This month's meeting will be a presentation centered on French Canadian genealogy, though the underlying fundamentals pertain to any genealogical research. Where French Canadian genealogy differs is that far more extensive records were kept in Quebec than occurred virtually anywhere else and those records have been compiled (including in French Canadian churches in New England) and made accessible to researchers. Additionally French Canadian women retained their maiden names which eliminates a common roadblock in genealogical research.
The presentation will start with a French Canadian family that came to Proctor in 1897 and trace the paternal line back to the 1600's immigrant from France. This family includes the Americanization of their French name, the usage of middle vs first names, a practice common with French Canadians, and "dit" names which was common in 1600's and 1700's Quebec.
Bob Underhill will bring his personal reference library, including maps showing where individual households lived in numerous communities in the Greater Quebec City area in 1709 and on L'ile d'Orleans in 1689. He will also have a handout identifying French Canadian Genealogy Libraries in New England, common abbreviations used in French Canadian reference materials and translations of key words frequently used. This is intended as an aide to using French reference materials without being French speakers.
Whether you have French Canadian ancestry or not, the underlying research fundamentals can be of value to you, so please come.