Finding an Irish Ancestor Using United States Records

Notes on Immigration
The Irish emigration to the United States spans several centuries. By far, the most significant ports for North America included, Boston, Philadelphia, Grosse Ilse, City of Quebec, Montreal in Province of Quebec, Baltimore, especially 19th Century New York, Portland Maine, New Orleans, Atlanta, San Francisco. Ports of embarkation and ports of call included Liverpool, Belfast, Waterford, Cork, Dublin, Southampton, Bristol, and London.

Due to the English Crown Government's austere laws, i.e. Penal Act of 1695, which drove many native Irishmen from their lands, and out onto the streets, it induced many able-bodied Irish to emigrant with their families. Catholic or Protestant families may show up in Catholic and Protestant records in the United States. Irish emigrant surnames appear in many types of genealogical records. For a more in-depth study on just which United States records the researcher should first seek, in order to learn the specific place of birth or their [Irish origins, you can view this article].

See the records listed below for more details.

 vital records - standard format of statutory certificates require parents’ names, specific place and date of birth

 church - sometimes provide Irish place-name or parent names information

 obituaries - may provide clarifying place-name of Irish origins, birth information

 passenger lists - occasionally provide specific Ireland place-name

Other "indexed" original records may include:

 naturalization - may provide at least the Ireland county name of origin

 tombstones - may provide clarifying information on specific Ireland place of birth

 census - in occasional instances may provide more than just "Ireland" as birthplace

 local (county &amp; township) histories - sometimes provide birth information on emigrants

 military - usually provide outstanding evidence of birthplace and sometimes parentage

 deeds - in North Carolina, Maine and a few other regions may provide place of origin data  newspaper articles - may give personal accounts of tragedy, and moreabout immigrant ancestors

 funeral home records, where available

 biographies - especially documented, may provide parentage and birthplace information

 merchant marine - give birthplace data  Social Security Death Index – Form SS-5—“Social Security Number Record Third Party Request for Photocopy” - birth

How to Use This Page
The following records listed below may more quickly assist researchers in finding more about their Irish immigrant ancestors in the United States (see links). The wiki and these sources should be a useful guide.

British Military
For more indepth information on British Military for Ireland, try our wiki under [England Military Records]

Many Irish have joined the Military and this Military covers many branches.

British Army, Royal Air Force, Royal Marines, Royal Navy

Records of hospitals: Chelsea, Greenwich, Kilmainham

Online records
Ancestry.com offers the following important records databases from U.S. Military sources:

World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918 Military 24,016,021 U.S. World War II Draft Registration Cards, 1942 Military 7,108,005 U.S. World War II Army Enlistment Records, 1938-1946 Military 8,369,212 U.S. Veterans Gravesites, ca.1775-2006 Military 6,402,239 U.S. Civil War Soldiers, 1861-1865 Military 6,261,619 American Civil War Soldiers Military 4,252,125 U.S. Civil War Soldier Records and Profiles Military 4,257,810 Civil War Pension Index: General Index to Pension Files, 1861-1934 Military 2,078,784 U.S. Army, Register of Enlistments, 1798-1914 Military 1,378,006 U.S. Revolutionary War Rolls, 1775-1783 Military 425,724 Civil War Prisoner of War Records, 1861-1865 Military 1,565,511 U.S. Marine Corps Muster Rolls, 1798-1940 Military 11,989,087 American Civil War Regiments Military 6,508 U.S. Navy Cruise Books, 1950-1988 Military 86,206 U.S. National Homes for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers, 1866-1938 Military 391,018 WWI Civilian Draft Registrations Military 1,231,099 War of 1812 Service Records Military 582,271 Official records of the Union and Confederate Armies, 1861-1865 Military 193,819 Headstones Provided for Deceased Union Civil War Veterans, 1879-1903 Military 170,057 War of 1812 Pension Application Files Index, 1812-1815 Military 2 WWII U.S. Navy Aircraft Carrier Muster Rolls, 1939-1949 Military 1,041,701 Confederate Service Records, 1861-1865 Military 57,571 U.S. Rosters of World War II Dead, 1939-1945 Military 357,086 Roster of South Carolina Patriots in the American Revolution Military 1,043 Abstract of Graves of Revolutionary Patriots

Footnote.com
This outstanding website works cooperatively with The National Archives to digitize many of its vast records collections. Here's their impressive list of offerings online for United States military records:

 Civil War Records 


 * Civil War IRS records - PA Internal Revenue Assessment Lists For Pennsylvania, 1862-1866.
 * Compiled service records of soldiers in the Civil War, labeled with each soldier's name, rank, and unit, with links to revealing documents about each soldier.
 * Civil War and Later Veterans Pension Index – to applications for service in the US Army between 1861 and 1917.
 * Civil War "Widows' pension” applications of widows and other dependents of Civil War veterans who served between 1861 and 1910.
 * Confederate Amnesty Papers - Applications for pardon submitted to President Andrew Johnson by former Confederates excluded from earlier amnesty proclamations.
 * Confederate "Citizens Files" pertains to goods furnished or services rendered to the Confederate government by private individuals or business firms.
 * Mormon Battalion Pension Files – the Mormon Battalion was formed in Council Bluffs, Iowa, in 1846, to support the US troops in California during the Mexican War.

Navy Records


 * Navy Survivors' Certificates - these files document the name, age, residence, date and place of birth of Navy veterans submitted between 1861 and 1910.
 * Navy Widows' Certificates.- Approved pension applications of widows and other dependents of U.S. Navy veterans who served between 1861 and 1910

 Revolutionary War Records 


 * Revolutionary War Pensions and Bounty-Land Warrant Application Files
 * Revolutionary War Prize Cases - Captured Vessels; prize cases heard on appeal from Colonial and state courts by the Continental Congress and the Court of Appeals in Cases of Capture.
 * Revolutionary War Rolls – of muster rolls, payrolls, strength returns, and other miscellaneous personnel, pay, and supply records of American Army units, 1775-83.
 * Revolutionary War Service Records - Compiled service records of soldiers who served in the American Army during the Revolutionary War, 1775-1783.
 * War of 1812 Prize Cases, Southern Dist Court, NY - case files and prize records relating to maritime property seized at the country's leading port and commercial center, 1812-16.

 World War II 


 * WWII Naval Press Clippings - newspaper clippings relating to the activities of the 13th Naval District and its personnel from World War II through 1960

The National Archives (NARA)
The National Archives provides the following rich repertoire of records:

Compiled Service Records:
Compiled service records consist of abstracts from muster rolls, returns, pay vouchers, and other records. They provide an ancestor's rank, unit, date enlisted and mustered out, biographical information, medical data.

Pension Applications and Pension Payment Records:
The National Archives also has pension payments and applications for veterans, and widows, and other heirs, from between 1775 and 1916, which may provide marriage certificates, birth records, death certificates, pages from family Bibles, family letters, depositions of witnesses, affidavits, discharge papers and other papers.

Bounty Land:
Bounty land warrant application files relate to claims based on wartime service between 1775 and March 3, 1855. If your ancestor served in the Revolutionary War, War of 1812, early Indian Wars, or the Mexican War, a search of these records may be worthwhile. Bounty land records often contain documents similar to those in pension files, with lots of genealogical information. Many of the bounty land application files relating to Revolutionary War and War of 1812 service have been combined with the pension files. Here's an online database search in the indexes to these records.

The Wars:

Numerous wars have been fought, providing researchers with records for the following war campaigns:


 * American Revolution
 * War of 1812
 * Mexican War
 * Civil War
 * Wars on American soil
 * Spanish American War
 * Philippine Insurrection
 * Boxer Rebellion
 * World War I
 * World War II
 * Korean War
 * Vietnam War

Census
The United States Federal Census records sometimes reveal more specific details about our Irish immigrant ancestors than usual and may on rare occasions even list their specific birthplace. This is the exception rather than the normal rule. For more indepth information on the United States Federal Census, try our wiki under United States Census.

The census records of the United States are available online from 1790 -1930 at these websites:


 * |www.ancestry.com Ancestry.com has the complete sets of censuses from 1790-1930 inclusive
 * HeritageQuest.com has 1790-1810; 1860-1930 census records; available only at archives, libraries or institution-bases only
 * Record Search Pilot at FamilySearch.org has the 1850, 1860, 1870 (partial), 1880, 1900, and 1920 (partial)
 * Footnote.com has the 1860 and 1930 (partial) online

Here are a few additional websites--mostly free--for some areas of states in U.S Federal censuses, all online:


 * U.S. Census Online Internet links.

Family History Library
The Family History Library has the United States Federal censuses from 1790-1930 inclusive on microfilm and by subscription--free access to in-house patrons to the above websites. Each site has many indexes to the census according to those years above specified (1790-1930). The Library also has some state census records for various states which list Irish immigrants here in America. Visit our online catalog at www.familysearch.org; follow the prompt to the Family History Library Catalog and type in the state of residence where the ancestral family resided and click on "Census Records".

Church Records
For more indepth information on Church Records for the United States, try our wiki under United States (see entries for each state) Church Records: United States Church Records

Church records are among the most overlooked and least sought in the vital events of our United States ancestry! And yet these records are to be found throughout many parts of the country, and surprisingly, many of them go back a considerable ways in time. For example, the Roman Catholic Church has been well established in certain states and areas, such as in Maryland, New York and Pennsylvania of which go back quite a ways in time.

Other religions including the Congregational, Episcopal and Presbyterian churches are well known throughout much of New England and New York as Protestant (in England, they were considered Non-Conformists) and records have been kept. Since the higher percentage of the population of Irish were Catholic, the church records of the Catholic Church must be highly considered. The church records for all religions can encompass births, baptisms, confirmations, marriages, deaths, burials, tombstone inscriptions, minutes from meetings, business records, tithing, rates, payments, attendance, members, church histories. Our listing here is to direct to births, baptisms, marriages, deaths, and burials under each religion shown.

How do you find the records and access them?


 * Online
 * Offices of the diocese (Episcopal and Roman Catholic)
 * Repository or library
 * At the original church

Emigration and Immigration Records
Emigration records for those Irish leaving Ireland to come to the United States provide mostly complete coverage during the 19th Century. However, because many emigration records do not survive for years prior to 1800, tracing the Irish prior to this time is challenging. Here is a list of online immigration databases for passengers coming to the United States:


 * Ancestry.com

Vital Records
For more indepth information on state vital records-keeping we strongly recommend our wiki under United States Vital Records

Vital records for each of the states are available and are usually indexed in some way, whether online, or through manuscript index available and accessible at state department of vital records/health and vital statisitics from anywhere from about roughly 1871 (and as early as the 17th century for some New England states such as Massachusetts and Connecticut) to the present time.

State vital records are the local government-sponsored recording of vital events such as birth, marriage and deaths. These records are critical to Irish-American research in that they provide a wealth of information, especially the United States death certificates. At least the requirements for filling out death certificates require 1) names of parents, 2) specific place of birth (may not always provide this data), and 3) the date of birth; sometimes the date and place of marriage and to whom and whether the spouse is deceased at time of death. These online indexes reside in various places and formats. For the researcher's convenience, we have listed below the websites and webpage links to these vital records.

Vital record certificates can be obtained from:

VitalRec.com

The cost is anywhere from about $12 to as much as about $25 per certificate or more depending on how quickly you wish them to be mailed.

Currently most states have free online indexes which have been produced by volunteers over the last roughly ten years:

Indexes to the certificates can be viewed at the following websites:


 * AK - n.a. yet
 * AL - Deaths at Ancestry.com - $; AccessGenealogy marriages - $
 * AR - Deaths, Marriages - $
 * AZ - Births and Deaths
 * CA - Births, marriages and deaths - $
 * CO - Marriage &amp; deaths (partial)
 * CT - Birth, marriage &amp; death - $
 * DE - Birth, marriage &amp; death - $
 * FL - Birth, marriages &amp; deaths
 * GA - Deaths &amp; marriages - $
 * HI - n.a. yet
 * IA - Marriages - early to 1900 - $; Deaths
 * ID - Birth, Marriage &amp; Deaths
 * IL - Marriage &amp; deaths
 * IN - Marriage &amp; deaths - $ (partial)
 * KS - Marriages &amp; deaths - $ (partial)
 * KY - Births, marriages &amp; deaths 1911-2000 - $; pre-1900 - $
 * LA - Birth, Marriage &amp; Death
 * MA - Marriages
 * MD - Marriages &amp; Deaths
 * ME - Marriages &amp; Deaths
 * MI - Birth, Marriage, Death
 * MN -
 * MO
 * MS
 * MT
 * NC
 * ND
 * NE
 * NH
 * NJ
 * NM
 * NV
 * NY
 * OH
 * OK
 * OH
 * PA
 * RI
 * SC
 * SD
 * TN
 * TX
 * UT
 * VA
 * VT
 * WC
 * WI
 * WV
 * WY -

Other Indexes at no cost:

U.S. Social Security Death Index

Other indexes for pay include

www.ancestry.co.uk This index is very complete and offers better coverage of indexes. Easy quick searches for larger periods of time.

Occupation Records
Many of our Irish emigrant ancestors came to the United States, illiterate, in poverty, and many suffered with lingering health deprivations, i.e. from the Great Famine. The promise of a new and better life in the United States, hinged on finding a new livelihood. While difficult at first for many emigrants, due to frontier lands, and a booming and robust industrial and manufacturing expansionism, tens of thousands of emigrants labored in railroad building and steel manufacturing works especially throughout the east and midwest. Many settled into new farmlands later on, or were hired on as farm-hands and others as servants throughout the country.

Some personnel records for major, i.e. railroad and steel corporations have survived. Search for these records in the following locations:


 * the Family History Library Catalog (or FHLC) at FamilySearch.org - click on "Occupations" for state, county or town
 * State historical societies
 * State and/or county archives
 * Public libraries
 * College/university libraries
 * on-site at existing manufacturing/corporation premises, i.e. Baltimore &amp; Ohio Railroad

Probate
The wiki for the United States provides links to probate records for many states. Search under the state and/or county name; then click on "Probate records". Many wills/probate records have been indexed including indexes and probate records to wills, administrations, act books, etc. For probate click on the state and/or county of interest and then click on probate records. United States probate records