The Will of Jean David Guerne de Tavane Jean David Guere de Tavane left a will, written in December 1789, at the beginning of the French Revolution and just before his death in February 1790. Unusually, it can be found... Read more →
The briefest of histories: In 1444, France, under Louis XI, made a treaty with Switzerland, then the Swiss Confederacy. A little over fifty years later, the first Swiss unit in the French Army, the Cent-Suisses, was formed. There was trouble... Read more →
We have been playing with the ever-improving website of the Archives national d'outre-mer, the National Overseas Archives. It really is important to keep investigating this website; there is nearly always something new and it is rarely announced to the public... Read more →
This was a happy discovery and could be of help to those of you whose ancestor left France during the Revolution and First Empire, or even before, to serve in a foreign army. Some of you have written of the... Read more →
Earlier this year, we went on a marvelous archives junket to Bretagne. One of the most important things on our list was to examine much more carefully and thoroughly this superb register of recaptured escapees of all sorts during the... Read more →
At the beginning of last year, we shared here the happy news of a project to digitize all surviving French seamen's registration and conscription records. (Best to re-read that first so that you understand the quite unique French system of... Read more →
Two English seamen, James Burns and James Betts, were on the Neptune when she was captured by the French privateer, Subtile, on the 26th of November 1809. The Subtile sent her boat with five men to board their prize, the... Read more →
In our little book, American Merchant Seamen of the Early Nineteenth Century : a Researcher's Guide, we explain that, in researching a mariner, one must follow the vessel to find the man. It is just as true when researching French... Read more →
The pandemic was a horror and the lock-downs around the world caused suffering to many; about this there can be no dispute. Yet, amongst those fortunate enough not to fall ill, some turned to creativity and productivity while confined. Les... Read more →
Briefly, in answer to the question we pose in the title of this post, yes, but it is not easy and not always possible. As with any French military research, the amount of archival material is so great that it... Read more →