Genealogy in Charente-Maritime (17): Online Archives

Genealogy Cheat Sheet - Find numerous free resources to trace your genealogical tree and discover your ancestors in Charente-Maritime (17)

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Updated: October 3, 2024

The Charente-Maritime, a coastal department located in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, is a territory rich in millennia of maritime and terrestrial history.

Created during the French Revolution on March 4, 1790, the Charente-Maritime department is located in the northwest part of the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region and takes its name from the river and its coastline. Note that this department was more commonly known as Charente-Inférieure until 1941.

It is bordered by the departments of Vendée, Deux-Sèvres, of the Charente, of the Dordogne and of the Gironde.

From a genealogical perspective, Charente-Maritime has several specific features: 

• A strong maritime tradition, with many families of sailors, fishermen, and merchants linked to port activities, particularly in La Rochelle and Rochefort.
• The impact of Protestantism, particularly present in this region in the 16th century, which influenced population movements and civil registers.
• A history marked by migrations, particularly to New France (Canada) in the 17th and 18th centuries. 
• The importance of the salt industry and viticulture, which shaped the local economy and family structures for centuries.
  
  

The Archives of Charente-Maritime

The Departmental Archives of Charente-Maritime

Visit the Departmental Archives of Charente-Maritime:

📍 85 boulevard de la république, 17076 La Rochelle

Contact the Departmental Archives of Charente-Maritime:

📞 05 46 31 70 00

📧 Contact form

Find your ancestors in the digitized records of the department: 

• Parish registers, pastoral (Protestant) and civil status records
• Population censuses
• Military draft registers
• Notary minutes
• Notary acts control
• Cadastral plans
• Terriers
• Maps and plans
• Minutes and deliberations
• Chamber of Commerce
• Admiralty
• Recruits for the Americas and Africa
• Beaubassin Register (Canada)
• Press
• World War I
• World War II
• Postcards
• The bagnes

Online Records

• On FranceGenWeb: "Miscellaneous records" - Marriages - Migrants' marriages  - Marriages of migrants from Charente-Maritime - Notaries - Protestants
• Genealogical page of Virginie Vissac (Saintonge and Marais Poitevin) 
  

Unusual Records

• Legend, earthquake, hailstones as big as fists and many more on the J. Marchal's website.
• Unusual testimonies in the archives of Charente-Maritime

🗺️ Migrations in Charente-Maritime

Antiquity and Middle Ages: Celtic and then Roman populations settle in the territory. In the 5th century, Franks and Visigoths arrive in Charente-Maritime. It will not be until the 9th and 10th centuries that Viking raids cause coastal population displacements. 

16th-17th centuries: The development of Protestantism attracts populations from neighboring regions. But with the revocation of the Edict of Nantes (1685), Huguenots emigrate to England and the Netherlands. At this time, the first migrants leave for New France (current Quebec). 

18th century: Emigration to New France continues and becomes particularly important from La Rochelle. The arsenal of Rochefort develops.

19th century: Industrialization explains a significant rural exodus to the coastal cities of the department (La Rochelle, Rochefort, and Royan). Immigrants from various backgrounds arrive in La Rochelle due to its contacts with the colonies, America, the North Sea, and thanks to trade. They are Italian, Austrian, Spanish, and Polish, among others. 

20th century: During World War I, refugees arrive from northern France.  The department also sees the development of temporary immigration linked to seaside tourism. The affluent classes of France and Europe visit Royan, Châtelaillon, or La Rochelle. 

During World War II, German presence is significant in La Rochelle and Royan.

For more information:

• Poitou-Charentes: History and memories of immigration
• History and memories of immigration in the Poitou-Charentes region
• The Saintonge coast: A welcoming land for foreigners in the 18th century? 
• 1644-1766 – Saintonge pioneers in New France (Quebec)
• Two territories and one history: Poitou-Charentes and New France
• La Rochelle-Quebec - 46th parallel north
• Population and vineyard in the Charentes: A century of original evolution

🏆 Charente-Maritime in Pictures

Videos

• French Entrance to La Rochelle and Saint Trojan
• Operation at Pointe de Grave
• La Rochelle, Miraculously Intact, Welcomes its Liberators
• Reconstruction of Royan 
• Outdoor Hotels
• Vacation in La Rochelle
• Against the Construction of the Île de Ré Bridge
• Bad Odors 
• The Reserve of Île de Ré
• Biking in La Rochelle
• The Zoo of La Palmyre

Old Images and Postcards

• On Gallica: the Charente-Maritime in Pictures
• On Europeana Collections: the Charente-Maritime in Pictures
• On Clochers de France: the belfries of Charente-Maritime in Pictures
• On Memorial GenWeb: postcards of the war memorials
• On CPArama: Postcards of Charente-Maritime
• On CPA Bastille 91: Old Postcards of Charente-Maritime
• On communes.com: Postcards of Rochefort
• Old Images of Charente-Maritime

Old Maps of the Department

• On Old Maps Online: the old maps of the department
• On Gallica: the old maps of Charente-Maritime

📄 The History of Charente-Maritime

• Antiquities of the city of Saintes, and the department of Lower Charente - 1820
• History of La Rochelle - 1830
• Statistics of the department of Lower Charente – 1839
• The Sailors of La Rochelle, biographical notes- 1870
• Unpublished historical documents on the department of Lower Charente -1874
• Biography of Lower Charente (Aunis and Saintonge) - 1877
• Administration and repression under the Occupation: the "Jewish Affairs" of the Prefecture of Lower Charente (September 1940-July 1944) – 1998
• Pacifism and the L.D.H. in Lower Charente during the 1920s - 1998
• Foreigners shipwrecked on the Charente coast (17th – 18th centuries) – 2010
• Small ports, animators of the maritime economy of the Saintonge Pertuis Sea (15th-18th centuries) - 2010
• Agriculture in Charente-Maritime in the 20th century - 2017

On Gallica: the books, the press and the manuscripts to learn everything about the department of Charente-Maritime

🏠 The 50 most common surnames in Charente-Maritime

Top 10 surnames in Charente-Maritime: 

• MOREAU
• BERNARD
• MARTIN
• RENAUD
• ROY
• RICHARD
• ROUSSEAU
• GIRAUD
• GUERIN
• ROBERT

The other 40 most popular surnames in the department (according to the INSEE File) : 

• DURAND
• ROBIN
• DAVID
• GIRARD
• ROUX
• TEXIER
• GARNIER
• BERTRAND
• MICHAUD
• BOUYER
• MORIN
• MERCIER
• PETIT
• THOMAS
• BLANCHARD
• MASSE
• BONNEAU
• BONNIN
• SEGUIN
• GAILLARD
• VINET
• CAILLAUD
• MENARD
• BERTIN
• JEAN
• BOUCHET
• FAURE
• BESSON
• GAUTIER
• MARTINEAU
• GUILLON
• MOUNIER
• DUBOIS
• BRUNET
• ARNAUD
• BOUTIN
• TESSIER
• NAUD
• BONNET
• CHARRIER

🖉 Genealogy Sites in Charente-Maritime

Genealogy Circles and Associations in Charente-Maritime or Nearby

• Saintonge Genealogy Circle
• Aunis Genealogy Circle

Genealogy Blogs About Charente-Maritime

• Méli-mélo d’Afeux

Social Media Accounts to Follow

• Facebook: Charente-Maritime Departmental Archives – Charente-Maritime Genealogy (17)

Happy researching!

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