Researching your family history: online resources

Welcome to week eight in our second series of Researching Your Family History during Lock-down. This week I would like to draw your attention to one of the libraries online resources, the Libby magazine collection. 

The genealogy magazine we will be looking at today is Who Do You Think You Are named for the popular TV programme of the same name. This magazine is published monthly in the UK and has hints and tips for family history enthusiasts worldwide. Copies, past and present, can be downloaded and perused at your leisure. 

The Irish interest in the current issue of Who Do You Think You Are refers to the Tithe Applotment Books. These records which were compiled between 1823 -1837 can be viewed here. The purpose of these records was to determine the amount which occupiers of agricultural land, over one acre, should pay in tithes to the Established Church which was the  Church of Ireland.

Unfortunately urban areas and landless labourers were not included in the Tithe Applotment Books, however, even with their limitations these are still very valuable records for genealogists. There is a book for almost every civil parish in the country and these can be searched using different fields. There is also a browse facility which allows one to survey whole parishes and townlands. The Public Record Office of Northern Ireland hold the Books for Northern Ireland but there are microfilm copies held in the Reading Room of the National Archives of Ireland. 

The Tithe Applotment Books when used in conjunction with Griffiths Valuation (1847-1864) can show if the holding had been passed from father to son therefore  helping  to establish if the family were still living in the area during this time. The magazine also has a team of experts who offer tips and inspiration along with a Q and A section which in this current issue gives analysis on picture dating and military uniforms.  

Submitted by Helen in the Reading Room.