Records in Ireland – What You Need to Know

According to one of my sources, all of the passengers on board Faithful Steward likely migrated from one of three counties, they being Londonderry, Donegal or Tyrone. In 1785 this was part of the Kingdom of Ireland. Today, Counties Tyrone and Londonderry are located in Northern Ireland, part of the United Kingdom. County Donegal remains with the Republic of Ireland. In my previous post I referenced connecting the dots. Liam Cory, curator of the National Museum Northern Ireland, referred me to Brian Mitchell, an expert in the field of genealogy and Irish history. He has also authored some historical works. Brian informed me there was a major fire in the 1920s that destroyed many historical records. And for that reason, there is little available by way of public information for researching the 18th Century. One may have to rely upon locating Irish church records and family records handed down through the generations if researching ancestral history. In my next post you’re going to read about my own experience in researching and locating information about those on board the ship.