Holywood Civil Parish, County Down, Northern Ireland Genealogy

Guide to Holywood Civil Parish, County Down ancestry, family history, and genealogy. Parish registers, transcripts, baptism records, marriage records, and burial records.

The following information is a starting point for records about the civil parish of Holywood. The information is based on locations and records before 1922.

History
Holywood or Hollywood is a post-town and parish in the union of Belfast, barony of Lower Castlereagh, county of Down, province of Ulster. The parish comprises the two ancient parishes of Ballymechan or Columbkill and Craigavad, both rectories.

In the Roman Catholic divisions the parish forms part of the district of Belfast and has a chapel. There are places of worship for Presbyterians.

Localities
List the names of townlands in this civil parish List the names of the surrounding parishes List the names and give a description of a district, poor law union, etc.

Maps and gazetteers
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Cemeteries
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Census
The purpose of a census was to gather information about people who lived in an area. While the government began census taking in 1821, only fragments exist before 1901. Censuses for 1901 and 1911 are available. Read more about the records in the Ireland Census article.

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Church records
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Catholic
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Church of Ireland
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Presbyterian
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Methodist
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Society of Friends
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Others
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Civil Registration
Government registration of births and deaths began in 1864. Registration of Protestant marriages began in 1845, with all marriages being registered by 1864. Go to the Ireland Civil Registration article to read more about these records.

Genealogy
Clint, Joseph and Blaney, Roger. The Family of Dr. Samuel Bryson of Holywood, Co. Down. A description of the descendants of Samuel Maziere Bryson 1776-1853 and Alice Standfield 1767-1840, including description of their qualifications of employment, includes, Holywood, Belfast, Co. Armagh, Scotland, and England. Article seems to cover from 1685-1868. These records are part of the Robert MacAdam Manuscripts held in the Belfast Public Library. Article in The Irish Ancestor, vol. XVI, no.1. 1984. pages 32-34. Family Hisotry Library SLC 941.5 B2i

Land records
The Registry of Deeds started in 1708. Land transactions were recorded, including immovable property passed on in a will and property given to a daughter at her marriage. Read more about these records in the Ireland Land and Property article.

Probate Records
Probate dealt with the property of a deceased person. Read more about these records in the Ireland Probate Records article.

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School records
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Tax records
The valuation of property for tax purposes was started in the 1840s by Richard Griffith. A tax paid to the church, call Tithe Applotments, began in the 1820s. Read about these records in the Ireland Taxation and Ireland Land and Property articles. Add records for this parish that you know about.

Websites
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