Seine-Maritime Archive Case Study

Tip Before Starting

The purpose of this page is to give you another example of an archive in France that has already uploaded images of their military registration records. This is the third of the case studies. We will use the Seine-Maritime Archives, this site functions a little differently than the last archival site. The person to find is Nicolas Renault. He was born in Le Havre in 1847.

Something to be aware of most of the archival web pages are in French. However, if you do not speak or read French well you use google chrome with the google translate feature on your page. In the upper right of your google chrome browser at the edge of the web page address.

If it is your first time using it you may have to download it to your browser.

If you have used it in the past it may ask with a dialog box what you would like to do with the page. Selecting English will allow the page to show you a version you may read. Be aware though that some of the pages do not translate well and may not give the complete meaning of the page it is translating.

Case Study

The Seine-Maritime Archives, this site functions a little differently than the last archival site and is a good example of the diversity of the France departmental archives. The person to find is Nicolas Renault. He was born in Le Havre in 1847.

Step 1. Go to the Seine-Maritime Archive on Google Chrome, because the options are available to translate the page with Google Translate. Which will make navigation easier for those who are not fluent speakers.

Step 2. Once on the site find the tab that says ‘Collections Online’ or ‘Collections en ligne.’ Don’t click on this tab just place the mouse over it and hover. If you do accidentally click you should still be able to find the steps below or you can go back and try again.

Step 3. A submenu should appear as you hover. Select ‘Digitized Archives’ or ‘Archives Numérisées.’

Step 4. A new page should open, there are at least two military-related collections on this page. ‘Matricules militaires,” or ‘Military numbers,’ and ‘Inscription maritime,’ or ‘Maritime registration.’ For this practice select ‘Military numbers.’

Step 5. Again another new page will open with two more collections General research (1864-1934) or Recherche générale (1865-1934). The other is Nominative research (1887-1921) or Recherche nominative (1887-1921).For this exercise, we are going to use the General research. Select General research (1864-1934).

Step 6. A new page will open and you will a summary of the collection. It mentions that this set had three recruitment offices Le Havre, Rouen Nord, and Rouen Sud. It mentions it also has some records that have to do with people who live in an area currently part Eure department.

Turn your attention to the left menu bar based on the information above we know we need to look in Le Havre. Select below Bureau or Desk the navy blue button that 'Havre (Le)' or ' Haven (The).'

Step 7. This exercise will be similar to the first case study using the alphabetical index. Find the ‘Alphabetical table of personnel numbers,’ or ‘Table alphabetical des matricules’ for 1867. It should be on page one with reference number 1 R 2646. Open it by selecting the camera icon.

Step 8. It will open up the collection of digital images of the written index. Look for the name ‘Nicolas Renault.’ The entry will be found in image 23/27. Here is the link to the image. His name here appears as ‘Nicolas Armand Renault’ and his matriculation number is listed as ‘726.’

Step 9. Now using the number go back to the collection sets and find for 1867 the Havre (Le) ‘Matriculations. Contingent and Mobile National Guard’ or ‘Matricules. Garde nationale mobile.” The reference number should be ‘1 R 2646’ if it matches select the view images.

Step 10. Image collection should open and is in numeral order. Using the matriculation number ‘726’ find Mayer’s entry. It will be on image 22/357. For some reason, the image was not found here is a direct link.

Step 11. Looking at the image a general overview of information. Armand Nicholas Renault lived in the Brametot. He was the natural son of Rose Renault, who also lived in Brametot. He was born on 26 March 1876. He received an exemption from service and was a student of medicine. This record then gives details of who served in his sted. If you look at the columns at the top of the image there are numbers to give you a better idea of the record. The information about his substitute is not recorded below but feel free to practice extracting the information from that section of the record. The below numbers correspond to the information in his row based on the numbered columns.

1. number of order = 726

2. Town or the where the sorting took place= Fontaine.le.Dun

3. Arondissement/ City of which town is apart = Yvetot

4. Number of sort= 28

5.1) Last name, 2) first name, 3) information= 1) Renault, 2) Armand Nicholas, 3) Son of Naturally (Zeoman?) and of Rose Renault, living at Brametot, road [blank], no [blank], canton of Fauville, Department of [?], resident at Rouen, rue [blank], no [blank], canton [same], Department [?], hair [n], eyebrows [chas], yeux gray, forehead round, nose [mayen], mouth [moyum], chin [from], face oval, complextion [blank], particular markings [blank]

6. Profession = student of medicine

7. Height metre= 1, millimeters= 700

Exemptions

8. Indication

9. Observation

[written across columns 8 and 9]

for at no. 1282

Dates and indication of a decision

10. Decision

[same]

11. Reason for decision

[same]

Replacements and substitutes

12. Date of the administrative act of replacement or of substitution= [3 July 1868]

13. Number of place of the substitution = [blank]

14. 1) Last name, 2) first name, 3) information= [The individual we are looking at did receive a substitute that took his place for military service.]

[The rest of the fields have to do with the replacement or are otherwise blank]

Step 12. You have completed this case study. Feel free to explore this site.