Getting Into The Habit: Researching Female Religious In Your Family Tree | David Ryan
Those of us who grew up in Roman Catholic families or were educated in Catholic schools likely have some connection to women religious. They were often influential figures in their communities, not only because of their association with religion and education, but also as employers. Despite this, uncovering more information on their lives can often be difficult. The goal of this talk is to provide an overview of the types of records available for nuns and religious sisters and where to find them. It will look at using everyday sources such as death registers and obituaries, along with where to find other records kept by the religious orders themselves, such as convent annals, registers of admittance and burial records. Although the primary focus will be on Irish records, examples of settlements by Irish female religious orders in Canada will be included.
Audience Level: Advanced
Outline:
- Why research nuns?
- Identifying female religious
- Structure of religious orders
- Records for religious orders
- Other sources for female religious
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David Ryan
David Ryan is a genealogist, speaker and oral historian based in Cork city, Ireland. He has worked as a professional genealogist for the past decade. David recently completed a Masters in Public History and Cultural Heritage at the University of Limerick. He has served on the Executive Board of the Association of Professional Genealogists since 2022 and as part of the APG International Affairs Committee since 2020.
