Vosges, France Genealogy: Difference between revisions

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France

Vosges

Guide to Vosges ancestry, family history and genealogy: birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, parish registers.

History[edit | edit source]

The department of the Vosges is one of the 83 departments created during the French Revolution on March 4 1790. In 1794 Vosges was the site of a major battle between the forces of Revolutionary France and the Allied Coalition. The Place des Vosges in Paris was so renamed in 1799 when the department became the first to pay the new Revolutionary taxes. After the French defeat in the Franco-Prussian War of 1870–1871, 4% of the Vosges department in the extreme northeast of the department was annexed to the German Empire by the Treaty of Frankfurt on the ground that the people there spoke Germanic dialects. In 1919, with the allied victory in the World War I, Alsace-Lorraine was returned to France by Germany at the Treaty of Versailles.
Wikipedia

Localities (Communes)[edit | edit source]

Church Records and Civil Registration (Registres Paroissiaux et Etat Civil) Online[edit | edit source]

The vast majority of your research will be in church records and civil registration. For more information on these records and how to use them, read France Church Records and France Civil Registration. Fortunately, these records are available online from the archives of each department:’’’
Here is the website for the Department Archives of Vosges, where you will find these records.

Department Archives of Vosges

See Using France Online Department Archives for step by step instructions on finding and reading these records.

Online Census Records[edit | edit source]

Census records can support your search in civil and church records. They can help identify all family members. When families have similar names they help determine which children belong in each family. See France Census.

Online census records, Department Archives of Vosges

Online Local Databases and Extracted Records[edit | edit source]

Groups devoted to genealogy have also extracted and/or indexed records for specific localities, time periods, religious groups, etc. Since church records at the departmental archives are generally not indexed, you might find an index here that will speed up your searching.

Tout en Un (All in One) Online Databases Check for online databases and records in right column. Check back occasionally to see if new databases have become available.
Tout en Un (All in One) Local Databases Here you may find extracted/translated records, record indexes, and other helpful records such as cemetery, land, or military records.
Geneanet Collaborative Indexes Search by locality (parish or commune).
Genea-Bricolo
Bigenet
Agnès Nazarian Extracts for Damblain
Nicolas Wintzer Extracts for cantons of Saulxures sur Moselotte and Le Thillot
Alsaciens-Lorrains opting for German nationality (1872-1873)
1542-1900 - France, Civil Registration, Various Communes, 1542-1900 at FamilySearch — index

Microfilm Records of the FamilySearch Library[edit | edit source]

The church and civil registration records have all been microfilmed. Currently, they are being digitized, and plans are to complete that project by 2020. Check back occasionally to see if your records have become available. In the meantime, some of them might be available at a Family History Center near you. To find a microfilm: Click on Vosges , find and click on "Places within France, Vosges," and choose your locality from the list.

Writing for Records[edit | edit source]

Online records tend to cover only the time before 100 years, due to privacy laws. You can write to civil registration offices and local churches who might honor requests for more recent records of close family members for the purpose of genealogy.

For a civil registration office, address your request to:

Monsieur l'officier de l'état-civil
Mairie de (Town)
(Postal code) (Town)

For a parish church:

Monsieur le Curé
(Church --see The Catholic Directory for church name and address)
(Town) (Postal Code) France

For other addresses and for help writing your request in French, use French Letter Writing Guide.

Learning to Read Enough French, German, or Latin to Do Genealogy[edit | edit source]

It's easier than you think! You do not have to be fluent in French or German to use these records, as there is only a limited vocabulary used in them. By learning a few key phrases, you will be able to read them adequately. Because this part of this region once belonged to Germany, many records are written in German.

German[edit | edit source]

Here are some resources for learning to read German Records:

French[edit | edit source]

Here are some resources for learning to read French records.

There is a three-lesson course in reading handwriting in old French records:

These lessons focus on reading church record and civil registration records:

Another resource is the French Records Extraction Manual, with this linked Table of Contents. You will be able to practice on actual documents.

Latin[edit | edit source]

Some Catholic church records will be in Latin.

Latin Genealogical Word List

Search Strategy[edit | edit source]

Search for the relative or ancestor you selected. When you find his birth record, search for the births of his brothers and sisters.
Next, search for the marriage of his parents. The marriage record will have information that will often help you find the birth records of the parents.
You can estimate the ages of the parents and determine a birth year to search for their birth records.
Search the death registers for all known family members.
Repeat this process for both the father and the mother, starting with their birth records, then their siblings' births, then their parents' marriages, and so on.
If earlier generations (parents, grandparents, etc.) do not appear in the records, search neighboring parishes.

Genealogical Societies and Help Groups[edit | edit source]

Websites[edit | edit source]

Tout en Un Vosges
GenWeb, Vosges Portal
Cousins 88
Geneanet Surname Search
France Geneawiki Genealogical Sources includes instructional discussions of various records available.
French Republican Calendar. This site will help you translate dates used by France from 24 October 1793 to 31 December 1805.
There are parallel articles also available on the French Language Wiki. Because they are maintained by different authors, links may be added there that do not appear here. Generally, the articles translate automatically to English when accessed.

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-{{Locality
+{{France-sidebar}}{{breadcrumb
-|Name=Vosges
-|ID=442103
-|Level=1
-|Country=France
-|CountryID=204
-|Locality1=Vosges
-|Locality1id=442103
-}}{{breadcrumb
 | link1=[[France Genealogy|France]]
 | link2=
 | link3=
 | link4=
-| link5=[[Vosges, France Genealogy|Vosges Department]]
+| link5=[[{{PAGENAME}}|Vosges]]
-}}{{France-sidebar}}
+}}
-Guide to '''Vosges Department ancestry, family history and genealogy:''' birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, parish registers, and military records.
 {| style="float:right"
 |-
 | style="padding-right:0px"|
-[[Image:Vosges-France.png|thumb|<center>Vosges Department</center>]]
+[[Image:Vosges-France.png|thumb]]
 |}
+Guide to '''Vosges ancestry, family history and genealogy:''' birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, parish registers. <br>
+{{Click|File:ORP France3.png|France Online Genealogy Records}}
 ==History==
-The department of the Vosges is one of the 83 departments created during the French Revolution on March 4, 1790.<ref>Wikipedia contributors, "Vosges (département)," ''Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia'', https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vosges_(département) (accessed  November 1, 2018).</ref>It was made of territories that had been part of the province of Lorraine and named after the Vosges mountain range.<ref>Wikipedia contributors, "Vosges (department)," ''Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia'', https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vosges_(department) (accessed July 13, 2020).</ref>
+The department of the Vosges is one of the 83 departments created during the French Revolution on March 4 1790.
+In 1794 Vosges was the site of a major battle between the forces of Revolutionary France and the Allied Coalition.
+The Place des Vosges in Paris was so renamed in 1799 when the department became the first to pay the new Revolutionary taxes.
+After the French defeat in the Franco-Prussian War of 1870–1871, 4% of the Vosges department in the extreme northeast of the department was annexed to the German Empire by the Treaty of Frankfurt on the ground that the people there spoke Germanic dialects.
+In 1919, with the allied victory in the World War I, Alsace-Lorraine was returned to France by Germany at the Treaty of Versailles.<br>
+[https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vosges_(d%C3%A9partement) Wikipedia]
-==Jurisdictions==
+==Localities (Communes)==
-===Localities (Communes)===
 *[http://www.francegenweb.org/communes/liste.php?dept=88 FranceGenWeb]
 *[http://www.locom.org/loc_listcomd.php?d=88 Locom]
@@ Line 30: / Line 28: @@
 *[https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liste_des_anciennes_communes_du_d%C3%A9partement_des_Vosges Wikipedia, former localities]
-==Resources==
+== Church Records and Civil Registration (Registres Paroissiaux et Etat Civil) Online ==
-===Census===
+'''The vast majority of your research will be in church records and civil registration.''' For more information on these records and how to use them, read [[France Church Records|'''France Church Records''']] and [[France Civil Registration- Vital Records|'''France Civil Registration''']]. '''Fortunately, these records are available online from the archives of each department:’’’<br>
-* [https://recherche-archives.vosges.fr/archive/recherche/recensement/n:3 Recensement de population] at Archives départementales des Vosges — index & images
+Here is the website for the Department Archives of Vosges, where you will find these records.<br>
-*See [[France Census]] for more information.
+*[http://www.archives-recherche.vosges.fr/archive/recherche/etatcivil/n:2 '''Department Archives of Vosges''']
-===Church Records===
+See [[Using France Online Department Archives|'''Using France Online Department Archives''']] for step by step instructions on finding and reading these records.
-*'''1536-1897''' {{RecordSearch|1582585|France, Protestant Church Records, 1536-1897}}  at FamilySearch - [[France, Protestant Church Records - FamilySearch Historical Records|How to Use this Collection]]; index & images
+==Online Census Records==
-*{{FSC|63267|title-id|disp=Répertoire numérique de la sous-série IV E }}(*); Crolet, B at FamilySearch Catalog - images
+Census records can support your search in civil and church records.  They can help identify all family members.  When families have similar names they help determine which children belong in each family. See [[France Census|'''France Census''']].
-*See [[France Church Records]] for more information.
+*[http://archives.vosges.fr/recherche-en-ligne/base-de-donnees-et-images-numerisees '''Online census records, Department Archives of Vosges''']
-===Civil Registration===
+==Online Local Databases and  Extracted Records==
-*'''1542-1900''' {{RecordSearch|2840446|France, Civil Registration, Various Communes, 1542-1900}} at FamilySearch - [[France, Civil Registration, Various Communes - FamilySearch Historical Records|How to Use this Collection]]; index
+Groups devoted to genealogy have also extracted and/or indexed records for specific localities, time periods, religious groups, etc. Since church records at the departmental archives are generally not indexed, you might find an index here that will speed up your searching.
-*{{FSC|63267|title-id|disp=Répertoire numérique de la sous-série IV E }}(*); Dumont, Jean-Marie at FamilySearch Catalog - images
+*[http://www.francegenweb.org/wiki/index.php?title=Portail:Vosges '''Tout en Un (All in One) Online Databases''']  Check for online databases and records in right column.  Check back occasionally to see if new databases have become available.
-* [https://recherche-archives.vosges.fr/archive/recherche/etatcivil/n:2 Etat civil] at Archives départementales des Vosges — index & images
+*[http://www.francegenweb.org/liens.php?ty=bddep#d88 '''Tout en Un (All in One) Local Databases''']  Here you may find extracted/translated records, record indexes, and other helpful records such as cemetery, land, or military records.
-* [https://www.francegenweb.org/entraide/basentraide/resultdep.php?dept=88 La base de donnée de l'Entraide] at Entraide FranceGenWeb — index
+*[https://en.geneanet.org/collaborative-indexes/geo/FRA/F88/france-vosges '''Geneanet Collaborative Indexes''']  Search by locality (parish or commune).
-* [https://www.francegenweb.org/actes/listed.php?dept=88 Les "actes en vrac" pour : Vosges (88)] at FranceGenWeb — index
+*[http://genea-bricolo.over-blog.com/article-26068785.html '''Genea-Bricolo''']
-*See [[France Civil Registration]] for more information.
+*[http://www.bigenet.fr/ '''Bigenet''']
+*[http://www.anazarian.net/ Agnès Nazarian Extracts for Damblain]
+*[http://nicolas.wintzer.pagesperso-orange.fr/gendep.htm Nicolas Wintzer Extracts for cantons of Saulxures sur Moselotte and Le Thillot]
+*[http://www.archivesnationales.culture.gouv.fr/chan/chan/pdf/sm/BB31%20508-510%20et%20531.pdf Alsaciens-Lorrains opting for German nationality (1872-1873)]
+*'''1542-1900''' - {{RecordSearch|2840446|France, Civil Registration, Various Communes, 1542-1900}} at [https://familysearch.org/search FamilySearch] — index
-===Emigration and Immigration===
+==Microfilm Records of the FamilySearch Library==
-* [https://www.francegenweb.org/migranet/listedori.php?dept=88 Les mariages de migrants originaires de : Vosges] at FranceGenWeb — index
+The church and civil registration records have all been microfilmed. Currently, they are being digitized, and plans are to complete that project by 2020. Check back occasionally to see if your records have become available. In the meantime, some of them might be available at a [https://familysearch.org/locations/ '''Family History Center'''] near you. To find a microfilm:  Click on {{FHLPlace2|110313|France|Vosges}}, find and click on "'''Places within France, Vosges'''," and choose your locality from the list.
-* [https://www.francegenweb.org/migranet/listed.php?dept=88 Les mariages de migrants pour : Vosges] at FranceGenWeb — index
-===Gazetteers===
-*{{FSC|77248|title-id|disp=Dictionnaire historique et statistique des communes, hameaux, écarts, fermes }}(*); France, Vosges at FamilySearch Catalog - images
-===Heraldry===
+==Writing for Records==
-* [http://www.francegenweb.org/~heraldique/base/search.php?search_fields=image_keywords&search_keywords=F88 Blasons de communes et familles des Vosges] at Héraldique FranceGenWeb — index & images
+Online records tend to cover only the time before 100 years, due to privacy laws.  You can write to civil registration offices and local churches who might honor requests for more recent records of close family members for the purpose of genealogy. <br>
-===Military Records===
+For a civil registration office, address your request to:<br>
-*'''1811-1865''' {{FSC|77829|title-id|disp=Tableaux de recensement des futures combattants pour l'arrondissement de St-Dié, 1811-1865 }}(*); Saint-Dié (Vosges : Arrondissement). Sous-Préfecture at FamilySearch Catalog - images
-* [https://www.francegenweb.org/lafayette/resultat.php?dep=88 La Fayette Database] at FranceGenWeb — index
-* [https://www.francegenweb.org/napmargenweb/listed.php?dept=88 Napoléon-Mariages Du Mariage de 6000 Militaires] at NapoléonMariagesGenWeb — index
-===Nobility===
+Monsieur l'officier de l'état-civil <br>Mairie de (Town) <br>(Postal code) (Town) <br>
-*{{FSC|118152|title-id|disp=Complèment au Nobilaire de Lorraine de Dom Pelletier précédé d'une Dissertation sur la Noblesse et suivi des listes chronologique et alphabétique des anobles depuis l'origin jusqu'en 1790 et des nobles faits ou reconnus écuyers, gentilhommes, chevaliers,}}(*); Lepage, Henri, 1814-1887 at FamilySearch Catalog - images
-==Repositories==
+For a parish church:<br>
-For a list of FamilySearch Centers and Affiliate Libraries, see [https://www.familysearch.org/centers/locations/ map].<br>
-===Archives===
+Monsieur le Curé<br>
-'''Archives départementales des Vosges'''<br>
+(Church --see [http://www.thecatholicdirectory.com/directory.cfm?fuseaction=show_country&country=FR The Catholic Directory] for church name and address)<br>
-avenue Pierre Blanck<br>
+(Town) (Postal Code) France<br>
-Épinal<br>
-France<br>
-Telephone: +33 (0)3 29 81 80 70<br>
-Email: [mailto:vosges-archives@vosges.fr vosges-archives@vosges.fr]<br>
-[https://archives.vosges.fr/pratique/nous-contacter Contact form]<Br>
-[https://archives.vosges.fr/ Website]
-===Libraries===
+For other addresses and for help writing your request in French, use [[French Letter Writing Guide|'''French Letter Writing Guide.''']]
-===Societies===
+==Learning to Read Enough French, German, or Latin to Do Genealogy==
-'''FranceGenWeb - Cousins'''<Br>
-[https://www.francegenweb.org/sitescgw/c2/index.php?dept=88 FranceGenWeb Cousins 88, Vosges]
+It's easier than you think! You do not have to be fluent in French or German to use these records, as there is only a limited vocabulary used in them.  By learning a few key phrases, you will be able to read them adequately. Because this part of this region once belonged to Germany, many records are written in German.<br>
+===German===
+Here are some resources for learning to read German Records:<br>
+*[[German Word List|German Genealogical Word List]]
+*[https://www.familysearch.org/ask/learningViewer/38 Reading German Handwritten Records Lesson 1: Kurrent Letters]
+*[https://www.familysearch.org/ask/learningViewer/39 Reading German Handwritten Records Lesson 2: Making Words in Kurrent]
+*[https://www.familysearch.org/ask/learningViewer/40 Reading German Handwritten Records Lesson 3: Reading Kurrent Documents]
+*[https://familysearch.org/ask/learningViewer/375 Old German Script Part 1],  [https://familysearch.org/ask/learningViewer/377 Part 2], [https://familysearch.org/ask/learningViewer/426  Part 3 (German Church and Civil Records)]
+*[https://familysearch.org/ask/learningViewer/12 German Church and Civil Records]
+*[https://script.byu.edu/Pages/German/en/intro.aspx German Script Tutorial]
+===French===
+Here are some resources for learning to read French records.
+*[[French Genealogical Word List|French Genealogical Word List]]
+*[[French Handwriting|French Handwriting]].
+There is a three-lesson course in reading handwriting in old French records:
+*{{LearningCenter2|83|Reading French Handwritten Records Lesson 1: The French Alphabet}},
+*{{LearningCenter2|84|Reading French Handwritten Records Lesson 2: Key Words and Phrases}}
+*{{LearningCenter2|86|Reading French Handwritten Records Lesson 3: Reading French Records}}
+These lessons focus on reading church record and civil registration records:
+*[[France Church Records|France Church Records]]
+*[[France Civil Registration- Vital Records|France Civil Registration- Vital Records]]
+Another resource is the [https://cfhg.byu.edu/Downloads/French_Extraction_Guide/Default.htm '''French Records Extraction Manual,'''] with this linked Table of Contents. You will be able to practice on actual documents.
+*[https://cfhg.byu.edu/Downloads/French_Extraction_Guide/Default.htm FRENCH RECORDS EXTRACTION MANUAL]
+*[https://cfhg.byu.edu/Downloads/French_Extraction_Guide/French_Extraction_Guide-Chapter_1.pdf Chapter 1: OLD FRENCH RECORDS]
+*[https://cfhg.byu.edu/Downloads/French_Extraction_Guide/French_Extraction_Guide-Chapter_2.pdf Chapter 2: PARISH CHRISTENING AND CIVIL BIRTH ENTRIES]
+*[https://cfhg.byu.edu/Downloads/French_Extraction_Guide/French_Extraction_Guide-Chapter_3.pdf Chapter 3: MARRIAGE ENTRIES]
+*[https://cfhg.byu.edu/Downloads/French_Extraction_Guide/French_Extraction_Guide-Chapter_4.pdf Chapter 4: OTHER ENTRIES]
+*[https://cfhg.byu.edu/Downloads/French_Extraction_Guide/French_Extraction_Guide-Chapter_5.pdf Chapter 5: FRENCH HANDWRITING AND SPELLING]
+*[https://cfhg.byu.edu/Downloads/French_Extraction_Guide/French_Extraction_Guide-Chapter_6.pdf Chapter 6: NAME IDENTIFICATION]
+*[https://cfhg.byu.edu/Downloads/French_Extraction_Guide/French_Extraction_Guide-Chapter_7.pdf Chapter 7: GENDER]
+*[https://cfhg.byu.edu/Downloads/French_Extraction_Guide/French_Extraction_Guide-Chapter_8.pdf Chapter 8: DATES]
+===Latin===
+Some Catholic church records will be in Latin.<br>
+*[[Latin Genealogical Word List]]
+==Search Strategy==
+*Search for the relative or ancestor you selected. When you find his birth record, search for the births of his '''brothers and sisters'''.
+*Next, search for the '''marriage of his parents.''' The marriage record will have information that will often help you find the birth records of the parents.
+*You can '''estimate the ages''' of the parents and determine a birth year to search for their birth records.
+*Search the death registers for all known family members.
+*Repeat this process for both the father and the mother, starting with their birth records, then their siblings' births, then their parents' marriages, and so on.
+*If earlier generations (parents, grandparents, etc.) do not appear in the records, search neighboring parishes.
+<br>
+==Genealogical Societies and Help Groups==
 *[http://www.francegenweb.org/wiki/index.php?title=Associations_g%C3%A9n%C3%A9alogiques_des_Vosges Vosges Wiki GenWeb Associations]
 *[http://www.francegenweb.org/wiki/index.php?title=Liste_d%27%C3%A9change_-_Lorraine Vosges Forums]
 *[https://www.facebook.com/groups/SouthernEuropeGenealogyResearchCommunity/ Southern Europe Genealogy Research Community]
-==Research Helps==
+== Websites  ==
-{{HR Helps|where=France}}
+*[http://www.francegenweb.org/indexall.php?dept=88 Tout en Un Vosges]
+*[http://www.francegenweb.org/wiki/index.php?title=Portail:Vosges GenWeb, Vosges Portal]
-==References==
+*[http://www.francegenweb.org/sitescgw/c2/index.php?dept=88 Cousins 88]
-{{reflist}}
+*[http://www.geneanet.org/ Geneanet Surname Search]
+*[https://fr.geneawiki.com/index.php/Portail:Sources_g%C3%A9n%C3%A9alogiques France Geneawiki Genealogical Sources] includes instructional discussions of various records available.
-[[Category:Alsace-Champagne-Ardenne-Lorraine Region, France]][[Category:Departments of France]]
+*[https://familysearch.org/wiki/en/French_Republican_Calendar French Republican Calendar]. This site will help you translate dates used by France from 24 October 1793 to 31 December 1805.
+*There are parallel articles also available on the [https://familysearch.org/wiki/fr/France '''French Language Wiki'''].  Because they are maintained by different authors, links may be added there that do not appear here. Generally, the articles translate automatically to English when accessed.
+[[Category:Alsace-Champagne-Ardenne-Lorraine Region, France]]