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{{CountrySidebar
{{France-sidebar}}<div style="width: 74%; float: right;">
|ID=204
== Getting started with French research  ==
|Country=France
|Name=France
|Type=Country
}}{{breadcrumb
| link1=[[Europe|Europe]]
| link2=
| link3=
| link4=
| link5=[[France Genealogy|France]]
}}__NOTOC__
Guide to '''France ancestry, family history and genealogy''': parish registers, transcripts, census records, birth records, marriage records, and death records.
==Information==
France is a country in Western Europe bordered by [[Belgium Genealogy|Belgium]], [[Luxembourg Genealogy|Luxembourg]], [[Germany Genealogy|Germany]], [[Switzerland Genealogy|Switzerland]], [[Italy Genealogy|Italy]], [[Monaco Genealogy|Monaco]], [[Spain Genealogy|Spain]], and [[Andorra Genealogy|Andorra]]. The French Republic was established in 1792. The official language is French.<ref>Wikipedia contributors, "France," in ''Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia'', https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/France, accessed 23 March 2016.</ref>


{{ButtonsGroup}}
[[Image:400px-Tour eiffel at sunrise from the trocadero.jpg|thumb|right|200px]] Welcome to the France page! FamilySearch Wiki is a community website dedicated to helping people throughout the world learn how to find their ancestors. Through the France page you can learn how to find, use, and analyze French records of genealogical value. The content is variously targeted to beginners, intermediate, and expert researchers. Here you will find helpful research tools and research guidance. Please visit the help page to learn more about using the site. The French Page is a work in progress, your contributions and feedback are essential! For help with specific areas in France, click [[:Category:France|here]] for a list of locations and topics.


==France Map==
''See the tutorials at the FamilySearch Learning Center on basic ''[https://familysearch.org/learningcenter/results.html?fq=place%3A%22France%22 ''French Research'']''and on&nbsp;''[https://familysearch.org/learningcenter/results.html?fq=place%3A%22France%22 ''Reading French Handwritten Records'']''.''
Click on the specific department name either on the maps above or in the list below to access the FamilySearch Wiki article for that department.
 
{|
== History of France  ==
 
See the Facebook page ''[http://www.facebook.com/pages/Histoire-de-France-sites-et-blogs/348011018559505 "Histoire de France - sites et blogs"]'' for more information.<br>
 
== Jurisdictions  ==
 
Prior to March 1790 France was organized into provinces.&nbsp; Several administrative regions of France still carry the names of the former provinces.
 
==== Departments  ====
 
{{DC button|State=France}}Today France is divided into 96 departments plus 5 overseas departments. This number has changed over the years, in 1790 there were 83 and at the height of Napoleon's reign there were as many as 130. Records are kept on the town level, but one needs to know in which department the town is located.  
 
{| width="500" cellspacing="1" cellpadding="1" class="FCK__ShowTableBorders"
|-
|-
|
| valign="top" align="left" |
{{FranceMap}}
*01 [[Ain|Ain]]
|}<br>
*02 [[Aisne|Aisne]]
{{French Overseas Territories with internal links to Wiki pages}}
*03 [[Allier|Allier]]
== Jurisdictions ==
*04 [[Alpes-de-Haute-Provence|Alpes-de-Haute-Provence]]
=== Departments ===
*05 [[Hautes-Alpes|Hautes-Alpes]]
Today France is divided into 96 departments and 5 overseas departments. This number has changed over the years. In 1790 there were 83 and at the height of Napoleon's reign there were as many as 130. Records are kept on the town level, but it is necessary to know which department the town is located.
*06 [[Alpes-Maritimes|Alpes-Maritimes]]
*07 [[Ardèche|Ardèche]]
*08 [[Ardennes|Ardennes]]
*09 [[Ariège|Ariège]]
*10 [[Aube|Aube]]
*11 [[Aude|Aude]]
*12 [[Aveyron|Aveyron]]
*13 [[Bouches-du-Rhône|Bouches-du-Rhône]]
*14 [[Calvados|Calvados]]
*15 [[Cantal|Cantal]]
*16 [[Charente|Charente]]
*17 [[Charente-Maritime|Charente-Maritime]]
*18 [[Cher|Cher]]
*19 [[Corrèze|Corrèze]]
*2A [[Corse-du-Sud|Corse-du-Sud]]
*2B [[Haute-Corse|Haute-Corse]]
*21 [[Côte d'Or|Côte d'Or]]
*22 [[Côtes d'Armor|Côtes d'Armor]]
*23 [[Creuse|Creuse]]
*24 [[Dordogne|Dordogne]]
*25 [[Doubs|Doubs]]
*26 [[Drôme|Drôme]]
*27 [[Eure|Eure]]
*28 [[Eure-et-Loir|Eure-et-Loir]]
*29 [[Finistère|Finistère]]
*30 [[Gard|Gard]]
*31 [[Haute-Garonne|Haute-Garonne]]
*32 [[Gers|Gers]]
*33 [[Gironde|Gironde]]


'''Note:''' The numbers in parentheses following the department name correspond to the numbers on the map above.  ''Territoire-de-Belfort'' does not have a number on the map; it is located immediately below Haut-Rhin (68). The ''(1)'' on the map corresponds to the Paris area shown on the left inset.
| valign="top" align="left" |
{|  
*34 [[Hérault|Hérault]]
*35 [[Ille-et-Vilaine|Ille-et-Vilaine]]
*36 [[Indre|Indre]]
*37 [[Indre-et-Loire|Indre-et-Loire]]
*38 [[Isère|Isère]]
*39 [[Jura|Jura]]
*40 [[Landes|Landes]]
*41 [[Loir-et-Cher|Loir-et-Cher]]
*42 [[Loire|Loire]]
*43 [[Haute-Loire|Haute-Loire]]
*44 [[Loire-Atlantique|Loire-Atlantique]]
*45 [[Loiret|Loiret]]
*46 [[Lot|Lot]]
*47 [[Lot-et-Garonne|Lot-et-Garonne]]
*48 [[Lozère|Lozère]]
*49 [[Maine-et-Loire|Maine-et-Loire]]
*50 [[Manche|Manche]]
*51 [[Marne|Marne]]
*52 [[Haute-Marne|Haute-Marne]]
*53 [[Mayenne|Mayenne]]
*54 [[Meurthe-et-Moselle|Meurthe-et-Moselle]]
*55 [[Meuse|Meuse]]
*56 [[Morbihan|Morbihan]]
*57 [[Moselle|Moselle]]
*58 [[Nièvre|Nièvre]]
*59 [[Nord|Nord]]
*60 [[Oise|Oise]]
*61 [[Orne|Orne]]
*62 [[Pas-de-Calais|Pas-de-Calais]]
*63 [[Puy-de-Dôme|Puy-de-Dôme]]
*64 [[Pyrénées-Atlantiques|Pyrénées-Atlantiques]]
*65 [[Hautes-Pyrénées|Hautes-Pyrénées]]
*66 [[Pyrénées-Orientales|Pyrénées-Orientales]]
 
| valign="top" align="left" |
*67 [[Bas-Rhin|Bas-Rhin]]
*68 [[Haut-Rhin|Haut-Rhin]]
*69 [[Rhône|Rhône]]
*70 [[Haute-Saône|Haute-Saône]]
*71 [[Saône-et-Loire|Saône-et-Loire]]
*72 [[Sarthe|Sarthe]]
*73 [[Savoie|Savoie]]
*74 [[Haute-Savoie|Haute-Savoie]]
*75 [[Paris, France|Paris]]
*76 [[Seine-Maritime|Seine-Maritime]]
*77 [[Seine-et-Marne|Seine-et-Marne]]
*78 [[Yvelines|Yvelines]]
*79 [[Deux-Sèvres|Deux-Sèvres]]
*80 [[Somme|Somme]]
*81 [[Tarn|Tarn]]
*82 [[Tarn-et-Garonne|Tarn-et-Garonne]]
*83 [[Var|Var]]
*84 [[Vaucluse|Vaucluse]]
*85 [[Vendée|Vendée]]
*86 [[Vienne|Vienne]]
*87 [[Haute-Vienne|Haute-Vienne]]
*88 [[Vosges|Vosges]]
*89 [[Yonne|Yonne]]
*90 [[Territoire-de-Belfort|Territoire-de-Belfort]]
*91 [[Essonne|Essonne]]
*92 [[Hauts-de-Seine|Hauts-de-Seine]]
*93 [[Seine-St.Denis|Seine-St.Denis]]
*94 [[Val-de-Marne|Val-de-Marne]]
*95 [[Val-d’Oise|Val-d’Oise]]
*971 [[Guadeloupe|Guadeloupe]]
*972 [[Martinique|Martinique]]
*973 [[Guyane|Guyane]]
*974 [[Reunion Island|La Réunion]]
*976 [[Mayotte|Mayotte]]
 
|}
 
==== Historic Provinces (and their capitals)  ====
 
{| width="99%" class="FCK__ShowTableBorders"
|-
|-
<ul class="column-spacing-fullscreen" style="padding-right:5px;">
| valign="top" | &nbsp;  
  <li>[[Ain, France Genealogy|Ain]] (01)</li>
*[[Alsace|Alsace (Strasbourg)]]&nbsp;
  <li>[[Aisne, France Genealogy|Aisne]] (02)</li>
*[[Angoumois|Angoumois (Angoulême)]]&nbsp;
  <li>[[Allier, France Genealogy|Allier]] (03)</li>
*[[Anjou|Anjou (Angers)]]&nbsp;
  <li>[[Alpes-de-Haute-Provence, France Genealogy|Alpes-de-Haute-Provence]] (04)</li>
*[[Artois|Artois (Arras)]]&nbsp;
  <li>[[Hautes-Alpes, France Genealogy|Hautes-Alpes]] (05)</li>
*[[Aunis|Aunis (La Rochelle)]]&nbsp;
  <li>[[Alpes-Maritimes, France Genealogy|Alpes-Maritimes]] (06)</li>
*[[Auvergne|Auvergne (Clermont-Ferrand)]]&nbsp;
  <li>[[Ardèche, France Genealogy|Ardèche]] (07)</li>
*[[Berry|Berry (Bourges)]]&nbsp;
  <li>[[Ardennes, France Genealogy|Ardennes]] (08)</li>
*[[Bourbonnais|Bourbonnais (Moulins)]]&nbsp;
  <li>[[Ariège, France Genealogy|Ariège]] (09)</li>
*[[Brittany|Brittany (Rennes)]]&nbsp;
  <li>[[Aube, France Genealogy|Aube]] (10)</li>
*[[Burgundy|Burgundy (Dijon)]]&nbsp;
  <li>[[Aude, France Genealogy|Aude]] (11)</li>
*[[Bearn|Béarn (Pau)]]&nbsp;
  <li>[[Aveyron, France Genealogy|Aveyron]] (12)</li>
*[[Champagne|Champagne Troyes)]]&nbsp;
  <li>[[Bas-Rhin, France Genealogy|Bas-Rhin]] (67)</li>
*[[Comtat|Comtat Venaissin (Papal Fief)]]&nbsp;
  <li>[[Bouches-du-Rhône, France Genealogy|Bouches-du-Rhône]] (13)</li>
*[[Corsica|Corsica (Ajaccio)]]&nbsp;
  <li>[[Calvados, France Genealogy|Calvados]] (14)</li>
*[[Dauphiné|Dauphiné (Grenoble)]]&nbsp;
  <li>[[Cantal, France Genealogy|Cantal]] (15)</li>
*[[Flandres and Hainaut|Flandres and Hainaut (Lille)]]&nbsp;
  <li>[[Charente, France Genealogy|Charente]] (16)</li>
*[[Foix|Foix (Foix)]]&nbsp;
  <li>[[Charente-Maritime, France Genealogy|Charente-Maritime]] (17)</li>
*[[Franche-Comte|Franche-Comté (Besançon)]]&nbsp;
  <li>[[Cher, France Genealogy|Cher]] (18)</li>
*[[Guyenne and Gascony|Guyenne and Gascony (Bordeaux)]]&nbsp;
  <li>[[Corrèze, France Genealogy|Corrèze]] (19)</li>
*[[Ile-de-France|Île-de-France (Paris)]]&nbsp;
  <li>[[Corse-du-Sud, France Genealogy|Corse-du-Sud]](2A)</li>
*[[Languedoc|Languedoc (Toulouse)]]&nbsp;
  <li>[[Haute-Corse, France Genealogy|Haute-Corse]] (2B)</li>
*[[Limousin|Limousin (Limoges)]]&nbsp;
  <li>[[Côte d'Or, France Genealogy|Côte d'Or]] (21)</li>
*[[Lorraine|Lorraine (Nancy)]]
  <li>[[Côtes d'Armor, France Genealogy|Côtes d'Armor]] (22)</li>
 
  <li>[[Creuse, France Genealogy|Creuse]] (23)</li>
<br>  
  <li>[[Dordogne, France Genealogy|Dordogne]] (24)</li>
 
  <li>[[Doubs, France Genealogy|Doubs]] (25)</li>
| valign="top" | &nbsp;
  <li>[[Drôme, France Genealogy|Drôme]] (26)</li>
*[[Maine, France|Maine (Le Mans)]]&nbsp;
  <li>[[Eure, France Genealogy|Eure]] (27)</li>
*[[Marche|Marche (Guéret)]]&nbsp;
  <li>[[Eure-et-Loir, France Genealogy|Eure-et-Loir]] (28)</li>
*[[Montbelliard|Montbelliard, Fief of Württemberg]]&nbsp;
  <li>[[Finistère, France Genealogy|Finistère]] (29)</li>
*[[Mulhouse (Imperial Free City)|Imperial Free City of Mulhouse]]&nbsp;
  <li>[[Gard, France Genealogy|Gard]] (30)</li>
*[[Nice|Nice, County of]]&nbsp;
  <li>[[Haute-Garonne, France Genealogy|Haute-Garonne]] (31)</li>
*[[Nivernais|Nivernais (Nevers)]]&nbsp;
  <li>[[Gers, France Genealogy|Gers]] (32)</li>
*[[Normandy|Normandy (Rouen)]]&nbsp;
  <li>[[Gironde, France Genealogy|Gironde]](33)</li>
*[[Orleanais|Orléanais (Orléans)]]&nbsp;
  <li>[[Hérault, France Genealogy|Hérault]] (34)</li>
*[[Picardy|Picardy (Amiens)]]&nbsp;
  <li>[[Haut-Rhin, France Genealogy|Haut-Rhin]] (68)</li>
*[[Poitou|Poitou (Poitiers)]]&nbsp;
  <li>[[Ille-et-Vilaine, France Genealogy|Ille-et-Vilaine]] (35)</li>
*[[Provence|Provence (Aix-en-Provence)]]&nbsp;
  <li>[[Indre, France Genealogy|Indre]] (36)</li>
*[[Rhone-Alpes|Rhône-Alpes (Lyon)]]&nbsp;
  <li>[[Indre-et-Loire, France Genealogy|Indre-et-Loire]] (37)</li>
*[[Roussillon|Roussillon (Perpignan)]]&nbsp;
  <li>[[Isère, France Genealogy|Isère]] (38)</li>
*[[Saintonge|Saintonge (Saintes)]]&nbsp;
  <li>[[Jura, France Genealogy|Jura]] (39)</li>
*[[Savoy|Savoy, Duchy of (Chambéry then Turin)]]&nbsp;
  <li>[[Landes, France Genealogy|Landes]] (40)</li>
**Savoie Propre (Chambéry)&nbsp;
  <li>[[Loir-et-Cher, France Genealogy|Loir-et-Cher]] (41)</li>
**Tarentaise (Moûtiers)&nbsp;
  <li>[[Loire, France Genealogy|Loire]] (42)</li>
**Maurienne (Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne)&nbsp;
  <li>[[Haute-Loire, France Genealogy|Haute-Loire]] (43)</li>
**Genevois (Annecy)&nbsp;
  <li>[[Loire-Atlantique, France Genealogy|Loire-Atlantique]] (44)</li>
**Chablais (Thonon-les-Bains)&nbsp;
  <li>[[Loiret, France Genealogy|Loiret]] (45)</li>
**Faucigny (Bonneville)&nbsp;
  <li>[[Lot, France Genealogy|Lot]] (46)</li>
*[[Touraine|Touraine (Tours)]]&nbsp;
  <li>[[Lot-et-Garonne, France Genealogy|Lot-et-Garonne]] (47)</li>
*[[Trois-Eveches|Trois-Évêchés (Metz, Toul and Verdun)]]
  <li>[[Lozère, France Genealogy|Lozère]] (48)</li>
 
  <li>[[Maine-et-Loire, France Genealogy|Maine-et-Loire]] (49)</li>
  <li>[[Manche, France Genealogy|Manche]] (50)</li>
  <li>[[Marne, France Genealogy|Marne]] (51)</li>
  <li>[[Haute-Marne, France Genealogy|Haute-Marne]] (52)</li>
  <li>[[Mayenne, France Genealogy|Mayenne]] (53)</li>
  <li>[[Meurthe-et-Moselle, France Genealogy|Meurthe-et-Moselle]] (54)</li>
  <li>[[Meuse, France Genealogy|Meuse]] (55)</li>
  <li>[[Morbihan, France Genealogy|Morbihan]] (56)</li>
  <li>[[Moselle, France Genealogy|Moselle]] (57)</li>
  <li>[[Nièvre, France Genealogy|Nièvre]] (58)</li>
  <li>[[Nord, France Genealogy|Nord]] (59)</li>
  <li>[[Oise, France Genealogy|Oise]] (60)</li>
  <li>[[Orne, France Genealogy|Orne]] (61)</li>
  <li>[[Pas-de-Calais, France Genealogy|Pas-de-Calais]] (62)</li>
  <li>[[Puy-de-Dôme, France Genealogy|Puy-de-Dôme]] (63)</li>
  <li>[[Pyrénées-Atlantiques, France Genealogy|Pyrénées-Atlantiques]] (64)</li>
  <li>[[Hautes-Pyrénées, France Genealogy|Hautes-Pyrénées]] (65)</li>
  <li>[[Pyrénées-Orientales, France Genealogy|Pyrénées-Orientales]](66)</li>
  <li>[[Rhône, France Genealogy|Rhône]] (69)</li>
  <li>[[Haute-Saône, France Genealogy|Haute-Saône]] (70)</li>
  <li>[[Saône-et-Loire, France Genealogy|Saône-et-Loire]] (71)</li>
  <li>[[Sarthe, France Genealogy|Sarthe]] (72)</li>
  <li>[[Savoie, France Genealogy|Savoie]] (73)</li>
  <li>[[Haute-Savoie, France Genealogy|Haute-Savoie]] (74)</li>
  <li>[[Paris, France Genealogy|Paris]] (75)</li>
  <li>[[Seine-Maritime, France Genealogy|Seine-Maritime]] (76)</li>
  <li>[[Seine-et-Marne, France Genealogy|Seine-et-Marne]] (77)</li>
  <li>[[Yvelines, France Genealogy|Yvelines]] (78)</li>
  <li>[[Deux-Sèvres, France Genealogy|Deux-Sèvres]] (79)</li>
  <li>[[Somme, France Genealogy|Somme]] (80)</li>
  <li>[[Tarn, France Genealogy|Tarn]] (81)</li>
  <li>[[Tarn-et-Garonne, France Genealogy|Tarn-et-Garonne]] (82)</li>
  <li>[[Var, France Genealogy|Var]] (83)</li>
  <li>[[Vaucluse, France Genealogy|Vaucluse]] (84)</li>
  <li>[[Vendée, France Genealogy|Vendée]] (85)</li>
  <li>[[Vienne, France Genealogy|Vienne]] (86)</li>
  <li>[[Haute-Vienne, France Genealogy|Haute-Vienne]] (87)</li>
  <li>[[Vosges, France Genealogy|Vosges]] (88)</li>
  <li>[[Yonne, France Genealogy|Yonne]] (89)</li>
  <li>[[Territoire-de-Belfort, France Genealogy|Territoire-de-Belfort]] (90)</li>
  <li>[[Essonne, France Genealogy|Essonne]] (91)</li>
  <li>[[Hauts-de-Seine, France Genealogy|Hauts-de-Seine]] (92)</li>
  <li>[[Seine-Saint-Denis, France Genealogy|Seine-St.Denis]] (93)</li>
  <li>[[Val-de-Marne, France Genealogy|Val-de-Marne]] (94)</li>
  <li>[[Val-d’Oise, France Genealogy|Val-d’Oise]] (95)</li>
</ul>
|}
|}
On 1 January 2021, the departments of Bas-Rhin and Haut-Rhin were merged and became known as the [[European Collectivity of Alsace.]]
 
<br>
==== French Overseas Territories<br> ====
'''Territories'''<br>
 
Many of the records of the French overseas territories are on-line at [http://anom.archivesnationales.culture.gouv.fr/ ''Les Archives nationales d’outre-mer'' (the Overseas National Archives)]''.
Many of the records of the French overseas territories are on-line at the [http://anom.archivesnationales.culture.gouv.fr/ ''Les Archives nationales d’outre-mer'']'', ''literally The Overseas National Archives.<br>
{|  
 
== [https://familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/France_Civil_Registration-_Vital_Records France Civil Registration- Vital Records]<br>  ==
 
Civil records are crucial for research in France. Civil authorities began registering births, marriages, and deaths in 1792. <br>
 
== Research Tools  ==
 
*Currently online record collections for France are not available. See wiki listings* below for more information.
*[https://wiki.familysearch.org/en/images/f/f9/Finding_Records_of_Your_Ancestors_in_France_.pdf Finding Records of your Ancestors in France 1792 to 1880]
*[[France Letter Writing Guide]]
*[https://wiki.familysearch.org/en/images/b/b6/France_Research_Outline.pdf France Research Outline]
*[[French Archives Online]]
*[[French Handwriting]]
*[[French Republican Calendar]]
*[[French Wordlist]]
*[[Gallica: The French “Library of Congress”]]
*[http://net.lib.byu.edu/fslab/researchoutlines/Europe/France.pdf Research Guide for France by BYU]
*[[France Websites|France Records&nbsp;Websites]]
 
'''*Wiki article describing collections are found at:'''
 
*[[France Births and Baptisms (FamilySearch Historical Records)|France Births and Baptisms (FamilySearch Historical Records)]]
*[[France Deaths and Burials (FamilySearch Historical Records)|France Deaths and Burials (FamilySearch Historical Records)]]
*[[France Marriages (FamilySearch Historical Records)|France Marriages (FamilySearch Historical Records)]]
*[[France, Coutance, Parish Church Registers (FamilySearch Historical Records)|France, Coutance, Parich Church Registers (FamilySearch Historical Records)]]
*[[France, Diocese of Coutances et d'Avranche, Parish Registers (FamilySearch Historical Records)|France, Diocese of Coutances et d'Avranche, Parish Registers (FamilySearch Historical Records)]]
*[[France, Coutances et d'Avranche Diocese, Inquiries of Consanguinity (FamilySearch Historical Records)|France, Coutances et d'Avranche Diocese, Inquiries of Consanguinity (FamilySearch Historical Records)]]
*[[France, Protestant Church Records (FamilySearch Historical Records)|France, Protestant Church Records (FamilySearch Historical Records)]]
*[[France, Quimper et Léon - Parish Registers (FamilySearch Historical Records)|France, Quimper et Léon - Parish Registers (FamilySearch Historical Records)]]
 
== Research Strategies  ==
 
*[[France - Birth - 1539-1791|Birth records 1539-1791]]
*[[France - Birth - 1792-Present|Birth records 1792-Present]]
*[[France - Death - 1539-1791|Death records 1539-1791]]
*[[France - Death - 1792-Present|Death records 1792-Present]]
*[[France - Marriage - 1539-1791|Marriage records 1539-1791]]
*[[France - Marriage - 1792-Present|Marriage records 1792-Present]]<br>
 
== Featured Content  ==
 
(Your text or images here)
 
== Related Content  ==
 
French citizens of Alsace-Lorraine (Haut Rhin, Bas Rhin, Moselle) often speak German. Many people from this area moved to Russia and the Ukraine and are discussed in [[Germans from Russia|Germans from Russia]].
 
== Did you know?  ==
 
*The archives of&nbsp;most of the ''départements''&nbsp;(states) in France&nbsp;and 60 French cities have digitized a wide range of historical records and made them available online. Additional French archives are coming online monthly.&nbsp;Records available often&nbsp;include birth, marriage, and death records, cadastral and other land records, military records, censuses, and more. Click [http://www.geneawiki.com/index.php/Archives_en_ligne#Archives_d.C3.A9partementales here] to see the latest updates.
*French national censuses are seldom used for primary research by most family historians, and many have not been microfilmed.
*Some French military records begin as early as the 1500s.&nbsp;Records&nbsp;since the 19th century&nbsp;may&nbsp;include information about an ancestor's military career, such as promotions, places served, pensions, and conduct. In addition, these records may include information about his age, birthplace, residence, occupation, physical description, and family members.
 
== Things you can do  ==
 
In order to make this wiki a better research tool, we need your help! Many tasks need to be done. You can help by:
 
{{Click|Image:Volunteers wanted sm.png|https://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/FamilySearch_Wiki:Help_wanted_on_the_France_pages|Wiki Volunteers Wanted}}
 
To add your knowledge and help expand the wiki [[FamilySearch Wiki:Help wanted on the France pages|click here:]]
 
<br>
 
{| cellspacing="1" cellpadding="1" border="0" class="FCK__ShowTableBorders"
|-
|-
<ul class="column-spacing-fullscreen" style="padding-right:5px;">
|  
<li>[[French Guiana, France Genealogy|French Guiana]] </li>
*[[Edit a page|Expand an article]] or [[Special:Shortpages|short page]]  
<li>[[Guadeloupe, France Genealogy|Guadeloupe]] </li>
*[[How to author an article in the Wiki|Create a new article]]<br>  
<li>[[Martinique, France Genealogy|Martinique]] </li>
*[[How to categorize an article|Categorize articles]]<br>
<li>[[Mayotte, France Genealogy|Mayotte]]</li>
 
<li>[[Reunion Island, France Genealogy|La Réunion]] </li>
|  
<li>[[Saint Martin Genealogy|Saint Martin]]</li>
*[[Create an external link|Add external links to articles]]  
</ul>
*[[Create an internal link|Add internal links to articles]]  
|}
*[[FamilySearch Wiki:Translation|Translate pages]]
=== Historic Provinces and their Capitols ===
 
{| style="width:100%; vertical-align:top;"
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<ul class="column-spacing-fullscreen" style="padding-right:5px;">
    <li>[[Alsace|Alsace (Strasbourg)]]</li>  
    <li>[[Charente, France Genealogy#Former County of Angoumois|Angoumois (Angoulême)]]</li>
    <li>[[Anjou|Anjou (Angers)]]</li>
    <li>[[Pas-de-Calais, France Genealogy#Former Region of Artois|Artois (Arras)]]</li>
    <li>[[Charente-Maritime, France Genealogy#Former Province of Aunis|Aunis (La Rochelle)]]</li>
    <li>[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Auvergne Auvergne (Clermont-Ferrand)]</li>
    <li>[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berry,_France Berry (Bourges)]</li>
    <li>[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bourbonnais Bourbonnais (Moulins)]</li>
    <li>[[Brittany|Brittany (Rennes)]]</li>
    <li>[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burgundy Burgundy (Dijon)] </li>
    <li>[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/B%C3%A9arn Béarn (Pau)]</li>
    <li>[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Champagne_(province) Champagne (Troyes)] </li>
    <li>[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comtat_Venaissin Comtat Venaissin (Papal Fief)]</li>
    <li>[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corsica Corsica (Ajaccio)] </li>
    <li>[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dauphin%C3%A9 Dauphiné (Grenoble)]</li>
    <li>[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/County_of_Flanders Flandres and Hainaut (Lille)]</li>
    <li>[[Ariège, France Genealogy#Former County of Foix|Foix (Foix)]]</li>
    <li>[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Franche-Comt%C3%A9 Franche-Comté (Besançon)]</li>
    <li>[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guyenne Guyenne] and [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gascony Gascony] (Bordeaux)</li>
    <li>[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C3%8Ele-de-France Île-de-France (Paris)]</li>
    <li>[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Languedoc Languedoc (Toulouse)]</li>
    <li>[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Limousin Limousin (Limoges)]</li>
    <li>[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lorraine Lorraine (Nancy)]</li>
    <li>[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maine_(province) Maine (Le Mans)]</li>
    <li>[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/County_of_La_Marche Marche (Guéret)]</li>
    <li>[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/County_of_Montb%C3%A9liard Montbelliard, Fief of Württemberg]</li>
    <li>[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mulhouse Imperial Free City of Mulhouse] </li>
    <li>[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/County_of_Nice Nice, County of]</li>
    <li>[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nivernais Nivernais (Nevers)]</li>
    <li>[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Normandy Normandy (Rouen)]</li>
    <li>[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orl%C3%A9anais Orléanais (Orléans)]</li>
    <li>[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Picardy Picardy (Amiens)]</li>
    <li>[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poitou Poitou (Poitiers)] </li>
    <li>[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Provence Provence (Aix-en-Provence)]</li>
    <li>[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rh%C3%B4ne-Alpes Rhône-Alpes (Lyon)]</li>
    <li>[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roussillon Roussillon (Perpignan)]</li>
    <li>[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saintonge Saintonge or Xaintonge (Saintes)]</li>
    <li>[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Savoy Savoy, Duchy of (Chambéry then Turin)]</li>
    <li>[https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Savoie_Propre Savoie Propre (Chambéry)]</li>
    <li>[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tarentaise_Valley Tarentaise (Moûtiers)]</li>
    <li>[https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maurienne Maurienne (Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne)] </li>
    <li>[https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genevois_(province) Genevois (Annecy)]</li>
    <li>[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chablais Chablais (Thonon-les-Bains)]</li>
    <li>[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Faucigny Faucigny (Bonneville)]</li>
    <li>[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Touraine Touraine (Tours)]</li>
    <li>[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three_Bishoprics Trois-Évêchés (Metz, Toul and Verdun)]</li>
</ul>
|}
|}


==References==
=== Links to articles, subcategories and images under the Category {{PAGENAME}} ===
{{reflist}}
 
[[Category:France]]
*[[:Category:{{PAGENAME}}]]
[[fr:France]]
 
[[pt:França]]
{{H-langs|en=France|fr=France}}
</div>
[[Category:Europe]]

Revision as of 13:28, 21 December 2013

France Wiki Topics
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Beginning Research
Record Types
France Background
Local Research Resources

Getting started with French research[edit | edit source]

400px-Tour eiffel at sunrise from the trocadero.jpg
Welcome to the France page! FamilySearch Wiki is a community website dedicated to helping people throughout the world learn how to find their ancestors. Through the France page you can learn how to find, use, and analyze French records of genealogical value. The content is variously targeted to beginners, intermediate, and expert researchers. Here you will find helpful research tools and research guidance. Please visit the help page to learn more about using the site. The French Page is a work in progress, your contributions and feedback are essential! For help with specific areas in France, click here for a list of locations and topics.

See the tutorials at the FamilySearch Learning Center on basic French Researchand on Reading French Handwritten Records.

History of France[edit | edit source]

See the Facebook page "Histoire de France - sites et blogs" for more information.

Jurisdictions[edit | edit source]

Prior to March 1790 France was organized into provinces.  Several administrative regions of France still carry the names of the former provinces.

Departments[edit | edit source]

Today France is divided into 96 departments plus 5 overseas departments. This number has changed over the years, in 1790 there were 83 and at the height of Napoleon's reign there were as many as 130. Records are kept on the town level, but one needs to know in which department the town is located.

Historic Provinces (and their capitals)[edit | edit source]

 


 

French Overseas Territories
[edit | edit source]

Many of the records of the French overseas territories are on-line at the Les Archives nationales d’outre-mer, literally The Overseas National Archives.

France Civil Registration- Vital Records
[edit | edit source]

Civil records are crucial for research in France. Civil authorities began registering births, marriages, and deaths in 1792.

Research Tools[edit | edit source]

*Wiki article describing collections are found at:

Research Strategies[edit | edit source]

Featured Content[edit | edit source]

(Your text or images here)

Related Content[edit | edit source]

French citizens of Alsace-Lorraine (Haut Rhin, Bas Rhin, Moselle) often speak German. Many people from this area moved to Russia and the Ukraine and are discussed in Germans from Russia.

Did you know?[edit | edit source]

  • The archives of most of the départements (states) in France and 60 French cities have digitized a wide range of historical records and made them available online. Additional French archives are coming online monthly. Records available often include birth, marriage, and death records, cadastral and other land records, military records, censuses, and more. Click here to see the latest updates.
  • French national censuses are seldom used for primary research by most family historians, and many have not been microfilmed.
  • Some French military records begin as early as the 1500s. Records since the 19th century may include information about an ancestor's military career, such as promotions, places served, pensions, and conduct. In addition, these records may include information about his age, birthplace, residence, occupation, physical description, and family members.

Things you can do[edit | edit source]

In order to make this wiki a better research tool, we need your help! Many tasks need to be done. You can help by:


Wiki Volunteers Wanted

To add your knowledge and help expand the wiki click here:


Links to articles, subcategories and images under the Category France Genealogy[edit | edit source]

Use the FamilySearch Learning Center to find online genealogy classes.

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