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"Local
Censuses" extant for Co. Londonderry and North
& Mid Antrim during the period 1803 to c. 1870
The
best of these Local Censuses" is the 1851 Census
for Co. Antrim. This is a proper Census.These
are available [free] online at searchforancestors.com
- read
more. I have also created separate Excel &
PDF databases of the 1851 Census for the Parishes
and Townlands extant in the Barony of Kilconway -
Excel
- PDF
and the Barony of Glenarm - Excel
- PDF.
A
number of census or registers of the members of church
congregations are available within the general area
covered by this website - four in North Antrim and
eight in Co. Londonderry - click
here for a list of these congregations. So far
I have databased five of these census/registers. I
have also included a database of the 1803 Agricultural
Census.
| Database
of the "Census" of the Congregation
of Magilligan Presbyterian Church c.1855. |
Excel
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PDF |
In
BallintoyParish in North Antrim the Rector, the Rev
Robert Traill, compiled a census which contains a
complete list of all of the inhabitants of the Parish
of Ballintoy in April 1803. I created this database
from the copies of the pages held in PRONI: Ref. T679/69.
These pages, which are handwitten, are photographs
from the microfilms of the Vestry Minute Book of the
Parish.
The
data is entered into the database as if it were a
"proper" census. I have, therefore, used
the term Head of Family which is not used in the the
actual census and I have assigned a House No. to each
family or group of people who may have been living
in the same house within a townland. I have also,
as far as possible, indicated the relationship of
each person in the family or house to the Head of
Family. This process, of course, is not a perfect
science. You should, therefore, check any names and
places in the database [of interest to you] against
the information in T679/9 in PRONI. If this is not
possible, you can check them against an online, typed,
transcript of the census at http://www.scribd.com/doc/19837449/Traills-Census-for-the-Parish-of-Ballintoy-in-1803.
This transcript is very accurate and also contains
an excellent introduction to the census by John A.
I. McCurdy.
| Database
of the Census of the Inhabitants of the Parish
of Ballintoy taken by the Rev. Robert Traill,
April 1803. |
Excel
|
PDF |
The
Rev. Traill was also responsible for compiling the
1803 Agricultural Census for the parish. It is
interesting to compare names across to these two documents.
In
1803, during the Napoleonic Wars, an Agricultural
Census was carried out in Co. Antrim. Unfortunately
only a fragment of this census survives for some parishes
in North Antrim. They are to be found within the baronies
of Cary and Dunluce Lower & Upper and include Armoy
[303 names], Ballintoy [574 names], Ballymoney [1575
names], Ballyrashane [187 names], Ballywillin [81
names], Billy [909 names], Culfeightrin [564 names],
Derrykeighan [496 names], Grange of Drumtullagh [233
names], Dunluce [479 names], Kilraghts [232 names],
Loughguile [1134 names], Ramoan [427 names] and Rathlin
[144 names] - a total of 7338 names.
The
census lists the names of farmers in each townland
within each parish. Below is a link to a database
of these names and places. - read
more. The names and locations in this database
can be compared with the Griffith's Valuation database
of c.1860 for North Antrim.
| Names
listed in the 1803 Agricultural Census for some
Parishes in North Antrim. See also this information
below. |
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The
other church census that I have transcribed into a
database relates to the parish of Ballymoney. This
census was compiled in 1817 by the Rev. Robert Park
who was the minister of the First Presbyterian Church
in the town. In fact the Rev. Park became the
minister of the church on 18th March 1817. So this
census may have been his way of getting to know his
flock. Clearly it will only contain Presbyterians
who attended that church. Trinity Church [which was
the Seceding Church at that time] would not be included.
But, since St. James's and Drumreagh Churches [offshoots
of 1st Ballymoney] were not built at that time, those
families that later joined these churches would be
enumerated in this 1817 census. My own ancestors are
listed in this census in the townland of Bootown.
I have arranged the names and places from the transcript
of the census held in PRONI [CR/3/1/D/1] within a
kind of a database which should make it easier to
find names and search for places.
| Database
of the 1817 Census of First Ballymoney Presbyterian
Church compiled by the Rev. Robert Park. |
Excel
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PDF |
There
are two sources of similar dates for Ballymoney town
which can be used in conjunction with the Park Census.
And, you can also check names for this period
against the 1803 Agricultural Census. There are 307
names listed for the town. Remember in those days
many townspeople would have held land in the Townparks
and would therefore qualify for inclusion in an Agricultural
Census.
Note
that I have not included a link to the 1831 Census
Returns for Co. Londonderry. There is a separate link
to this "Census" on the Home Page.
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