{"id":531,"date":"2018-01-23T05:19:58","date_gmt":"2018-01-23T10:19:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.genealogiequebec.com\/blog\/?p=531\/"},"modified":"2018-01-23T05:19:58","modified_gmt":"2018-01-23T10:19:58","slug":"genealogy-outside-of-quebec-how-to-find-your-quebecois-ancestors","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.genealogiequebec.com\/blog\/en\/2018\/01\/23\/genealogy-outside-of-quebec-how-to-find-your-quebecois-ancestors\/","title":{"rendered":"Genealogy Outside of Qu\u00e9bec : How to Find Your Qu\u00e9b\u00e9cois Ancestors"},"content":{"rendered":"
When leaving the borders of Qu\u00e9bec, especially to visit New England, it\u2019s not uncommon to find French-sounding family names. So you might imagine that this person\u2019s ancestors left the Francophone province to settle elsewhere, keeping traces of these origins with them. Between 1840 and 1930, over a million Quebecers left the territory to look for work. Many of them settled in the northeastern United States, which explains the strong presence of Francophone roots in this region.<\/span>Some families were separated during this time, so many Quebecers have ancestors who settled elsewhere and established their own family line there. To better understand genealogy and find these Quebeckers ancestors, here\u2019s some crucial information to know how to track down ancestors who settled outside Qu\u00e9bec:<\/span><\/p>\n

Quebecers in the United States<\/span><\/h3>\n

According to certain studies, around 30 million Americans are descendants of Quebecers ancestors. The family ties are therefore numerous, and given that genealogy is a very popular activity in the United States, the resources for finding information are abundant.<\/span><\/p>\n

How to Find a Qu\u00e9b\u00e9cois Ancestor in the United States<\/span><\/h3>\n

To carry out such research, it\u2019s possible, among other options, to use resources from Qu\u00e9bec and to collect information from genealogical societies located in the most relevant American regions. In the United States, several groups specialize in searching for French-Canadian ancestors.<\/span><\/p>\n

For example, the American-Canadian Genealogical Society, based in Manchester, New Hampshire, is a centre dedicated to the genealogical research of Canadian and\/or Francophone roots. Their collection brings together documents from \u2013 among other sources \u2013 the Drouin Collection, several Canadian Protestant churches, and archives from various American states.<\/span><\/p>\n

The American-Canadian Genealogical Society is far from the only organization of this type. Several states, cities, and villages in the region offer this type of service, including the American-French Genealogical Society in Woonsocket, Rhode Island, and the French-Canadian Genealogical Society of Connecticut. It\u2019s therefore possible to contact these organizations or to visit them in person. <\/span><\/p>\n

The Drouin Collection<\/span><\/h3>\n

Over 25 million civil status documents make up the Drouin Collection. This collection consists of documents that come from Qu\u00e9bec, as well as Ontario, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and the United States. Indeed, it\u2019s possible to search baptismal records, marriage licences, death certificates, and other official documents, including some from the New England region. It\u2019s therefore a very rich resource to complete research. In addition, the Drouin Collection is easy to access and relatively simple to peruse.<\/span><\/p>\n

Books and Periodicals About Qu\u00e9b\u00e9cois Ancestors Living in the United States<\/span><\/h3>\n

Was one of the most famous American authors actually Qu\u00e9b\u00e9cois? Jean-Louis “Jack” Kerouac was born in Lowell, Massachusetts to Qu\u00e9b\u00e9cois parents. For that reason, Kerouac\u2019s first language was Joual. Kerouac\u2019s mother was also the first cousin of none other than Ren\u00e9 L\u00e9vesque. In addition to this amusing anecdote, books about emigration from Qu\u00e9bec to the United States provide very useful information within the context of research, because they can give us hints and clues.<\/span><\/p>\n

Here are a few interesting and relevant books and periodicals on this subject, which can be found in a library or digitized on the internet:<\/span><\/p>\n