Land Records

There’s a couple of possibilities. One is to search the Registry of Deeds records to see if any leases or other documents relating to the families were registered there. Those records go back to 1708.  However in the earlier years it tended to be mostly big leases and marriage settlements that were registered there. It was the mid 1800s before smaller deeds were registered. Even then registration wasn’t compulsory and so it’s hit and miss. You can search by name and by townland. Townland is much easier. You may need to get the PRONI staff how to search the Deeds indexes.

You can also search for estate papers. So Stranahone was originally owned by the Lowther family who then sold it to the Irvine family (at which point Lowtherstown was renamed Irvinestown). So search the PRONI e-catalogue for papers relating to those two families.

Beagho seems to have been owned by a Rev Porter. You could likewise search for any records he may have left.

Some of the bigger estates like the Earl of Antrim’s have excellent tenant records that go back to the early 1800s, but many other landlords didn’t keep such good records, or if they did, they didn’t make it into PRONI. It’s hit and miss.