Your ancestor or relative may have belonged to an association, lodge, or fraternal society whose membership is based on common interests, religion, or ethnicity. These societies were involved in political, social, and financial activities, including life and burial insurance.

Several sources, such as local histories, biographies, obituaries, tombstones, family records, and artifacts may give you clues that an ancestor belonged to a fraternal society. An example French-American fraternal organization is—

Union Saint-Jean Baptiste
Box F
Woonsocket, RI 02895
USA

Guides to Societies and Associations

Directories. A good list of French genealogical societies is in—

Johnson, Keith A., and Malcolm R. Sainty. Genealogical research directory: national and international. Sydney: Johnson and Sainty, 1993. Annual. (FHL book 929.1025 G286grd 1993; not on microfilm.) Pages 766-81 describe 148 French genealogical societies including their mailing addresses. French text usually has an English translation.

A list of 175 historical-genealogical societies in France and their periodicals is found on pages 296 to 306 of La généalogie: histoire et pratique (see the “For Further Reading” section of this outline).

More than 40 genealogical societies with interest in French immigrants to North America are included in—

Meyer, Mary Keysor. Meyer's Directory of Genealogical Societies in the U.S.A. and Canada. 10th ed. Mt. Airy, MD: Meyer, 1994. (FHL book 970 C44m 1994; not on microfilm.) Search the “Canada” chapter under “Quebec,” and the “Special Interest” chapter under the headings “Canadian” (separate from the “Canada” chapter), “French,” and “French-Canadian-Acadian.”

Twenty-three Canadian and United States genealogical societies emphasizing French immigrant research are listed in Dennis M. Boudreau's Beginning Franco- American Genealogy (see the “For Further Reading” section of this outline).

Another directory listing North American French-immigrant genealogical societies is—

Bentley, Elizabeth Petty. The Genealogist's Address Book. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1995. (FHL book 973 D24ben; not on microfilm.) Look in part 3, “Ethnic and Religious Organizations and Research Centers,” for the headings “Creole“ (1 society) and “French” (40 societies). In part 4, “Special Resources,” look for the heading “Huguenot” (10 societies).

The addresses of thousands of historical societies in North America are given in—

Wheeler, Mary Bray. Directory of Historical Organizations in the United States and Canada. 14th ed. Nashville: AASLH Press, 1990. (FHL book Ref 970 H24d 1990; not on microfilm.) Text in English.

For more information about fraternal societies of interest to French immigrants in North America, see—

Wynar, Lubomyr Roman. Encyclopedic Directory of Ethnic Organizations in the United States. Littleton, Colo.: Libraries Unlimited, 1975. (FHL book 305.8 W99e; not on microfilm.) Text in English.

Guide to indexing projects in France. Many French genealogical societies have begun indexing church records (chiefly marriages) kept in their areas before 1792. For a list of indexed records use Recensement des dépouillements systématiques . . . (see "Church Records" section of this outline) or write to the appropriate French genealogical society.

Locating Records at the Family History Library

Records of these societies are usually described in the Author/Title section of the Family History Library Catalog under the name of the society. They are also listed in the Locality section of the catalog under one of the following:

FRANCE - SOCIETIESFRANCE, [DEPARTMENT] - SOCIETIESFRANCE - GENEALOGYFRANCE, [DEPARTMENT] - GENEALOGY