Finding Your Post-Révolution French Ancestors

The French Revolution and the Napoléon's Premier Empire brought civil registration, the Tables Décennales, inheritance tax registers, cadastral registers, the modern départements (counties), and the mysterious Republican calendar! Later in the 19th century, five-year censuses and standardized military recruitment began. In this session, we will cover vital records of course, but also the bountiful sources you may not be aware of: the "Tables de décès et de successions", notarial records, mortgage records, hospital records, and incarceration records. We will also discuss the standardized geographic INSEE codes associated with départements and municipalities, and offer tips for easily obtaining 20th century death certificates which are offline. The issue of disappearing graves will be mentioned. Historical context will be provided with particular attention to border changes, and practical advice about newspaper searches will be given. Join us to develop your toolbox for French genealogy!