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Author Topic: French Death Records  (Read 1151 times)

Offline lillian66

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French Death Records
« on: Monday 28 July 14 21:48 BST (UK) »
Hello All.  Does anyone know how I can search French death records?  My great grandfather served in WW1 and it is now our belief that after the war he returned to France to be with a woman he met during the war (despite having a wife and young child in the UK......naughty!!).

He was Walter Smith, born 3 November 1893 in Birstall (near Batley) in West Yorkshire. 

I have no idea when he died. 

Any help or suggestions appreciated.

Helen

Offline Rudolf H B

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Re: French Death Records
« Reply #1 on: Monday 28 July 14 22:01 BST (UK) »
Hello Helen,

do you have an idea where he died in France?

Regards
Rudolf
Goldschmidt; Gregory, Maude, Nancy Price, Welby (UK),
Goldschmidt > Goldsmith, Benetta, Bloom, Gillis, McDonough, Moses, Wheaton (Australia / NZ),
Spatz & Henderson (Greater London),
Herbert Spatz MC > H. Spence MC (Salisbury),
Spatz > Spence, Nichols. Kidd (Bromley > Manchester South, India),
Spatz > Spaatz (Boyertown, PA - USA),
Engel & Joly (Philadelphia, PA - USA).
Kummerer (London, Chicago & Australia).

WW1 - Cousins Killed in Action in the Australian, English, French & German Armies

Offline lillian66

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Re: French Death Records
« Reply #2 on: Monday 28 July 14 22:04 BST (UK) »
Hello.  No, sorry, not a clue!!! I know its a long shot but guessing he would have returned to the area where he was posted during WW1 (but don't know where that was either).

Sorry not being much help but having spent years searching British death records I am totally stumped as to what happened to him.  He never divorced his first wife so he may even have lied about his date of birth to avoid getting found out!!!

Offline Rudolf H B

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Re: French Death Records
« Reply #3 on: Monday 28 July 14 22:56 BST (UK) »
Here is Cyndi's List for France:

http://www.cyndislist.com/france

I would check:
Birth, Marriage, Death & Cemeteries & Funeral Homes

It would be good to post your question here:
(French) Mailing Lists, Newsgroups & Chat or here: Queries, Message Boards

Good luck
Rudolf
Goldschmidt; Gregory, Maude, Nancy Price, Welby (UK),
Goldschmidt > Goldsmith, Benetta, Bloom, Gillis, McDonough, Moses, Wheaton (Australia / NZ),
Spatz & Henderson (Greater London),
Herbert Spatz MC > H. Spence MC (Salisbury),
Spatz > Spence, Nichols. Kidd (Bromley > Manchester South, India),
Spatz > Spaatz (Boyertown, PA - USA),
Engel & Joly (Philadelphia, PA - USA).
Kummerer (London, Chicago & Australia).

WW1 - Cousins Killed in Action in the Australian, English, French & German Armies

Offline jorose

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Re: French Death Records
« Reply #4 on: Tuesday 29 July 14 09:19 BST (UK) »
You will have a huge uphill climb here.  With the information you currently have I'd say it's close to impossible.

There are no national indexes for French bmds. Privacy rules in terms of access to bmds are stricter, as well. All I can say is that "Walter Smith" is not listed as naturalising in France as far as I can tell. This doesn't, of course, rule out other scenarios such as he didn't bother naturalising, he did so under an assumed name, he went to France but later moved on to somewhere else, etc.

If you can manage to track down something about his WWI service that might give you a clue.
What information do you have suggesting he returned to France?

Census information is Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk

Offline Rudolf H B

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Re: French Death Records
« Reply #5 on: Tuesday 29 July 14 17:42 BST (UK) »
May be he sent a postcard from France and went to Belgium ... ???

I would tell his story on all channels of the World Wide Web, which are studied by people living on the other side of the Channel ...


I will do the same - in the hope to meet my English cousins third grade of the Spence (former Spatz) family in Thiepval 1st of July 2016 ...

Rudolf
Goldschmidt; Gregory, Maude, Nancy Price, Welby (UK),
Goldschmidt > Goldsmith, Benetta, Bloom, Gillis, McDonough, Moses, Wheaton (Australia / NZ),
Spatz & Henderson (Greater London),
Herbert Spatz MC > H. Spence MC (Salisbury),
Spatz > Spence, Nichols. Kidd (Bromley > Manchester South, India),
Spatz > Spaatz (Boyertown, PA - USA),
Engel & Joly (Philadelphia, PA - USA).
Kummerer (London, Chicago & Australia).

WW1 - Cousins Killed in Action in the Australian, English, French & German Armies

Offline grosjean545

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Re: French Death Records
« Reply #6 on: Thursday 31 July 14 17:49 BST (UK) »
Hello, I'm from France.
If you don't know anything about where he could live and die, perhaps, these websites could help :

http://www.genealogie.com/v4/genealogie/Search.mvc/Search

http://www.geneanet.org/search/

It seems there were some Smith in France... :)

Good Luck!

Offline grosjean545

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Re: French Death Records
« Reply #7 on: Thursday 31 July 14 17:50 BST (UK) »
With the first website, you could see that every Walter Smith seem to be from Orleans parish.
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