How DNA helped uncover the identity of a French ancestor
After testing my DNA with FamilyTreeDNA, I uploaded my data on MyHeritage to find new matches. Almost all my ancestors were French, so I primarily
Civil registration and parish records: what’s the difference?
In the year 1792, French parish records were replaced by civil registration. For this reason, documents before and after 1792 provided different information. Here are
Finding your ancestors in France: where to start
When you want to build a family tree with French ancestors, the place to start is almost always civil registration or parish records. They are
5 dates you need to know about French civil registration
Here are 5 important dates in the history of French civil registration that will help you understand what records you will find for each period.
Names of French records
Here is a list of the names of French records as you can find them on archives websites. “Cadastre” / “Plans cadastraux” : land registers
Family relationships
Here is a list of family relationships that you can find in French records. “Frère utérin” / “Sœur utérine”: half-brother or half-sister with the same