Geneology

[Alan H]

Two things. Beware Geneology.com. I get more spam,and I mean two-three messages a DAY from them since I did a trial membership.

There's a little problem with doing geneological research in Ireland. You see, at one point the English decided to bring all the family, court and parish historical records together into one place. They did that,though of course they missed some stuff. Then, around 1920 some Irish rebels decided that the building that housed those records would be a good place to attack. In the ensuring fire all those records were burnt to ashes.

So there's not a whole, whole lot to go on, I'm afraid. There IS stuff, but you'll be depending heavily on wills, probates and English taxastion records and surveys of surnames which won't be very specific. Researching THAT stuff is next to imossible on the internet....well, the surnames isn't but the other stuff is.

If your Irish ancestors date back to the 1700's and you can document all the ancestors between you and them , you've done a stunning good job. I know my Scots/Irish ancestor McKNight emigrated from Ulster in 1733,but I also know full well that to go much further back than that is going to be seriously difficult, so I haven't pursue'd it.

[highlander_Daz]

David as records in Ireland are spartan at best, whilst your ancesters went to the states many Irish came to Glasgow or the midlands in England many catholic churches keep very accurate records (although written in latin) so church records are very helpful.

[Cawdorian]

Alan,

You are absolutely correct, if you have traced your ancestor back to Ulster you have done a good job. I have one ancestor traced and documented back to Ulster, he came to the US about 1724, after that the records are almost non-existent. They found the birth record in Ulster, but that's it. Much of the information on the internet from that time period back is incorrect. The incorrect information seems to get posted over and over again.

Jim