Page 14 - Genealogy French Families Détroit River Revision 1701-1936 - Vol. 1

HOY TO USE THIS GENEALWJY
Thia genealogy is organized in the form which waa developed by the
editore of the New En land Historical and Genealo ical Re iater The families
are alphabetireGy su9rname and if thezieo*i with the same
aurname these familiea ere then further alphabetized by the aivsn name of the
progenitor of that line.
You nhould Lirsr check the alphabetized family sum- in which you are
interested. Even if you find the n- you are searching, look aecondly in the
index.
The index in the back of the last vol- contain- individual namea and
the page- where you will find them. These are generally the people who are
SPOU~~B and the ~arenta of huabands or wires, but there are names of clergy,
--
$giatrates, military officers and other associatea as well.
In the index there will be caaea of "eee"---. Thia my be e reference to
another ~Pellina of the a- name. Be sure to look for poeaible various
spelling<beceu;e many French surnames have been angliciied or altered over
the generations.
Many French aurnames begin with: le, la, les or du, de (de la) or der,
maaning ,'the" or "of the". Sometds they are attached to the name end
r-thee they are separated. For e-le, La Chapelle may be Lachapelle or
even ChaPelle. The n- De Quindre has bec- Desuindre and La Croil ia often
written iacroix end has been-translated to Cross L some caaea.
N-r beginning with St or Ste are alphabetized as if they were spelled
out Saint (Sainte) and are treated as one word. Because there are s-
Scottieh aid 1rish name beginning with Mc or Mac, they are alphabetized as
spelled so be sure to check both poasible spellings.
Also be aure to check an enti- - -
Peae for a reference because the name mav
occur -re more than once.
An unique problem in French genealogy is the "dit" name, for e-le
Delcoro~s dit Labadie; Chene dit La Butte: Casse dit St Aubin. The word "dit"
means "said, "called" or "alao known as". This eecond name is really an
inherited nickname and after several generatione it bec-ll the surname. The
"dit" name may have referred to the place of origin in France, either town or
province, or thia eecond n- my have been a humoroua name or the n- of an
occupation or of the land or farm where the person lived. The tradition in
the St Louis family is that their progenitor, Villerr prayed for rain on the
feast day of St Louis and it rained, so tha family n- because Villera dit St
Louie.
In the index John Villers dit St Louis will be indexed twice, once as
John Villera and aecondly as John St Louis.
Now let ue look at the genealogy of one family. The earlieat male
ancestor who 0- to North America, usually Qutebec, ia the first head of a
family and is given the Arabic n-ral 1. Phis - of the male head of the
family ia in block letters. To the right of the first n- is r superscript
or raised number which mane the first generation in North America.
In lieting the children of the head of the fdly end his wife, Roman
numbers are used. The children are named in order of birth. Under the word
"children" and to the left of s- male children ace Arabic numbera which
means that thia son will bec- the head of a family and is given a number.
The children of female members of the family will be found under her
husband- name in another part of the genealogy.
Note that after the name of the haad of the faly that this following
information is given, if known, in the following order:
1. Data and place of birth
2. Date end place of baptism
3. Date and place of deeth
4. Date and place of burial, church and/or cemetery
5. Date and place of marriage and to whom (in block letter*)
Then this a- intomtion is given for the wife, if knom. After thia the
nee of the parents =re given. Note that the maiden name of the wife is
retained throughout her life. The placea of residence are often added and the
occupation of the head of the family is included as well as any military
exprience. Other narrative mterirl ie inserted at this point.
A son who ia carried forward aa a head of a new family has more
information after his name only aa a head of a family, and not as a eon. As a
eon in the list of children of his father, only an identifying date ia given.
TO the left of his R-n numsral (child number) is the Arabic numsral which ia
his aarigned head of the family nlunber.