Julie Goucher ~ Anglers Rest

Courtesy of Wikipedia
Flag adopted 15 Feb 1794

This post is part of a series about genealogy in France. You can read the complete series HERE.

The following are some useful resources for researching in France, & French Ancestors:

• Gallica Digital Library of the National Library of France
• FamilySearch
• Surname Distribution – (Geopatronyme)
• The Society for the Study of French History
• France Archives (front page & access to news)
  • France Archives (search page)
• Memories of Men (civilian and military deaths)
• French Territories Overseas – this is an updated front portal, which does eventually direct researchers back to the previous set of pages. Records are organised in categories
  • Marriages
  • Prisons
  • News & Information (worth reading as the material has undergone some changes)
• National Archives of France
• National Library of France
• France GenWeb
• Geneanet
• Filae
• Caribbean Family History Group
• Association of Caribbean History
• Huguenot Society
• Huguenot Museum
• Vendee (Department 85)
• Topographical Dictionary of France – Dicotopo
• Ancestry $£€ (though there are some FREE datasets)
• My Heritage $£€
• BOOK – Fenby, Johnathan, History of Modern France: From the Revolution to the War on Terror (2015)
• Virtual Protestant Museum
• French-Canadian Heritage Society of Michigan
• Research France Outline (BYU Family History Library
• France Insee Social Security Death Index 1970-2019 (located at FamilySearch)
• Departments & Archives of France (including overseas territories) – PDF

Courtesy of Wikipedia
Flag adopted 15 Feb 1794

This post is part of a series about genealogy in France. You can read the complete series HERE.

French Bioethical Law states that DNA testing is only allowed for specific purposes – Medical, Scientific or Judicial reasons.

There is a significant concern relating to paternity and medical tests, with tests being undertaken with supervision, which includes DNA tests.

France remains steadfast in its view, that DNA tests remain illegal, and France is the only country in Europe which takes that view.

Courtesy of Wikipedia
Flag adopted 15 Feb 1794

This post is part of a series about genealogy in France. You can read the complete series HERE.

The period from 1792 until 1806 is challenging for genealogists researching in France. During this period two things happened

1. “Revolutionary” calendar introduced
2. Some town names changed

The calendar was created in October 1793, but set to begin 22 September 1792, which was the day the French Republic was created. Napoleon stopped this and the calendar reverted to “normal” on 1 January 1806.

The year was divided into four seasons, with each of the months within a particular season having different endings:

• SPRING – ending in al
• SUMMER – ending in dor
• AUTUMN – ending in aire
• WINTER – ending in ose

All months were 30 days long, but that did not make a full year, so there was an additional 5 days to include, or 6 in leap years.

In records, Revoluntary dates are written in full letters. When the dates are written as numbers, Roman Numerals are used for the year.

A tool has been made available by the Archives of Pas de Calais which converts the Gregorian calendar to the Revolutionary calendar, you can access this HERE.

A reverse tool, converting Revolutionary calendar back to the Gregorian calendar can be found HERE

During this period some communes changed their name, removing any signs of Royalty, Nobility or religion. New names were selected based on the principles of the Republic or on geographical features. There is a list of communes that changed their name on Wikipedia, which can be found HERE. Most towns reverted to their original name in 1814, but even so it can be problematic to researchers.

Courtesy of Wikipedia
Flag adopted 15 Feb 1794

This post is part of a series about genealogy in France. You can read the complete series HERE.

 The Thirty Year War spanned 1618-1648.

Conflict in France commenced in 1635, and battles took place in the north east of France, mostly centred in the Alsace and Lorraine region. Lorraine lost 60% of its inhabitants during this period.

The decisions by the Duke of Lorraine and the King of France from 1660 was to repopulate the region and rebuild the destroyed villages of Boismont, Lorraine and Wadgassen German Village.

Stonemason and builders from other regions of France, in particular Picordie and Savoie took the opportunity to access employment, as did many from Austria.

The map below is from Encyclopaedia Britannica (accessed 20 March 2022) and shows the changes in territory at the conclusion of the war.

Courtesy of Wikipedia
Flag adopted 15 Feb 1794

This post is part of a series about genealogy in France. You can read the complete series HERE.

Divorce was allowed in France during:

• Revolutionary period 20 September 1792 – 8 May 1816
• Reinstated in 1884

Divorce records are usually found in the registers as Marriages.

Divorce Certificate (acte de divorce)

Divorce Certificates are obtained from the Office of the Mayor (La Mairie) where the divorce took place. The request must include:

• Date of the divorce;
• Full names of the two persons involved. The request must be accompanied by a self-addressed stamped envelope.

There is not normally a charge for a copy of a divorce certificate.

Divorce Decree (jugement de divorce)

Divorce judgments are obtained from the Greffe du Tribunal Civil where the judgment was
pronounced.

The request must include:

• Date of the divorce
• Full names of the two persons involved

The request must be accompanied by a self-addressed stamped envelope. There is not normally a charge for a copy of a divorce judgment

Courtesy of Wikipedia
Flag adopted 15 Feb 1794

This post is part of a series about genealogy in France. You can read the complete series HERE.

During the period of 22 September 1792 and 26 July 1800 marriages had to be celebrated in the main canton, rather than in the commune, which is where they would have expected to have taken place.

Marriages are only legal in France if they have been undertaken in the presence of a civil authoritarian. They may subsequently be followed by a religious ceremony.

The civil marriage registers give many details, such as:

• the birth date and birthplace of the bride and groom
• parents’ names, including mother’s maiden surname, for both bride and groom
  • if the parents have died, their death date and death place are recorded.
• Civil marriage records may even include the same information for the grand-parents
• Witnesses are listed, (usually four), with their age, occupation, residence, and relationship.
• Birth information of the couple’s children who are born prior to the wedding.
• Marriage contract information, if one was made, include the date, the name of the notary, and the town where this contract was written may be included.
• Civil marriage records may also mention the date of the banns.

A couple was required to announce their intention to give other community members the opportunity to raise any objections to the marriage. These are known as Banns and were required to be lodged twice in the weeks prior to the marriage. Banns were lodged in the parish of both the bride and groom and usually also indicate the parish where the marriage took place, or the residence of the bride. Some registers of marriage banns before 1927 have been preserved.

Marriage Supplements were sometimes filed by the bride and groom as a way of supporting their application to marry. This often included other useful genealogical information such as:

• Birth record extracts of the bride and groom,
• Death certificates of the parents,
• Divorce decree of a previous union of either party
• The certificates of residence,
• Information of a Marriage contract,
• Information and acknowledgement of children,
• Parent’s consent
• Military status of the groom

Sometimes documentation on earlier generations may be included. In France these marriage supplements were originally kept by the clerk of the court, but on occasions they may have been given to the departmental archives.

A Marriage Contract was created for the protection of property. The certificate often showed the name and town of the notary and when it was written. These are always deposited with the departmental archives.

In 1877 a family register was created. It seems likely that the need for this came about following the fire in Paris in 1871 when all the birth, marriage and death records were destroyed for events prior to 1860.

This was given to the couple following the marriage. As children were born to the couple it was updated. This was a document held by the couple and very often these pass down the generations.

The current minimum age for marriage is 18 years.

Same sex marriage was legalised in 2013. There 10,522 registered in 2014 and 7,751 in 2015 [1]

[1] – Statista.com