Canada, Quebec Notarial Records - FamilySearch Historical Records

What is in This Collection?
This collection contains notarial records dating from 1800 to 1920. This collection contains vital records including births, marriages, deaths, and a card index. These images are provided with the cooperation of Bibliothèque and Archives Nationales du Québec.

Notarial records contain a variety of legal acts. This collection may contain the following: • 2 The following districts are included in the collection: • 2 Notarial records (actes notariés or minutes de notaire) are records prepared by a notary (notaire or protonotaire, but sometimes tabellion or scrivener). Notaries are important officials in Quebec, Louisiana, France, and other countries where a civil code based on Roman law is in force. Among other matters, notarial records deal with estates and inheritances.

The Quebec notarial records in this collection are images of bound documents. Most of the records are handwritten in French. Generally, the records begin with a title page that gives the date and time the record was made, the name of the notary, and the parties involved. In Quebec, notaires (notaries) have registered contracts since 1626. The persons involved in the contracts received the originals. The notaries kept copies. The copies are called "minutes."

Each document in a notary's minutes gives at least the name of the notary, the date and place the document was prepared, the names and addresses of the persons involved, and the names and addresses of the witnesses. The ages and relationships of the witnesses and the persons involved are sometimes included.


 * See also: John P. DeLong. The Notarial Acts of Quebec: Their Genealogical Value and Use National Genealogical Society Quarterly 82 (March 1994): 5-16. FS Library 973 B2ng

Reading These Records
These records are in French. For help reading them see:
 * France Language and Languages
 * French Genealogical Word List
 * French Handwriting
 * Script Tutorial for French

What Can These Records Tell Me?
The following information may be found in these records: • 2

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The following articles will help you research your family in Quebec.
 * Quebec Record Finder
 * Canada Research Tips and Strategies

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 * Quebec notarial records : COLLECTION RECORD, 1800-1920

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