The Irish Abroad
WHAT OVERSEAS RECORDS RELATING TO THE IRISH ARE ONLINE?
Records of the Irish overseas, especially records of first-generation migrants, can sometimes record more details than the surviving records back in Ireland. The most important of these are:
1. Australian death records. These record the names and addresses of both parents of the deceased. For many Irish immigrants, this may be the only place such information is recorded. Different states began registration in different years. A good overview is at www.coraweb.com.au.
2. Scottish death records. These start in 1855 and record the full names and addresses of spouses and both parents. Many, many Irish emigrants are recorded. Marriages and births are also recorded from 1855. See www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk.
3. U.S. marriage records. These start in a different year in each state and the information collected varies, but can be very useful. Massachusetts marriage records (www.familysearch.org), for example, record the names of the mother and father of both parties.
4. England and Wales General Register Office records start in 1837. None of the registers are online, but almost all the indexes are freely searchable at www.freebmd.org.uk.