Book excerpt: Finding Your Family in County Down This illustrated, well indexed book, was created exclusively to help you find your family in County Down, Ireland. Focusing specifically on families within the county, it includes an introduction to research and sources in Down. The most numerous families from birth records are given, as well as rather rare Down families found in heraldic records. Included you will find a full page county map from the Atlas of Ireland, along with a listing of modern parishes and old townlands, along with the address and location of records for more research. Published by the Irish Genealogical Foundation, this book was originally made for members researching in Down. What this book does This work includes copies of actual records (some worn, torn and faded), from the IGF Library. It also includes rough sketches of family coats of arms and notes from centuries past - seldom found elsewhere. The resources provided here will help research any family in the county, including old Irish families, and settler families from England, Scotland, Wales and the continent. This book is a hands on guide for finding your family in Down - some family history is included - but it is not a gigantic collection of family histories . (For that see 'The Book of Irish Families, great & small', the first book in the Irish Families series by O'Laughlin.) The Irish Families Project for Down The Master book to the 29 volume Irish Families series is 'The Book of Irish Families, great & small'. That book gives hundreds of family histories from County Down and the surrounding areas. "County Down Genealogy and Family History Notes", volume 14 in the series, expands upon that coverage with added families and new resources just for Down. (In this way both books can work together as a set if desired, or they may be used independently for research.) Among the most numerous families here in the 19th century were: Thompson (Thomson) Smith (Smyth, Smythe), Campbell (Cambell, Camble), Martin (Martyn) Patterson (Paterson, Pattersen) Wilson (Willson) Graham, Johnston (Johnson), Murray (Murry), Brown (Browne), Robinson (Robenson, Robinsen), Hamilton, Bell, Scott (Scot) and Boyd. The most noted old Irish families in Down were those of McQuillan, Mac Gilmore, O'Neill, Mac Cartan, O'Neill and Magennis. Other noted family that hailed from Down were Hill, Bradshaw, Savage, Fraser, Jackson, Taylor, Walker, Watson. Remember also that part of Belfast is contained in County Down as well.