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AUTHOR'S NOTE: The following list of microfilms were viewed by me during the years of 2000-2001 in an attempt to trace my MARAH family ancestry. According to Victor Leon MAIRAT's 1848 French passport, the family came to New Orleans from Montursin, Doubs, France. The Montursin Civil Records soon led me to other affiliated families in many neighboring villages. Surnames of interest include BARBE, BARBEROT, BERTHOLD, BRAICHET, BRISCHOUX, CHEVALIER, COMMENT, CORDIER, GAIBROIS, GARNICHET, JURAT, MAIRAT, MAIROT, SAUNIER and WALZER. I ordered the records from the Family History Library in Eugene, Oregon and hundreds of hours were spent transcribing French or Latin records into English and compiling this document. Many of the most pertinent records were also photocopied and then scanned in to provide digital documentation for family historians yet to come.

Great care was taken to ensure the accuracy of the transcribed information, but there are bound to be errors in translation and in my interpretation of the records. The condition of the ancient records was often very poor when they were originally microfilmed. My research does not contain ALL of the records that might be available on the microfilm. I would encourage everyone to view the microfilm for their own verification.

My approach to transcribing the records was to view the microfilm and to write down dates, names and other information that I thought might be pertinent to my research. If a record was known to be that of a direct ancestor, I photocopied it. After returning home from the library, I would type up my notes and translate any unknown words from the Latin or French into English. I also scanned in most of the photocopied records.

I found the French Civil and Parish Records to be an incredible treasure of genealogical information. The fact that women kept their maiden name for their entire lifespan proved to be a great asset in documenting family lines. Marriage records were an exceptionally rich source of information and often included the names of not only the betrothed, but the names of their parents and other family members.

According to the LDS Library Catalog, Bressaucourt, Grandfontaine, Reclere and Damvant were in the Diocese of the Bishop of Basel until 1792, when it was annexed by Mont-Terrible (later Haut-Rhin) department, France. They were ceded to Kt. Bern in 1815 and helped form Kt. Jura in 1979. These villages are only a few miles from Montursin, which is right on the Swiss/French border.

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MICROFILMS USED TO COMPILE THIS INFORMATION

You can order microfilm from your local LDS Family History Center:

FHL INTL Film 1348453 Items 3-7 - Bressaucourt Parish Records (Jura, Switzerland)
Burials 1692-1803; Marriages 1693-1785; Baptisms 1778-1803; Marriages 1804-1831; Baptisms, Burials 1803-1846; Marriages 1832-1873; Baptisms 1847-1860

FHL INTL Film 1348389 Items 1-5 - Chevenez Parish Records (Jura, Switzerland)
Parish Baptisms 1759-1793; Burials 1707-1793; Baptisms 1806-1846; Marriages 1806-1864; Burials 1806-1861; Confirmations 1806-1847; Baptisms 1846-1873; Marriages 1865-1873; Burials 1862-1873; Baptisms (not in order) 1793-1805; Burials (not in order) 1803-1805; Marriages (not in order) 1797-1805

FHL INTL Film 1348384 Items 2-6 - Damvant Parish Records (Jura, Switzerland)
Baptisms/Births 1654-1873 Burials 1683-1873 Marriages 1659-1873 Baptisms 1695-1789; Baptisms 1789-1791 Marriages 1695-1784 Burials 1695-1786 Abjurations 1680-1746 Baptisms /Births 1791-1827 1791-1873 Marriages 1785-1873 Burials 1786-1873, Baptisms 1655-1753, Baptisms, Marriages, Burials 1816-1826 (copies) 1830-1844 1846-1871 Baptisms 1872, Marriages, Burials 1872 (copies)

FHL INTL Film 1348385 Items 1-8 - Damvant Parish Records (Jura, Switzerland)
Baptisms 1789-1791; Marriages 1695-1784; Burials 1695-1786; Renunciations 1680-1746;
Baptisms/Births 1791-1827, 1791-1873; Marriages 1785-1873; Burials 1786-1873

FHL INTL Film 1348414 Item 3 - Damvant Parish Records (Jura, Switzerland)
Baptisms 1655-1753

FHL INTL Film 1883640 Items 3-4 - Glere Parish Records (Doubs, France)
(Burnevillers, Glere, Vernois-le-Fol)
Baptisms 1735-1809; Marriages 1648-1857; Burials 1671, 1735-1857; Baptisms, Marriages, Burials 1788-1789

FHL INTL Film 1608745 Items 5-7 - Glere Civil Records (Doubs, France)
Civil registration of Births 1793-1883; Marriages 1793-1798, 1800-1842; Publications of Marriages 1803-1832; Deaths 1793-1832; Includes Baptisms, Marriages, Burials 1790-1792

FHL INTL Film 1348461 Items 2-3 - Grandfontaine Parish Records (Jura, Switzerland)
(Roche D'Or, Rocourt, Grandfontaine)
Marriages 1658-1729; Confirmations 1686-1727; Baptisms 1717-1729, 1658-1717; Burials 1685-1729; Baptisms 1729-1794; Confirmations 1764-1767; Baptisms, Marriages, Burials 1791 (copies); Marriages 1729-1793; Burials 1729-1791

FHL INTL Film 1348461 Items 4-5 - Grandfontaine Parish Records (Jura, Switzerland)
(Roche D'Or, Rocourt, Grandfontaine)
Baptisms 1794-1806; Baptisms 1807-1873; Marriages 1806-1840

FHL INTL Film 1348462 Items 1-3 - Grandfontaine Parish Records (Jura, Switzerland)
(Roche D'Or, Rocourt, Grandfontaine)
Marriages 1840-1873. 1743-1744; Burials 1784-1794; Parish Curators 1650-1850; Burials 1794-1805; Burials 1806-1873; Births 1718-1792; Births 1794-1815; Civil Marriages 1743-1793; Marriages 1797-1815; Burials 1793-1815

FHL INTL Film 1552174 Item 7 - Montancy Civil Records (Doubs, France)
Births 1793-1839; Publications of Marriages 1870-1883

FHL INTL Film 1599690 Items 1-5 - Montancy Civil Records (Doubs, France)
Marriages 1793-1798; 1800-1883 Deaths 1793-1883 Births 1840-1883; Publications of Marriages 1803-1869

FHL INTL Film 1599942 Item 8 - Montursin Civil Records (Doubs, France)
Births 1793-1883

FHL INTL Film 1599943 Items 1-2 - Montursin Civil Records (Doubs, France)
Marriages 1793-1798, 1800-1883; Deaths 1793-1883

FHL INTL Film 1196967 Item 3 - Reclere Civil Records (Jura, Switzerland)
Tables décennales 1792-1802 Births 1794-1814 Marriages 1794-1807

FHL INTL Film 1196968 Item 1 - Reclere Civil Records (Jura, Switzerland)
Marriages 1807-1814; Deaths 1794-1814

FHL INTL Film 1883641 Item 6 - Vaufrey Parish Records (Doubs, France)
Baptisms, Marriages, Burials 1788-1789

FHL INTL Film 1608452 Item 8 - Vernois-le-Fol (Doubs, France) Civil Records
Marirages 1793-1798, 1800-1805, 1807-1814; Deaths 1802-1804, 1793-1802; Births 1793-1805, 1807-1823; Deaths 1798-1799; Births, Marriages, Deaths 1805-1806

FHL INTL Film 1608453 Items 1-3 - Vernois-le-Fol (Doubs, France) Civil Records
Births 1824-1883; Marriages 1815-1883; Deaths 1804-1805, 1807-1883

CLICK ON THIS SATELLITE MAP TO VIEW LARGER SIZE (this is a very large file)

NAMES OF VILLAGES NEAR MONTURSIN (DOUBS, FRANCHE-COMTE), FRANCE and RECLERE (JURA, SWITZERLAND) on recent satellite map of the area: au Rare Chene, au Soleil, bas des Combes, Beauregard, Bel Evau, Biere Bols, Bois de Chenes, Bois de Monin, Bois de Vadavon, Bois Jure, Bottenier, Calvaire, Champ du Bout, Champs du Te, Chapre, Chevenez, Coinat, Combe de Goule, Combe de Vaux, Combe du Fol, Combe Monnay, Communal de Glere, Cote de Fonderet, Courceiles, Courcellets, Craie Fme, Damvant, Dannemarie, de la Combay, devant Monin, Douane, Doubs River, Essart Vautherot, Etremolais, Faivry, Faux d'Enson, Fond de Vaux, Glere, Grand Cras, Grandfontaine, Gros Bois, la Combe, la Cototte, la Croix, la Feouse, la Grande Cote, la Joux, la Lave, la Louviere, la Montagne, la Vaux, le Boulais, le Chanoi, le Chenet, le Chimpas, le Cratat, le Fahy, le Failat, le Fol, le Lomont, le Moulin, le Sacenet, le Saucy, les Aiges, les Angles, les Assinges, les Borbets, les Chaufours, les Chesaux, les Coeudrets, les Drezeules, les Epasses, les Foinelats, les Fontenattes, les Genavrats, les Genievres, les Gobes, les Grandes, les Grottes, les Montagnes, les Rates, les Rottes, les Vauches, les Vernes, les Voillattes, Libecourt, Longues Raies, Marchanvillars, Mont Beulchy, Montabry, Montavon, Montchaverin, Montjoie le Chateau, Peut Coral, Pre Perat, Pre Petusa, Queue au Loup, Reclere, Riere Bols, Roche a Canon, Roche d'Or, Rocourt, Rougeux, sous la Chapelle, sous la Clef, sous le Fourey, sous les Breuches, sous les Roches, sur Combe Robert, sur la Retenue, sur le Bois, sur le Retenue, sur les Roches, sur les Roches, sur Vannez, Taure, Vacherie Dessous, Vacherie Dessus, Valeu, Vallea des Cois, Vaufrey, Verdat, Vernois-le-Fol, Vies, Voichoux, Vuey Miclave

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Miscellaneous Research Notes from Joanne:

March, 2001

I looked at the Film #0973176: Family surnames of the old principality of Montbéliard (present day department of Doubs plus parts of the departments of Haute-Saône and Jura).

I found many variations of the name MAIGROT, MAIGRET, MAIRET, MAIROT, MEROT, MAITROT, MAISTROT, MAYROT... none were MAIRAT! I saw a Jehan MAIROT of Clairegouette in 1494. This is a very small village west of Belfort. In 1562 it was spelled MAYROT and by 1619 it was MAIROT again. There weren't any after this, which is curious... maybe they went to Montursin!

There were also MAIRET in Hericourt in 1494 and maybe before (I can't read my own notes!). This is a large town north of Montbeliard. In 1530 the name was shown as MAIRET (de Beveuge).

Some other towns with MAIROT included Etobon, Brevilliers, Dambenois, Budever, Nommay.

As far as CORDIER goes, I think I'm onto something there. In the village of Grand-Charmont (just north of Montbeliard) a fellow named Valiton CORDIER or COURDIER lived in 1494. There were descendants living for hundreds of years by the name of CARDEROT, COURDEROT, COURDIER and CORDIER.

I also found a Vicar CORDIER in 1501 in a town called St. Marie (just west of Montbeliard).

There were CORDIERS in Pierrefontaine (just west of Reclere) and Presentevillers (just west of Montbeliard)