The Drouin Institute recently had a major increase in its NBMDS database. These church records come from four major regions of Quebec. Bertrand Desjardins helps us to get the most from our searches. Learn what’s included in the collection, tips for initial searches and extended searches, and how to...
French-Canadian genealogists have an almost unheard of wealth of records with which we can trace our lines back hundreds of years. The Drouin Institute provides us with easy access to these records by publishing the original parish register pages online at a nominal fee. It also publishes the reconstituted...
Since northern Vermont borders Québec, French-Canadians have played a role in the settling of that state since early colonial times. With a second influx during the Industrial Revolution, many of us have ancestors who lived in Vermont at some time. Today’s guest, Ed McGuire, explains the history, geography, records...
More KKK members in New England than the South? Really? Yes, at one time in the early 20th century this was true. And they were attacking Franco-Americans. Why? Dr. Eileen Angelini will tell us this interesting story about a little-known chapter in American history. In Language Tip #39, we’ll...
You’ve probably heard many times, “Parish registers are easy to read. Once you know how to read one type of record, you can read them all. They follow a pattern.” “Oh, no! This record is different!” And that’s true – for the most part. But what happens when you...
Most French-Canadian genealogists are familiar with the PRDH, but are you familiar with all three versions? Today we’ll describe each while discussing the pros and cons. To help you out, you can download a PDF copy of the Key to the Repertory, the English translation of the instructions for the printed...
Are you planning a trip to France? If so, take along your ancestors’ hometown information so you can visit and make it a truly memorable experience. A listener wrote in asking about the reliability of the Fichier Origine database. She had found some intriguing information on her ancestors’ origins and...
Thanks to the hard work of hundreds, if not thousands, of volunteers across Canada and the United States, those of us who were researching our French-Canadian ancestors a decade or two ago were very grateful to have a multitude of repertoires at our disposal. Once we discovered to which...
After reviewing common French terms found in baptism records and learning some less-common terms, you should then be ready to try your hand at reading a record from start to finish on your own. Test your skills and revel in your accomplishment! In the main segment, we are treated...
If you are not fluent in French, then tracing your ancestors in Québec records is a daunting task. In the last episode, we determined that we could use gender clues to answer some questions. Today we’re going to begin to recognize the words that make up French dates since...
