France, Protestant Church Records - FamilySearch Historical Records

Title in the Language of the Record
Registres des baptêmes, mariages et sépultures protestants (de Paris et de lieux divers)

Record Description
This collection contains various Protestant church records collected and held by La Société de l’Histoire du Protestantisme Français from Protestant churches located in a variety of locations in France though principally Parisian. They included records from the Église réformé de Paris (Reformed church of Paris), Église méthodiste (Methodist Church), and the Église évangelique (Evangelical Church). This Collection include. records from 1536-1863.

The records vary in format depending on the church and location and time the church records were created. Some records are on printed forms, others are handwritten. The records are written in French. This collection was created to record the baptisms, marriages, and burial information of the individuals who were members of the religious organization. The records are a reliable source for doing French genealogical research.

Record Content
Most Protestant Church baptismal records may include the following information:


 * Name and Gender of the Child
 * Name of Parents
 * Mother's Maiden Name
 * Baptismal Date
 * Place and Date of Birth
 * Godparents (some records only)

Most Protestant Church marriage records may include the following information:


 * Names of the Bride and Groom
 * Birthplace of Bride and Groom
 * Names of parents of Bride and Groom
 * Occupation of Groom
 * Place of Residence of Bride and Groom

Most Protestant death records may include the following information:


 * Date and Place where the Person Died
 * Name of the Deceased, Age or Date and Place of Birth
 * Cause of Death (illness, accident, senility, etc.)
 * Residence of the Deceased

How to Use the Record
Protestant church records are an excellent source for finding information about individuals who were not part of the Catholic Church in France.

Search the Collection
Fill in the requested information in the initial search page. This search will return a list of possible matches. Compare the information about the ancestors in the list to what you already know about your ancestors to determine if this is the correct family or person. You may need to compare the information about more than one person to find your ancestor.

As you are searching it is helpful to know such information as your ancestor’s given name and surname, some identifying information such as residence and age, and family relationships. Remember that there may be more than one person in the records with the same name as your ancestor and that your ancestor may have used nicknames or different names at different times.

To browse by image: To search the collection you will need to follow this series of links: ⇒Select "Browse through images" on the initial collection page ⇒Select the "Country" category ⇒Select the "Department and Commune" category ⇒Select the “Record Type and Year" category which takes you to the images

Search the collection by image comparing the information with what you already know about your ancestors to determine if the image relates to them. You may need to look at several images and compare the information about the individuals listed in those images to your ancestors to make this determination.

For Help Reading These Records
These records are in French. For help reading the records, see the following wiki articles:

French Wordlist France Language and Languages

Using the Information
When you have located your ancestor’s record, carefully evaluate each piece of information given. Save a copy of the image or transcribe the information. These pieces of information may give you new biographical details such as a title, an occupation, or land ownership. Add this new information to your records of each family. You should also look for leads to other records about your ancestors.

Original images can be also ordered or viewed through the following:


 * 1) Microfilms and microfiche are available for viewing at your nearest FamilySearch Center. For information see: Ordering Microfilm or Microfiche.
 * 2) You may request a digital copy of items found in the FamilySearch Catalog. For information see: Photoduplication Services
 * 3) The archives of France are available at: Archives

Related Websites

 * France_Resources
 * France history (Site is in French)
 * Beginning Research in France: Part 1 of 2 (video and slides)
 * FamilySearch Blog: https://familysearch.org/blog/en/searching-french-family-history-records/
 * French Huguenots
 * La Société de L’Histoire du Protestantisme Français

Related Wiki Articles

 * France Church Records
 * France

Citations for This Collection
When you copy information from a record, you should list where you found the information; that is, cite your sources. This will help people find the record again and evaluate the reliability of the source. It is also good to keep track of records where you did not find information, including the names of the people you looked for in the records. Citations are available for the collection as a whole and each record or image individually. Collection Citation:

Record Citation (or citation for the index entry):

Image Citation