Regardless of your experience, researching your Ulster Scots roots will not be easy. While you can use all the conventional genealogist’s tools, Ulster research presents unique challenges. First you should be aware of the problem with the availability of Irish records. The four courts fire in 1922 destroyed a treasure trove of records. Census’s, wills, birth, death, marriage records, all were largely lost. Fortunately some records survived, The 1901 and 1911 censuses, and fragments of those from 1851 - 1821 survived. Additionally “census substitutes” like the mid 19th century Griffith valuation exist and can provide valuable clues. Individual parishes and organizations have local resources which are increasingly coming on line. The second hurdle is time. If your ancestors left in the 19th century your task will be easier. Once you get beyond the 19th century the mists of time will cloud your view.

Where do you start?

You may have family lore, a bible, a headstone that provide a locational clue, a townland name, a parish, even a county name that can steer you in the correct direction.  But time is still the enemy. For many researchers their ancestors left Ulster in the early 18th century. Other than the fact that they may have passed along the knowledge that they were “Scots Irish”, “Scotch Irish”, or simply from Ireland, finding your ancestors home will be a difficult task. It will be akin to tracing a person who has gone into witness protection! DNA is increasingly becoming a valuable tool for Ulster researchers. YDNA, which passes along the male line, along with mitochondrial DNA, can provide valuable clues pointing to your ancestry. But it doesn’t fill in all  the blanks. In combination with old fashioned leg work, and with a dual documentary/DNA approach, it’s may still be possible to find the homeland of your ancestors. Get your YDNA, or that of a male ancestor tested and join a YDNA surname study. You should also immerse yourself in Ulster’s unique history. Your ancestors were shaped by both their cultural experience in Ulster and Scotland, as well as by the forces that caused their ultimate mobility. An appreciation of Ulster’s history will enrich and assist in the search for your ancestors. A section of this web site lists a range of excellent historical references authored by leading Ulster scholars. Which brings us to the focus of this web site. For lack of a better term we might call it GeoGenealogy, a combination of genealogy, history, geography and surname studies. You should develop an understanding of surname theory and let it assist you in you quest. Like YDNA, surnames are generally passed along the male line. If your surname is moderately rare, or even if it has a “normal frequency”, it can be an important tool in the search for your elusive Ulster ancestors. We hope you find the resources on this site helpful in your search for origins. Good luck in your quest!

Welcome to the Scots Irish GeoGenealogy Web page!

Back to top

  Scots Irish GeoGenealogy

Geographic perspective can often be misleading. Can you imagine how our ancestors must have viewed the new world with its immense space? Or how their descendants are deceived by the size of the home country? The following graphic will put things in perspective. If you ever wonder how could I ever find the homeland of my ancestors in Ulster or Scotland? Well, compare their sizes with that of a typical state, North Dakota for example. The area of Scotland or Ireland cover less than 1/2 that of this solitary State. Ulster covers less than 12%. If your ancestors were from Antrim, it covers 1.6% of the area of North Dakota. The job is half done! Just find the neighbourhood! We hope this put things in a different perspective when asking the question, “where did my ancestors come from?” Happy hunting!

  Scots Irish Geogenealogy

Saving a map image: If you want to copy a map, select the large scale map. In the Windows OS right click on the image and select “save picture as.” If you are using a tablet, touch and hold your finger on the image and select save.

  Scots Irish Geogenealogy

County maps for Scotland are also available from the Internet Archive. They are also high resolution images illustrating transportation networks, cities, towns, and villages. The maps include parish boundaries and a key to the parish names. Use the magnifying glass in the lower right corner to enlarge the map until the details are completely clear. Then right click on the image to copy. The example to the right is a lower resolution image of Ayrshire. The David Rumsey Map Collection has a wide range of maps covering Scotland and Ireland. They are of particular value because of the extremely high resolution scans used for each map. There is no other map site providing downloadable maps of this quality.   David Rumsey’s Composite Ayrshire: The Rumsey collection is a remarkable resource. Each  map image can be viewed with clarity and detail. The Ayrshire map, part of the Thompson Atlas, drawn in 1832, pre-dates the railway era. Roads, buildings, woodlands and particularly minor place names and features are detailed. To download a copy of Rumsey maps, double click on the export link in the upper left corner and select a range of map sizes. The Rumsey collection also has a wide range of national scale maps of Scotland covering different eras. This example, “The Southern Sheet,” dates to 1879 and covers all the lowland counties. A composite map of Ireland: The map was originally published by John Griffith to augment the second report of the Railway Commissioners in 1837. The cartography is stunning and the map uses hill shading to great effect providing the viewer with a birds eye view of Ireland. Despite covering all of Ireland, the detail is still outstanding. The Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge:  The Society was founded in London in 1826 with the goal of publishing information for people who lacked access to  formal education. The maps of Northern Ireland and Scotland are uncluttered, yet detailed enough for a good understanding of the regions. Place names, landscape and water features, major and minor road networks, all dating to 1838 are illustrated  in excellent detail.

Back to top

  Scots Irish Geogenealogy

 

Detailed County maps of Ireland can be downloaded from the FamilySearch website. The maps are extremely useful in Ulster research. The example to the right of County Fermanagh is typical. (Click thumbnail to enlarge). The entire Lewis Atlas can be downloaded in PDF format from the Internet Archive. The maps are extremely high resolution images and would be suitable for printing and framing.  The book is slow to download because of the number of PDF pages, but well worth the wait.

1630  1650  1670  1690  1710  1730  1750  1770  1790

1810  1830  1850

Viewing a slide show: • Map images are displayed by selecting the blue link associated with the map description. To close the small map image, left click anywhere on the screen.   • Each map can be enlarged by clicking on the small image. To reduce the image size, click again. A large map can be removed by clicking the mouse anywhere on the map, or on the X in the upper left  corner of the map. • When viewing a large scale map, a set of controls appears at the bottom of the map. Select the  symbol to advance and view the next map on the page. Use the  to view the maps in reverse order. • The sides can be viewed automatically by selecting the ►  symbol. The maps will be viewed sequentially at three second intervals. • To stop the Slide show at any point click the   symbol. • To resume the slide show select the symbol  again. In most devices a slide strip appears at the bottom of your browser screen. Images can also be selected by clicking on a thumbnail. • If you can’t see the slide strip, reposition a large scale map in your viewing window by holding your left mouse key on the image and drag. This will allow you to view the slides in any order.

Back to the top

  Scots Irish Geogenealogy

 

The 1901 Census of Ireland is the foundation for Ulster surname research. It and the 1911 census are   the most  complete censuses of the Irish population. The remaining censuses 1841 -1891, were either burned in the Four Courts fire of 1921, or as in the case of the 1881 Census, simply was lost. Fragments of the 1821 to 1851 Census are also indexed. The 1901 Census is extremely comprehensive in nature. While it does not include family structure, it can often be inferred from an analysis of the town land level data. The site provides a valuable set of search options and guidelines.

M.C. O’Callaghan’s Using the 1901/1911 Irish Census is a highly recommended resource, particularly if you are not familiar with the content of the census and how it can be used. The amount of information in the 1901/1911 Census is surprising. Even more interesting is the ability to drill down and see which townland is included in each District Electoral Division. The book is available as a Kindle book and is reasonably priced at $1.32.

 The Scottish Migration to Ulster:  “was first published in 1973, yet it continues to be one of the most significant works of scholarship on the 'plantation' of Ulster. This book describes in detail the initial establishment of settlement in Ireland's northern province over a comparatively short space of time, that is from 1603 to 1625. He examines the society that produced the Scottish settlers, describes the conditions that they encountered when they arrived in Ireland, and explains what effect the Scottish migration had in both Ireland and Scotland. Short biographies of the principal planters are included and also maps, showing patterns of settlement.” It’s also available at the Ulster Historical Foundation book store.

Researching Ulster Ancestors: “When the first edition of this book appeared in 2005 it was quickly recognised as an essential work of reference for family historians researching Ulster ancestors in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. It filled an important gap in providing reliable guidance on sources for perhaps the most critical period in understanding a family’s links with the north of Ireland. This is territory where some family historians fear to tread. But they need not. This guide opens up avenues for research; drawing attention to the riches of archives inside and outside of the island of Ireland, demonstrating the benefit of often undervalued, rare, even quite unconventional, yet accessible sources – if you know where to look – which can help document your ancestors back to the 1600s.”

Researching Presbyterian Ancestors in Ireland: “Millions of people around the world have Presbyterian ancestors from Ireland. The aim of this book is to help those with Irish Presbyterian roots find out more about their forebears. It considers the different strands of Presbyterianism in Ireland and explores the range of records generated by these religious denominations and where this material can be accessed by researchers. Much attention is focused on the documentation created by individual congregations, though consideration is also given to the records created by the higher courts of Presbyterianism and other bodies, as well as the personal papers of Presbyterian ministers.”

 First published in 1966, R. J. Dickson’s Ulster Emigration to Colonial America, 1718-1775 “remains the acknowledged work of scholarship on migration in the eighteenth century of a quarter of a million people from Ulster to the New World. It combines detailed investigation of the economic, social, and political background to the exodus with information on the emigrant trade and an analysis of the motivations and origins of the emigrants themselves. This new edition includes a specially written introduction by Graeme Kirkham, whose researches on both sides of the Atlantic are reflected in an essay which considers recent advances in the understanding of this important mass population movement from Ireland to America.”

Colonial Ulster , the Settlement of East Ulster 1600 - 1641: “In this Landmark Raymond Gillespie reconstructs  the society of east Ulster – the counties of Antrim and Down – in the early seventeenth century. These counties formed a distinct region within Ulster and were excluded from the official scheme for the Ulster plantation. In remarkable detail – all the more impressive due to the loss of so many records of this era – the author explores demographic and economic developments, the emergence of rural and urban communities, and the tension between central government and local interests. In doing so, he reveals a fascinating picture of the strivings of both settlers and natives to establish a modus vivendi during a period of rapid change.”

Strabane Barony during the Ulster Plantation: “Under the scheme of Plantation, Strabane barony was allocated to undertakers from Scotland, the chief of whom was James Hamilton, 1st Earl of Abercorn. The settlement here was therefore overwhelmingly Scottish, rather than English. Chapters in this book look at Strabane in the pre-Plantation era, the background of the Scottish undertakers, the development of the town of Strabane, the impact of the Reformation, and the socio-economic conditions prevailing in the barony in the early seventeenth century. First published over 30 years ago, this fresh edition of The Strabane Barony during the Ulster Plantation, 1607- 41 presents to a new audience the story of the Plantation in the barony of Strabane. It stands as an exemplar of the way in which a professional historian and his students can successfully work together to produce a high-quality publication.“

A Narrow Sea:“Based on the popular BBC Radio Ulster series of the same name,  traces the epic sweep of Ireland’s relationship with Scotland, exploring the myriad connections, correlations, personalities and antagonisms that have, over the years, defined the relationship between these two spirited neighbours. Roving freely across the centuries, from the first migrations of the regions’ intrepid Mesolithic pioneers, to the grand colonial projects of the Vikings, Normans and Stuarts, this is the dramatic story of how one culture came to found two very different nations and, in doing so, project its influence as far afield as North America and Australasia. In 120 brief and accessible episodes, A Narrow Sea offers a stirring and panoramic view of a connection that has shaped the course of history on both sides of the narrow sea.”

The Plantation of Ulster: ”In this vivid account, the author punctures some generally held assumptions: despite slaughter and famine, the province on the eve of the Plantation was not completely depopulated as was often asserted at the time; the native Irish were not deliberately given the most infertile land; some of the most energetic planters were Catholic; and the Catholic Church there emerged stronger than before. Above all, natives and newcomers fused to a greater degree than is widely believed: apart from recent immigrants, nearly all Ulster people today have the blood of both Planter and Gael flowing in their veins. Nevertheless, memories of dispossession and massacre, etched into the folk memory, were to ignite explosive outbreaks of intercommunal conflict down to our own time. The Plantation was also the beginning of a far greater exodus to North America. Subsequently, descendants of Ulster planters crossed the Atlantic in their tens of thousands to play a central role in shaping the United States of America.”

A New Genealogical Atlas of Ireland:   “a key resource in Irish genealogical research, this second edition contains maps detailing the location of Roman Catholic parishes in all 32 countries of Ireland and Presbyterian congregations in the nine counties of Northern Ireland. Information collected here is essential for tracing pre-1864 ancestors in church records and useful for locating post-1864 ancestors in civil records, with descriptions and maps of the parochial and civil administrative divisions to which all major Irish record sources are linked. To aid researchers in identifying the precise location of administrative divisions, there are at least four maps for every county, depicting Church of Ireland parishes, baronies, and Church of Ireland dioceses, poor law unions and the parishes included within the probate districts serving that county, and Roman Catholic parishes and dioceses.”

Back to top

  Scots Irish Geogenealogy

• Tracing Your Scottish Ancestors: A Guide for Family Historians.  This fully revised second edition of Ian Maxwell’s Tracing Your Scottish Ancestors is a lively and accessible introduction to Scotland’s long, complex and fascinating story. It is aimed primarily at family historians who are eager to explore and understand the world in which their ancestors lived. • Tracing Your Scottish Ancestors: The Official Guide Sixth edition.  This is a new edition of the bestselling guide to this increasingly popular pursuit. Scotland has the best-maintained records and facilities of any country in the world for undertaking family research, and now that the National Records of Scotland are available online they can be consulted by anyone from whatever country. Tracing Your Scottish Ancestors is the National Records' official guide and is written in an accessible style from the unique perspective of a custodian of the records. It details all the latest internet developments, including a chapter on family history on the web. It also points to more traditional resources, explaining step by step how to research records of births, marriages and wills. • The Original Scots Colonists of Early America, 1612-1783  About 150,000 Scots emigrated to America before the Revolutionary War, but the records on them are notoriously hard to find. However, it has been clear for some time that in archives in Scotland and England there is much information on a number of these emigrants. David Dobson has extracted data from a wide variety of sources including family and estate papers, testamentary and probate records, burgh muniments, sasine and deed registers, Sheriff's Court records, Court of Session and High Court of Judiciary records, port books, customs registers, contemporary diaries and journals, contemporary newspapers and magazines, professional and university records, Privy Council and colonial records, records of Episcopalian and Presbyterian churches, monumental inscription lists, and the 1774-75 Register of Emigrants. For each of the 7,000 persons listed, a maximum of twenty-three points of information is provided: name, date of birth or baptism, place of birth, occupation, place of education, cause of banishment (where applicable), residence, parents' names, emigration date and whether voluntarily or involuntarily transported, port of embarkation, destination, name of ship, place and date of arrival, place of settlement, names of spouse and children, date and place of death, where buried, probate record, and source citation. • Discover Your Scottish Ancestry: Internet and Traditional Resources This illuminating guide to discovering your Scottish family history has been fully revised and updated to take account of changes to resources and methods for researching your Scottish ancestry over the last few years. Accessible in style and comprehensive in coverage, this new edition stresses the importance of traditional methods of family history research while also embracing the exciting possibilities afforded by new technologies, sources and developments in genetic science.Indispensable to both the fledgling researcher and the more experienced family history specialist in Scotland or elsewhere, this book provides a guide to the very latest resources available to assist with research. Covering Scottish primary and secondary sources in full detail, this book also provides illustrative case studies of family history research, lists of useful websites and archives, and family history organisations and societies.Highlights of this new edition:*An updated chapter dedicated to aspects of recording, scanning and storing information*New insight into accessing English, Irish, emigrant and immigrant records*An update on developments in DNA genetics of relevance to the genealogist*A substantial and broad- ranging bibliography essential for those who want to take their research even further. • The Scots: A Genetic Journey This unique “fusion of science and the physical history” traces the story of the Scots through their DNA (Sunday Herald). An almost limitless archive of our history lies hidden inside our bodies, and this book traces the ancient story of Scotland from that scientific viewpoint. The mushrooming of genetic studies, of DNA analysis, is rewriting history in spectacular fashion. In Scotland: A Genetic Journey, Alistair Moffat explores the history that is printed on our genes, and in a remarkable new approach, uncovers the detail of where Scots are from, where they have journeyed, and who they are—and in so doing, vividly colors in a DNA map of Scotland. • In Search of Your Scottish Ancestors Get started on researching your Scottish ancestors. This handy quick guide details record sources both on-line and off-line. If you have Scottish ancestry, this book is a MUST have. • Scottish Genealogy by Bruce Durie THIS fully revised and updated fourth edition of Scottish Genealogy is a comprehensive guide to tracing your family history in Scotland. Written by one of the most authoritative figures on the subject, the work is based on established genealogical practice and is designed to exploit the rich resources that Scotland has to offer. After all, this country has possibly the most complete and best-kept set of records and other documents in the world. Addressing the questions of DNA, palaeography and the vexed issues of clans, families and tartans, and with a new chapter on DNA and genetic genealogy, Bruce Durie presents a fascinating insight into discovering Scottish ancestors. He covers both physical and electronic sources, explains how to get beyond the standard ‘births, marriages and deaths plus census’ research, and reminds the reader that there are more tools than just the internet. Comparisons are made with records in England, Ireland and elsewhere, and all of the 28 million people who claim Scottish ancestry worldwide will find something in this book to challenge and stimulate. Informative and entertaining, this new edition is the definitive reader- friendly guide to genealogy and family history in Scotland. Back to top

  Scots Irish Geogenealogy

Go directly to the map slide show The process of early settlement in Ulster is well documented. The proportions allocated to undertakers are known and the successes and failures of Undertakers are well documented in surveys done by Bodley and Pynnar{1618). The settlement of specific Counties in the Plantation era have been studied by researchers and their texts have given us a broad understanding of the process of settlement. Finally, the Muster Roll of 1630 provides a clear picture of  settlement at the provincial level in the early 17th century. However the spread of the Presbyterian church between the mid 17th century, and the mid 19th century, is less well understood. Our first clear picture of the settlement of the Ulster population would not be provided until the Griffith Valuation was completed in the 1860’s. The intent of this exercise will be to fill in the gap in this critical period during which 150,000 Scoots Irish, many of them Presbyterians, would emigrate to the new world.

The Background

The genesis for the project was stimulated by an article,  The Mapping of Ulster-Scots  by by Philip Robinson. In the article he paid homage to Robert J. Gregg and his ground breaking research. Gregg had used linguistic indexes to identify areas of Scots-Irish dialect and to identify the location of the Scots Irish population. One of Gregg’s maps identified the location of Ulster Presbyterian congregations in the period 1630 - 1650, and in   1650 -1670. At the time, it occurred to me that if the information was available, and if the process was extended forward, it might provide a good surrogate for the settlement of Ulster Scot Presbyterians. At the time I was not aware of material that might provide the necessary data to proceed with this project. However in an unrelated activity, I came across  This History of Congregations of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland, (1886), by Rev. W.D. Killeen.  The book contained an historical sketch of over 250 Congregations, their location, the date of formation and generally the first appointed  minister. A typical entry concerned the establishment of a congregation at Ballinderry. The format for each congregations description was not standardized, and to extract the necessary information would require time to review each entry. Consequently I recruited transcribers from the Ulster Scots, Scots Irish Facebook group to assist in the project. Their efforts and contribution to the project were extremely valuable. However it soon became clear that Kileen’s list was not completely comprehensive. Several Facebook group members brought Presbyterians in Ireland, an Illustrated History, to my attention This extremely well researched and illustrated volume was used to add approximately 100 additional congregations to the list. It is on the basis of this material that the following project moved forward.

The Methodology - The Locations

The first step would be to identify the co-ordinate  location of each congregation. This was surprisingly easy to accomplish. Entering the congregation name and the phrase “Presbyterian” in the Google Maps search field was remarkably successful in identifying the location of the vast majority of congregations on the list. Google Maps allows the Latitude and Longitude values, in decimal degrees to be copied and pasted into an excel spread sheet. With 6-8 decimals the location of the contemporary church could be located and mapped to within a few feet, far more accurate than would be needed to plot the locations at the city or town level. Based on this activity a spreadsheet containing the name, location, and date of formation of each congregation was created.. Two checks were employed to supplement and check the data base. 1. Ulster Presbyterian Historical Foundation provides a Google Map of Ulster congregations  circa 2015. The Historical foundation also provided a list which served a a valuable check for the project master list. 2. The New Genealogical Atlas of Ireland contained a list of 394 congregation locations and a map of each counties distribution. The master list contained 340 locations ranging in time from 1606 and to a cut off date of 1850. Following the lead of Gregg’s map, it was decided to create “cohorts” covering 20 years. Therefore the data would be mapped on 12 individual maps.

The Methodology - Defining The Hinterlands

Congregations were generally formed when population expanded or when schisms developed within an existing congregation. The process of forming a congregation was not an easy process. A willing University trained Minister was required and this meant recruiting candidates from Scotland. Sufficient numbers of parishioners would be needed to support the stipend of the minister. The approval of congregations in the general area would be needed before a new one was added to the Presbytery. Therefore the formation of a congregation would be a lagging indicator, one that could be used to track the expansion of Presbyterian settlement in Ulster.

Congregation Boundaries

It is not practical, in fact not possible, to draw the boundaries of each congregation. William Raulston observed that they didn’t necessarily follow civil parish boundaries, but would use landscape features, rivers, rail lines, roads or other local markers. He provides the following illustration concerning the congregation of Killeter Presbyterian church. Consequently we will use the more general concept of a hinterland. A hinterland is a theoretical construct and references the territory influenced by a central point, in this case a congregation. The underlying principle is the impact of time and distance. How far would individuals be prepared to travel to attend congregation services on a regular basis?

The Hinterland

In 1821 the Reverend John Bleckley of First Monaghan(formed in 1697), prepared a congregation census in which he noted the townland location of each of his 265 families. A radius of 5 miles was needed to capture all of the townlands containing congregation members. The same radius was applied to the remaining congregations of that era to determining the coverage for county Monaghan. The five mile radius appears to provide reasonable county wide coverage and was used as the basis of the time series maps.  Return to top  

  Scots Irish Geogenealogy