Switzerland, Fribourg, Census, 1831 - FamilySearch Historical Records

Title in the Language of the Record
Suisse, Fribourg, Recensement, 1831 (French) Schweiz, Freiburg, Volkszählung, 1831 (German)

Record Description
This collection is primarily a statistical census only--it gives the number of individuals living at a house, but very few names and those are often the proprietor rather than the occupant. Many images contain no names whatsoever. The original records are located in the Archives de l'Etat de Fribourg, Switzerland.

For a list of records currently published in this collection, select the Browse link from the collection landing page.

For information on the content and use of these records see the wiki article Switzerland, Fribourg, Census (FamilySearch Historical Records)

Record Content
Census records generally include the following information:
 * Head of household
 * Full name of each person in the household
 * Where each person was born
 * Age of each person
 * Occupation

How to Use the Record
When searching: As you are searching it is helpful to know such information as your ancestor's given name and surname, some identifying information such as residence, age, estimated [event] year, and family relationships.

Search the Collection
To search the collection ⇒Select "Browse through images" on the initial collection page ⇒Select the appropriate "District" ⇒Select an index of the "Communes" or "towns" in that district or go directly to the census pages for that district. Either selection takes you directly to images.

The following districts are available:


 * Bulle
 * Châtel-Saint-Denis
 * Corbières
 * Estavayer
 * Farvagny
 * Fribourg
 * Gruyères
 * Montagny
 * Morat

Search the collection by image comparing the information with what you already know about your ancestors to determine if the image relates to them. You may need to look at several images and compare the information about the individuals listed in those images to your ancestors to make this determination.

When you have located your ancestor’s record, carefully evaluate each piece of information given. Save a copy of the image or transcribe the information. These pieces of information may give you new biographical details such as a title, an occupation, or land ownership. Add this new information to your records of each family.

You should also look for leads to other records about your ancestors. This would include such information as a place of birth that could give clues about the family's former residence. Use this information to search records in that area at the time the family would have been there.

For Help Reading These Records
These records are in French and German. For help with reading the records see the following wiki articles:


 * Switzerland Language and Languages
 * German Word List
 * French Wordlist

Using the Information

 * Use the estimated age to calculate a birth date.
 * When looking for a person who had a common name, look at all the entries for the name before deciding which is correct.
 * Titles may be clues to property ownership, occupations, rank, or status within the community.
 * Check for variant spellings of the names.
 * Search in nearby localities. Census Records from the canton are available. See Wiki article at Switzerland, Fribourg, Census (FamilySearch Historical Records).

FamilySearch Historical Records

 * Switzerland, Fribourg, Census (FamilySearch Historical Records)
 * Switzerland, Fribourg, Census, 1811 (FamilySearch Historical Records)
 * Switzerland, Fribourg, Census, 1818 (FamilySearch Historical Records)
 * Switzerland, Fribourg, Census, 1834 (FamilySearch Historical Records)
 * Switzerland, Fribourg, Census, 1836 (FamilySearch Historical Records)
 * Switzerland, Fribourg, Census, 1839 (FamilySearch Historical Records)
 * Switzerland, Fribourg, Census, 1842 (FamilySearch Historical Records)
 * Switzerland, Fribourg, Census, 1845 (FamilySearch Historical Records)
 * Switzerland, Fribourg, Census, 1850 (FamilySearch Historical Records)
 * Switzerland, Fribourg, Census, 1860 (FamilySearch Historical Records)
 * Switzerland, Fribourg, Census, 1870 (FamilySearch Historical Records)
 * Switzerland, Fribourg, Census, 1880 (FamilySearch Historical Records)

Related Websites

 * Switzerland Websites
 * Register of Swiss Surnames
 * Swiss Genealogy on the Internet.
 * Swiss Center, Swiss Roots
 * Genealogy Links
 * Swiss Society of Genealogical Studies

Related Wiki Articles

 * Switzerland Historic Maps
 * Switzerland

Citing FamilySearch Historical Collections
When you copy information from a record, you should list where you found it. This will help you or others to find the same record again.

Also, keep track of records where you did not find information about your ancestor so you and others will not waste time looking through these records in the future.

Citation for This Collection
The following citation refers to the original source of the information published in FamilySearch.org Historical Record collections. Sources include the author, custodian, publisher, and archive for the original records.