Databases
compiled from Eighteenth-Century Census Substitutes
1740
Protestant Householders' Returns
In
1740 a list of Protestant Householders was compiled
for Ireland. Within Ulster transcripts of names
and places are available for counties Antrim, Armagh,
Down, Donegal, Londonderry and Tyrone. The transcripts
are arranged by county, barony and parish. As far
as I know, townlands are not given except for the
baronies of Keenaght and North West Liberties in County
Londonderry.
I
think that the persons who compiled this information
were the Hearth Tax collectors. This was in contrast
to the later 1766 Religious Census which was compiled
by the local rectors. Because the compilers of the
1740 returns were tax collectors the areas surviving
for a county reflected the "Walks" which
they followed. For example in County Antrim the Dunluce
Walk covered the baronies of Cary, Dunluce and Kilconway
as well as the baronies of Coleraine and North East
Liberties in the adjoining county of Londonderry.
Below
you will find databases of names listed in the 1740
Protestant Householders' Returns for the parishes
in the baronies of Cary, Dunluce, Kilconway and Toome
in Co. Antrim and all of the parishes in Co. Londonderry.
Remember that each database is a transcript of a transcript
which, to some extent, compromises its accuracy.
For
more information on the Co. Londonderry Returns -
click
here. Sorry, there is not a similar paper for
the Baronies of Cary, Dunluce, Kilconway and Toome
but they are much the same as those for the Baronies
of Loughinsholin, Coleraine and the N.E. Liberties
of Coleraine,
1740
Protestant Householders' Returns for the Baronies
of Cary, Dunluce, Kilconway and Toome. |
Excel |
PDF |
1740
Protestant Householders' Returns for the County
of Londonderry |
Excel |
PDF |
I
have also included a database containing names and
places from the 1740 Protestant Householders' Returns
for the counties of Londonderry [All Baronies], Antrim
[Baronies of Cary, Dunluce, Kilconway and Toome],
Donegal [Barony of Inishowen] and Tyrone [Parishes
of Derryloran and Kildress, Barony of Dungannon Upper]
- read
more.
1766
Religious Census
In
March and April 1766, Church of Ireland rectors were
instructed by the government to compile complete returns
of all householders in their respective parishes,
showing their religion, as between Church of Ireland
(Episcopalian), Roman Catholic (termed ‘Papists’ in
the returns) and Presbyterians (termed Dissenters),
and giving an account of any Roman Catholic clergy
active in their area. Some of the more diligent rectors
listed every townland and every household, but many
drew up only numerical totals of the population -
read more.
I
have databased the information in the sources extant
for Co. Londonderry and North Antrim. Unfortunately,
within Co. Derry names are only extant for the parishes
of Banagher, Bovevagh, Drumachose and Dungiven in
the barony of Keenaght and Artrea, Ballynascreen,
Derryloran, Desertlyn, Desertmartin, and Magherafelt
in the barony of Loughinsholin. Only the parishes
of Ballymoney and Ballintoy are extant for North Antrim.
I have just added the 1734 Religious Census for Ballintoy.
My thanks to the Glens
of Antrim Historical Society for permission to
use the data from the paper by Harry Doyle in the
The Glynns: Journal of the Glens of Antrim Historical
Society, Vol. 25, 1997, pp. 30-37.
1766
Religious Census for the Parish of Ballymoney,
Co. Antrim [646 names] |
Excel |
PDF |
1766
Religious Census for the Parish of Ballintoy,
Co. Antrim [451 names] |
Excel |
PDF |
1734
Religious Census for the Parish of Ballintoy,
Co. Antrim [c.340 names] |
Excel |
PDF |
1766
Religious Census for some Parishes in Co. Londonderry
[3427 names] |
Excel |
PDF |
1796
Flaxgrowers' List
As
part of a government initiative to encourage the linen
trade, free spinning-wheels or looms were granted
to individuals planting a certain area of land with
flax.
The
premium was up to 4 spinning wheels. The number of
spinning wheels given to each person depended on the
amount of flax that they sowed between 10th March
and the 1st June 1796. Persons sowing at least an
acre received 4 wheels, those sowing 3 roods - 3 wheels,
those sowing 2 roods- 2 wheels and those sowing 1
rood - 1 wheel. For younger readers there are 4 roods
in an acre.
The
lists of those entitled to the awards were published
in 1796. I have created a database of the names listed
for the parishes in North and Mid Antrim that are
listed within the source and a database for all of
the parishes in Co. Londonderrty. Note that this source
only lists the names of persons, the parish in which
they lived and how many wheels they received. It does
not tell us where they lived within the parish.
1796
Flax Growers' List for the Parishes of North Antrim
[1,075 names] |
Excel |
PDF |
1796
Flax Growers' List for Co. Londonderry [5,106
names] |
Excel |
PDF |
|