France, Seine-Saint-Denis, Parish and Civil Registration - FamilySearch Historical Records

What is in This Collection?
This collection consists of parish and civil registration records from Seine-Saint-Denis, including baptism, birth, marriage, and death records. The records include the birth year, age, the event place, and spouse information.

Reading These Records
For help reading these French records see the following guides: FamilySearch Learning Center videos:
 * France Language and Languages
 * French Genealogical Word List
 * French Handwriting
 * Script Tutorial for French
 * Reading French Handwritten Records

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

Birth and Baptism
 * Birthdate
 * Baptism date
 * Gender
 * Father's name
 * Mother's given name
 * Event place

Marriage
 * Date, place, and time of marriage
 * Names of bride and groom
 * Bride and groom's age, civil status, and occupation
 * Groom's parents' names
 * Bride's parents' names
 * Names of witnesses

Death and Burial
 * Date and place of registration
 * Registrant's name
 * Date, place, and time of death
 * Name and age of deceased
 * Deceased's marital status and name of spouse
 * Deceased's origin and residence
 * Cause of death
 * Names of deceased's parents and their residence
 * Burial place

How Do I Search This Collection?
Before searching this collection, it is helpful to know:
 * Name of the person
 * Approximate date of the event

How Do I Analyze the Results?
Compare each result from your search with what you know to determine if there is a match. This may require viewing multiple records or images. Keep track of your research in a research log.

I Found the Person I Was Looking For, What Now?

 * Add any new information to your records
 * If available, check the image for additional information
 * Analyze the entry to see if it provides additional clues to find other records of the person or their family
 * Use the age of the citizen to find an approximate birth year to begin your search in church or civil records
 * Continue to search the records to identify children, siblings, parents, and other relatives who may have moved, been recruited, or lived nearby
 * Use this information to help identify other generations of your family and repeat this process for each new generation you identify
 * Compile the entries for every person who has the same surname; this is especially helpful in rural areas or if the surname is unusual
 * This compiled list can help you identify possible relations that can be further verified by researching vital records in the country
 * 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
 * This 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

I Can’t Find the Person I’m Looking For, What Now?

 * The person may be recorded with an abbreviated or variant form of their name
 * Try searching by surname only
 * Try switching to a record collection from the time same time period; one or the other collection may be more helpful
 * While searching, it is helpful to know such information as the ancestor’s given name and surname, some identifying information such as residence and age, and family relationships
 * Remember that there may be more than one person in the records with the same name as an ancestor and that the ancestor may have used nicknames or different names at different times
 * Standard spelling of names typically did not exist during the periods our ancestors lived in
 * Try variations of your ancestor’s name while searching the index or browsing through images, paying special attention to how the name should have been pronounced and try variations on the pronunciation

Research Helps
The following articles will help you in your research for your family in France.
 * Record Finder
 * Research Tips and Strategies

Citing This Collection
Citations help you keep track of places you have searched and sources you have found. Identifying your sources helps others find the records you used.