Doing Family Research in France
Trying to do family genealogy research in a foreign country can be a daunting task: language barriers, time differences in research center opening hours are just a few of the problems.
I was recently in Montbéliard, France and visited their archives. What a treat!!! Not only do they have a staff eager to help, but many speak English and the Archives has books dating back to the 14th century. As Montbéliard and Saint Charles, MO are coming together to pursue various partnerships, root tourism has attracted attention. Regardless of where one lives, root tourism can benefit the person seeking information as well the area where the ancestor came from. I live in Missouri but my French ancestors lived near Montbéliard and migrated to the state of Indiana. If one does research, one realizes that people were very mobile!
Montbéliard is located in eastern France, about 13 km from the Swiss border. It has a long and rich history since it was first mentioned in documents as early as 985. Today, the city’s population is about 26,000 and has a historic district that is easily accessible on foot. Montbéliard Castle, also called the Castle of the Dukes of Württemberg, rests on a rock and dominates the city. It was declared a historic site of France in 1996. The origins of the castle date back to the 13th century. Montbéliard is also part of the agglomeration of the Pays de Montbéliard which represents 140,000 inhabitants. The Pays de Montbéliard has a unique history marked by four centuries of Germanic influence. The princes of Württemberg reigned over this territory and introduced the ideas of the Reformation, educating the population who retained their French language and culture.
By the mid-18th century, the lands of the Pays de Montbéliard could no longer be cultivated to feed everyone and there was a strong religious pressure in the area. It was a predominantly Protestant area. At that time, a man named John Dick encouraged people to leave the area. He promised better living conditions and his “recruiters” launched a mass migration of European Lutherans. Four hundred and thirty-one French Lutherans from Montbéliard-Württemberg took up the challenge of leaving their homes to go to unknown territory. Sadly, some died because of the conditions during the crossing. Upon arrival, others were forced to help build St. Mary’s Basilica in Halifax, Nova Scotia. It is estimated that over 60,000 Nova Scotians today are descended from the original Montbéliard settlement. A monument was erected in Lunenburg to commemorate the 431 individuals who emigrated there between 1749 and 1752 and who were among the founders of the town on June 8, 1753.
But that is just one part of the Montbéliard story. Many others left France and came directly to the United States. At least 49 individuals from the Pays de Montebéliard are known to have ended their journey in the state of Missouri. They settled in: the city of Saint-Louis and the following counties: Saint-Louis, Osage, Buchanan, Moniteau, Boone, Vernon, Cass, Lafayette, Scott, Dunklin and Johnson. Surnames include: Fallot, Bonnot, Chevraux, Petit, Besançon, Prevot, Marain, Laude, Nardin, Chavey, Bourlier, Boillot, Maire, Pourron, Dauphine, Ogier, Euvrard, Cantin, Jeand’Heur, Jonte, Simon, Lagarce. and Sandoz.
It is a wonderful thing to be able to visit the area that an ancestor left for a better life. If your ancestors are from Montbéliard and you would like to follow in their footsteps, the Tourist Office and Genealogical Society can help. They can book a hotel, show their extensive research collection and explain which cemeteries might be the final resting place of those who remained on French soil or of previous generations.
The following information could start your research:
CEGFC-Genealogical mutual aid in Franche-Comté: CEGFC – Genealogical mutual aid in Franche-Comté. email address: cegfc.montbeliard@cegfc.net
Tourist Office of the Pays de Montbéliard: https://www.paysdemontbeliard-tourisme.com/fr/genealogy-tourism email address: accueil@paysdemontbeliard-tourisme.com.
I hope this article will encourage individuals to look into their French ancestry. You can find out amazing things.
Joan Koechig is the President of the Board of the St. Charles County, Missouri Historical Society and has done extensive research on her family as well as some of the families of Montbéliard who lived in the State of Missouri.
Johnson County (MO) Historical Society 