Find your ancestors in Freemen of Dublin City 1774-1824

There are over 5,000 transcripts and images in this record set. While the amount of information available varies, most transcripts include the following:

• First name(s)
• Last name
• Year
• County

Images include the following additional information:

• Term and year of admittance
• Occupation
• How members were admitted

Abbreviations were used to denote how each member was admitted:

• B = Birth (signifying the eldest surviving son of a freeman)
• S = Service (i.e. having duly served an apprenticeship to a Dublin freeman of the relevant trade)
• G.E. = Grace Especial (i.e. by special request, favour or recommendation)
• Gratis = admitted by special arrangement and without payment of fees

Discover more about these records

The Freemen of Dublin City derives from a nineteenth century printer’s gallery which never reached publication. The list covers almost 6000 men admitted to the Freedom of the City of Dublin between 1774 and 1824. “Freedom” here refers to citizenship, meaning that freeman were recognized as citizens and afforded the rights and responsibilities of a citizen, including the right to vote and being subject to the laws of Dublin.

The list is predominately made up of tradesmen and craftsmen, including tailors, weavers, and carpenters, as well as masters of other branches of the fine and applied arts.