Reports on public records of Ireland

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Location: Ireland
Surnames/tags: Ireland Irish_Roots

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This freespace page introduces different series of reports on the public records of Ireland produced by first the Commissioners for Public Records in Ireland (1810 – 1830) (also referred to as the Irish Record Commission) and then the Deputy Keeper of the Public Records in Ireland (1869 – 1920). Many of the are of administrative nature and are of limited interest, but others print material previously contained in the records which are now no longer available.

See also Early modern Irish sources.

This paper on the Irish Records Commission (1810-1830) is of interest Griffith, Margaret. “The Irish Record Commission 1810-30.” Irish Historical Studies, vol. 7, no. 25, 1950, pp. 17–38. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/30007258. Accessed 21 Jun. 2022.

This space lists all the publications but first shows the highlights for genealogists.

Contents 1 Highlights for genealogists 1.1 Cromwellian/Williamite records 1.2 Grant and will books 1.3 Fiants 1.4 Pipe rolls and other court rolls 1.5 Inquisitions post mortem and on attainder 1.6 Chancery court proclamations 2 Reports of the commissioners of the Public Records 3 Reports of the Deputy Keeper of Public Records in Ireland 4 Publications of the Public Records Office of Ireland

Highlights for genealogists

Cromwellian/Williamite records

• Appendix to the 15th report of the records commissioners (1825) contains a very Important appendix with details grants under the act of settlement and other aspects of the Cromwellian settlement of Ireland. It has seven parts

1. Transcript of the Inrolments of Grants under the Acts of Settlement and Explanation

2. Index to the Certificates of the Court of Claims

3. Abstracts of the Conveyances from the Trustees of the Estates and Interests forfeited in 1688

4. Certificates of Adventurers and Soldiers

5. Decrees of the Innocents

6. Connaught Certificates

7. Roll of adjudication for 1649 officers

• Nineteenth report 1887 Contains a table ‘Abstract of the Decrees of the Court of Claims for the Tryall of the Innocents’. (These were Irish Catholics found innocent of rebellion in 1641 - guilt was the default assumption.)
• A supplement to the eighth report of the Irish records commissioners 1819 contains a list of reports and schedules addressed to the Court of Claims in respect of the Act of Settlement. It details which claims were from Adventurers, which soldiers etc and in some cases gives further details.
• Also from the Supplement to the eighth report, a schedule of documents from the Foreiture Office on the Williamite confiscations of 1690-1703. They contain (among other things) the names of many of those whose land was confiscated with information on the transactions in which they came to own the confiscated land.

Grant and will books

• Appendix to the Twenty-sixth report 1895 consists of an index to Will and Grant books of Dublin to 1800 (widely indexed on line).
• Appendix to 30th report consists of index to Dublin Grant books and wills 1800-1858 (widely indexed on line)
• Thirty first report 1899. An appendix includes corrections to the Dublin Grants index.

Fiants

A series of reports of the deputy keeper also publish Fiants under various monarchs (see Irish patent and close rolls and fiants). These are

• Seventh report 1875 has an appendix on Fiants under Henry VIII with index
• Eighth report 1876 has an appendix on Fiants under Edward VIth.
• Ninth report 1877 has an appendix on Fiants under Philip & Mary.
• Eleventh report 1879 has an appendix on Fiants under Elizabeth I.
• Twelfth report 1880 has an appendix on Fiants under Elizabeth I.
• Thirteenth report 1881 has an appendix on Fiants under Elizabeth I.
• Fifteenth report 1883 has an appendix on Fiants under Elizabeth I.
• Fifteenth report 1883 has an appendix on Fiants under Elizabeth I.
• Sixteenth report 1884 has an appendix on Fiants under Elizabeth I.
• Seventeenth report 1885 has an appendix on Fiants under Elizabeth I.
• Eighteenth report 1886 has an appendix on Fiants under Elizabeth I.
• Twenty-first report 1889 includes an index to the Fiants under Elizabeth I A-C.
• Appendix to the twenty-second report consists of an index to fiants under Elizabeth I D-Z.

Pipe rolls and other court rolls

A further series of reports publish pipe and other court rolls

• 35th report 1903. An appendix has a catalogue of accounts in pipe rolls under Henry III.
• 36th report 1904. An appendix has a catalogue of accounts in pipe rolls under Edward I
• 37th 1905. An appendix has a catalogue of accounts in pipe rolls under Edward I.
• 38-44 1906-1912. An appendix to 38 includes a catalogue of accounts in pipe rolls under Edward I; an appendix to 39 has a continuation for Edward II; an appendix to 42 has further continuation of the same under Edward II and memorandum on Catholic Qualification rolls; an appendix to 43 has continuation of pipe rolls under Edward III; an appendix to 44 has a continuation of the same.
• 45th report 1913. An appendix has a catalogue of accounts in the great rolls in the pipe rolls of Edward III.
• 47th report 1915. An appendix has a catalogue of accounts in the great rolls in the pipe rolls of Edward III.

Inquisitions post mortem and on attainder

The supplement to the eighth report of the Irish Records Commissioners has two lists of inquisitions post mortem and on attainder, containing the names of the person whose estate was being inquired into, the county and the date.

• list of inquisitions preserved in the Rolls Office
• list of inquisitions preserved in the Chief Remembrancer's Office

For details of the inquisitions, see Irish inquisitions post-mortem and on attainder

Chancery court proclamations

Records of almost all Irish court judgements, bills etc were destroyed in the Four Courts Fire of 1922, leaving a big gap for Genealogists. Ireland's Virtual Record Treasury has now published three volumes of Repertories of Chancery Court Proclamations which appear to have been prepared by the Irish Record Commissioners but never published. These newly available manuscripts cover judgements between the years 1536 and 1732. To use them see Beyond 2022 - Ireland's Virtual Record Treasury - Chancery decrees. For more information on Irish legal records see Irish Quaker sources and resources - Legal records.

Reports of the commissioners of the Public Records

• 1st, 2nd and 3rd reports with appendices (1810-1813). The reports and appendices all concern the location and state of records.
• 4th report 1814 is only 4 sides with nothing of particular interest.
• 5th report 1814-15 includes a general index to reports 1810-15 (22 pages inc index).
• 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th & 10th reports (with supplements and appendices) (1816-1820). The supplement to 8th report starting p 33 is v long and mainly about the state of records. However, it includes (pages 248-300) a list of applications made to the Court of Claims for grants under the Act of Settlement detailing who were adventurers, who soldiers etc. Also lists of inquisitions post mortem and on attainder preserved in the rolls office (pages 432-515) and the chief remembrancer's office (pages 562-644). These lists do not include the details of the inquisitions, but do have the names, dates and places. The (pages 613-621) schedules of documents of some interest from the Forfeiture Office, with information on the Williamite confiscations of 1690-1703.
• 11th, 12th and 13th reports 1821-23 are v brief with nothing of interest.
• 14th & 15th reports (1824 and 1825) contains a very Important appendix with details grants under the act of settlement etc
• 16th, 17th & 18th reports (1826-27) is only 15 pages of administrative stuff.
• 18th & 19th report (with appendix) (1828-29). There is an appendix on the sub-committee on statutes, but it is not very interesting.

Ireland's Virtual Record Treasury has recently published three volumes of decrees of the Court of Chancery which appear to be draft repertories prepared by the Irish Records Commissioners but never published. See Beyond 2022 - Ireland's Virtual Record Treasury - Chancery_decrees

Reports of the Deputy Keeper of Public Records in Ireland

• First report 1869 An appendix contains a catalogue of the accounts of pipe rolls in the Irish Exchequer i-x Edward II)
• Second report 1870 has nothing very interesting.
• Third report 1871 has nothing very interesting.
• Fourth report 1872 has nothing very interesting.
• Fifth report has extracts from a report on the County Palatine of Tipperary of some interest.
• Sixth report 1874 has reports on Tipperary Chancery Bills & Ormond Deeds of some interest.
• Seventh report 1875 has an appendix on Fiants under Henry VIII with index
• Eighth report 1876 has an appendix on Fiants under Edward VIth.
• Ninth report 1877 has an appendix on Fiants under Philip & Mary.
• Tenth report 1878 has nothing of particular interest.
• Eleventh report 1879 has an appendix on Fiants under Elizabeth I.
• Twelfth report 1880 has an appendix on Fiants under Elizabeth I.
• Thirteenth report 1881 has an appendix on Fiants under Elizabeth I and a further appendix on parochial records
• Fourteenth report 1882 has nothing of particular interest.
• Fifteenth report 1883 has an appendix on Fiants under Elizabeth I.
• Sixteenth report 1884 has an appendix on Fiants under Elizabeth I.
• Seventeenth report 1885 has an appendix on Fiants under Elizabeth I.
• Eighteenth report 1886 has an appendix on Fiants under Elizabeth I.
• Nineteenth report 1887 Contains a table ‘Abstract of the Decrees of the Court of Claims for the Tryall of the Innocents’.
• Twentieth report 1888 contains the 1st part of a Calendar of Christchurch Deeds.
• Twenty-first report 1889 includes an index to the Fiants under Elizabeth I A-C.
• Twenty-second report 1890 has nothing of particular interest, but see separate appendix.
• Appendix to the twenty-second report consists of an index to fiants under Elizabeth I D-Z.
• Twenty-third report 1891 includes a continuation of of the Calendar of Christchurch deeds.
• Twenty-fourth report 1892 has nothing of particular interest.
• Twenty-fifth report 1893 has nothing of particular interest.
• Twenty-sixth report 1894, not found on line, but see separate appendix.
• Appendix to the Twenty-sixth report 1895 consists of an index to Will and Grant books of Dublin to 1800 (widely indexed on line).
• Twenty-seventh report 1895 has nothing of particular interest, but see separate appendix.
• Appendix to the Twenty-seventh report 1896 continues the Calendar of Christchurch Deeds (1174-1684)
• Twenty-eighth report 1896 has nothing of particular interest.
• Twenty-ninth report 1897 has nothing of particular interest.
• Thirtieth report 1898 includes a report on the Phillipps MS. Also see separate appendix.
• Appendix to 30th report consists of index to Dublin Grant books and wills 1800-1858 (widely indexed on line)
• Thirty first report 1899. An appendix includes corrections to the Dublin Grants index.
• Thirty second report 1900 has an appendix on records of the Clerks of the Crown and the Peace, mainly administrative, describing the contents of the records.
• 33rd report 1901 has short appendix of notes on MS volumes in the possession of the Earl of Annesley on the Irish Revenue and the Court of Trustees of Forfeited Estates. (Some of these are available on Ireland’s virtual record treasury made available by PRONI).
• 34th report 1902 has nothing of particular interest.
• 35th report 1903. An appendix has a catalogue of accounts in pipe rolls under Henry III.
• 36th report 1904. An appendix has a catalogue of accounts in pipe rolls under Edward I
• 37th 1905. An appendix has a catalogue of accounts in pipe rolls under Edward I.
• 38-44 1906-1912. An appendix to 38 includes a catalogue of accounts in pipe rolls under Edward I; an appendix to 39 has a continuation for Edward II; an appendix to 42 has further continuation of the same under Edward II and memorandum on Catholic Qualification rolls; an appendix to 43 has continuation of pipe rolls under Edward III; an appendix to 44 has a continuation of the same.
• 45th report 1913. An appendix has a catalogue of accounts in the great rolls in the pipe rolls of Edward III.
• 46th report 1914 (no appendix)
• 47th report 1915. An appendix has a catalogue of accounts in the great rolls in the pipe rolls of Edward III.
• 48th report 1916 (no appendix)
• 49th report 1917 (no appendix)
• 50th report 1918 (no appendix)
• 51st report 1919 (no appendix)
• 52nd report 1920 (no appendix)

Further reports were produced, but not published, after the Four Courts Fire of 1922. The first few of these are listed in Beyond 2022 - Ireland's Virtual Record Treasury but also not published there. (Use the browse function and navigate to PROI DPKPRI 53 to PROI DPKPRI 55. Some futher information on these reports is contained in the FamilySearch Catalogue, which also lists reports up to the 59th and shows that the reports were published up to 1961 and are available in Family History Centres.

A Guide to Finding Aids in the National Archives of Ireland states that the 55th to 59th reports include 'Summaries of records saved in 1922 and details of records acquired from that date onwards'. The Society of Genealogists' web site mentions that the 55th-57th reports include summaries of '2,690 probate records received into the National Archives of Ireland'.

Publications of the Public Records Office of Ireland

These were publications of archival records before they were destroyed in the fire of 1922.

• Herbert Woods wrote a A guide to the records deposited in the Public Record Office of Ireland (HMSO, Dublin 1919). It is available to view on Ireland's virtual record treasury and to download from The National Archives of Ireland.
• Calendars of Justiciary Rolls under Edward I volume 1: XXIII to XXXI years of Edward I (1295-1303), volume 2: Edward I, Part 2. XXXIII-XXXV years (1305-1307) and volume 3: I to VII years of Edward II (1308-1314).
• Statutes of the Irish Parliament King John–Henry V, King Henry the Sixth, King Edward the Fourth, Edward IV cont. and Richard III - Henry VIII
• Account of facsilimies of the national manuscripts of Ireland, John T Gilbert (for the Public Records Office), HMSO, London, 1879.