Ireland Landed Estate Court Files - FamilySearch Historical Records

Collection Time Period
This collection covers records for the years 1850 to 1885.

Record Description
These records consist of maps, which are hand-drawn, and tenant lists which are typed on preprinted forms. The records are divided by county and lot.

Citation for This Collection
The following citation refers to the original source of the data and images published on FamilySearch.org. It may include the author, custodian, publisher and archive for the original records.

Information about creating source citations for FamilySearch Historical Collections is found in the wiki article Help:How to Create Source Citations For FamilySearch Historical Records Collections.

Record Content
The lot maps include the following information:
 * Estate owner and title
 * Parish
 * County
 * Surveyor’s name and address
 * Ordinance sheet number

The tenant lists include the following information:
 * Tenant’s full name
 * Number on the map
 * Quantity of land
 * Irish plantation rents
 * Annual rent
 * Gale days (the day on which rent is due)

How to Use the Records
Use these records to establish a place of residence. The residence could lead you to other records such as tax records (which help to establish a length of residence) and church, emigration or probate records (which may include names and information on other family members.) These records sometimes list female tenants, which may indicate that the husband is deceased.

Record History
During the 1840s, Ireland suffered a massive famine. Many tenants died, and others emigrated, hoping to find relief. As a result, landlords lost their major source of income, and their estates went into debt, culminating in a high number of foreclosures. It is estimated that between the years 1850 and 1858 around 8,000 estate foreclosures were handled.

In 1849, an act was passed which established the Encumbered Estates Court. This court handled the sale and accounting of bankrupted estates. In 1858, the Landed Estates Court was established. This court handled both unencumbered and encumbered estates.

These records were created to provide a detailed accounting of bankrupted estate sales. These records are generally reliable.

Related Web Sites
Ireland National Archives

Related Wiki Articles
Ireland Court Records

Citing FamilySearch Historical Collections
A suggested format for keeping track of records that you have searched is found in the Wiki Article: How to Cite FamilySearch Collections

Please add sample citations to this article following the format guidelines in the wiki article listed above. Examples of citations:


 * United States. Bureau of the Census. 12th census, 1900, digital images, From FamilySearch Internet (www.familysearch.org: September 29, 2006), Arizona Territory, Maricopa, Township 1, East Gila, Salt River Base and Meridian; sheet 9B, line 71
 * Mexico, Distrito Federal, Catholic Church Records, 1886-1933, digital images, from FamilySearch Internet (www.familysearch.org: April 22, 2010), Baptism of Adolfo Fernandez Jimenez, 1 Feb. 1910, San Pedro Apóstol, Cuahimalpa, Distrito Federal, Mexico, film number 0227023