French North American Research

SESSION: F303, DATE & TIME: Friday, 10 May 2019, 8:00 a.m.

SPONSOR: History and Genealogy Department, St. Louis County Library

Larry Franke

Come and learn about the many resources available for researching French-speaking Catholics and Protestant Huguenots in North America! 

Many excellent materials – in print, microform, and online – are available to the researcher. Some of the categories to be discussed include the following.

• Census, church and notarial records

• Dictionnaires [lineage books] & surname books

• Histories & city directories

• Maps, periodicals, & guidebooks

• Bilingual & genealogical dictionaries

Researchers with French roots and those assisting researchers with French roots are encouraged to attend.  Larry will also present Deciphering French Records on Thursday, 9 May at 2:30 if you are interested in learning how to read old French documents.  There will also be a session on Wednesday, 8 May at 11:00 a.m., Using the Kaskaskia Manuscripts, a collection of notarial records kept by the French in Southwestern Illinois.

Anyone whose ancestor may have passed through or lived in this area in the 18^th or early 19^th century is invited to attend.  Larry will also be at the St. Louis County Library table in the exhibit hall from time to time from Wednesday to Friday if you want to stop by to chat about these or other topics in genealogy.

BIO: Larry Franke is a Reference Librarian in the History and Genealogy Department at St. Louis County Library Headquarters.  Before working at St. Louis County Library, he taught English as a Second Language to refugees and immigrants for many years.