Where to begin in France?

[alllegs]

Hi,

I'm helping a friend research her family tree and her great grandfather was French.

The only information we have relating to him is his marriage in England in Worthing, Sussex in 1942 to Doris R Surbey, she was born in 1913.

His name was Benoit Bernier. We don't know where abouts in France he originates from. Is Beriner a common french surname?

Where would I need to start researching?

Thanks in anticipation

Legs
xxxx

[CaroleW]

Where would I need to start researching?

If he died after 1969 - his death reg will show his full date of birth.  However - there is nothing listed up to 2005

A copy of the 1942 marriage cert will show his fathers name and his age

Doris Rosa Bernier died in 1992 in Sussex - was she a widow at that time?

[alllegs]

I didn't think to go forward to deaths before working backwards! D'oh!

I'm not sure if Doris was a widow, I'll ask my friend.

Thanks
Legs
xxxx

[CaroleW]

Is their son still living?  He may have some answers for you

[alllegs]

I've just spoken to my friend who has spoken to her mum. Benoit's family could originate from Paris but Benoit himself could possibly be from Corbec is Canada...

[CaroleW]

Their son appears to have married 3 times - the last time in 2000.   

Is their son still living?  He may have some answers for you

[jorose]

"Corbec" = Quebec? 

http://www.cwgc.org/search/casualty_details.aspx?casualty=2203993
 - I would imagine this is him, a Canadian soldier, died in WWII - gives Doris R as his wife in Sussex and Eric O and Marie Diane Bernier as his parents.

The closest I can find for "Eric" at www.automatedgenealogy.com
is Erick Bernier, b. July 24 1893 (in 1901)
listed as Erique Bernier, b. July 1893 (in 1911)

Canada Archives appears down for me at the moment, but when it comes back up you could look to see if there was an Eric (or similar) Bernier who served in WWI with a wife Marie.

If you want, I'll shift this over to the Canada forum so the Quebec experts can have a go. You might end up going back quite a few generations before hitting the immigrant ancestor.

ETA: Canada Archives back up, this link here gives Benoit's birthdate and reference to his service records (click "search help" for info on how to order):
http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/databases/war-dead/index-e.html

[alllegs]

Yes, that's definitely him. He did die in WWII.

Thank you so much, my friend will be thrilled

Legs
xxxxx

[alllegs]

Hi there,

On the www.automatedgenealogy.com website I searched for and found Erick in 1901, I then searched for all men listed and found those living in the same sub-district. Listed with Erick are Joseph, 11yrs, Diagene, 6yrs and Evangeliste, 4 years. As these boys are grouped together is it likely that they're brothers?

There was no father figure listed with them. But there were 3 other 'groups' of Berniers who looked as if they could be father and sons in the same sub-district and Erick.

I tried searching for a mother for Erick too, but ther are no female Beriners living in that sub-district...

This is my first foray into Canadian genealogy so I'm not sure how they work...

Thanks again
Legs
xxxxx