Tuesday's Tip: French-Canadian Collection

French manuscript

Ever wonder what books the Godfrey has on French Canada? You can see the complete list here:

French-Canadian Resources at the Godfrey

Tuesday's Tip: Using FamilySearch to Order French-Canadian Records

Most genealogists start by reviewing the same set of records, no matter what country they are researching: census, vital and church records, land records, probate files, military records, newspapers, and city directories. For French Canada, census records, military records, newspapers, and city directories may be online. But how do you find land and probate records?

You can order many land and probate records (called notaire records in Quebec) on microfilm and have them sent to the Family History Center at Godfrey.  To do so, go to www.familysearch.org and follow the instructions below.

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First, "sign in." If you don't have an account, you can create one by clicking on "Free Account." Once you are signed in, you'll be brought back to the main page. Click on "Search," and then "Catalog."

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Enter Canada and then the province name under "Place."

Entering "Canada, Quebec" and then clicking on "land and property" results in a number of titles related to the topic.

For example, click on Land Records, 1754-1857. Clicking on the title brings up a page about the item. Going to the bottom of page, you can see how the land records are available.

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This particular set of records is available on microfilm. Once you see the years you need, click on the film reel to order that roll.

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Follow directions to add it to your cart and have it shipped. Hope to see you soon at our Family History Center!

Tuesday's Tip: Getting Started with the Canadian Census

Canadian Maple Leaf

Bonjour à tous! We're getting ready for our May 7 Genealogy Club meeting by delving into French-Canadian records. If you've never researched your Canadian ancestors and want to be ready for the meeting, the census is a great place to start.

Begin by visiting the Library and Archives Canada site. Canada began taking censuses in 1825 (well before Canada was a country!) and are open to the public up to 1921.

The first modern census was 1851.

To search a census, click on the year, and search census. You'll see the search screen next. 

Fill in as much information as you know, starting with the surname (last name).

The results will include the first name, last name, location, and an image of the census enumeration. Click on the links under the names to pull up the image.

To go back, click on "Census" on the left-hand side.
 
Need help? Feel free to stop by the library.

Upcoming Event: Genealogy Club on French-Canadian Research

If your family descends from French-Canadians and you've been struggling to locate records, you're in luck! On May 7, the Godfrey Genealogy Club will welcome Maryanne LeGrow, president of the French-Canadian Genealogical Society of Connecticut.

Maryanne will discuss the types of records available for French-Canadian research; how they differ from American records; what challenges you might face when doing research; and what records you can access at the Society's library in Tolland and at the Godfrey Library.

Maryanne LeGrow

If you've yet to attend a Genealogy Club session, it's time to check us out. The Genealogy Club meets on the first Saturday of the month, starting at 9:30 a.m. For Premium members, admission is included with your membership. For Basic members and Guests of the library, admission is $10 per session.

Genealogy Club attendees are welcome to use the library after the meeting. Staff will be available to answer questions.

Hope to see you there!