Notarial archives: where, what, why, how?
Have you ever wanted to get out of the civil status to make discoveries on your ancestors? Notarial archives are an excellent source of information for genealogists.
Before you start, know that notarial acts have been and are always drawn up in double copies. The original copy, the « minute » is kept by the notary (and his successors) during at least 75 years before being deposited in the departmental archives. As for the double, « l’expédition », it is given to the customer. Only acts in patent are composed only of a single copy left to the customer.
Where to consult the notarial archives?
In the Departmental Archives
As indicated above, notaries have the obligation to pay the minutes in the departmental archives 75 years after their writing. Acts under the age of 75 are not communicable, unless an exemption from a judge from the Territorial Instance Court. Note that the acts are submitted to the ADs of the department where the notary held his office.
Certain directories of old notarial acts have been digitized and are available for consultation on the websites of departmental archives. If you have to go there, to AD, know that these acts are kept in the 3rd series and classified by study.
To find the notary of the time in the town of your ancestors, first do a research in theRecording, in 3q sub-series To find an act After 1790 - Or a research in the CONTROL OF ACTS IN SUB-SERIE 2C for an act Before 1790.
Once you know the name of the notary, you can do a systematic counting of acts related to your ancestors or refer to recording to save time.
In Paris or Saint-Omer, the exceptions
The cities of Paris and Saint-Omer are an exception. For a search for notarial deeds in Paris you will need to consult the National archives. And for a research in Saint-Omer, it is to the town Directly that it will be necessary to pass, and not of the ADs of Pas-de-Calais.
At your place
Comme pour beaucoup d’autres documents ayant un intérêt pour la généalogie, il se peut que vous soyez en mesure de retrouver des copies, des « expéditions », d’actes notariés qui concernent vos ancêtres. Demandez donc à vos proches les plus minutieux quant à la conservation des documents de famille et n’hésitez pas non plus à éplucher les actes de mariages au coeur desquels le contrat de mariage et le notaire y sont mentionnés depuis les années 1800.
What documents can be viewed in notarial archives?
The marriage contract To assert the parentage of the spouses and discover their riches.
The will To find the list of descendants of the deceased and his fortune.
Inventory after death To assess all the goods of the deceased and other useful references (in their papers) as well as their debts and claims.
Leases and sales deeds To discover a transfer of property. To find out in the insinuation register or at the mortgage office.
The act of notoriety pour confirmer l’origine ou la « bonne moralité » de la personne selon des témoins locaux.
Sharing To find the list of shares of each heir after a death.
Receipts To immerse yourself in the various business transactions of a person.
The declaration of pregnancy (series B), by mothers or pregnant widows - allows you to know the identity of future mothers, alleged fathers and their life information.
The respectful act Or the notification to parents, by future spouses, of their intention to marry - in addition to the collection of their consent if they were minors.
Why consult the notarial archives?
Because all your ancestors are affected by the notarial archives. Regardless of their profession and their level of wealth, they have, for the most part, led to sign a marriage contract or a will.
Bien que le notariat se pratique déjà dès le 13e siècle, il faut attendre l’édit de Villers-Coterêts de 1539 pour que les actes soient rédigés en français ET obligatoirement conservés dans des répertoires. En 1791, la loi Le Chapelier dissout les compagnies de notaires puis supprime les notaires royaux, apostoliques et seigneuriaux. Les notaires publics sont institués en même temps. C’est ensuite la loi du 25 ventôse de l’an X qui instaurera le « code du notariat », toujours en place aujourd’hui.
How to consult the notarial archives?
For more information, see the various tutorials of the departmental archives of Tarn-et-Garonne, of theIndre-et-Loire or Deux-Sèvres and Vienne.
Good research!