Surviving 1851 Census Returns of Ireland

By chief compiler George Bushell and Irish Special Interest Group, Ottawa Branch, Ontario Genealogical Society

The compilers took on this project after identifying many omissions and errors in  incomplete online databases that are purported to be complete transcripts of the 1851 census returns of County Antrim. In response they created this complete and accurate transcription using microfilm copies of the surviving 1851 Irish census.

Census records located and transcribed in this collection: 

• 171 townlands located in 14 parishes in County Antrim
• Townlands from four parishes in County Cork
  One surviving census return from the townland of Clonee in County Fermanagh
• Abstracts of returns for five townlands in the parish of Aglish in County Kilkenny, which were published in The Irish Ancestor in 1977
• 1851 census abstracts found among "Old Age Pension Applications"
• 1851 census abstracts found in the "Green Family Collection".

Browse the Index

Contents include: 

• Introduction 
• Surviving 1851 census returns by County
  • Browse detailed Table of Contents to see which returns survived by County and Townland
• Census abstracts in old age pension applications (various counties)
• The "Green Family" Connection
• Glossary of terms related to the linen industry
• Index of names

Format of information provided:

• Each household is listed sequentially as in the actual census return. Two or more families may be living in the same household.

• Each household entry is divided into three parts:
  • Main Entry: Persons living in the household on the date of the census;
  •  Absent from Household: Persons away from the household on 30th March 1851
  • Dead: Persons of the household who died between 6th June 1841 and 30th March 1851.

• The following information is given for each part of the household entry:
  • Main Entry: Name, age at last birthday, relationship to head of household, marital status, year of marriage, occupation, place of birth, education, and whether deaf, dumb or blind.
  • Absent from Household: Name, age at last birthday, relationship to head of household, occupation, residence on 30th March 1851
  • Dead: Name, age at death, relationship to head of household, occupation, cause of death, quarter and year of death.

Background:

As a result of the explosion and fire in the Public Record Office in Dublin on June 30th, 1922, only a relatively small portion of the 1851 Census Returns for Ireland survived. This publication contains transcripts of many of the surviving returns, with a surname index of the contents. 

The value of the information in these Census Returns cannot be overestimated. It provides marriage, birth, and death information prior to the introduction of civil registration in the mid 1800s. Genealogically, one can locate a family in the late 1700s by townland and parish. Individuals are placed in family groups, and an insight into their economic standing is provided.

Details:
1119 Pages 
8.5 X 11"
Searchable (pdf format)
Originally published on CD by Ottawa Branch Ontario Genealogical Society, Ottawa 1999
This edition published by Global Heritage Press, Ottawa, 2017
ISBN 978-1-77240-068-7 (digital edition)