Aveyron, France Genealogy

Guide to Aveyron ancestry, family history and genealogy: birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, parish registers.

History
Aveyron, a Department in the south of France, is named after the Aveyron River and is one of the 83 original Departments created during the French Revolution on 4 March 1790. The department approximately follows the outline of the former province of Rouergue. It is surrounded by the departments of Tarn, Tarn-et-Garonne, Lot, Hérault, Gard, Lozère, and Cantal.

Places/Localities
Aveyron is divided into 3 arrondissment, with 46 cantons and 304 communes.

Arrondissement de Millau: canton de Belmont-sur-Rance, canton de Camarès, canton de Campagnac, canton de Cornus, canton de Millau-Est, canton de Millau-Ouest, canton de Nant, canton de Peyreleau, canton de Saint-Affrique, canton de Saint-Beauzély, canton de Saint-Rome-de-Tarn, canton de Saint-Sernin-sur-Rance, canton de Salles-Curan, canton de Sévérac-le-Château, canton de Vézins-de-Lévézou.

Arrondissement de Rodez: canton de Baraqueville-Sauveterre, canton de Bozouls, canton de Cassagnes-Bégonhès, canton de Conques, canton d'Entraygues-sur-Truyère, canton d'Espalion, canton d'Estaing, canton de Salvetat-Peyralès, canton de Laguiole, canton de Laissac, canton de Marcillac-Vallon, canton de Mur-de-Barrez, canton de Naucelle, canton de Pont-de-Salars, canton de Réquista, canton de Rignac,, canton de Rodez-Est, canton de Rodez-Nord, canton de Rodez-Ouest, canton de Saint-Amans-des-Cots, canton de Saint-Chély-d'Aubrac, canton de Saint-Geniez-d'Olt, canton de Sainte-Geneviève-sur-Argence.

Arrondissement de Villefranche-de-Rouergue: canton d’Aubin, canton de Capdenac-Gare, canton de Decazeville, canton de Montbazens, canton de Najac, canton de Rieupeyroux, canton de Villefranche-de-Rouergue, canton de Villeneuve.

Cantons

 * Wikipedia

Communes

 * FranceGenWeb
 * France-Locom
 * Wikipedia
 * Wikipedia, former communes

Online Church Records and Civil Registration
The vast majority of your research will be in church records and civil registration. Fortunately, these records are available online from the archives of each department.

Finding Church Records and Civil Registration Online
Each Department of France has archives that provide digitized images of these records. Here is the website for the Department Archives of Aude, where you will find these records.

Department Archives of Aude Registration required, no charge.
 * Registres paroissiaux (parish registers)
 * Registres d'état civil (civil registration)
 * Censuses (recensements)

See Using France Online Department Archives for step by step instructions on finding and reading these records.

Search Strategy

 * Search for the relative or ancestor you selected. When you find his birth record, search for the births of his brothers and sisters.
 * Next, search for the marriage of his parents. The marriage record will have information that will often help you find the birth records of the parents.
 * You can estimate the ages of the parents and search for their birth records.
 * Search the death registers for all family members.
 * Then repeat the whole process for both the father and the mother.
 * If earlier generations are not in the record, search neighboring parishes. 

Learning to Read Enough French to Do Genealogy
It's easier than you think! You do not have to be fluent in French to use these records, as there is only a limited vocabulary used in them. By learning a few key phrases, you will be able to read them adequately. Here are some resources for learning to read French records.
 * French Genealogical Word List
 * French Handwriting.

There is a three-lesson course in reading handwriting in old French records:
 * Reading French Handwritten Records Lesson 1: The French Alphabet,
 * Reading French Handwritten Records Lesson 2: Key Words and Phrases
 * Reading French Handwritten Records Lesson 3: Reading French Records

These lessons focus on reading church record and civil registration records: Another resource is the French Records Extraction Manual, Full Manual. Much more is covered, but these first four lessons are especially useful.
 * France Church Records
 * France Civil Registration- Vital Records
 * Chapter 1: OLD FRENCH RECORDS
 * Chapter 2: PARISH CHRISTENING AND CIVIL BIRTH ENTRIES
 * Chapter 3: MARRIAGE ENTRIES
 * Chapter 4: OTHER ENTRIES
 * Chapter 5: FRENCH HANDWRITING AND SPELLING

Finding Church Records and Civil Registration Online
Each Department of France has archives that provide digitized images of these records. Here is the website for the Department Archives of Aveyron, where you will find these records.

Department Archives of Aveyron

Societies and Libraries

 * Cercle Généalogique du Sud-Aveyron
 * Cercle Généalogique du Rouergue

Family History Centers

 * Introduction to LDS Family History Centers
 * Family History Center of Toulouse, 10 avenue Angle of Lavaur, Rue d Estieu 315000 TOULOUSE, FRANCE +33 5-6111-9281
 * Center for Family History of Carcassonne, 17 avenue Henri Goult, 11000 Carcassonne, France 33.6-6872-3284
 * Family History Center of Montellier, 66 rue Daunou, Angle Road Lavérune, 34070 MONTPELLIER, France 33-4-6707 9319

Websites

 * Archives Départementales
 * Ayeron France Genweb
 * Gazetteer for Aveyron
 * Extracted Records
 * Geneanet Statements
 * archives.aveyron.fr
 * Base Aveyron recounts parish and civil status of Aveyron
 * Cousin Genweb 12
 * Genealogical Society of Rouergue