Guide to National Archives of Ireland

Transcripts, Calendars and Abstracts

 

Some compensation for the loss of records in the Public Record Office of Ireland in 1922 is provided by surviving transcripts, calendars and abstracts of certain of the records. For a general account of these see in particular the 55th Report of the Deputy Keeper, and there follows an account of the most important collections.

Irish Record Commission

The records of this Commission, which sat between 1810-30, include Calendars of Exchequer Memoranda Rolls 1294-1509, and transcripts of Chancery and Exchequer Inquisitions from the 16th and 17th centuries. See 1st-9th Reports of the Irish Record Commission, 55th Report of Deputy Keeper, pages 111-16, and M C Griffith, 'The Irish Record Commission', Irish Historical Studies, 7, 1950-1, pages 17-38.

Lodge's Manuscripts

These consist mainly of abstracts of Patent Rolls 16th-17th centuries, Convert Rolls 1703-72, Ecclesiastical Appointments 1660-1775, Articles with Irish Chiefs 16th century, and other material. See Miscellaneous Index, and summary description in the 55th Report of the Deputy Keeper, pages 116-22.

Ferguson Collection

This consists mostly of extracts from Exchequer Records of the 14th-18th centuries, See Miscellaneous Index, and summary description in the 55th Report of the Deputy Keeper, pages 122-3.

Betham Abstracts

The principal element of the collection is 241 volumes of abstracts prepared by Sir William Betham, Ulster King of Arms, for genealogical purposes. These were drawn mainly from Prerogative Wills and Administrations dated prior to 1800, and include also some Diocesan Wills and Marriage Licence Bonds. There are as well 8 volumes of Betham Correspondence, dealing with genealogical research and including extracts from records. See Lists of Betham Abstracts, and P B Phair, 'Sir William Betham's Manuscripts', Analecta Hibernica, 27, 1972, pages 1-99.

Genealogical Abstracts

In addition to the Betham Abstracts, the following are other collections of abstracts of records originally compiled for genealogical purposes:

Thrift Abstracts (26 bundles, mostly testamentary and parochial).

Grove Abstracts (15 boxes, mostly testamentary and parochial). Grove-White Abstracts (43 volumes of extracts from parish registers, mostly in County Cork).

Crosslé Abstracts (19 parcels, mostly testamentary).

Jennings Abstracts (mostly Waterford testamentary material).

See List of Thrift Abstracts (in Betham volume), and card indexes to Thrift, Crosslé and Jennings Abstracts.

Miscellaneous

The following are some miscellaneous volumes of transcripts, abstracts and calendars:

Volume of copies and abstracts of charters and grants, Henry II-Henry VIII (M 2531).

Volume of transcripts of Dublin charters, Henry II-Elizabeth, by W Monck Mason (M 2546).

Volume containing abstracts of entries relating to Ireland in various records in Public Record Office, London, transcript of Cartulary of St. Thomas, abstracts of some Irish Plea Rolls, etc (M 2542, see 57th Report of Deputy Keeper, page 522).

Volume of extracts from Statute, Justiciary, De Banco and Memoranda Rolls, Edward I-Edward IV (M 2551).

Volume of abstracts relating to history of Dublin, 13th-17th centuries, by W Monck Mason (M 2549, see 57th Report of Deputy Keeper, page 518).

Volume of extracts from Patent Roll, 3 Edward II, Memoranda Rolls and Council Books, c1536 - 95, and copy of Instructions from Queen Mary to Lord Deputy Sussex, 20 March 1557 (M 2532).

Copies of portions of Desmond Survey 1586, relating to Counties Kerry and Limerick (M 5037-5038).

Calendar of Peyton's survey 1586, relating to forfeited lands in County Limerick (M 5039).

Volume of abstracts of Inquisitions, Counties Dublin and Wicklow, Henry VI-Charles II, by W Monck Mason (M 2543).

Volume of extracts from records illustrating the history of the Earldom of Ulster, Kildare, Louth, Ormond, Desmond, Tyrone, etc, with other miscellaneous genealogical notes, compiled by Daniel Molyneux, Ulster King of Arms, 1609 (M 2550).

Volume of copies of records and correspondence relating to property of the Earls of Orrery, County Cork, 1641-1700 (M 2449).

Copy of a Book of Survey, County Dublin, 1658 (M 2475).

Copy of a List of Forfeiting Proprietors, from Commonwealth Council Book Number A35 (M 752).

Copies of and extracts from Subsidy Rolls, Hearth-Money Rolls, and Poll-Tax Assessments and Accounts, 1634-99, Counties Dublin, Armagh, Fermanagh and Tyrone, and other places (M 2468-2474; for lists of copies and transcripts of Hearth Money and Subsidy Rolls, see Analecta Hibernica, 24, 1967, pages 3-4, and 30, 1982, pages 95-6).

Three volumes of copies of Petitions, King's Letters, Bills, Acts and Correspondence, Charles II-William III (M 2458-2460).

Five volumes of copies of Correspondence of the Lords Justices, 1692-1701 (M 2453-57).

Two volumes of copies of Letters from Viceroys, Chief Secretaries and Lords Justices to the English Government, 1697-1798 (M 2446-2447).

Volume of copies of Petitions and Memorials, with Reports of the Attorney General thereon, 1702-6, with some other miscellaneous material (M 2461).

Test Book, 1775-76, containing names of Catholics taking the Oath of Allegiance under the Act 13 and 14 George III, Chapter 35 (M 3092, see 59th Report of Deputy Keeper, pages 50-84).

List of Freeholders, County Meath, 1781 (M 1364).

Copies of Records in Other Repositories

The following are among microfilm copies of records held in other repositories:

Dublin Castle Records, Public Record Office, London.

Customs Minute Books, Public Record Office, London.

Royal Hospital Kilmainham Records, Public Record Office, London.

Service Registers of the Royal Irish Constabulary, Public Record Office, London.

Service registers of the Dublin Metropolitan Police, Garda Museum, Dublin Castle