Genealogy in Seine-et-Marne (77): Archives about your ancestors
Genealogy cheat sheet - Are you looking for your ancestors in Seine-et-Marne, the largest department in Île-de-France? We have the resources you need
©️Wikimedia - Claude Villetaneuse
Updated: October 3, 2024
Seine-et-Marne, a department located east of Paris in the Île-de-France region, offers a fascinating terrain for genealogy enthusiasts. This territory, rich in millennia of history, presents unique characteristics that make it a particularly interesting subject for researchers seeking their roots.
The department of Seine-et-Marne was created during the French Revolution on March 4, 1790. It extends over a large part of the provinces of Île-de-France and Champagne (and a tiny part of the northern Orléanais) and takes its name from the river and stream that surround it. It is bordered by the departments of the Val d'Oise, of Seine-Saint-Denis, of the Val-de-Marne, of the 'Essonne, of the Loiret, of the 'Yonne, of the 'Aube, of the Marne, of the 'Aisne and of the 'Oise.
From a genealogical perspective, Seine-et-Marne presents several notable specificities:
- A proximity to Paris that has influenced population movements over the centuries, particularly with the rural exodus of the 19th century.
- The presence of many castles and noble estates, offering interesting research paths for aristocratic lineages.
- A strong agricultural tradition, with many peasant families whose history can be traced over several generations.
- The impact of industrialization in the 19th and 20th centuries, which modified the demographic structure of some areas of the department.
📜 Departmental Archives of Seine-et-Marne
Departmental archives of Seine-et-Marne
Visiting the Departmental Archives of Seine-et-Marne:
🏛️ Departmental Building, 77010 Melun
Contact the Departmental Archives of Seine-et-Marne:
📞 01 64 87 37 17 - 01 64 87 37 81
📧 archives@departement77.fr
The departmental archives of Seine-et-Marne offer a rich collection of documents:
Online Records
Unusual Records
- A student's baggage in 1347, a destructive storm, 80 houses burned down and more on the J. Marchal's website.
🌍 Migrations in Seine-et-Marne
- Middle Ages: the territory saw progressive settlement and migrations linked to the Champagne fairs, important for commerce at the time.
- Modern era: the first population movements between rural areas and Paris were already noticeable. Nobles and Parisian bourgeois established secondary residences.
- 19th century: industrialization explained a significant rural exodus to Paris and its suburbs. Many workers were employed in new industries (sugar refineries, paper mills...). Cities near Paris developed (Melun, Meaux...). The north of the department and the Brie region were long ago lands of immigration linked to agriculture and craftsmanship: Brie cheese making, basketry, ribbon weaving, limestone quarrying, among others. The north of Seine-et-Marne also attracted many Belgians, seasonal agricultural workers seeking good pay (700,000 fr. at the time, much more than in other departments). These Belgian agricultural workers temporarily came to France from June to mid-September. While most of these temporary immigrants returned to Belgium, some eventually stayed in France.
- 20th century: From the end of the 19th century and throughout the 20th century, the department welcomed many Poles and Russians in exile. Coming mostly between 1918-1939, these foreigners, arriving in entire families, worked in agriculture in the Melun area.
Similarly, Seine-et-Marne was a welcoming land for Spanish refugees from 1937. The prefecture organized their arrival and more than 1000 Spaniards were housed in the Château de La Houssaye-en-Brie. They were then distributed in the surrounding municipalities, in Coulommiers, Saint-Fargeau, Dammarie-lès-Lys, Meaux and Chelles.
Housed in Seine-et-Marne, these political exiles were deliberately moved away from Paris to avoid any protests.
For more information:
🍃 Seine-et-Marne in Images
Videos
Old images and postcards
Old maps of the department
📚 History of Seine-et-Marne
On Gallica: books, the press and the manuscripts to learn everything about the department of Seine-et-Marne
🔍 Genealogy websites in Seine-et-Marne
Genealogy circles and associations in Seine-et-Marne or nearby
Happy researching!
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