Townland Valuation

First valuation 1826-1836.  Created a valuation for the entire country.  Individual occupiers were not named unless they owned a house valued at more than £5 after 1836 or 3 before 1836.  26 counties were valued.

Tenement Valuation

Initially overlapped the Townland Valuation.  The first Tenement Act was in 1846, after being partially introduced in 1844, and covered counties not valued by the Townland Valuation (Cork, Dublin, Kerry, Limerick, Tipperary and Waterford).  The Tenement Valuation was extended to the whole country with the 1852 act.  Every individual tenement or holding was recorded, including the names of the occupiers and householders.  The draft valuation prepared for appeals was published as the Primary Valuation (aka Griffith's Valuation).  After the appeals, the valuation was settled and recorded in the cancelled books.  Several books can exist for a parish, including an original Field Book, a Fair Copy, a Check Book and a Calculation Book.

Valuation Office Field Books

Manuscript books that record the information required for the valuation of agricultural land in rural areas.  House books cover urban areas.  They are dated between 1830 and the mid 1850s.  The Field Books in the National Archives are for all counties, but the books for the six counties of Northern Ireland are in PRONI in Belfast.

The Field Books were made in civil parishes & pre-printed, capturing the following information:

county, barony, parish, townland

lot number

technical description of land

quantity/square area of the lot in acres, rods, perches

rate per acre

amount of valuation of land and houses in pounds, shillings, pence

The only names recorded in Field Books before 1844 are those of lessors/owners of property and occupiers of houses over the valuation threshold £3 before 1836 and 5 after 1836.  Many houses in towns were over the threshold and are recorded in House Books and Quarto Books.  Information was abstracted from the House Books, where the names of occupiers of houses valued are given.  Many Field Books have House Books attached to them.  Some books contain verbal descriptions of the parish.

Fair Copies of Field Books

These books are neatly written and very legible but only contains minimal information.  Houses over the threshold after calculation were recorded at the end of each townland, including the names of occupiers.  Houes books are not usually copied in the Fair Copies.

Check Books

From 1836 a system of verification was introduced, called the check valuation.  A proportion of areas covered  by the field work was re-valuated by a check valuator and recorded in a separate book.  They do not usually contain names.

Calculation Books

Abstracts were made in the office from the Field Books for calculation and checking purposes.  These contain minimum data, usually the lot number and figures, omitting the description of the lots and names.

Valuation Office House Books

Manuscript books recording houses and buildings dated 1833-mid 1850s.  The National Archives holds the books relating to the 26 counties of the Republic of Ireland plus three booiks for parishes in County Fermanagh.  The remainder are in PRONI in Belfast.  Information captured was:

number of the property

name of occupier and description of the property

quality letter

length, breadth and height (in feet and inches)

number of measures

rate per measure

amount of valuation in money (pounds, shillings, pence)

Buildings in towns were usually numbered in streets in the House Books.

The quality letters attributed to each building were based upon the data below and the appearance and condition of the house is deduced from this and from the measurements.  Buildings were measured on the outside, with the length, breadth and height recorded in feet and inches.  A measure was 10 square feet and the figure in the number of measures is the previous figures multiplied together then divided by 10.  The rate per measure was determined by the quality letter.

Classification of buildings in 1839

Classifications of Houses and Offices

New or nearly new

A+ Built or ornamented with cut stone, and of superior solidity and finish

A    Very substantial building, finished without cut stone ornament

A-  Ordinary building and finish of either of the above when built 20-25 years ago

Medium

B+  Medium (not new) but in sound order and good repair

B    Medium, slightly declayed, but in good repair

B-  Medium, deteriorated by age and not in perfect repair

Old

C+ old, but in repair

C  Old and out of repair

C-  Old and dilapidated, scarcely habitable

Description of Houses

1 Includes all slated dwelling house built with stone, brick or lime mortar

2 Thatched house built with stone, brick or lime mortar

3 Thatched house with stone walls with mud or puddle mortar; dry stone walls pointed or mud walls of the best kind

4 Basement stories of slated houses, used as dwellings

Description of Offices

1 Includes all slated offices, built with stone or brick walls, with good lime mortar

2 Thatched offices built with stone or brick walls and lime mortar

3 Thatched office with stone walls with mud or puddle mortar, dry stone walls pointed, or good mud walls

4 Thatched offices built with dry stone walls

5 Basement stores or cellars used as stores

Classification of Buildings with Reference to their Solidity

1 Slated house or office built with stone or brick and lime mortar

2 Thatched house or office built with stone or brick and lime mortar

3 Thatched house or office with dry stone walls with mud mortar, with dry stone walls pointed or with good mud walls

4 Basement of #1

5 Office with dry stone walls

Classification of Buildings with Reference to Age & Repair

New or nearly new

A+ Built or ornamented with cut stone and of superior solidity and finish

A Very substantial building and finished without cut stone ornament

A- Ordinary building and finish or either of the above when built 20 years ago

Medium

B+ Not new, but in sound order and good repair

B Slightly decayed but in good repair

B- Deteriorated by age and not in perfect repair

Old

C+ old but in repair

C old and out of repair

C- Old and dilapidated, scarcely habitable

Tenure Books (Perambulation Books)

A series of manuscript notebooks containing information required for the Tenement Valuation created 1846-1858, covering rural areas and some towns.  These are stored in the National Archives for 26 counties of the Republic of Ireland except Queens County (County Laois) because they don't exist.  Some are online.  The books for Northern Ireland are in PRONI in Belfast.

There is a separate book per civil parish.  The capture the following information:

county, barony, parish, townland

lot number

occupier - householder only

immediate lessor

description of tenement

content of farm

rent

tenure

year let

observations

Quarto Books

Manuscript books valuing houses and buildings in towns for all counties except Leitrim and Sligo.  They are dated 1839-1851 and were made under both Townland and Tenement Valuations.  They are by town, with small towns grouped together.  They contain the following information:

number

name of occupier and description of tenement

relative value by tables in pounds, shillings, pence

rent by year or by lease

observations

relative value multiplied by

relative value with percentage (the value after the multiplier is applied)

value finally settled

value, deducting 1/3

There was usually a lapse of time up to two years between the House Book and the Quarto Book and the Quarto Book records the change in names of occupiers and in the buildings.