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Understanding Quebec Catholic Records (view source)
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The main source of genealogical information in Quebec is the Roman Catholic parish records. They typically record baptisms, marriage and burials, and in some cases, confirmations. They are not direct records of births and deaths | |||
The main source of genealogical information in Quebec is the Roman Catholic parish records. They typically record baptisms, marriage and burials, and in some cases, confirmations. They are <u>not</u> direct records of births and deaths. The Catholic priests were recording religious events, and births and deaths may or may not be mentioned in the records, but always indirectly. The records contain precious information for genealogists like the parents of a child or the spouses, their origin, their age (but not always), and their relationships. | |||
They are written in French, sometimes in Latin, but as they are written according to some rules and in a specific format, it becomes easy to recognize the main parts of each record and the information they contain. You can read this article about [[Quebec Languages]] to get started. They are also handwritten, and some priests were not much more educated than their parishioners; their handwriting and spelling may be difficult to read. You can usually get decipher them by reading other surrounding records written by the same hand. | They are written in French, sometimes in Latin, but as they are written according to some rules and in a specific format, it becomes easy to recognize the main parts of each record and the information they contain. You can read this article about [[Quebec Languages]] to get started. They are also handwritten, and some priests were not much more educated than their parishioners; their handwriting and spelling may be difficult to read. You can usually get decipher them by reading other surrounding records written by the same hand. | ||
===Places=== | ===Places === | ||
As for the events, the priests were referring to their own "territories" in the records, that is, parishes and dioceses. Unless another type of place is specifically mentioned, like a seigneurie or a city, it should be assumed that the places mentioned are parishes. Many parishes in Quebec have the same name, and it is important to consider the geographical location of each parish, and also the year of their coming into existence, before attributing the origin of a person to a specific parish. People did not travel far in those days, and certainly not forward in time. | As for the events, the priests were referring to their own "territories" in the records, that is, parishes and dioceses. Unless another type of place is specifically mentioned, like a seigneurie or a city, it should be assumed that the places mentioned are parishes. Many parishes in Quebec have the same name, and it is important to consider the geographical location of each parish, and also the year of their coming into existence, before attributing the origin of a person to a specific parish. People did not travel far in those days, and certainly not forward in time. | ||
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===="Dit" names==== | ===="Dit" names==== | ||
Until the mid nineteenth century, French Canadian families were using more than one surname to designate and identify themselves. It was a way to differentiate the various people bearing the same original surname. This usage started in France, before the colonization of New France, but the practice has been extended significantly in New France. In the 17th and 18th century, priests were usually writing the two surnames separated by the word "dit", meaning something like "also known as" or "said to be". However, as time evolved, the two surnames ended up being used interchangeably and can really be confusing to many genealogists. it is therefore a good practice to mention the two surnames with the form "dit" when identify a person. | |||
By the mid 1800s, the British government in Canada forced French Canadians to select only one surname to identify themselves. Very often, the surname chosen was the "dit" one, and not the original one. For example, most families bearing the name "Larose" or "Lafleur" are using this "dit" name, and not the original one, which can be very different depending on who was their paternal line ancestor. | |||
The "dit" names have various origins. Sometimes, they were assigned to indicate the region of origin in France for the original settler, like "Parisien" (from Paris) or "Langevin" (from the French province of Anjou). They were also nicknames given to soldiers or sailors, which represented a physical or moral trait of theirs, like "Legras" (fat), "Petit" (small), "Lafleur" (flowery, or smooth talker), "Jolicoeur" (nice heart, or good looking, flirtatious). | |||
====Unknown names==== | |||
Catholic priests were very stringent on the importance of children being born of a legitimate marriage. In the case of a child born out of wedlock, they did not mention the name of the parents, simply writing "born of unknown parents", with the first name given to the infant by his or her godparents. Sometimes, one or both parents admitted or recognized being the parent, and the child grew up bearing the surname of the father, if this one came forth, or the mother. It happened that the parents got married after the birth of their child, and they would recognize being the parents at their marriage, legitimizing the birth, and the child could use the paternal surname. However, when none of the parents came forth, or the priest simply refused to mention them, the child could end up being referred only by his or her first name in subsequent records. | |||
===Events=== | ===Events=== | ||