1708 - James Maguire made a survey of the town of Downpatrick, County
Down, in 1708.
He described each premise by name, giving its size, its principal tenant
and the half yearly rent. A manuscript copy of this survey, made by the
Rev. David Stewart in 1927, available PRONI Ref No D.1759/2A/8.
1740 - A list of Protestant householders was compiled in parts of the
counties of Antrim, Armagh, Down, Donegall, Derry and Tyrone in 1740.
It is arranged by county, barony and parish and gives the names only.
A typescript copy of the 1740 return of Protestant householders is
available on the Search Room shelves in the Public Record Office of
Northern Ireland, Balmoral Avenue, Belfast.
1766 - Church of Ireland rectors were instructed by the government in
March and April 1766, to compile complete returns of all householders in
their parishes, showing their religion, as between Church of Ireland
(Episcopalian), Roman Catholic (termed 'Papists' in the returns) and
Presbyterians (or Dissenters), and giving an account of any Roman
Catholic clergy active in their area.
Some of the more diligent rectors listed every townland and every
household, but many drew up only numerical totals of the population.
All of the original returns were destroyed in the Four Courts in 1922,
but extensive transcripts survive and are available on the Search Room
shelves PRONI. Copies are also available Ref No T.808/15264-15267.
1770 - A census was carried out for the town of Armagh in 1770, giving
individual names and occupations, size of family and religion and is
arranged street by street PRONI Ref No T.808/14938 and T.808/14977.
1796 - As part of a government initiative to encourage the linen trade,
free spinning-wheels of looms were granted to individuals planting a
certain area with flax.
The lists of those entitled to the awards, covering 60,000 people, were
published in 1796.
A typescript copy is available on the Search Room shelves, Public Record
Office of Northern Ireland, Balmoral Avenue, Belfast. A micrfilm index
to the lists is also available PRONI Ref No T.3419.
--
John Caughey
john.caughey(a)demon.co.uk