“Did you know Powerscourt Registrars District 1885 played a crucial role in Irish civil registration? Civil registration in Ireland began in 1864. It became compulsory to register all births deaths and marriages. Non-Catholic marriages were registered with civil authorities from April 1845.
The Irish government decided to use existing Poor Law unions. This created a new staff hierarchy. It was under the General Record Office of Ireland. Powerscourt Registrars District was one such district. Each Registration District was overseen by a Superintendent Registrar. This was usually the Clerk of the Poor Law Union. The actual registration was devolved to local Registrars.
These local Registrars were responsible for a sub-division of the Poor Law Union. These sub-divisions were existing Dispensary Districts. These became known as Registrar’s Districts. The Registrar was usually the medical officer for the Dispensary District. Powerscourt Registrars District could also contain a Registrar’s District of the same name.
Powerscourt Registrars District 1885 is an example from a pre-printed register of 1885. A civil birth registration records the date and place of birth. It also records the name of the child and names of the parents. This includes the maiden name of the mother. The address and occupation of the father were also recorded.
A civil marriage registration records the names ages and occupations of the bride and groom. It also lists their addresses and the names and occupations of their fathers. The names of the witnesses are included. It identifies the church where the couple married.
A death registration records the name age and marital status of the deceased. It also lists the cause of death and place of death. The informant on a death certificate could be a family member. This could be a widow son or daughter-in-law.
These records are more informative than church baptismal and marriage registers. The Dublin copies have been digitized. They are freely available to view and download. This is a wonderful release of records. It helps anyone searching for ancestors.
When searching for BMDs start with the most likely Registration District. Cast your net wider to its neighbors if needed. Powerscourt Registrars District 1885 helps to find ancestors. It creates a link to the past.”