Doubs is one of the four departments of the region in eastern France of Franche-Comté. The others are Jura, Haute-Saône and the Territoire de Belfort. The region has a unique history of being a part of Burgundy, the Holy Roman Empire, and the Spanish empire before, in 1678, it finally and definitively became a part of France. The archives have a very small online presence. Their parish and civil registrations are not all online so, in order to research thoroughly a family from Doubs, we went there.
The archives are in a suburb of Besançon, easily reached by the city buses. Within, one must as in all archives register and receive a user's card. The facility is quite modern, and security is good. (This was not always the case, it seems. In the past, archivists and patrons took home what they pleased, somewhat ransacking sections of the holdings.) There are about a dozen microfilm readers, four of which can print copies of images. The index to the civil and parish registrations is available on computers and in binders on top of the microfilm cabinets. It is a small facility, but quite up to date, with knowledgeable and very kindly staff.
Perhaps the greatest asset is the resident genealogy enthusiast, Yvette, who is most keen to answer any and every question on anything to do with local genealogy. She even offers to do record lookups and send the results via e-mail. This is one of those archives that works in complete coordination with the local genealogy cercle in an effort to provide the best service to their most numerous users. Bravo!
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Archives départementales du Doubs
rue Marc Bloche
Planoise
.
postal address:
Conseil général du Doubs
Archives départementales du Doubs
rue Marc Bloche
Planoise
BP 2059
25050 Besançon Cedex
.
telephone: (+ 33) 03 81 25 88 00
e-mail: archives.departementales@doubs.fr
Closed Monday mornings, in spite of what certain pages on the website say.
Planoise... easy to get to from the center of Besançon?!?!?! I've been to this archive a half dozen times and still get on the wrong Ginko bus, or end-up "halfway to Dole" in my rental car most times! (smile!)
But, it IS a wonderfully friendly and inviting place to work.
Another tip: It you are researching someone who resided in Besançon, proper, don't miss the Archives municipales downtown in the old city. Although the records are at the AD in Planoise as well, the parish register indexes (yes, indexes!) are only there. (To my knowledge, they have not been microfilmed).
With 14 church parishes and 3 hospital parishes in Besançon, they are a tremendous time saver!
Posted by: Monsieur C. | 17 November 2010 at 10:41
I wonder if Yvette would be willing to try to find a couple of records for me. I am attempting to identify the maiden name of my great grandmother. Her name is Sidonie Adele Clotilde and she married Louis Alphonse Couche in 1881-1883. She was from Rahon and he from Ponte-de-Roide.
I have a birthdate for her: 19 July 1858 in Rahon.
I think that Sidonie had a younger sister Marie.
Thank you for any assistance that you are able to offer us. Barbara
Posted by: Barbara Wright | 20 July 2010 at 02:47
Am interested in knowing any one named Jacutot from Arcey or area in Doubs.
From Anne:
You might want to try the local genealogy association:
http://doubsgenealogie.fr/
Posted by: Edmund Ernest Jacoutot | 29 June 2010 at 06:46