Family and Local History
[Bill Macafee's Website]

c.1860 Griffith's [Tenement] Valuation
1851 Census Returns Co. Antrim
1831 Census Returns Co. L/Derry
1820s/30s Tithe Applotment Books
1803 Agricultural Census N. Antrim
 

1796 Flaxgrowers' List

As part of a government initiative to encourage the linen trade, free spinning-wheels or looms were granted to individuals planting a certain area of land with flax.

The premium was up to 4 spinning wheels. The number of spinning wheels given to each person depended on the amount of flax that they sowed between 10th March and the 1st June 1796. Persons sowing at least an acre received 4 wheels, those sowing 3 roods - 3 wheels, those sowing 2 roods- 2 wheels and those sowing 1 rood - 1 wheel. For younger readers there are 4 roods in an acre.

The lists of those entitled to the awards were published in 1796. I have created a database of the names listed for the parishes in North and Mid Antrim that are listed within the source and a database for all of the parishes in Co. Londonderrty. Note that this source only lists the names of persons, the parish in which they lived and how many wheels they received. It does not tell us where they lived within the parish.

If you have not already done so you should read the paper on Databases before searching the databases.

1796 Flax Growers' List for the Parishes of North Antrim [1,075 names] Excel PDF
1796 Flax Growers' List for Co. Londonderry [5,106 names] Excel PDF
1796 Flaxgrowers' List
1766 Religious Census
1740 Protestant Householders' Returns
1660s Hearth Money Rolls
1630 Muster Rolls
Copyright 2011 W.Macafee.