James BREWSTER and Elinor WILLIAMSON

Hi Alena,

Thank you very much for your message. I hope that someone with information on the family contacts you and helps you to further your research.

However please note that the dates you have mentioned are very early and generally the reality of finding documentation pertaining to births/baptisms/marriages/deaths in Ireland prior to 1800 ? particularly in rural areas ? is that they simply may not exist. Some registers for urban areas pre-dating 1800 may exist ? though often these can be fragmented- as there was an increased need in cities or larger towns to document the population. Please also note that the Church of Ireland was the official church of the country and therefore the bulk of information that does survive for earlier periods is often from these registers.

Most surviving Church of Ireland records are still held by the local clergy, although some are in the National Archives of Ireland and others are in the Representative Church Body Library in Dublin. Here are their websites: http://www.nationalarchives.ie/ and http://ireland.anglican.org/about/42

Lists of these surviving registers can also be found at the National Library of Ireland.

Also, your search for information will be much easier if you can try to narrow down the place of origin, preferably yo a parish as most Irish records sources are based on specific locations.

Here are some websites that you may find useful:

The National Archives of Ireland http://www.nationalarchives.ie/genealogy1/genealogy-records/introduction/

The National Library of Ireland http://www.nli.ie/en/family-history-introduction.aspx

The National Archives UK ? genealogy search: http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/records/looking-for-person/

The Public Records Office of Northern Ireland http://www.proni.gov.uk/index/family_history.htm

Irish Times: http://www.irishtimes.com/ancestor/index.htm

Family Search: www.familysearch.org

Ulster Ancestry: http://www.ulsterancestry.com/ua-free-pages.php

Genealogy Links Down: http://www.genealogylinks.net/uk/ireland/down/index.html

Genealogy Links Antrim: http://www.genealogylinks.net/uk/ireland/antrim/index.html

It may also be an idea to contact the Ulster Historical Foundation for assistance, however a fee may apply. Here is their email address: enquiry@uhf.org.uk

Remember to post any new information that you find here. The more information you post, the more likely it is that one of our volunteers will be able to advise or assist you. Also include information concerning which sources you may have already used so others may further your search.

Kind regards,

Genealogy Support