Questions related to research in the 18th century and earlier.
How do I find leases that might belong to my family of interest?
While leases can be extremely useful in providing family information, getting at them is not simple. With any transaction there is a grantor and a grantee. There IS a grantor index that is quite readable, but normal researchers are usually more interested in grantees - and they are NOT indexed. However there are indexes, handwritten on parchment, that are organized by townland. Microfilms from the LDS (Mormon) library. The film numbers are: 0100386 (from 1708 to 1810), 0100430 (from 1811-1820), and 0100408 (from 1739 - 1810). All three need careful scrutiny, preferably at high magnification. All records are in form of Vol./Page/Item Number - and all are needed for either ordering films - or ordering from the Registry of Deeds.
What are the best 18th Century Resources?
For Protestant families there is a wealth of information. Some parish registers have survived with entries dating well back into the 1700s. The 1790 Voters List is an incredible resource for the last part of the century. Many land leases were registered, and that can be a goldmine. For Catholic families there is much less to go on. A couple of Catholic Parish Registers have entries back into the 1700s, and in a few instances grave markers might prove useful, but overall there is little help from the official records.