proni.gov.uk Family History Research Northern Ireland : Public Record Office

Organization : Public Record Office of Northern Ireland
Type of Facility : Family History Research
Country: Northern Ireland

Website : http://www.proni.gov.uk/index/family_history.htm

Family History Research :

The Public Record Office of Northern Ireland (PRONI) holds many valuable sources for family history research.

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If you are just beginning your research and have no experience of family history, read our family history: getting started and family history: key sources sections first. You may also find it useful to read what are archives and records and using the archives.

Family history researchers at all levels will find valuable information in the Your Family Tree Series of leaflets. There are 28 leaflets in total, each giving information on various archives which can be used for genealogical research. Each leaflet is a PDF document – you can download the whole series and use them as a reference file if you wish.

In addition to using the archives we have specifically identified, you can also consult the catalogues, guides and indexes to widen your search.

What’s available online?:
The Ulster Covenant archive and Freeholders records held by PRONI have been digitised and indexed and are available on the PRONI website. These online archives are fully searchable and have links to digitised images of the original documents.
A project to index and digitise 1858 – c1900 wills from the District Probate Registries of Armagh, Belfast and Londonderry is almost complete. Phase one – an index to the will calendar entries (grants of probate and letters of administration) – is now available on the PRONI website. Phase two – to link the will calendar entries to the digitised images of the wills – will follow shortly.
Family history researchers can search for ancestors who may be recorded in the above sources.

Getting Started:
The Public Record Office of Northern Ireland (PRONI) holds many archives that you will need to consult at some stage if you want to trace your family history.
Unfortunately, because of the destruction of the Public Record Office of Ireland in Dublin in 1922, many of the most important series’ of archives for family history are not available. However, it is still possible to successfully trace your family history at least back to the early 19th century.
Before beginning your research at PRONI, you should try to discover as much as possible about your family history from other sources – this will help you get basic information together. The more information you have before you visit PRONI the more successful you are likely to be in your research, however, bear in mind that what you will uncover at PRONI will also depend on what documents have survived for the area where your family lived. A useful piece of advice is to start with your own family and then work backwards.
Family Tree Leaflet 1 – How to Trace your Family Tree (76KB) Adobe PDF formatted document Opens a new browser window. will give you more information on how to get started tracing your family history. Other leaflets in the Family Tree Series will explain the different types of archives that you can use for tracing your family history.

What information do I need before I visit PRONI?:
To use the archives to best advantage you should collect as much information as possible on

Names:
Watch out for the recurrence of Christian names in families and remember too that variations in the spelling of surnames is very common.

Dates:
Dates of births, marriages,deaths and emigration (if appropriate) are vital.

Places:
Knowing where your family came from is very important. Try to discover the townland, village or town where your family lived. If you cannot find out the name of the townland, try at least to find out the parish or the county which may still be helpful. For further information see areas, regions and land divisions. The geographical index may also help you identify a more specific location.

PRONI Search Service:
Type of research: Limited searches for specific information only.

PRONI does not offer a comprehensive genealogical service. The PRONI search service is limited to requests for specific information in clearly identified archives.

For example:
a baptism, marriage or burial entry in a church record
a 1901 census entry
a copy of a will

We do not undertake ‘speculative’ searches – for example, we cannot provide details of every individual with a particular surname that appears on a register.
The aim of the PRONI search service is to provide that vital piece of information to assist you with your own research. A straightforward search can help you to verify existing family knowledge, find the ‘missing link’ overlooked on previous research visits, or just give you a basic starting point.
The PRONI search service is a chargeable service, offered under the Freedom of Information Act in response to written enquiries only. To request a search, you can contact us by e-mail, letter or fax or complete a PRONI Enquiry Form online.

Please do not send any money in advance. When your request is received we will contact you to let you know:
if we hold the relevant records needed to proceed with a search
the search fee payable should you choose to go ahead with the search

Independent Commercial Research:
Type of research: Extensive searching; family trees and other detailed genealogical searches.
Independent commercial researchers can provide a complete search service, not only consulting records in PRONI but also in other relevant archives. They will interpret any information found and give comprehensive details on the searches undertaken.
There are many researchers in operation throughout the UK and Ireland whom you can hire to carry out research for you for a fee. The independent commercial researchers listed on this site are known to carry out work in PRONI.

Please note:
The commercial researchers listed on this site do not work for PRONI and we cannot, as a matter of policy, recommend any individual or organisation, nor can we be held responsible for the standard of their work or for any qualification or title they may claim to hold.