Years ago, when we were enjoying a lazy afternoon in the Arsenal branch of the Bibliothèque nationale, we came across some remarkable and fascinating lists
Category: French Genealogy
French Jewish Genealogy – Ancien régime Geography Is Important
When researching Jewish genealogy before the French Revolution, the reach back into the past is long, well into the Medieval era. Borders were different then
French Jewish Genealogy – Online Guides
We have written a number of posts on French Jewish genealogy (to find them all, click on that category toward the end of the column
Reflections on Genealogy and “That New Yorker Article”
A few weeks ago, a New Yorker article by Maya Jasanoff, entitled “Our Obsession With Ancestry Has Some Twisted Roots” drove some in the world
FGB Free Clinic – Case no. 9 – Marie Fouyol, Parisian wife of Thomas Mansell, part 10 – Thomas Mansell’s Compatriots
We continue our long and to date fruitless search for the origins of Marie Fouyol, wife of Thomas Mansell. If nothing else, wee are taking
One Reader’s Research Methods
Every so often, one of you, Dear Readers ,shares his or her research methods with us and we like to pass them on to the
Does a Baptism Date Imply a Date of Birth?
We recently received an e-mail from Madame L asking: “As I’ve been searching through Filae and Geneanet for records, there are times when I’ve found
France’s Heat Wave – La Canicule
It seems that every summer, we are writing about hotter and hotter weather. This year, with not only heat waves but a long drought, has
Summer Reading – Two Books for Those Researching a French Naval Ancestor
The pandemic was a horror and the lock-downs around the world caused suffering to many; about this there can be no dispute. Yet, amongst those
Summer Reading – Books to Help You Find Your French Mariner Ancestor’s Vessel
In our little book, American Merchant Seamen of the Early Nineteenth Century : a Researcher’s Guide, we explain that, in researching a mariner, one must
