If you are fortunate enough to have French Canadian ancestry, you have hit the genealogical records jackpot. Immigrants to New France were excellent record keepers creating a variety of records that include a wealth of genealogical information. In addition, extensive French Canadian family reconstructions have been prepared by trailblazing researchers such as Cyprien Tanguay and the Programme de Recherche en Démographie Historique “PRDH” [Research Programme in Historical Demography] to assist with your family research.[1][2]
As with any genealogical research, the best place to begin is at home. That family bible in a dusty box in your basement, newspaper clippings stuck in the photo album from your grandma, an old photograph with names in neat script on the back…these are the little clues that will help you begin to unlock your family puzzle. Talk to your relatives and ask if they know of past family researchers. Interview the oldest living members of your family and record their memories before those stories are lost to time. Once you have gathered this information, begin to populate your family tree and dive into MyHeritage’s collection of Quebec records to extend each family line. For more information about getting started with genealogical research, see “How to Get Started with Genealogy Research”. It is your job as the family historian to never take any family story or handwritten family tree at face value. Always confirm the information using multiple sources to ensure accuracy.
Immigrant populations to New FranceImmigrant populations to New France
Immigration to New France occurred in waves beginning when Samuel de Champlain claimed possession of a portion of North America for King Francis I.[3] Included in these immigrant waves were two very different groups of French settlers: the Acadians, and the Québecois or French Canadians.
Acadie consisted of the modern-day region around Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick, and eastern Maine.[4]. Following the end of the Seven Years War, also known as the French and Indian War, the victorious British forcibly removed Acadians from their homes.[5] This event, known as Le Grand Dérangement or Great Expulsion, resulted in the deportation of Acadian families to either the English Colonies, France, or the Caribbean. A few managed to escape and make their way to the Québecois (French Canadian) settlement in the Saint Lawrence Valley. Acadian and the related subsequent Cajun Genealogy research is described in a separate wiki article. This article primarily focuses on Québecois genealogy research in the Saint Lawrence Valley, although some of the information may also be helpful for Acadian genealogy research.
The majority of French Canada was populated by a relatively small number of pioneering families.[6] Because of this, French Canadians today typically descend from several pioneers. Membership in French Canadian Heritage Associations is available for those who can prove pioneer descent. One example is La Société des Filles du Roi [King’s daughters] et Soldats du Carignan [Carignan soldiers].[7]
French Canadian Census RecordsFrench Canadian Census Records
Census records are one of the backbones of genealogical research. When beginning to extend your family tree, trace each generation backwards in time using the Canada Census records collection. Pay attention to the birthplaces and ages of each child in the family, when provided in the records. These may provide clues about the timeline of family migrations. Extended families often immigrated together, lived in close proximity, and married those who lived nearby. Don’t stop research with your direct ancestors’ census records. Make sure to see if they have relatives living nearby and gather the census records for their adult siblings. You will often find elderly parents living with one of the children in their later years. Many censuses also provide information about the family’s religion, which is important for locating your ancestors’ parish and civil records.
Using French Canadian Parish and Civil RecordsUsing French Canadian Parish and Civil Records
The Quebec Marriage Returns collection (1926–1997) is a good place to begin your more recent civil records research. Marriage records are especially valuable for confirming each ancestral generation because they typically provide all parents’ names. Continue researching your ancestors back in time with the help of Montreal and Québec marriage indexes included among MyHeritage’s Quebec records collection. Once you have located your ancestor’s civil or parish record in indexes, genealogical best practices require obtaining an original record copy. The Drouin Institute has digitized millions of these records for online access. Baptism and burial records are also available.
The majority of French Canadian parish records are Catholic, although other denominations are represented within parish records collections. Beginning with the very earliest settlers to New France, priests kept records of all baptisms [baptêmes], marriages [mariages], and burials [sépultures] conducted in their parish. A copy of these records was also created for the civil authorities.
These records are almost exclusively written in French. Even if you do not speak fluent French, extracting and translating information from Québec parish and civil records can be learned by understanding the basic record format and knowing a few commonly used words. French parish register entries typically follow a pattern that makes it simple to find the genealogical information you need.
Below are four key pieces of data to look for in parish records, typically written in the following order:
- Date and location: The first portion of the record provides the event date written in longhand (day, month, year). It may also provide the name of the priest and location where the event takes place.
- Name and occupation of the person(s) of record and often provides the name of their home parish if not where the event took place.
- Parents names, occupation, and home parish, typically including the mother’s maiden name.
- Godparents and/or witnesses, who are often other family members.
French dit/dite namesFrench dit/dite names
French Canadian families often followed the French custom of adopting a second name, known as a dit/dite name.[8] A dit name might be taken from the name of a family's city of origin, the first name of a respected ancestor, or an honorary name given for military service. The word dit/dite (dite being the feminine form) is sometimes, but not always inserted between the two names. When searching for genealogical records in French Canada it is best to search using both family names. More information about French Canadian surnames is available on the French Canadian surnames wiki page.
Descendants of French Canadian immigrants to countries where the use of two surnames is not common, such as the United States, typically selected only one of their names to carry forward after settling. Sometimes members of the same family chose differently, resulting in cousins carrying on different surnames. Free online tools are also available to help research you family dit/dite names.
See alsoSee also
Explore more about French Canadian genealogyExplore more about French Canadian genealogy
Continue your research by learning about local and world events that might have shaped your ancestors’ lives and decisions. Adding biographical content to your research from sources such as newspapers, family history books, military, legal, and occupational records help bring your family story to life.
Military and civilMilitary and civil
Histories, memories and biographiesHistories, memories and biographies
NewspapersNewspapers
- Canada, French Newspapers 1807-2007
- Canada Newspapers, 1752-2007
- Notarial Records: French Canadian legal records, including marriage contracts, land transactions, wills, and guardianships were recorded by a notaire and often contain valuable genealogical information.
Explore more about French Canadian genealogyExplore more about French Canadian genealogy
References
- ↑ Genealogical Dictionary of Canadian Families by Cyprien Tanguay. Bibliothèque et Archives Nationales du Québec
- ↑ Le Programme de recherche en démographie historique (The Research Program in Historical Demography). PRDG-IGD
- ↑ https://www.britannica.com/place/New-France new France]. Encyclopedia Britannica
- ↑ History of Acadia. The Canadian Encyclopedia]
- ↑ Déportation des Acadiens (le Grand dérangement). The Canadian Encyclopedia
- ↑ The Pioneers. PRDG-IGD
- ↑ Resources for Research on the French-Canadians. La Socíété des Filles du roi et soldats du Carignan, Corp.
- ↑ French Canadian “dit names” and nicknames. Genealogie Quebec