Down Under Series

Discovering exactly where your Irish ancestors hailed from can be a tricky exercise, especially with the lack of 19th century census returns. However, there is an abundance of other records that can help in your research, and this talk focuses on Griffith’s Valuation and the subsequent Revision (or Cancelled) books – what they are, what they can tell us, and where you can access them. Case studies are used to highlight a range of sources that can help you identify your family in these records, and discover the place where your ancestors left their footprints in Ireland.

The destruction of the Public Records Office in June 1922 at the outset of the Irish Civil War has cast a long shadow over Irish genealogical research. Anyone who has sought their Irish ancestors has likely encountered frustration at the gaps in available records caused by this disaster. But how much do we really know about the events that caused the fire and were all our records really lost? This talk will explore the background to the Public Record Office fire and address some of the myths that have grown up around it. It will also examine how recent advances in conservation techniques and modern technology are allowing the recovery of some records previously believed lost, with a particular focus on the recent Virtual Record Treasury of Ireland Project.

This presentation focusses on helping family historians with British ancestry to research those whose conditions or behaviours may have led them to become marginalised, or discriminated against. Their circumstances were often the result of personal misfortune, exacerbated by society’s intolerance and they are often the ancestors who are not given due attention when we research, perhaps because their life experiences make us feel uncomfortable. Now is the time to focus on the Illegitimate, the poverty stricken, the sick and the lawbreakers and restore them to prominence in the family’s story. The presentation will also consider the ethical issues that arise when telling the stories of the marginalised.

The Irish Quaker community is today very small but at the turn of the 19th century, they were a large, active mobile community in Ireland, with strong links to Pennsylvania, which was founded by William Penn, an English Quaker. They also kept amazingly detailed records in both the personal and business spheres. This lecture traces the history and impact of Irish Quakers and showcases their records while considering what a largescale DNA project might uncover for this endogamous and distinct community within Ireland.

Following on from the ‘Irish Ancestors – Top 5 Websites You Need To Know About’ webinar delivered in January 2024, this talk examines five more key websites. These websites, most of which are free to access, hold a wealth of information that can help to build your family tree and build a picture of their lives. We will examine the type of records held on each site and will include search hints and tips to get the most out of your research on the following websites: The National Archives, Griffith’s Valuation, The Registry of Deeds, Roots Ireland, The British Newspaper Archive.

An insight into the wealth of information that is available within newspapers including the British Newspaper Archive and The Gazette as well as hints and tips for getting more out of searching and finding useful articles within the newspapers.

Les sous-titres et la voix de cette vidéo ont été doublés en français à l’aide de l’IA. Le logiciel de généalogie numéro 1 est probablement… Google Chrome ! Statistiquement, Chrome est le navigateur numéro 1, et tant de recherches généalogiques se font dans un navigateur. Découvrez 7 façons de rendre vos recherches généalogiques plus productives en utilisant Google Chrome.

The #1 genealogy software is probably…Google Chrome! Statistically, Chrome is the #1 browser, and so much genealogy research happens in a browser. Learn 7 ways to make your genealogy research more productive while using Google Chrome.

This case study illustrates how four simple words in a newspaper notice and DNA evidence became the key to unlocking Great Granny’s Irish roots. The research journey began with the cryptic phrase “Toowoomba papers please copy” in an 1886 death notice. This small clue directed the research to the Hanlon family in another location hundreds of kilometres away, with DNA evidence crucial to confirm the connection back to Kilkenny, Ireland. The presentation highlights the importance of scrutinising every detail in historical documents, no matter how small, and explores techniques for following unexpected leads across disparate locations, combining traditional research with DNA analysis.

Divorce in Queensland Australia was very difficult to obtain. Some couples then just lived together and some underwent a bigamous marriage. What were the penalties? The records? Follow these ten bigamy case studies.

New record images create the most complete set of records to identify the over 5.5 million soldiers served in the British Army during World War I. This is a large topic, but research has gotten easier during the last couple of years as original resources and indexes have become available online, and new finding aids have been created. This lecture examines what records were destroyed during WWII, what records survived along with how to use the new indexes, online originals and how to interpret them. Plus put the soldier’s actions into battle context.

This presentation looks at what resources are available in Australia’s national, state and local libraries for family history research. Many state and local history and heritage resources are only available at the library. Find out what you might be missing.