For Researchers of Huguenots - FamilySearch Adds Scans From the SHPF

Things are in a bit of a tizzy today as all of France goes to the polls for the first round in electing a new president. Here, there is still sanity in the procedures. There are two rounds of voting. In the first one, all candidates have their name on the ballot; there are eleven this year. When the votes are counted, the winner would be whoever were to receive more than fifty per cent of the votes. As it is rare for that to happen, the two candidates with the most votes then go to the second round or run off  and the winner of that will be France's new president. 

As to publicity and marketing, that too is quite civilised. There are debates on television. The candidates tour the country and make speeches. One of them this year got quite a lot of publicity -- but no increase in support -- by giving one speech in a number of places at the same time via hologram transmission à la Princess Leia. As to posters and advertising, each town puts up a board on which each candidate's supporters may put up one, just one, poster. They are all the same size. Currently, they all have the same amount of defacing. A few days before the election, each registered voter receives an envelope that contains campaign material: for each candidate there is one, just one, A3 size sheet, folded to make two pages, printed on both sides with their slogans, claims and manifestos. No one is allowed more, all decidedly equal and fair. Such a sedate affair compared to the madness in our homeland.

Now, to genealogy. We have been asked lately and repeatedly by readers to visit for them the Bibliothèque de la Société de l'Histoire du Protestantisme français in Paris. We do adore the place, which we have described here, and we would never turn down an excuse to go there, where the staff are so kind and helpful. However, it seems that many of you, Dear Readers, are unaware that large numbers of their manuscript holdings are now online, free of charge, on FamilySearch, in a jumbled and irrationally made list. These are available digitally only and not on Family History Centre microfilms. For the large part, these are Protestant baptisms, marriages and burials from registers found all over France, including Paris.

We would never deter anyone from visiting the City of Light but it is now no longer necessary to do so to see these registers. Have at them!

©2017 Anne Morddel

French Genealogy