Armagh the smallest county in Northern Ireland, has a rich,
colourful and even tempestuous history. War, famine and emigration over the
last four centuries have all contributed to forming the distinctive
character of its people. The constant struggle between Planter and Gael
that has characterised the county since the Plantation in the early 17th
century may be seen in, form example the almost equal division of the most
popular surnames. The county town, the city of Armagh, is the
ecclesiastical capital of both the Catholic and Protestant religions on the
island. By the end of the 18th century the county became one of the most
prosperous and the most densely populated in Ireland. Its turbulent history
has taken its toll on the evidence that remains. Many records were lost,
including those in the destruction of the Public Record Office in Dublin in
1922; much has, however, survived to aid the dedicated family or local
historian and is accessible in the detailed catalogues and user-friendly
searching aids in the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland. Ian Maxwell
writes both as an historian and an archivist eager to encourage researchers
to use the fullest range of sources available. An exceptional feature of
this book are the reference appendices. These include a breakdown of
administrative divisions listing some 1400 townlands and also unofficial
placenames which disappeared from official use after the standardisation of
placenames in the 1830s. Also provided for each townland are the civil
parish, barony and poor law union plus the vital district electoral
division details that greatly facilitates the researcher using sources such
as census returns and property valuation records. Other appendices provide
crucial archival references to tithe and valuation records for all parishes
in the county and civil and Catholic parish maps are also included. Such
reference appendices will be a feature of further books in this series of
county guides for the family and local historian. Published 04 December
2000.
