What is the Genealogy Research Service?
To complement Derry City Council’s Archive Service facilities at the Harbour Museum now includes a Genealogy Research Service:
•Genealogy Research Service for the city and county of Derry~Londonderry and the Inishowen Peninsula, County Donegal;
•On-line database with over one million records;
•Access to a genealogist with over 25 years experience;
•A genealogy experience which is complemented by the maritime displays of the Harbour Museum and the Tower Museum; and
•The Harbour Museum is a city-centre location with easy access to the 17th century walled city.
Derry Genealogy Database
A database of over one million records, dating from 1642 to 1922, has been extracted from the major civil and church registers of Derry and Inishowen. This database contains:
•Pre-1922 civil birth and marriage registers;
•The early baptismal and marriage registers of 97 churches (38 Roman Catholic Church, 24 Church of Ireland and 35 Presbyterian);
•Headstone inscriptions from 118 graveyards; and
•Census returns and census substitutes from 1663 through to 1901.
Genealogy Research Service
You can access this database by:
•Searching, for free, the indexes to the Derry Genealogy Database online at http://derry.brsgenealogy.com or through the online record system at www.irish-roots.ie and then purchasing, on a pay-per-view basis, any selected record; or
•By commissioning research from the genealogist. On completing the research application form, with fee, the genealogist will attempt to trace as far back as the database permits the direct line of the named ancestor. A report will then be posted or emailed to you.
The Genealogist, Brian Mitchell, has been involved in local, family and emigration research in the wider Derry area since 1982. He is author of a number of Irish genealogy reference books such as A New Genealogical Atlas of Ireland, A Guide to Irish Parish Registers and Pocket Guide to Irish Genealogy. You may book a free 15 minutes consultation with the genealogist at the Harbour Museum, Derry: 028 7137 7331; or genealogy@derrycity.gov.uk.
Important: It is not recommended to commission genealogical research in Ireland unless you know the county of origin of your ancestor. Please also note that as this database holds no information after 1922 we can only begin tracing events that occurred before 1922.
Prices:
Admission: Free