French Records Extraction Manual
CONTENTS
Chapter 1: OLD FRENCH RECORDS ................................................................... 5
Chapter 2: PARISH CHRISTENING AND CIVIL BIRTH ENTRIES.......................11
Marginal Notation …………………………………….………………………………............14
Date Phrase .........................................................................................................14
Ceremony Phrase................................................................................................15
Officiating Agent Phrase ....................................................................................... 17
Child Phrase ........................................................................................................ 18
Sex and Legitimacy Phrase ...................................................................................18
Parent's Phrase......................................................................................................19
Occupations .................................................................................................................. 19
Godparents or Grandparents and Warning Phrase in Parish Entries …………………………………....... 20
Witness Phrase in Civil Entries ................................................................................................................... 20 Certification Phrase ..................................................................................................................................... 21 Summary ..................................................................................................................................................... 22
Chapter 3: MARRIAGE ENTRIES
..............................25
Marginal Notation ........................................................................................................................................30 Locality Phrase .........................................................………………………………………………………30 Date Phrase ................................................................................................................................................. 31 Officiating Agent Phrase ............................................................................................................................ 31 Ceremony Phrase ........................................................................................................................................ 32 Confession and Wedding Mass .................................................................................................................. 34 Groom's Information .................................................................................................................................. 34 Bride's Information ..................................................................................................................................... 35 Godparents and Witnesses.......................................................................................................................... 37 Certification and Seals................................................................................................................................ 37 Summary..................................................................................................................................................... 38
Chapter 4: OTHER ENTRIES........................................41
Death or Burial Records.............................................................................................................................. 42 Stillborn Entries .......................................................................................................................................... 43 Marriage Information and Engagements ……………………………………………................................ 43 Name Changes and Legitimations ………………………………………………...................................... 43 Confirmation Records.................................................................................................................................. 44 Signatures .................................................................................................................................................... 44 Extracts ........................................................................................................................................................ 44 General Instructions...................................................................................................................................... 44
Chapter 5: FRENCHDWRITING AND SPELLING... 47
Introduction .......................................................................................................................................................... 47 Elements of Handwriting Style .......................................................................................................................... .48
Chapter 6: NAME IDENTIFICATION...................... .. 61
.Introduction ......................................................................................................................................................... 61 Techniques for Locating Names …………………………………………………………………………….… 61 Identifying Names ….............................................................................................................................................62 Titles .................................................................................................................................................................... 63 Terms Denoting Relationship .............................................................................................................................. 64
Chapter 7: GENDER ..................................................... 67
Phrases Denoting Gender ................................................................................................................................... 67 Marginal Notations ............................................................................................................................................ 68
Chapter 8: DATES ......................................................... 69
Overview of Calendar Systems .......................................................................................................................... 69 Numbers ............................................................................................................................................................. 70 Years ................................................................................................................................................................... 71 Roman Numerals……………………………………………………………………………………………… 76 Variations• in Dates ………………………………………………………………………………………........ 76 Fixed Feast Days ................................................................................................................................................ 76 Complementary Days …………………………………………….……………………………………………77 Ecclesiastical Calendars ………………………………………………………………………………………. 77 Conversion Chart for the French Republican Calendar ..................................................................................... 79
Chapter 9: PUTTING IT ALL INTO PRACTICE ..... 83
Extraction Techniques: Summary........... …........................................................................................................ 83 Extraction Techniques: Using a Names Catalog ................................................................................................ 84 Putting it All Into Practice .................................................................................................................................. 84
APPENDIX A: FRENCH O-CCUPATIONS LIST…...149
APPENDIX 8: COMMON ABBREVIATIONS ......... 159
Given Names ............................................. ' ................... 160