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Nevertheless, in Québec, the ''Two Solitudes'' of Genealogy are not Language but Religion. Official vital records are either '''Roman Catholic''' or '''Non-Catholic'''. | Nevertheless, in Québec, the ''Two Solitudes'' of Genealogy are not Language but Religion. Official vital records are either '''Roman Catholic''' or '''Non-Catholic'''. | ||
{{Block indent|In Québec, before 1926, '''all registration''' of vital records was done by the church. Each Parish of whatever denomination, sent a '''copy''' of their registers to the local Prothonotary Court where it served as the Civil Registration of baptisms (normally giving date of birth), marriages and burials (usually giving date of death). Most church registers and/or official copies have some sort of annual index, but not all. The individual courts were expected to index their register holdings.|2}} | |||
The process of finding '''Roman Catholic ancestors''' in Québec, whether they spoke French, English, German, Polish, Italian, Spanish, Creole or Vietnamese, is essentially the same. Finding English-speaking Irish Catholics is the same as finding Francophone ancestors. Records and sources are covered elsewhere and will be noted here briefly, or when there are exceptions or special situations in society that warrant consideration. Finding the “Others” is similar, but with certain differences. Books on the methodology of genealogical research in Québec rarely cover both segments of the population, though they often divide by language rather than religion. Local histories tend to cover a single county, city, or region of the Province and if you read one by an English writer and another by a French Canadian, you may wonder if they are writing about the same place. And speaking of place, Québec refers to the whole province, Québec City to the city. | The process of finding '''Roman Catholic ancestors''' in Québec, whether they spoke French, English, German, Polish, Italian, Spanish, Creole or Vietnamese, is essentially the same. Finding English-speaking Irish Catholics is the same as finding Francophone ancestors. Records and sources are covered elsewhere and will be noted here briefly, or when there are exceptions or special situations in society that warrant consideration. Finding the “Others” is similar, but with certain differences. Books on the methodology of genealogical research in Québec rarely cover both segments of the population, though they often divide by language rather than religion. Local histories tend to cover a single county, city, or region of the Province and if you read one by an English writer and another by a French Canadian, you may wonder if they are writing about the same place. And speaking of place, Québec refers to the whole province, Québec City to the city. | ||
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“English” Québec has always been a mobile society. Moreover, it is very important to understand that at the time of Confederation (1867), the '''racial balance''' in Canada East (as the province of Québec was then called) was very different from what it is today: | “English” Québec has always been a mobile society. Moreover, it is very important to understand that at the time of Confederation (1867), the '''racial balance''' in Canada East (as the province of Québec was then called) was very different from what it is today: | ||
{{Block indent|In Canada East, … people of English, Scotch and Irish origin made up well over 20 percent of the population in 1867. Montréal was more than half “English,” Québec City about 45 percent, the Eastern Townships were overwhelmingly “English,” and there was a substantial “English” minority in Gaspé and several other counties.|2}} | |||
The late Senator Eugene Forsey wrote these words in a letter to the Toronto ''Globe and Mail'' of 10 February, 1986. Memorize them! By “English”, he meant English-speaking peoples, both from the British Isles and the United States. He tells you where, even today, you will find most of the English-speaking peoples of Québec. If this material seems to stress geography as much as records and documents, that is because to find the latter, you will have to pay attention to the former. The hunt for '''Non-Roman Catholics''' in Québec, whatever their origins, will be treated in part, geographically. | The late Senator Eugene Forsey wrote these words in a letter to the Toronto ''Globe and Mail'' of 10 February, 1986. Memorize them! By “English”, he meant English-speaking peoples, both from the British Isles and the United States. He tells you where, even today, you will find most of the English-speaking peoples of Québec. If this material seems to stress geography as much as records and documents, that is because to find the latter, you will have to pay attention to the former. The hunt for '''Non-Roman Catholics''' in Québec, whatever their origins, will be treated in part, geographically. | ||
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