French records

[Alders]

Hello, hope you can help. I've been asked to help find out a little more (ok anything!) about a
Madeline Vanleehove. The information on this lady is errm sparse!
I know her name,  a letter she wrote in 1918 saying that she resided in lisieux france, her penmanship is beautiful & paper is very ornate the edge of the note is filigree & in the top left hand corner is a religious icon (saint??)
Is there a good central database for French records, i've googled things seem to be all over the place, even with translation "on" it's difficult.
Any ideas where i should start?

Thanks in advance

[purlin]

The following site may be a good starting point for you.  https://familysearch.org/blog/en/searching-french-family-history-records/

[whiteout7]

Madeline Vanleehove or Madeline VanleeNhove?

The surname Vanleenhove seems to orginate from Belguim.

Madeline is the french version of Magdalena (Belguim).

[whiteout7]

http://www.surnamenavigator.org/

Click on the blue/white/red flag for France
Click on black/yellow/red flag for Belguim

[whiteout7]

Here is a Belgium born possibility - if she appears in French records, then that might be proof
Born 1905 -deceased
Name - Magdalena Anna Philomena Vanleenhove
From - Westende
Father - Leopoldus Ludovicus Philippus Maria Victor Vanleenhove
Mother - Emerantia Maria Lammens  (Emmerence) 1877-1962
Married to ? Louis Van Bellingen (living in France)
Brother and sisters ?
F Irma Maria Vanleenhove 1906-1990
H Georges Vanleenhove 1908-ca 1930
F Valentine Vanleenhove 1910-2002

https://www.myheritage.com/research/collection-1/myheritage-family-trees?action=query&formId=1&formMode=1&qname=Name+fn.Maria-Theresia+fnmo.1+fnmsvos.1+fnmsmi.1+ln.Vanleenhove+lnmo.3+lnmsdm.1+lnmsmf3.1+lnmsrs.1

https://translate.google.co.nz/translate?hl=en&sl=fr&u=http://gw.geneanet.org/minoel%3Flang%3Dfr%26p%3Dx%26n%3Dvanleenhove&prev=search

[Alders]

Here is a Belguim born possibility - if she appears in French records, then that might be proof
Born 1905
Name - Magdalena Anna Philomena Vanleenhove
From - Westende
Father - Leopoldus Ludovicus Philippus Maria Victor Vanleenhove
Mother - Emerantia Maria Lammens

or a younger possibility (but seems too young)
Maglena Vanleenhove born 1909
Father - Julius Alphons Vanleenhove
Mother - Celina Maria Vanmechelen
From - Keiem, Belgium
She grew up married and only just passed away in 2001
Keiem, Belguim was on the front line of WW1 for four years (only three damaged houses were left standing)

Hello, the chap that Madeleina was writing to was born in 1894 I presume that he was in lisieux during WW1 which is where they could of met. In her letters she mentioned the 4 long years of war, & that she would return to Belgium this winter. She mentions other names in the letter  Varley, Margueritte & Madame Lebrun.
The chap visited her in August 1920 (he sent a post card home) no address but the picture is of Trouville palace Sur-Mer. Near Lisieux.

[Alders]

I have found a record here http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~gsfa/doodbrieven.html

CRAEYNEST, Magdalena (spouse of Edgard VANLEENHOVE)
  b. 29 November 1909 - Ingelmunster d. 30 June 1979 - Roeselare
They are death letters. I've emailed the contact to if they can expand on this, though i think the dates are off.

[whiteout7]

Belgium was invaded by the German army in WW1. So perhaps he met Madeleine Vanleenhoven in Belguim, on the Belgium/France border.

I wonder if she was sent to Lisieux, France as it was far from the battles of WW1.

Perhaps if she was still in Lisieux in 1920 her family decided to stay in France?

[Alders]

It could be, i have yet to find a BDM as it were for Lisieux. To see if i can find records of her. Or French census returns as that i would hope has her listed?