French Civil Record from Batz-sur-Mer, 1787.
French Civil Record from Batz-sur-Mer, 1787.

France introduced civil registration (état civil) in 1792 during the French Revolution, replacing church records with state-maintained registers of births, marriages, and deaths. These records are highly detailed, often noting parents, professions, addresses, and witnesses—making them a goldmine for genealogists. Kept by local town halls (mairies), older records are typically transferred to Departmental Archives and are widely digitized.

France’s consistent system and rich notarial tradition enable deep family reconstructions, sometimes back to the early 17th century when parish records (registres paroissiaux) are available. Civil registration is essential for tracing French ancestors across centuries, especially when combined with census, military, and notarial records.


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Birth, Marriage & Death

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