Irish Census 1800's

Sections:

 1. 1821 Census Fragments

 2. 1831 Census Fragments

 3. 1841 Census Fragments

 4. 1851 Census Fragments

 5. 1861 and 1871 Census Fragments

Note: In earlier chapters we explained the governmental hierarchy but we should note here that the townland is often just a street name. There is a higher probability of our “closer” relatives coming from the counties in Ulster with the highest probability in Derry (Londonderry), Fermanagh, and Tyrone.  As such, we show only those census information for those 3 counties and statistical information for the other counties.  There are 9 counties in Ulster: Antrim, Armagh, Cavan, Derry, Donegal, Down, Fermanagh, Monaghan and Tyrone.

Section 1. 1821 Census Fragments

This census, organized by townland, civil parish, barony and county, took place on May 28th 1821, and aimed to cover the entire population. It recorded the following information: name; age; occupation; relationship to the head of the household; acreage of land holding; number of storeys of house. Almost all of the original returns were destroyed in 1922, with only a few volumes surviving for parts of Counties Cavan, Fermanagh, Galway, Meath and Offaly(King’s County).  The ages need to be treated with skepticism.  13 McTeague’s appear in the census for Cavan County. There is one likely relative shown in 1821: 

Jane McTeague may well be a relative.  She allegedly is 19 years old in 1821 and James McTeague, the oldest relative we know of, would have been 24 years old.  The rumor is that James came to Derry from Fermanagh.  

There are no Montague’s found in 1821 census.

Section 2. 1831 Census Fragments

Again the data is organized by townland, civil parish, barony and county. This census recorded the following: name; age; occupation; relationship to the head of the household; acreage of land holding; religion. Very little of this census has survived with most of the remaining fragments relating to Co. Derry.  

We think these could be our direct descendants: 

There is a good probability we are related to all the above.  If you look at the Montague’s located in townland Desart or Disert we think those are direct descendants.  Indeed, the James located at house 19 we think is James (1797); also living with James are 3 females one of which is certainly his wife Sally Kelly and the other two are most probably his daughters that we did not know about earlier.  Of great interest are Thomas and Bernard living very close to James.  This presents a possibility that these are James’s brothers, or, at least first cousins.  Here is the additional information for those we suspect to be our direct line of descendants: 

*None of these households have servants. Servants were domestic help or farm hands, employees by a different name. The Robert McTeague shown at 53 Ballyronan St. is the four time great grandfather of Donna McTeague Sadosky living in Wakefield MA, USA. Donna knows that Robert’s wife was named Ellen and the other male in the house was James McTeague.

 Section 3. 1841 Census Fragments

Unlike the two earlier censuses, the returns in 1841 were filled out by the householders themselves, rather than government enumerators. The information supplied was: name, age, occupation, relationship to the head of the household, date of marriage, literacy, absent family members, and family members who died since 1831.Only one set of original returns survived 1922, that for the parish of Killeshandra in Co. Cavan. There are, however, a number of transcripts of the original returns because the returns from 1841 and 1851 were used in the twentieth century as proof of age when the Old Age Pension was introduced.  The forms detailing the results of searches in the original returns to establish age have survived and are found in The National Archives for areas in The Republic of Ireland, and The Public Record Office of Northern Ireland for areas now in its jurisdiction. County by county indexes to the areas covered, giving the names of the individuals concerned, are found on open shelves in the Reading Rooms. Copies of the Northern Ireland returns are also available at the LDS Library.

A number of other miscellaneous copies, some also related to the Old Age Pension, and mostly relating to Northern counties, are detailed (though not indexed) in the pre-1901 census catalogue of the National Archives, on open shelves in the Reading Room. For the counties with significant numbers of these copies, details will be found under the relevant county. As well as these copies, there are also a number of researchers' transcripts and abstracts compiled from the original returns before their destruction, and donated to public institutions after 1922 in an attempt to replace up some of the lost records. Since the researchers were usually interested in particular families, rather than whole areas, these are generally of limited value. The most significant collections are the Walsh-Kelly notebooks, which also abstract parts of the 1821, 1831 and 1851 returns and relate particularly to south Kilkenny, and the Thrift Abstracts in the National Archives. Details of dates, areas covered and locations for the Walsh-Kelly notebooks will be found under Co. Kilkenny. The Thrift Abstracts are listed in detail in the National Archives pre-1901 census catalogue, under "miscellaneous copies". Counties for which significant numbers exist are given under the relevant county.

 Two McTeague’s in County Cavan were found. No Montague’s were found.

Section 4. 1851 Census Fragments

The 1851 census recorded: name, age, occupation, relationship to the head of the household, date of marriage, literacy, absent family members, family members who died since 1841, and religion. Most of the surviving returns relate to parishes in Co. Antrim. The comments on transcripts and abstracts of the 1841 census also apply to 1851.

Three McTeague’s found in County Cavan. No Montague’s found in 1851

 Section 5. 1861 and 1871 Census Fragments

Virtually nothing survives. The only transcripts are contained in the Catholic registers of Enniscorthy, Co.Wexford, (1861), and Drumcondra and Loughbraclen, Co. Meath (1871). No McTeagues or  Montagues were found.

 Read more Irish census Findings!