Researching Reid and Harrison Armagh

Hi Sharon,

Thank you very much for your message.

In order to find information on your ancestors it it necessary to know the parish that they came from.  Most Irish record sources- church records, land records, census records- are based on specific locations. Until you know a specific location within Ireland, preferably a parish or placename, it may be difficult to do anything more with these records. I see that you have posted this message on the Armagh parish page, but I wonder if William and Isabella came from this parish or is the information you have referring to County Armagh? If it is Co. Armagh, it is important that you try and narrow down a place of origin form there. Here is a likn to a map that shows all the civil parishes in Armagh:

http://www.irishtimes.com/ancestor/fuses/civilparish/index.cfm?fuseaction=GetMap&CityCounty=Armagh

As civil registration did not begin in Ireland until 1864, you will have to look at Church records for information on births,deaths, marriages etc prior to this date. Church of Ireland parish registers for the period up to 1870 are public records. Registers are available for about one third of the parishes, however many were destroyed in the Public Records Office in Dublin in 1922. Most surviving records are still held by the local clergy, although some are in the National Archives of Ireland and others are in the Representative Church Body Library in Dublin. Here are their websites: http://www.nationalarchives.ie/ and http://ireland.anglican.org/about/42

Lists of these surviving registers can also be found at the National Library of Ireland.

There are some places online where you may be able to find records also:

www.familysearch.org has a huge collection of genealogical records including some births and marriages from Ireland.

www.rootsireland.ie has a vast collection of Irish Church records available, however you have to pay to use these sites.

For any births, marriages, deaths after 1864, you can check civil records. These are available from the General Register?s Office in Dublin. Here is their website: http://www.groireland.ie/research.htm

You can search the indexes to these records online here:

https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1408347

You could also check for record of the family in the land acts pertaining to Ireland in the 19th century. There are two:

The Tithe Applotment Books (1823-1838) found at http://titheapplotmentbooks.nationalarchives.ie/search/tab/home.jsp

and Griffith?s Valuation (1848-1864) found at http://www.askaboutireland.ie/griffith-valuation/

Although these do not contain any genealogical information, they can sometimes be used to tie a person to a specific place.

Some other websites that you may find useful are:

The National Archives of Ireland http://www.nationalarchives.ie/genealogy1/genealogy-records/introduction/

The National Library of Ireland http://www.nli.ie/en/family-history-introduction.aspx

The National Archives UK ? genealogy search: http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/records/looking-for-person/

The Public Records Office of Northern Ireland http://www.proni.gov.uk/index/family_history.htm

Genealogy Links: http://www.genealogylinks.net/uk/ireland/armagh/index.html

It may also be an idea to contact Armagh Ancestry for assistance, however a fee may apply.: researcher@armagh.gov.uk

I hope that this is helpful. If you have any other information that you can share please do so. Information such as parents? names, emigration details, who remained in Ireland etc. will all be helpful. The more information you post, the more likely it is that one of our volunteers will be able to advise or assist you. Also include information concerning which sources you may have already used so others may further your search.

Kind regards,

Genealogy Support