FRANCE: French Birth Certificate

[UKfamilyrecords]

I am trying to trace a French birth in Nantes (loire atlantique), I have a father's name and a year of birth: approx. 1840 - little else.

The Mormons do not have any records for this area that I can order and the only genealogist I can find wants almost £120 just to find one birth certificate.

Does anyone know of a genealogist in the region that might help?

Can anyone advise if the Archives Departmental will produce a certificate based on such scant information? I have heard they will not do a search.

Hoping someone can help!
Michelle

[Cal241]

Hi Michelle
You could try contacting the 'Mairie' ( the Town hall )
in Nantes.

I was also given this contact but have not done anything about it as yet

Centre d'Accueil et de Recherche des Archives
Nationales. 60 rue des Francs Bourgeois, Paris Cedex, 75131, France. Tel: 1-40-27-6000
Fax 1-40-27-6628
I have ancestors born in Brest and was there on holiday last year and managed to look at the records. The French record a lot such as fathers profession and mothers maiden name time of birth etc

I saw 2 of mine at the time but have since discovered another 4. I have sent an email to a site I found on the net (& I translated into French as well!!) but have had no reply. maybe I am unlucky or maybe I was looking in the wrong place! but this is the link hopefully !!

http://www.genealogy.tm.fr
Hope this helps
Cal

[GeoffP]

Hi Michelle,

You should contact the Hôtel de Ville
                                     Mairie centrale de Nantes
                                     29 Rue de Strasbourg
                                     44000 Nantes
                                     Tel  02 40 41 90 00
                                      Fax 02 40 41 92 39
You need a copie d'acte d'etat-civil. Normally free of charge but you will need to send stamped addressed envelope.

I have seen somewhere on the LDS site a standard letter in French which can be used. I will have a look later.

If you need any assistance, I would be only too pleased to help. My wife is French.
                                       Regards
                                                   Geoff

[GeoffP]

Hello again,

If you go onto the site:
                                    http://www.nantes.fr/mairie/formalite/procedures/etatcivil.asp

and then click on Nantes Inter@ctive you can obtain a request form which you can send online.

If you prefer by post you can find an example of a request form in French on the LDS site under research guidance France.

If you have any problems or questions give me a shout.
                                                            Regards
                                                                           Geoff

[Emmeline]

Greetings again Geoff. My Gt.Gt.Grandparents eldest son was born c1848 in Rouen. Robert Hodgkinson was a Railway Servant/Engine Driver and I am told that the British were very much involved in the building of the French railways. Would you be able to point me in the right direction  as to where I might obtain a copy of George Hodgkinson's birth certificate. Many thanks.

[GeoffP]

Hi Janet,

You can apply on line to

            http://www.rouen.fr/etatcivil/acte_naissance.php

It may be that as a foreigner living in France, the records will be held in Nantes. There is a special departement. Try Rouen first and if you want any more help,let me know.
                                                Best wishes
                                                                     Geoff

[Emmeline]

Thank you Geoff. I think my school-girl French will get me through !  Best wishes.

[UKfamilyrecords]

Hi everyone,
                   Thanks for all your help and suggestions. I will certainly give these things a go and see what I can come up with.

All the best.
Michelle

[UKgirl]

Hello Geoff,

May I ask your advice about a birth in "Havre" around 1840. Do you think I can get a birth certificate for the baby, even though both parents were English? The parents were in England in 1837 (marriage) & again in 1842 (another birth), so they were not in Le Havre for long. They were simple, ordinary folk, so perhaps they wouldn't even bother registering the birth?

Any ideas?

What about baptisms? Would there have been a Protestant Church for that, or do you think that they might have waited until getting back to the England?

This is my direct line, Gt. Grandfather, so it is a bit depressing that I have no birth record for him! 

UKgirl

[casalguidi]

Hi UKgirl

I can say that I have seen a number of baptisms ie. Dover, Kent for children of lacemakers in Calais etc. so it could well be that they waited for their return to the UK before baptism

Casalguidi