Family and Local History
[Bill Macafee's Website]

Administrative Divisions

Researching families and localities requires a thorough knowledge of the administrative divisions such as Barony, Civil Parish, Poor Law Union, DED and, particularly, the basic administrative unit which was the townland. Over the centuries the administrative units changed - read more.

DATABASES OF TOWNLANDS

Below are links to to three databases which list all of the individual townlands in North and Mid Antrim, Co. Londonderry and parts of Co. Tyrone which indicate the Barony, Parish, Poor Law Union, Dispensary District and DED in which each was located. There is also a column which gives the Ordnance Survey [County Series] sheet number or numbers for each townland [not available in the Co. Tyrone database].* The townlands are arranged alphabetically in both the Excel and PDF versions of the databases.

MAPS

Below are links to a number of maps relating to North and Mid Antrim, Co. Londonderry & Co. Tyrone that you might find useful.

** Note that this map only covers North Antrim.

Some of you, particularly living abroad, might find this generalised map showing Some Places in North Antrim useful.

It is not possible for me to produce townland maps of all the parishes in North and Mid Antrim and Co. Londonderry, but I have from time to time added maps showing townlands within parishes, DEDs, etc. which I am using in the case studies of localities. You might be lucky - some of them could include your locality! The townland maps now include some parishes from Co. Tyrone.

Co. Antrim

Map showing the Townlands in the Parishes of Ballymoney and Kilraghts in the Barony of Dunluce Upper & DEDs within the Parishes of Ballymoney & Kilraghts c.1900 & DEDs in the Ballymoney Area from the 1920s.

See also Townlands in the area of Ballymoney and Kilraughts. This map appears in Dorothy Arthur's new book on Kilraughts Old Church Graveyard.

Map showing the Townlands in the Parish of Ballintoy in North Antrim.

Maps showing the: Townlands in the Parish of Craigs & the surrounding parishes & Townlands in the DED of Dunminning and surrounding DEDs.

Co. Londonderry - Maps showing the location of the townlands within each of the parishes in the table below.

Co. Tyrone - Maps showing the location of the townlands within each of the parishes in the table below.*

Note, that the more recent versions of the Ordnance Survey, 1:50000, Discoverer Series has a townland map and alphabetical list of townlands on the back of each sheet. The sheets covering the North and Mid Antrim area and Co. Londonderry are Nos. 4, 5, 7, 8, 9, 13 & 14 - click here for more details.

It is also useful to know the sheet numbers of the 6 Inch [County Series] Maps for Co. Londonderry and Co. Antrim. For details - click here.

Also, I have just two added two databases and two maps relating to Wards in the City of Derry/Londonderry.

Although, strictly speaking they are not aministrative divisions, it is also useful to know the locations of churches and parishes throughout a county. I have produced maps which show the location of churches in Co. Londonderry - Church of Ireland - Roman Catholic - Presbyterian.

* I have recently produced some material relating to parts of Co. Tyrone, mainly in the northern and middle part of the county covering the Baronies of Strabane and Dungannon Upper plus parts of Omagh and Dungannon Baronies. This material was produced, originally, for a course relating to the Sperrins held at the Kilcronaghan Centre near Tobermore - for more details on this course, click on the Sperrins link in the right-hand menu. Note also that I have included links to some of the townland maps that I used on that course plus a map showing the Baronies and Parishes of Co. Tyrone. A further short course at the Kilcronaghan Centre on Researching Ancestors produced further material relating to Co. Tyrone.