identifiable 'parcel' of land and/or property should be taxed.
Only the head of each household is identified. Family relationships and other personal information were not recorded.
- See more at: http://www.irish-genealogy-toolkit.com/Griffiths-Valuation.html#sthash.Y3lbvIBL.dpuf