The Auld Alliance

[SarahND]

Mr. SarahND just forwarded me this across the room: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/ ... nline.html

It's true that Ancestry seem to be gradually putting up BMD records from different areas of France. They say that some censuses will follow... can't wait for that.

If any of you are the product of "The Auld Alliance" these may be helpful!

All the best,
Sarah

[emanday]

Yes, Ancestry have Paris and Seine records, but when you click on the link the pages are in French. I had to use the Google translate feature.

Only went to have a nosy, as I don't have any rellies born, married or died there (I think )

[SarahND]

Hi Mary,
They also have Upper Brittany, Allier, Marne, Oise and various other tidbits.

Yes, Ancestry have Paris and Seine records, but when you click on the link the pages are in French.

Would be a bit odd if the French kept their parish records in English!
Hope the google translator gave you something that sounded like what it was supposed to be. If anyone needs translation help on these records, just post the phrase and I'd be glad to give it a shot. I think we have a number of French speakers on the forum who I'm sure would chime in too.

All the best,
Sarah

[emanday]

Would be a bit odd if the French kept their parish records in English!
Hope the google translator gave you something that sounded like what it was supposed to be.

I suppose I had expected it to be Ancestry's version (i.e. transcribed guesstimates ), rather than the actual French version.

The translation seems to be logical, but since I can't read French any more (school WAS a long time ago ) I can't confirm the accuracy.

[SarahND]

As long as it had words like" born," "baptized," "married," "buried," rather than "chickens," "elbows," "lantern" and "whiskers" you're probably okay

[emanday]

Not even Ancestry transcribers could be that bad...............
.................
.....?????

Could they?????

[Currie]

Hello Sarah,

That looks interesting.

Unfortunately I don’t have any French people in my tree so the only time I got excited when I looked at that article was when I saw “Ancestry.co.uk, the family tree website” and thought it was “Ancestry.co.uk, the family free website”

I haven’t quite figured out how all the pre 1860 civil registration records for Paris were burnt in a fire during the French Revolution. They must have been a bit lazy between 1789 and 1860.

All the best,
Alan

[SarahND]

Hi Alan,

I haven’t quite figured out how all the pre 1860 civil registration records for Paris were burnt in a fire during the French Revolution. They must have been a bit lazy between 1789 and 1860.

Pretty amazing, isn't it? That's an example of how forward-looking the French are-- not that many people could manage to burn censuses in advance like that. I'm ashamed to say that it took the Americans 31 years to burn the 1890 census I guess we still have something to learn from the French

Best wishes,
Sarah

[trish1]

Hi Alan,

I haven’t quite figured out how all the pre 1860 civil registration records for Paris were burnt in a fire during the French Revolution. They must have been a bit lazy between 1789 and 1860.

Pretty amazing, isn't it? That's an example of how forward-looking the French are-- not that many people could manage to burn censuses in advance like that. I'm ashamed to say that it took the Americans 31 years to burn the 1890 census I guess we still have something to learn from the French

Best wishes,
Sarah

I love the comment on each index which says "These records are in French; for best results you should search using French" - Would someone search a French record in English? Maybe they had some complaints about missing records ???

Meanwhile - I did find this
Pre-1860 civil registration records for Paris and suburb communes were destroyed in a fire that burned the archives of the Seine department (Archives de la Seine) and the Paris courthouse (Palais de justice de Paris) in 1871. With the loss of these civil registration records, it is necessary to use other sources to find information that would otherwise be available in those records. So someone knows the fire was some years after the Revolution.


I have one supposed French relative - who folk lore suggests escaped the Revolution (sounds like the Scarlet Pimpernel) - but he took the name of the English family who adopted him, so could be tricky tracing him in the French records. Most of my family stories have proven to be false - this one is almost impossible to prove either way.


Trish

[nelmit]

I don't know what I'm doing wrong but I aint finding them. I'm trying to find records around 1865.

Regards,
Annette