Public urged to make use of archives

Public urged to make use of archives

22 August 2012

COMBER people are “generally speaking, sober and industrious” according to documents from the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland.

The PRONI has released two photographs taken in Comber in the early 1900s in a bid to highlight the extensive information available in its archives.

Among the information released is an observation from M.M. Kertland about the inhabitants of Comber in 1837.

Kertland was one of hundreds of scribes, employed by the government to note down details of the lay of the land, the occupations of the people, the antiquities, the geography, and anything else that attracted their attention.

The object was to compile a ‘Doomsday Book’ of the country to go alongside the detailed mapping of Ireland by the newly appointed Ordnance Survey.

Among his observations was this passage: “The people are generally speaking sober and industrious.  Fights or riots are scarcely ever heard of among them.

They may be observed after working hours in summer evenings congregating in groups in the streets where they remain for some time.  … but on Saturday nights there is mostly some drunkenness and disturbance observable which is kept up to a greater or less extent all night. This is owing to the people having received their weekly incomes.”

The OS Memoirs as they are known, cover every townland in Northern Ireland and make for a fascinating study into how our ancestors may have lived. The complete series, along with the 1830s O.S. maps, is available at PRONI, as are other records of interest to the local and family historian, for example: leases, letters, photographs, journals, valuation books, church and school records and wills, to name but a few!

“Access to all of these records, and a great many more, is free during normal office opening hours and PRONI staff are available to help when you call in to carry out your research, whether it’s your family tree, local history, or that particular project you’re working on,” said a PRONI official.

“While at PRONI, you can take the opportunity to stroll through our interactive opening exhibition: ‘A Century of Change, Conflict and Transformation’, which showcases items from our collections spanning the period 1911 to 2011.

“Featuring a display of fascination documents and photographs, the exhibition offers an exceptional glimpse into the story to Northern Ireland. Visitors can explore some elements in greater detail on the state-of-the-art interactive touch screens.”