Author Topic: French birth certificate translation  (Read 1051 times)

Offline Gmitch47

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French birth certificate translation
« on: Tuesday 17 June 14 09:07 BST (UK) »
Hi Everybody,
                    Could someone please decipher/translate this French birth certificate for me.
Entry No. 12 for David Rattery Caird 19/06/1851, I would appreciate your help.

Many Thanks
                   Gmitch47

Offline jorose

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Re: French birth certificate translation
« Reply #1 on: Tuesday 17 June 14 12:45 BST (UK) »
Hi again!  Here's my best go:

On the 19th June 1851, at 11am, James Caird, aged 43, resident in this commune (Saint-Germain-de-Livet), occupation "peigneur de lin" (something to do with flax working, I think), born Arbrouth, Ireland, declared that his wife, Elizabeth Caird, aged 40, housewife, born Markirk, Ireland, gave birth at their house, this day, at 3am, to a male infant, who is given the first names "David Rattrey".

Declaration in the presence of Pierre Armand Letellier, aged 25, farmer, and Charles Robert Hue, 21, domestic servant, both resident in this commune.

Signed by the father, witnesses, and Michel Victor Saudebreuil, the officer of civil registration for the commune - and also the mayor - guess he did a lot of multitasking as it was a small place.  In fact the birth before his seems to have taken place 30th April, and the birth registration after his didn't take place until the 13th September, so this part of his job wasn't too taxing. ;)
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Offline Viktoria

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Re: French birth certificate translation
« Reply #2 on: Tuesday 17 June 14 21:39 BST (UK) »
 A peigneur is a carder, combing the flax ready for spinning. It gets the individual threads all lying in the same direction. With wool it is done on two things like  brushes with wire "bristles". Early ones would  perhaps have been made from teasels.These were also used to raise the knap on fine broadcloth.
The loose wool  would be put on and the top brush pulled over the bottom one  quite a few times which made a sort of sausage ( rollag )of soft thread which could then be spun by hand. Probably the same process would apply to flax .
 I`m not sure when mechanised carding was invented.
 It would seem that the skilled  Irish workers from the Irish Linen trade had emigrated to work elsewhere where there was a linen industry .1851 was after the Irish famine which I think was 1841 ( someone correct me if that is wrong) so they may have been in France some years.It is interesting to think that Irish people did not only emigrate to America and England but the continent also.
 Just a little extra meat on the bones! Viktoria.