By Jacques Gagné
With the use of internet
and the constant addition online of new fonds such as older parish registers, notarial acts, historical records, family lineages obtained from ancient books,
it is imperative for anyone who is researching in France to know about the
ancient provinces of France and the corresponding modern-day départements.
and the constant addition online of new fonds such as older parish registers, notarial acts, historical records, family lineages obtained from ancient books,
it is imperative for anyone who is researching in France to know about the
ancient provinces of France and the corresponding modern-day départements.
The implementation of
départements was instituted after the French Revolution.
départements was instituted after the French Revolution.
You will notice that a few
départements are listed with more than one province. When the new government of
France redressed the internal borders of France, they disregarded several of
the previous borders that had been in effect for centuries under the various
kings of France.
départements are listed with more than one province. When the new government of
France redressed the internal borders of France, they disregarded several of
the previous borders that had been in effect for centuries under the various
kings of France.
In addition, certain
regions of France—such as Alsace, Bourgogne, Bordeaux and Champagne—are still
being used in describing a region although they no longer hold official status
as a département or départements.
regions of France—such as Alsace, Bourgogne, Bordeaux and Champagne—are still
being used in describing a region although they no longer hold official status
as a département or départements.
Ancient Provinces Modern-day départements of
France
France
Agenois Lot-et-Garonne
Alsace Haut-Rhin/Bas-Rhin/Territoire de Belfort
Amienois Somme
Angoumois Saintonge
Méridionale/Charente
Méridionale/Charente
Anjou Maine-et-Loire/Mayenne/Sarthe/Indre-et-Loire
Argonne Marne/Aisne/Meuse
Armagnac Gers
Artois Pas-de-Calais
Aunis Charente Inférieure
Auvergne Cantal/Puy-de-Dôme/Haute-Loire
Auxerrois Yonne
Auxois Pays de Bourgogne (not a département but
a region)
a region)
Bassigny Haute-Marne
Bazadois Gironde
Bearn Basses-Pyrénées
Beauce Eure-et-Loir/Loir-et-Cher
Beaujolais Rhin/Loire
Beauvoisis Oise
Berri Indre/Cher
Bigorre Hautes-Pyrénées
Blaisois Loir & Cher
Boulonnais Pas-de-Calais
Bourbonnais Allier/Cher
Bourgogne Ain/Côte
d’Or/Saône-et-Loire/Yonne
d’Or/Saône-et-Loire/Yonne
Bresse Ain
Bretagne Ille-et-Vilaine/Côtes-du-Nord/Finistère/Morbihan/Loire-Inférieure
Bugey Ain
Cambresis Nord
Chalosse Landes
Champagne Ardennes/Marne/Aube/Haute-Marne/Aisne/Seine-et-Marne/Yonne/Côte
d’Or/Haute-Saône/Vosges/Meuse
d’Or/Haute-Saône/Vosges/Meuse
Charollais Saône-et-Loire
Combraille Creuse
Cominges Haute-Garonne
Comtat-Vernaissain Vaucluse
Condomois Gers/Lot-et-Garonne
Couserans Ariège
Dauphiné Drôme/Hautes-Alpes/Isère
Dombes Doubs
Flandre Nord
Forez Loire
Franche-Comté Jura/Doubs/Haute-Saône
Gascogne Haute-Garonne/Gers/Hautes-Pyrénées/Landes/Basses-Pyrénées
Gatinais Seine-et-Marne/Loiret
Guienne Gironde/Dordogne/Lot/Aveyron/Lot-et-Garonne/Tarn/Landes/Gers/Hautes-Pyrénées/Tarn-et-Garonne/Ariège/Basses-Pyrénées
Hurefois Seine-et-Oise
Isle-de-France Seine/Seine-et-Oise/Oise/Seine-et-Marne/Aisne/Eure-et-Loir/Paris
Laonais Aisne
Languedoc Tarn/Hérault/Lozère/Ardèche/Gard/Haute-Garonne
Lorraine Vosges/Meurthe/Moselle/Meuse
Loudunois Vienne
Lyonnais Rhône/Loire
Maine Sarthe
Mantais Seine-et-Oise
Marche Creuse/Haute-Vienne
Messin Moselle/Meuse
Navarre Basses
Pyrénées
Pyrénées
Nivernais Nièvre
Normandie Seine Inférieure/Eure/Calvados/Manche/Orne
Noyonnais Oise
Orléanais Loir-et-Cher/Loiret/Eure-et-Loir/Nièvre
Pays Basque Basses-Pyrénées
Pays Chartrain Eure-et-Loir
Pays de Bray Seine-Inférieure
Pays de Caux Seine-Inférieure
Perche Sarthe/Orne/Eure-et-Loir/Loir-et-Cher
Périgord Dordogne
Picardie Somme/Aisne/Pas-de-Calais
Poitou Vienne/Deux-Sèvres/Vendée
Provence Bouches-du-Rhône/Var/Basses-Alpes/Vaucluse
Quercy Lot/Tarn-et-Garonne
Rouerque Aveyron
Roussillon Pyrénées-Orientales
Saintonge Charente-Inférieure
Sennonnois Bourgogne
Soisonnais Aisne
Touraine Indre-et-Loir/Vienne
Uzege Gard
Vivarais Ardèche/Haute-Loire
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