Genealogy in Creuse: Find Your Ancestors
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Updated: May 7, 2024
The Creuse department is located in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, in the central-west of France. It gets its name from the Creuse river that flows through it. It is bordered by the departments of Corrèze, Haute-Vienne, Allier, the Puy-de-Dôme, the Cher and the Indre.
The Creuse department was created in 1790 during the French Revolution.
📜 Archives in the Creuse Department
Departmental Archives of Creuse
Visit the Departmental Archives of Creuse:
📍30 rue Franklin Roosevelt, 23000 Guéret
Contact the Departmental Archives of Creuse:
📞 05 44 30 26 50
📧 Send a message
Digitized Archives of the Departmental Archives of Creuse
Browse the online collections of the AD of Creuse to search for your ancestors:
Online Records
Unusual Records
🏠 Migrations in Creuse
- In the Gallo-Roman era: the region was inhabited by the Lémovices, a Gallic people who left traces of their presence in cities like Guéret or Aubusson.
- In the Middle Ages: the region experienced barbarian invasions and was the scene of many battles during the Hundred Years' War. The region is marked by the presence of the Templars who built castles and churches in the area.
- From the 16th century: the region experienced an economic boom thanks to the production of Aubusson tapestries, which were exported worldwide. The department of Creuse also saw significant rural migration to cities, and even to Paris.
- In the 19th century: the region saw significant rural migration to developing industrial cities like Limoges and Paris. Agricultural workers left the countryside to work in textile factories, coal mines, and railways.
We speak of the "Masons of Creuse" to describe these skilled workers from the department who migrated en masse to Paris and other French cities to work in the construction industry. They were masons, stonecutters, carpenters, or building craftsmen and were recruited by entrepreneurs to work on major projects such as Haussmannian buildings, train stations, and public monuments. Life for the Masons of Creuse was not easy. They worked long hours in difficult and dangerous conditions and were often victims of exploitation and discrimination by entrepreneurs and bosses.
- After World War II: the department saw a wave of immigration with workers from North Africa, Spain, and Portugal coming to work in factories and farms.
Learn more:
📸 Creuse in Images
Videos
Old Photos and Postcards
Old Maps of the Department
- From Cassini’s villages to today’s communes: the department of Creuse
- On Old Maps Online: old maps of the department
- On Gallica: old maps of Creuse
📆 The History of Creuse
On Gallica: the books, the press and the manuscripts to learn everything about the department of Creuse
🏠 The 50 Most Common Surnames in Creuse
Top 10 Surnames in Creuse:
- MOREAU
- MARTIN
- PETIT
- GIRAUD
- TIXIER
- VINCENT
- DURAND
- THOMAS
- BERNARD
- GUILLOT
The other 40 most popular surnames in the department (according to INSEE records)
- FAURE
- BRUNET
- BERGER
- PEYROT
- AUCLAIR
- LAURENT
- MEUNIER
- SIMONET
- BONNET
- LAVAUD
- DUMAS
- CHAPUT
- PHILIPPON
- LEFORT
- MALTERRE
- DUBREUIL
- MICHAUD
- VILLATTE
- DELARBRE
- COUTURIER
- GUILLON
- PICAUD
- MONTAGNE
- PAROT
- COUTY
- NADAUD
- CAILLAUD
- PRADEAU
- ROUGERON
- LAGRANGE
- LEBLANC
- REDON
- PASTY
- GERBAUD
- RIGAUD
- LEGRAND
- PENOT
- ROUSSEAU
- AUPETIT
- BOYER
🖥️ Genealogy Websites in Creuse
Genealogy Circles and Associations in Creuse
Genealogy Blogs in Creuse
Happy researching!
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