Civil registrar writing beneath banner reading LIBERTÉ ÉGALITÉ FRATERNITÉ CIVIL REGISTRAR

Part III: The Continuing Chronicles of Montécheroux

(see Using AI in Genealogy and Family History for a detailed description of how this was created Google Gemini) This post contains two parts. In the first part I present a novel-like view of the events in Montecheroux during the years of the Terror of the French Revolution. The second part provides a detailed analysis of both the form and content of the records extracted … Continue reading Part III: The Continuing Chronicles of Montécheroux

Ancient scrolls and handwritten parchment letters with a quill and ink bottle on a rustic table

Familiearchief de Backer

Almost 25 years ago, a fellow researcher in Belgium shared with me some information regarding my 6x great-grandfather, Jacques De Backer (1686-1764) who became a Bourgeoisie foraine by buying his citizenship in the town of Ronse. My correspondent told me that the source for this information was “familiearchief de backer” (De Backer Family Archive) records that were digitized by Herman Van Isterdael in 2001. I … Continue reading Familiearchief de Backer

The Simultaneum

I am nearing completion of the final draft of “Gathering More Leaves, Volume I.” All that remains is to incorporate an anecdote about an ancestor, Jean Germain Voisard. He served as mayor of Montécheroux, France, from the Bourbon Restoration in 1815 until his death in 1826. Jean Germain Voisard, my father’s 4th great-grandfather, had planned to emigrate thousands of miles from his home in eastern … Continue reading The Simultaneum

Spiegel Family – Dallas, Texas (c. 1900)

The back of this photo says, “Spiegel Family – Dallas, Texas” and does not give a year. And I am going to make some conjectures here: The man leaning against the tree on the far left is my great-great-grandfather, George C. Spiegel. He was a cigar maker in Dallas, Texas. From census records, I have two street addresses for the family. One on San Jacinto … Continue reading Spiegel Family – Dallas, Texas (c. 1900)