9 archive sources to be used for your genealogy
Small list of archive funds and other resources to search to find clues to your ancestors.
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Population censuses
Made every 5 years since 1836 (excluding wars) then in 1946, 1954, 1962, 1968, 1975, 1982, 1990, 1999 and in another form since 2004, the Population censuses are nominative lists of the inhabitants of the same commune, by family.
Information to discover: Names and surnames, age or date of birth, position in the family, profession, nationality, sometimes the precise address and even various annotations.
Consultation: Free, online on AD sites or directly to the departmental archives for the most recent censuses.
Electoral lists and voter files
There electoral list est un répertoire alphabétique de toutes les personnes admises 0xThere1 voter dans une circonscription électorale depuis 1815. Cette liste n’est pas 0xThere1 confondre avec la liste d’émargement.
Informations 0xThere1 découvrir : Les nom, prénoms, profession, date et lieu de naissance et domicile des électeurs hommes de plus de 21 ans, puis des femmes 0xThere1 partir de 1945.
Consultation: Free, online on a few AD sites or directly on site at the departmental archives for old lists.
Military census and recruitment
Entre 1798 et 1998 0xThere1 l’0xThere2ge de 20 ans, tous les hommes, français, ont été recensés sur des Military lists and registers. Find the class of a man (the year of his 20 years), look for his name in the alphabetical lists to find his number number then find his sheet in the register of military matrices.
Information to discover: The names, first names, date and places of birth, names and first names of parents, profession, physical description, degree of education, facts of arms and injuries, successive domiciliations ...
Consultation: Free, online in the vast majority of AD sites or directly on site at the departmental archives for the most recent censuses.
Maritime registration
Like military recruitment, maritime registration brings together sea registers of seafarers. To find out more, consult our Antisèche to find a marine ancestor.
Information to discover: Les nom, prénoms, date et lieux de naissance, les faits de carrière au commerce ou 0xThere1 la pêche ainsi que les services rendus 0xThere1 l’Etat.
Consultation: free, online on the sites mentioned in our antisèèche Or in certain military archive centers (Brest, Cherbourg, Toulon, Rochefort, Lorient, etc.).
Assisted children
Tous les documents relatifs aux enfants assistés de 1639 0xThere1 1930 sont conservés aux Paris Archives (enfants « trouvés », « assistés », « moralement abandonnés », « pupilles de l’assistance ou de l’Etat », « en dépôt » et « secourus »). Les dossiers individuels les plus récents (de 1930 0xThere1 1966) sont conservés par la DASES et par les départements des Hauts-de-Seine, de la Seine-Saint-Denis et du Val de Marne (enfants nés après 1966).
Information to discover: The individual files of assisted children - the course and other pieces concerning the child.
Consultation: free, online on the website of Paris Archives pour retrouver le numéro de matricule d’un enfant assistés avant consultation de son dossier personnel sur place. Contacter directement la DASES ou les services d’Aide sociale 0xThere1 l’enfance des départements de la « petite couronne » pour les dossiers les plus récents.
Registration fund
The registration funds retain all acts made before the notaries (administrative authorities as well as individuals since 1798).
Information to discover: Date of act and registration, names of the parties, name and place of exercise of the notary.
Consultation: free and online on Some AD sites Or directly on site at the Departmental Archives.
Tables and declarations of successions and absences
Dressées par l’administration de l’Enregistrement, les tables de successions et absences sont des tables alphabétiques par commune qui recensent les « individus décédés ou déclarés absents » avec les informations relatives 0xThere1 leurs successions.
Information to discover: The names and surnames, profession, domicile, date of death, family situation, date of the registration of inventories after death, appearances and lifting of seals, mention of a guardianship or curatorship, the sale of furniture as well as the date of the declaration of succession.
Consultation: free and online on Some AD sites Or directly on site at the Departmental Archives.
Mortgages
Ideal for making Research on the history of a house, lists of mortgages also allow you to get your hands on an ancestor.
Information to discover: The names and surnames, date of birth, date of registrations or transcriptions and nature of the transaction (sale, acquisition, donation, etc.).
Consultation: free and online on Some AD sites Or directly on site at the Departmental Archives.
Naturalization files
Naturalization files are kept by the National Archives (Pierrefitte site).
Information to discover: Civil status, biographical dates, family history ...
Consultation: You are advised to find the date of naturalization decree Before finding a naturalization file with the national archives.
If this list seems useful to you, Download the long version checklist for free To use it on your various genealogical projects - the ideal tool to organize!