A new guide from Accredited Genealogists Ireland sets out how Griffith’s Valuation can be used as a key resource for tracing Irish ancestry in the absence of 19th-century census records.
Accredited Genealogists Ireland (AGI) has published a new addition to its series of research guides, focusing on Griffith’s Valuation and its use in Irish genealogical research.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T
Carried out between 1847 and 1864, the Primary Valuation of Ireland – commonly known as Griffith’s Valuation – was the first comprehensive assessment of property, land and buildings for taxation purposes across the island. With the loss of almost all 19th-century census returns, the valuation records are widely used as a substitute for the censuses when conducting Irish family history research.
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Griffith and his team assigned a rateable valuation to every piece of property in Ireland, which formed the basis of a property tax known as rates. The revenue raised was used to fund the Poor Law Unions and their workhouses. Crucially, around 70% of heads of household (occupiers) in rural areas were named in the records.
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The guide provides details on the origins of the valuation, the work of geologist Richard Griffith and his survey teams, and the structure of the records produced.
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It also outlines how to interpret individual entries, including how to identify townlands and immediate lessors, while explaining land measurements, building classifications and rateable valuations. The guide shows how a valuation entry can be read in context and linked to the corresponding Ordnance Survey maps.
The full guide is available to download free of charge here.
Griffith’s Valuation can be searched free of charge here. It is also available through the subscription websites FindMyPast and Ancestry. Microfilm copies are held by the National Library of Ireland and in libraries around the country.
A F F I L I A T E A D
What is AGI?
Accredited Genealogists Ireland (AGI) is the accrediting and representative body for professional genealogists on the island of Ireland. Its members, who carry out private research for clients worldwide, are recognized as leading experts in the field and contribute widely as advocates, authors, lecturers and media contributors within the genealogical community. All adhere to the AGI code of practice. For further information, visit their website accreditedgenealogists.ie.
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