France, Protestant Church Records - FamilySearch Historical Records

France

What is in This Collection?
This collection contains various Protestant church records collected and held by La Société de l’Histoire du Protestantisme Français from Protestant churches located in a variety of locations in France though principally Parisian. They included records from the Église réformé de Paris (Reformed church of Paris), Église méthodiste (Methodist Church), and the Église évangelique (Evangelical Church). This collection includes records from 1536-1897. The records vary in format depending on the church and location and time the church records were created. Some records are on printed forms, others are handwritten. The records are written in French. This collection was created to record the baptisms, marriages, and burial information of the individuals who were members of the religious organization. The records are a reliable source for doing French genealogical research.

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

What Can These Records Tell Me?
The information in these records usually include the following:

Baptism
 * Name and Gender of the Child
 * Name of Parents
 * Mother's Maiden Name
 * Baptismal Date
 * Place and Date of Birth
 * Godparents (some records only)

Marriage
 * Names of the Bride and Groom
 * Birthplace of Bride and Groom
 * Names of parents of Bride and Groom
 * Occupation of Groom
 * Place of Residence of Bride and Groom

Death
 * Date and Place where the Person Died
 * Name of the Deceased, Age or Date and Place of Birth
 * Cause of Death (illness, accident, senility, etc.)
 * Residence of the Deceased

View the Images
View images in this collection by visiting the 


 * 1) Select Country
 * 2) Select Department and Commune
 * 3) Select Record Type and Year to view the images

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?

 * Use the age in 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. This can help you identify other generations of your family. 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. 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

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

 * Consult the France Record Finder to find other records
 * 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
 * Keep in mind that there may be more than one person in the records with the same name
 * 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. Pay special attention to how the name should have been pronounced and try variations on the pronunciation
 * Remember that sometimes individuals went by nicknames or alternated between using first and middle names
 * Search the indexes and records of local genealogical societies

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.