Generated by All in One SEO Pro v5.0.0.1, this is an llms.txt file, used by LLMs to index the site. # Making French Genealogy Easier Explore Tutorials, Censuses, Military, and More ## Sitemaps - [XML Sitemap](https://frenchgen.com/sitemap.xml): Contains all public & indexable URLs for this website. ## Posts - [Posts](https://frenchgen.com/posts/) - [Examine French Record Margin Notes](https://frenchgen.com/examine-french-record-margin-notes/) - The beauty of an individual's parish or civil records of birth/baptism in France, is that it can also contain written notes of vital genealogical information in the margin area.. Professional French Genealogist Sophie Boudarel of "MyFrenchAncestor" informs us they are called 'marginal annotations' . Let's examine them: What are 'marginal annotations? Sophie Boudarel states "....Marginal - [Examine Godparents in French & Belgian Parish Baptismal Records](https://frenchgen.com/examine-godparents-in-french-belgian-parish-baptismal-records/) - In this tutorial, we are going examine the newly christened infant's names of godparents & extract any genealogical information that can be found in French parish baptismal records First, why are godparents so important in French genealogy? In a baptismal record, you'll find names of other family members. 1) Most of the time they will - [What Are Belgian Genealogical 'Extraits'?](https://frenchgen.com/what-are-belgian-genealogical-extraits/) - You can find Belgian records in the strangest places. You might notice, while browsing through the online images for a marriage record, you'll come across an endless parade of pages of miscellaneous genealogical documents that could include other death, birth, and Belgian military enlistments. They look strange, out of place, out of order and resembling - [Online French & Belgian Genealogy Resources](https://frenchgen.com/online-france-belgium-genealogy-resources/) - In 1998, French Genealogy online databases and resources, if any, were in it's infancy. Obtaining French records via writing and requesting information from the French departments was a test of patience. You had to write to the French and Belgian governments in towns, cities, and department archives. It wasn't a fast procedure either. You couldn't - [Easily Find French Military Resources](https://frenchgen.com/easily-find-french-military-resources/) - French and Belgian military records, or what the French call 'matricules militaire' or 'registres matricules' are becoming more available over both countries. The trouble is, there're not all in one place, but scattered across the internet. So the problem becomes finding these pockets of records easily instead of all endless searching across the internet. So, - [What Are Dit Names?](https://frenchgen.com/what-are-dit-names/) - dit is the masculine form ditte is the feminine form In your research, you may have encountered individuals with seemingly two surnames with ‘dit’(m) or 'dite' (f) in between them. Quoting from Denis Beauregard’s article from Francogene.com “A “dit name” is an alias or given to a family name. Compared to other alias or a.k.a. ## Pages - [Making French Genealogy Easier](https://frenchgen.com/) - Easily research & find your French & Walloon Belgian ancestry through French genealogy tutorials, how-to guides, find vital records, census & military records for English language people - [Explore The Online France Department Archives](https://frenchgen.com/online-france-department-archives/) - The free online France department Archives numerically arranged with links to French birth, baptism, marriage, burial, death, military, & census records - [How To Navigate the French Maritime Records - Part 1](https://frenchgen.com/how-to-navigate-the-french-maritime-records-part-1/) - Tutorial introduction, how to find, search, & navigate French Maritime records chronologically using filters of administrative division, rank, & years of service. - [How To Navigate the French Maritime Records - Part 2](https://frenchgen.com/how-to-navigate-the-french-maritime-records-part-2/) - A tutorial on how to find French Maritime records by administrative division towns (quartier) for the 1700s & 1800s - [Pathway to French Military Records at Memoire des Hommes-](https://frenchgen.com/pathway-to-french-military-records-at-memoire-des-hommes/) - How to locate French military records for 1682-1815, found at the Memoire des Hommes homepage , will present as a navigational challenge. Simply put, you need a road map to trek through the website, to make your way to reach the image records page. Instead of right and left turns associated with road directions, it's - [Examine French Vital Record's Margin Annotations](https://frenchgen.com/examine-french-birth-records-margin-notes/) - French Genealogy, tutorial, french genealogyhelp, birth record, margin annotations, parish record, margin notes, - [How This Website Began](https://frenchgen.com/how-this-website-began/) - Bonjour à tous I started my journey researching my French ancestry in 1998 with what little I had; My paternal grandmother's name, her parent's names and the two countries they originated from,. It was a hard, frustrating and long journey. It felt as if I was on my stomach, crawling with ragged fingers across rocky - [Unveil the Mysteries of Your French Ancestry](https://frenchgen.com/unlock-the-secrets-of-your-french-ancestry/) - French Genealogy tutorials to research & find French genealogical documents of vital records, military, Census, with resources, for English-language people. - [Research Your French & Belgian Ancestry Online](https://frenchgen.com/research-your-french-belgium-ancestry-online/) - Research your French & Belgian ancestry online for free genealogical information - [Digging Deeper into the France Departmental Archives](https://frenchgen.com/digging-deeper-into-the-france-departmental-archives/) - Dig deep into France departmental archives to uncover a wealth of additional documents & records, extending your French Genealogy research for your ancestors - [Find Belgian Military Records of Hainaut](https://frenchgen.com/belgium-military-records-of-hainaut/) - Online Belgian Military Records of the Province of Hainaut arranged in alphabetical listing of towns and years found at FamilySearch.org - [Easily Find French Military Records 1831-1940](https://frenchgen.com/find-french-military-records-1831-1940/) - Search through each French Department of military records by year of enlistment by subdivision (bureau), & class (year of enlistment), or by soldier's name. - [1766 Belgium Census -Province of Luxembourg](https://frenchgen.com/1766-belgium-census-province-of-luxembourg/) - Search the Province of Luxembourg 1766 Belgium Census of villages arranged in alphabetical order with links to their digitized images located at FamilySearch.org - [1766 Belgium Census of the Province of Namur](https://frenchgen.com/1766-belgium-census-province-of-namur/) - Browse the towns available of the1766 Belgium census in alphabetical order of the Province of Namur with links to digitized images located at FamilySearch.org - [Find Your French Ancestors' Military Records 1682-1815](https://frenchgen.com/find-your-french-ancestors-military-records-1682-1792/) - An Easy tutorial on locating French military information within parish records to find your French ancestors' military records at Memoire-des-Hommes 1682-1792 - [Early Belgium Census of the Province of Hainaut](https://frenchgen.com/belgium-census-of-the-province-of-hainaut/) - Browse the Belgian Census Records 1770-1910 province of Hainaut's available towns with links to their digitized images located at FamilySearch.org - [Navigate 'AGATHA' - Search The Archives of Belgium Genealogy Records](https://frenchgen.com/belgium-archives-genealogy-site/) - The updated State Archives of Belgium Genealogy website. Easy to access, use & search 'Agatha" with step-by-step informational & navigational guide for Belgian Genealogy - [Digging Deeper For Military Records](https://frenchgen.com/digging-deeper-for-military-records/) - Dig deeper at the France Departmental Archives collections for additional military records & documents beyond the military enlistments records found at each French department. - [French & Belgian Genealogy Resources](https://frenchgen.com/french-genealogy-online-resources/) - Where to find French and Belgian online Genealogy Resources to help you find your ancestors. - [Let's Talk About Other French Genealogy Websites](https://frenchgen.com/about-french-genealogy-websites/) - An easy explanation of using multiple French Genealogy Websites to successfully find French & Belgian ancestors and their genealogical information. - [Belgium Census of Wallonia Introduction 1693-1910](https://frenchgen.com/belgium-census-of-wallonia-introduction-1693-1910/) - An Instructive introduction and guide to the Belgium censuses of Wallonia region - 1693-1910, includes the Provinces of Luxembourg, Hainaut, Namur and Wallon-Brabant. - [Let's Be Realistic About The French Tutorials](https://frenchgen.com/lets-be-realistic-about-french-genealogy/) - A realistic approach and what you need to know before starting your French Genealogy Research in France - [Easily Find French Military Resources](https://frenchgen.com/find-france-military-resources/) - Easily find online Belgian & French military resources of early enlistment, POW, Napoleonic war, World War l, honor roll, records & databases. - [Navigating The Online Archives of Hautes-Pyrénées](https://frenchgen.com/navigating-the-online-archives-of-hautes-pyrenees/) - The department of Hautes-Pyrénées can be a bit confusing to navigate, as they have two different sections in two locations to find information to images: The archives repository which contains all images of the parish and civil records, the censuses with the years available, military enlistments and passeports. Second Section is the 'Search by name' - [What Are French 'Dit' Names?](https://frenchgen.com/what-are-dit-names/) - An explanation of the usage and meaning of the French "dit names' that are sometimes included with the Surname - [Tutorial 7a- Examining French Baptism Records 1700-1792](https://frenchgen.com/examine-french-baptism-records/) - A French Genealogy Tutorial with examples how to find and extract the family information from French baptism records - [Tutorial 5: Examining French Marriage Records](https://frenchgen.com/examine-french-marriage-records/) - A French genealogy tutorial with examples how to examine, find and extract the family information from French marriage records - [Contact Me](https://frenchgen.com/contact/) - If you have questions, don't hesitate to contact me. I can look up ONE ancestor of yours, but nothing beyond that. If you have success stories to share, I would love to hear them! Suggestions? I have an open mind. Corrections? I'm grateful for you to take the time to let me know. Visit: Making - [Tracing Your French and Belgian Ancestry
](https://frenchgen.com/lets-start-the-french-genealogy-tutorials/) - What you need to know and to have before starting the French Genealogy Tutorials - [Explore French & Belgian Censuses](https://frenchgen.com/explore-french-belgian-censuses/) - Explore French & Belgian censuses with an easy step by step tutorial on navigating through the confusing census image viewer - [Early Belgium Census of the Province of Walloon-Brabant: 1693 & 1709](https://frenchgen.com/belgium-census-of-the-province-of-wallon-brabant-1693-1709/) - Belgium Census transcription of villages that are now located in the Province of Walloon Brabant 1693, 1709 located at FamilySearch.org - [How To Navigate Through the Online Archives of France](https://frenchgen.com/navigate-the-online-archives-of-france/) - Easy Step-by-Step examples on how to find and use the France department archives' "Viewer" to find French towns and their vital records. - [Examine Godparents in Baptismal Records](https://frenchgen.com/examine-godparents-in-baptismal-records/) - Examine French Parish baptismal records for names of Godparents, their relationship to the infant, and find French genealogical information on them. - [Tutorial 2 - Recognize Key Phrases in French Records](https://frenchgen.com/recognize-key-phrases-in-french-records/) - A French genealogy tutorial on finding and reading genealogical key phrases in French records - [What are Belgian Genealogical 'Extraits'](https://frenchgen.com/what-are-belgium-genealogy-extraits/) - How to find, understand and examine the miscellaneous Belgium genealogy documents and information called 'Extraits" found with Belgian marriage records. - [Explore The Online Archives of France & Belgium](https://frenchgen.com/explore-the-online-archives-of-france-belgium/) - [Examine The French Genealogy Tutorials](https://frenchgen.com/examine-the-french-genealogy-tutorials-2/) - [Enrichment & Educational](https://frenchgen.com/enrichment-educational/) - [How To Navigate the Memoire-des-Hommes for French Military Records: 1682-1793 part 2](https://frenchgen.com/navigate-the-memoire-des-hommes-for-french-military-records-2/) - Using the Arme and Unit filters: We will look closely at this panel on the right. You will see three filters with green arrows. Tutorial 1 dealt with using the 'nom de l'inventaire, filter, but tutorial 2 will focus on the 'Arme' and 'Unité' filters. We'll skip the 'cote' filter for this demonstration. 'Filter by - [How To Navigate the 'Memoire Des Hommes' French Military Records: 1682-1815 -part 1](https://frenchgen.com/navigate-the-memoire-des-hommes-for-french-military-records-1/) - You've just entered a browsable French military database that will probably leave you somewhat bewildered and overwhelmed. At least, it did me. It took some time to figure out how to navigate Memoires des Hommes of l'Ancien Régime registres marticules, the pre-Revolutionary army documents. Just like today, they were separated into artillery, cavalry, dragons, infantry - [Belgium Census of the Province of Namur 1709-1900](https://frenchgen.com/belgium-censuses-of-province-of-namur/) - An easy guide to available for the Province of Namur 1745-1900 online census images of recorded towns arranged in alphabetical order located at FamilySearch.org - [How To Navigate Through.....Tutorials](https://frenchgen.com/how-to-navigate-through-tutorials/) - It wasn't long before I realized that moving though censuses, military sites and archives needed their own 'How-To' 'tutorials. Most of the departmental archives of France follow the same pattern, though each department might have a different type of viewer. But the symbols are the same, which I believe are the heart of navigating the - [Explore French & Belgian Military Records](https://frenchgen.com/explore-french-belgian-military-records/) - [The Importance of Providing Proof for Your French Family Tree](https://frenchgen.com/providing-proof-of-ancestors-information/) - A French Genealogy tutorial : sort through family legends, misinformation, & 'think so's by providing documentation, sources, & citations to prove what's true in your family tree - [Introduction to the Memoire Des Hommes French Military Records](https://frenchgen.com/memoire-des-hommes-military-records-intro/) - An introduction to the French military records website Memorie des Hommes of browsable & searchable repository of the Pre-Revolutionary era to the Napoleonic era - [Easily Find Belgium Military Records (Wallonia)](https://frenchgen.com/find-belgium-military-records/) - During the First French Republic, in what we now know as the Provinces of Namur and Luxembourg, Belgium, was then part of the department of Sambre-et-Meuse of France. Today, that department no longer exists. You can find early Belgian military enlistments from 1830s to late 1800s military enlistment records for the Province of Luxembourg at - [The 1766 Belgium Census Introduction](https://frenchgen.com/1766-belgium-census-intro/) - An introduction to the 1766 Belgium census of Wallonia, and what genealogical information that you might find. - [Introduction to the Early Belgian Censuses of Provinces of Hainaut and Namur](https://frenchgen.com/census-of-hainaut-and-namur-intro/) - Alphabetical list of towns in Hainaut, Belgium with links to online early registers of population images located at FamilySearch.org - [Identify the French Cursive Letter - 'J'](https://frenchgen.com/examine-the-french-cursive-letter-j/) - Identify & study the French cursive letter "J" found written in French genealogy documents - [Tutorial 3 - Examine French Handwriting](https://frenchgen.com/examine-french-handwriting/) - French Genealogy tutorial on recognizing difficult and various styles of French handwriting cursive letters in genealogical records' - [Tutorial 4 -Examining French & Belgian Birth Records](https://frenchgen.com/examine-french-birth-records/) - A French genealogy tutorial on finding and extracting genealogical information from French Birth records - [Tutorial 1- Examining French Dates and Numbers](https://frenchgen.com/examine-french-dates-and-numbers/) - French Genealogy Tutorial on French dates and numbers. Recognizing, understanding and extracting the dates on French vital records - [Military Records of Province of Hainaut, Belgium](https://frenchgen.com/find-military-records-of-province-of-hainaut-belgium/) - Find freeBelgium online images of military records in an easy alphabetical listing to each available town in the Province of Hainaut, Belgium - [Navigate The Belgium Census of Hainaut & Namur](https://frenchgen.com/navigate-the-belgium-census-of-hainaut-namur/) - French Genealogy Quick Tutorial on how to navigate through the Belgium census of Wallonia to research your ancestors through the images found at FamilySearch - [Tutorial 6: Examining French Death & Burial Records](https://frenchgen.com/examine-french-death-records/) - A French genealogy tutorial with examples how to examine, find and extract the family information from French death and burial records - [It Takes a Genealogy Village....](https://frenchgen.com/it-takes-a-genealogy-village/) - I did not travel on my French and Belgian genealogy road alone. Once I was able to find records in the US, which lead me to records in Quebec, and then finally to the names and towns in France and Belgium, As I started the research (and it was a slow one), in France and - [Tutorial 7b- Examining French Baptism Records 1700-1799](https://frenchgen.com/examine-french-baptism-records-2/) - A second French genealogy tutorial with examples how to examine, find and extract the family information from French baptism records - [Examining the French Cursive Letter V](https://frenchgen.com/frwriting-v/) - As you can see, this is an early baptism record of 1670. I've highlighted the first in yellow It's a "v" (as in vingt), and in green, is a "t" ( it's suppose to be troizime for 3rd). In these earlier records a lot of similiar looking letters, shortcuts and misspellings occurred. Look for clues. - [Examining the French Cursive Letter - J](https://frenchgen.com/frwriting-j/) - Finally, an elegantly made letter! This J is beautiful, but it does resemble a T. Study so you can tell the difference - [Examining the French Cursive Letter Pp](https://frenchgen.com/frwriting-p/) - Some parishes just love to make elaborate letters and then it takes on a life of it's own. Here we have that case in the letter P in (Jean Baptiste Preudhome and parein (godfather) in loopy-la-loops. The clue I used to figure out what the letter was, were the letters and words at the front - [Examining the French Cursive Letter H](https://frenchgen.com/frwriting-h/) - As you can see, this document is of 1724 ( 5 Aug). We have a very interesting letter H recorded here. It is displayed two different ways in this baptismal record from Saint-Thierry in the department of Marne. I've highlighted all the 'h's I could find. - [Examining the French Cursive Letter T](https://frenchgen.com/frwriting-t/) - Laura Making French Genealogy Easier - [Examining the Old French Cursive Letters -Rr](https://frenchgen.com/letter-r/) - Priests and government officials have written R's and S's in several different ways across France over the decades. We will examine the ones that you will see the most in your genealogical records: R-r Here we have the "R" that looks like a "V" with a horizontal line through it. Notice the small capped 'r's - [Full Width](https://frenchgen.com/full-width/) - Pellentesque est ipsum, pharetra a ultrices aliquam, dictum id sapien. Integer ullamcorper venenatis volutpat. Duis lacus nisl, vestibulum non dignissim eget, tincidunt sit amet enim. Sed convallis nisl a mauris tempus molestie. Suspendisse accumsan, felis et eleifend faucibus, risus velit convallis erat, ac pellentesque justo nulla id nisl. Pellentesque sit amet odio quis nulla tempus ## Categories - [Research Helps](https://frenchgen.com/category/help/) - [Genealogy Resources](https://frenchgen.com/category/online-french-belgium-genealogy-resources/)