France - Marriage - 1792-Present

1. Marriage Register: Civil registration

Beginning in 1792, the government required civil registrars to keep marriage records. Usually these records included more information than the church marriage records that were kept during the same time.

What you are looking for Civil registers were the best source for determining when a person was married.

Why go to the next record Not all of the French civil registry records have been microfilmed.

2. Parish Register, Marriage: Church records Beginning about 1564, churches required their clergy to keep marriage records. The marriage record may include the dates of the marriage banns or proclamations. Information found in a marriage depends on how detailed the minister made his report.

What you are looking for Church marriage records were the best source for determining when a person was married.

Why go to the next record Not all French church marriage records have been microfilmed, and the beginning date of these records varies from place to place.

3. Register of Births: Civil registration Beginning 1792, the government required civil registrars to keep birth records. Usually these records included more information than the church christening records that were kept during the same time.

What you are looking for If parish marriage records do not exist, civil registry birth records are the best source for determining when a person was married. The marriage date should be about one year before the first child's birth.

Why go to the next record Not all civil registry birth records have been microfilmed.

4. Baptism: Church records Beginning in 1539, many churches required their clergy to keep christening (or baptism) records. The records may include birth dates. Information may be recorded on or after the date of birth. Information found in a christening depends on how detailed the minister made his record.

What you are looking for If civil registry birth records do not exist, parish christening records are the best source for determining when a person was married. The marriage date should be about one year before the first child's birth.

Why go to the next record Not all christening records have been microfilmed, and the beginning date of these records varies from place to place.

5. Probates: Notarial records Local court probate records provide information of the birth, marriage and death of the individual. They can also help in identifying the complete ancestral family.

What you are looking for When burial records do not exist, probate records are the best source for determining when a couple was married. A probate record may not give a marriage date for the deceased, but it does give the name of the spouse and surviving children. The length of the marriage may be indicated in the probate record, from which you can estimate the marriage date.

Why go to the next record Not all probate records have been microfilmed, and the beginning date of these records varies from place to place.

6. Census Population Schedule: Census Town census or resident records were not kept with any consistency or regularity. The marriage date of the parents may be estimated from the age of the first child. Census records can also help identify all the members of a family and help determine where a family originated.

What you are looking for When probate records do not exist, census records are the best source for determining when a couple was married. A census record may not give a marriage date for the parents, but it does give their names. The marriage date should be about one year before the first child's birth.

Why go to the next record Not all census records have been microfilmed, and the beginning date of these records varies from place to place.

7. Muster In Roll: Military records District military records provide the date and place of every male drafted in the army. The name of the father and his occupation may also be given. These records may also provide marriage and death information.

What you are looking for When census records do not exist, military records are the best source for determining when a male was married. Military records may not give a marriage date, but they give a person's age, making it possible to determine his approximate marriage year. The average marriage age for a man was 29 years and for a woman was 28 years.

Why go to the next record Not all military records have been microfilmed, and the beginning date of these records varies from place to place