The Acadia – Reconstructed Families collection contains genealogical family profiles created from original Acadian records. Each profile brings together information about parents, children, marriages, baptisms, burials and the parishes associated with an Acadian family.
These reconstructed family profiles make research easier by combining details that would otherwise be scattered across several registers. They may include the names of the parents, the child’s given name, dates of birth or baptism, death or burial, as well as the date and place of marriage. When a digitized original record is available, the profile generally includes a link to the corresponding document.
A reconstructed family profile brings together the main known events associated with a couple and their children. It provides a clearer view of the family group and connects information drawn from several baptism, marriage and burial records.
Depending on the available sources, a profile may include the names of the parents, a spouse, the children associated with the couple, dates of events and the relevant parish. It may also contain notes clarifying a relationship, a name variation or a detail found in the original documents.
These profiles are especially useful for distinguishing between people with similar names and for following an Acadian family across several generations.
The search engine allows researchers to locate a family profile using several criteria. Searches may be based on the father’s surname or given name, the mother’s surname or given name, a child’s name, a parish or dates associated with family events.
It is often best to begin with only a few criteria, especially when the spelling of a name is uncertain. Surnames and given names may vary from one record to another depending on the language, time period or person who created the register. A broader search can therefore help identify spelling variations before the results are narrowed.
The reconstructed family profiles are based on information extracted from historical records. When a link to a digitized image is available, researchers should review the original document to verify names, dates, places and family relationships.
The record may also contain details that are not fully reproduced in the profile, such as witnesses, godparents, occupations, places of residence or marginal notes. These details may provide additional research clues and help confirm that a record belongs to the correct person.