DID YOUR ANCESTORS COME FROM THE LISBURN AREA?     

Have you ever wondered about your ancestors and their place in the history of Ulster? 

Over the last few years there has been a great increase in the number of people who want to find out more about their roots.    Where do you start?  The more information you can gather before you start your search the easier it will be to find out more, for example, surnames, religion, place of origin (townlands, parishes, counties or street) and dates of births, marriages and deaths.  The certificates for the latter three usually provide a lot of information. 

“Who do you think you are”? 

You might be surprised to learn that you may have Viking, Scottish or French blood coursing through your veins. There were several visitors to the shores of Ulster over the years, for example at the beginning of the 17^th Century, a large number of people arrived from Scotland encouraged by the London government to purchase land and to settle in Ulster.  Further information on the Ulster Scots can be found by logging onto www.ulsterscotsagency.com. 

Towards the end of the 17^th Century, the Huguenots, French Protestants escaping from religious persecution in France settled in Ireland.  Today their legacy lives on in Lisburn City Centre in local surnames, street names and the headstones in the Cathedral graveyard.  Further information can be found by logging onto www.lisburn.com, click on the book section of this site and have a read through “The Huguenots of Lisburn” by E. Joyce Best.       

USEFUL SOURCES

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE OF NORTHERN IRELAND, 66 Balmoral Avenue, Malone Lower, Belfast BT9 6NY.  Tel No (028) 9025 5905   Web:  www.proni.gov.uk.  Email:  proni@dcalni.gov.uk.

Holds the largest and most diverse range of archives from the public and private sectors in Northern Ireland, these include church records, census records and valuations records.  Staff will advise you on how to begin your search and access records but do not conduct research on your behalf.  Before you visit it is strongly recommended that you browse the above website.  A very useful townlands index can be accessed by logging onto www.proni.gov.uk/geogindx/townland/towna.htm. 

ULSTER HISTORICAL FOUNDATION, 12 College Sq East, Belfast BT1 6DD.

Tel No (028) 9033 2288 Web:  www.ancestryireland.com.  This is a very useful source especially if you have limited information about your ancestry.

GENERAL REGISTER OFFICE, Oxford House, 49/55 Chichester Street, Belfast BT1 4HL  Tel No 028 9025 2000 Web:  www.groni.gov.uk

The main records held are the statutory registers of births, deaths and marriages.  The office does not engage in genealogical research although the records can contain valuable information for anyone compiling a family tree.

NORTH OF IRELAND FAMILY HISTORY SOCIETY, Lisburn Branch – Lisburn NIFHS Secretary, c/o Graduate School of Education, 69 University Street, Belfast BT7 1HL.

Web:  www.nifhs.org.  A member of the Federation of Family History Societies and the Federation for Ulster Local Studies.  The society is not a research agency, however, people are put in contact with one another.

LIBRARIES also contain very useful reference books for further information log onto www.ni-libraries.net.      

CHURCHES IN THE LISBURN AREA - If you log onto www.lisburn.com you will find a list of local churches with their contact details.  

BANBRIDGE GENEALOGY SERVICES, for further information contact Banbridge Tourist Information Centre on 028 4062 3322 or email tic@banbridge.gov.uk.  This centre holds some marriage and baptismal records for Annahilt Presbyterian Church, 1^st Dromara and 2^nd Dromara Presbyterian Churches.

NEW LOCAL HISTORY WEBSITE - www.glenavyhistory.com. This non profit making site is in its infant stages, but will overtime become a complete social history of Glenavy and the surrounding districts and will be useful to those researching family history.


OTHER USEFUL WEBSITES INCLUDE:

 Presbyterian Historical Society – www.presbyterianireland.org

 Society of Genealogists Northern Ireland -  www.sgni.net

 Centre for Migration Studies – www.qub.ac.uk/cms

If you wish to stay in our area to conduct the search yourself you can obtain information on accommodation etc by logging onto www.visitlisburn.com.