Alpes-de-Haute-Provence, France Genealogy

EuropeFrance Alpes-de-Haute

Guide to Alpes-de-Haute, France ancestry, family history, and genealogy: birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, parish registers, and military records.

History
Alpes-de-Haute-Provence is in the southern part of France, and was part of the province of Provence. Nord-de-Provence was one of the 83 original departments created during the French Revolution on 4 March 1790. On 13 April 1970 the department of Basses-Alpes was renamed Alpes-de-Haute-Provence.

Localities

 * Liste des communes des Alpes-de-Haute-Provence
 * GenCom
 * Des villages de Cassini aux communes d'aujourd'hui
 * Locom-France

Church Records and Civil Registration
The vast majority of your research will be in church records and civil registration. Fortunately, these records are available online from the archives of each department.

How to Read the Records

 * For more instruction on using these records, see:
 * France Church Records
 * France Civil Registration- Vital Records.
 * Chapter 1: OLD FRENCH RECORDS
 * Chapter 2: PARISH CHRISTENING AND CIVIL BIRTH ENTRIES
 * Marriage Entries Chapter 3: MARRIAGE ENTRIES.

Learning to Read Enough French to Do Genealogy

 * It's easier than you think! You do not have to be fluent in French to use these records, as there is only a limited vocabulary used in them. By learning a few key phrases, you will be able to read them adequately.  Here are some resources for learning to read French records.
 * French Genealogical Word List
 * French Handwriting.


 * There is a three-lesson course in reading French Records:
 * Reading French Handwritten Records Lesson 1: The French Alphabet,
 * French Handwritten Records Lesson 2: Key Words and Phrases
 * Reading French Handwritten Records Lesson 3: Reading French Records

Finding Church Records and Civil Registration Online
Each Department of France has archives that provide digitized images of these records. Here is the address for the Department Archives of Alpes-de-Haute-Provence, where you will find these records.
 * Alpes-de-Haute-Provence Department Archives


 * Actes état civil
 * Actes paroissiaux
 * Tables décennales
 * Cadastre Napoléonien
 * Cartes postales
 * Recensement de la population

Societies
Cercle Généalogique des Alpes-de-Haute-Provence Permanences et Secrétariat Maison des Associations 29, boulevard de Temps-Perdu 04100 Manosque

Resources

 * Tout en Un
 * Alpes de Haute-Provence GenWeb
 * Memorhom
 * Genea-Bricolo
 * Cousins 04

Family History Centers

 * Introduction to LDS Family History Centers

Web Sites

 * French Wordlist
 * Archives Départementales
 * Alpes-de-Haute-Province France Genweb
 * Gazetteer for Alpes-de-Haute-Provence
 * Tout en Un This is a very useful site, listing the notaries of this department, marriages during the time of Napoleon, soldiers fighting with La Fayette and many more things.