James Sopers kids b.Le Havre France 1840s?

[pottoka]

Yes, mine is Pay as you go, but as my stay here stretches out, I keep looking longingly at broadband offers! What was particularly toothgrinding was that when the kids were here, one of them could pick up someone's unprotected wifi on his computer ... but mine is too bog-standard for that.

I have posted a message on the appropriate forum and so we now have to hope that Martine, the volunteer, doesn't have too many requests to fulfil and that her granddaughter's nanny keeps well so that she doesn't get saddled (she loves her to bits actually).

I don't think that migrants going through a port would affect the registration of a child's birth or death, even if the parents were foreign residents. It was the law, after all, that if you were born, married or died in a place, then you, or someone for you, was obliged to register that event at the local Town Hall. I don't know how British workers found out to begin with - I rather doubt that they could get a "Moving to France permanently" handbook from the Embassy like you can now - but presumably they picked up enough French to get by and to keep within the law. Maybe some of the first ones didn't do what was necessary, but found out after the event what they should have done and told new arrivals. There were so many of them, and, of those whose certificates I've translated, there were plenty who had French friends (fraternising with the enemy!) as is borne out by who were witnesses at the registation.

[pottoka]

I didn't expect a very quick reply, as I know Martine goes to the A.D. on Tuesdays, but I've just looked to see if she's posted anything, and it appears that she has copies of the ten-year tables at home. So she has already said that Louisa was born on 22nd September 1846 and James on 21st May 1849. However, she has a page missing where Mary Anne and Anna would be and she couldn't find either Sarah or the unnamed baby. She will look again on Tuesday at the A.D. and also take photos of the certificates she does find.

What's your French like? I can transcribe and translate the documents for you if you don't feel up to it. If you want proper photocopies of the originals rather than just photos as well, I can also write and get them for you.

[g_soper]

Thanks pottoka & please thank Martine

My father will be pleased; Our french is pretty grim & I can barely transcribe old english text, but we look forward to giving it a go

geoff

[pottoka]

Two "actes de naissance" are on their way to you; Martine's husband has been in hospital with heart problems so she's had other things on her mind just lately. I'll try and find out about writing directly to the Town Hall.