Genealogy in Loir-et-Cher (41): Help and Useful Links

Genealogy Cheat Sheet - Looking for your ancestors in Loir-et-Cher? We have the resources you need.

Genealogy in Loir-et-Cher (41): Help and Useful Links

Wikimedia - Claude Villetaneuse

Updated: February 16, 2026


The Loir-et-Cher is a department in the Centre-Val de Loire region, its prefecture is Blois. Its name comes from two rivers that cross it, although it is also closely linked to the fate of the Loire. It is surrounded by the departments of theEure-et-Loir, theLoiret, the Cher, theIndre, theIndre-et-Loire and the Sarthe.


Created during the French Revolution in 1790, the department is a historical mosaic: it combines the former County of Blois and part of the Lower Vendômois, as well as parts of Beauce, Sologne, and Berry. This geographical diversity is reflected in the living conditions and professions of your ancestors, whether they were winemakers in the Cher valley, farmers in Beauce or loggers in the Sologne forests. Loir-et-Cher is world-famous for its architectural treasures, such as the Chambord Castle



📜 Loir-et-Cher Archives


Departmental Archives of Loir-et-Cher


How to visit the Departmental Archives of Loir-et-Cher:

📍 2 rue Louis-Bodin, 41000 Blois


Contact the Departmental Archives of Loir-et-Cher:

📞  02 54 58 41 24

📧  Send an email



Browse the digitized archives to search for your ancestors: 



Municipal Archives of Loir-et-Cher



Online Records


Unusual Records



🌍 Migrations in Loir-et-Cher


The migration history of Loir-et-Cher is that of a rural department that long exported its labor force to Paris, while also welcoming specific populations attracted by its major projects or agricultural needs.

  • Under the Ancien Régime (17th - 18th centuries) : like many provinces in the West and Center, the Blésois and Vendômois participated in the colonial adventure. Several dozen pioneers left this region to settle in Quebec in the 17th century, fleeing rural poverty or seeking a better life. We find Loir-et-Cher surnames established very early in New France.
  • The 19th century : the 19th century is marked by a dual movement: departure to the capital and the arrival of seasonal labor. Loir-et-Cher, well served by the railway (Paris-Orléans line as early as 1843), sees its youth leave the Sologne or the Beauce to become servants, coachmen, or workers in Paris.

    The Sologne, then a poor and marshy region, attracts temporary workers for the major sanitation and reforestation projects launched under Napoleon III.
  • The 20th century : the century is marked by the arrival of populations fleeing conflicts or coming to rebuild the country. In June 1940, the department becomes a crucial transit point for millions of refugees fleeing south. Blois then suffers tragic bombings that will destroy many records and archives (a point of vigilance for genealogists!).

    After World War II, the department experiences a phase of industrialization (notably in Blois and Vendôme). We see the arrival of workers from the Maghreb, Portugal, and Turkey, employed in construction, the automotive industry, and agriculture (notably for strawberry and asparagus harvesting in the Sologne).

    Like neighboring departments, Loir-et-Cher welcomed families of "Boat people" refugees (Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia) in the 1970s, often through parish aid networks.


For more information:



📸 Loir-et-Cher in pictures


Videos


Old images and postcards


Department maps



📄 The history of Loir-et-Cher



The books, the press and the manuscripts about the department of Loir-et-Cher



🗺️ Genealogy sites in Loir-et-Cher


Genealogy circles and associations in Loir-et-Cher


Genealogy blogs in Loir-et-Cher


Useful social networks



Happy researching! 


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