1830 Valuation

The 1830 Valuation was primarily a valuation of land and the valuation of houses is normally contained in a few pages at the end of the book as houses below the value of initially £3 and later £5 were excluded (major towns are an exception). The amount of information contained in the field books varies from area to area. It is available in the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland (VAL/1B). The maps accompanying the valuation are also available in PRONI (VAL/1A) as are the town plans (VAL/1D).

The First General Valuation: 1848-64

This valuation, better known as Griffith’s Valuation, covered the occupiers of all land, tenements and houses. It was used to determine the amount of tax each able-bodied person should pay towards the upkeep of the workhouses which were located in the local market towns. It is arranged by county, Poor Law Union and parish. It includes the following information:

• townland address
• householder’s name
• name of the person from whom the property was leased
• description of the property
• acreage
• valuation.

In some instances people with the same name are given their local nicknames or trade to differentiate them. It is available in the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland in both manuscript (VAL/2B) and printed format. Printed copies are also available in local libraries. The valuation maps are arranged by county (VAL/2A) and there are also town plans (VAL/2D).

Revision Lists: 1864-1930s

Following the completion of the First General Valuation properties were valued annually from 1864 until the early 1930s (PRONI VAL/12B). Each year valuers recorded changes in different colours of ink, one colour for each year and the changes are usually dated. Also of interest are a series of valuers’ notebooks which first appeared in 1894 and record details of the reasons for revisions (PRONI VAL/12A). The maps accompanying the revisions are also available (VAL/12D) as are the town plans (VAL/12E). These records can be of significant interest to the family historian as changes can indicate, for example, the death of an individual with the transfer of a property from father to son.

Revaluation of Belfast: 1900-06

Belfast Council exercised an option to revalue its properties under the Local Government (Ireland) Act 1898. The valuers’ notebooks, recording the revaluations and appeals against valuation, are arranged by ward (PRONI VAL/7B). This revaluation was carried out at a time when Belfast was considered to be the fastest growing city in the British Isles and therefore it is a valuable resource for the family historian whose ancestors migrated to the city at this time.

First Northern Ireland General Revaluation: 1935-54

The First General Revaluation (PRONI VAL/3B) came into force on 1st April 1936 and the valuation books list the names of both the occupier and the immediate lessor. The revision lists record changes in the ownership of property, etc. until the mid-1950s (PRONI VAL/3D). The maps accompanying this valuation are also available (PRONI VAL/3A) as are the town plans (VAL/3G).