This week’s Findmypast Friday marks the release of over 2.5 million fascinating Dublin Workhouse records
that highlight the devastating impact the great famine had on Irish
society. This week’s additions also include baptism and burial records
from the English county of Nottinghamshire, birth, marriage and death
Index records from Australia’s Northern Territory and millions of
historic British newspaper articles.
Dublin Workhouses Records
Containing over 1.5 million records, the Dublin Workhouses Admission & Discharge Registers 1840-1919
list the details of those who passed through the workhouses of the
North and South Dublin Unions. Levels of poverty in Ireland were far
higher than in England and the workhouse was often an inescapable part
of life that would have touched many, if not most Dublin families. The
North and South Dublin Unions were among the busiest in Ireland, not
simply because they were in the capital but because they often took in
paupers from across the country. This was especially true during the
years of the Great Famine in the 1840s when crowds of desperate,
starving people came to Dublin from all over the country. Given the lack
of 19th century census material in Ireland, the registers will be an
incredibly valuable resource to those with Irish ancestors. Dublin was
the largest point of embarkation from Ireland during the 19th century
era of mass Catholic migration and a significant number of those who
emigrated would have passed through these workhouses.
Each
record includes a transcript and an image of the original document.
Entries list arrivals at the workhouse with details of their age,
occupation, religion, any illnesses or infirmities, other family
members, original parish and condition when they arrived (usually
describing clothes or cleanliness).
Containing nearly 900,000 records, the Dublin Poor Law Unions Board of Guardians Minute Books
from the National Archives of Ireland contain fascinating records of
meetings held by the Board of Guardians of four Dublin workhouses. The
Board of Guardians oversaw the running of the poor law unions as well
as the hiring of teachers, staff and contractors. Guardians were elected
by those who paid the taxes that funded poor law relief.
Each record contains a transcript and an image of the original handwritten minutes. The
amount of information contained in the image can be considerable. The
minute books recorded what was said at each meeting of the Board of
Guardians, including correspondence and contracts but also individual
cases that came before the Board. These include the day-to-day running
of the workhouses, disciplinary matters concerning both staff and
inmates, individual case histories, foundling children’s fostering and
upkeep and the hiring of foster mothers and wet nurses. Later
minute books follow a strict format to ensure that suitable care was
taken about health provisions and deserted children. For the poor the
Union provided the only social security available, as without a public
health system, the workhouse hospitals were often the only health care
that they had access to. A browse function is also available.
British newspapers
Over 2.2 million new articles have been added to Findmypast’s collection of historic British newspapers.
The latest additions include 11 brand new titles including the Glasgow
Sentinel, Lincolnshire Advertiser, Kentish Advertiser, Sheffield Iris,
and the Yorkshire Early Bird. Substantial updates to existing titles
include over 109,000 new articles from the Newcastle Journal and over
92,000 Birmingham Daily Gazette articles.
Nottinghamshire Records
Over
14,000 burial records and over 5000 baptism records have been added to
our collection of Nottinghamshire parish records. Both the
Nottinghamshire Baptisms and Nottinghamshire Burials consist of
transcripts provided by the Nottinghamshire Family History Society.
The Baptism records date from 1538 to 1980 can include the child’s name, religious denomination, church, baptism date, residence, parent’s names and father’s occupation. The Burial records date from 1539 to 1905
and can include the deceased’s name, religious denomination, age at
death, burial date, burial place, and any additional notes. Notes can
include information about their marital status, cause of death,
occupation or more biographical details.
Northern Territory Index records
Over 5,600 birth, marriage and death index records from Australia’s northern territory have also been added. The
indexes were compiled using certificates held and administered by the
Northern Territory Government’s Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages
in the Department of the Attorney-General and Justice.
- The Northern Territory Birth Index 1870-1918 comprises approximately 1,780 transcripts that list the child’s name, date of birth, parent’s names and registration details.
- The Northern Territory Marriage Index 1870-1913 contains over 700 transcripts that include couple’s names, their year of marriage, place of marriage and registration details.
- The Northern Territory Death Index 1870-1913 records comprise approximately 3,200 transcripts that list the deceased’s name, date of birth, date of death, residence, registration details and place of death.
- Remember to check our dedicated Findmypast Fridays page every week to keep up to date with the latest new additions.
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Findmypast (previously DC Thomson Family History) is a British-owned
world leader in online genealogy. It has an unrivalled record of online
innovation in the field of family history and 18 million registered
users across its family of online brands, which includes Mocavo, Genes
Reunited, The British Newspaper Archive amongst others.
Its
lead brand, also called Findmypast, is a searchable online archive of
over two billion family history records, from parish records and
censuses to migration records, military collections, historical
newspapers and lots more. For members around the world, the site is a
crucial resource for building family trees and doing detailed historical
research.
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