How can I trace my ancestors?

Yes, I offer a family tree whose shape and design can be customised according to the client's expectations.

Several options are available to you:

• The ancestry of women (cognatic), men (agnatic), or both, thus a complete research.
• The descendants of an ancestor, male or female, who died before the 20th century.

--> An extension to the collateral branches (brothers, sisters, uncles, aunts) for a more comprehensive view.

--> If you have already started your family tree and need help, I will assist you in your research.

Yes, absolutely! I am tracing the journey of your ancestor.

I rely on archival documents that cover the entirety of his life. Beyond significant events such as his birth, marriage, and death, I strive to highlight the impact of his relationships, his family environment, his childhood, his commitments, and his life as a couple. To achieve this, I utilise a variety of sources, including old newspaper articles, population registers, military records, as well as notarial and land archives.

I ensure that the presentation meets your expectations. That is why I am including photographs, a timeline, and anecdotes that will enrich this biography.

Yes, I have a thorough understanding of the resources regarding land archives, both in Belgium and France. I have traced the history of a house from 1780 to the present day and I have also studied the urban development of a neighbourhood in Anderlecht since its inception.

From its construction to its renovation, through its various owners, we trace its past to better understand the environment of the people who lived there. We can track the movements of your ancestors through the different municipalities where they lived, by studying the composition of their household at each stage.

Thanks to newspaper archives, it is sometimes possible to find articles mentioning your ancestors in national, regional, or specialised newspapers. Whether it is a news item, an announcement, a feat, or a significant event, these discoveries add a new dimension to your family history.

A wedding announced that never took place, an act of bravery, an ancestor accused of theft, a road accident, a business highlighted, a political or community commitment, get ready to be surprised by what the press of yesteryear can reveal about your ancestors!

Yes, I also offer this service.

Also known as odonymy, this science allows for tracking the changes in the name of a street.

I also propose to track the chronicles of its evolution. It is sometimes important to visualise the urbanisation of a street in order to understand the changes over the centuries. Numerous tools such as maps, land registries, almanacs, and the press can teach us more about the type of neighbourhood, the successive businesses, the news items, and anecdotes that may have affected our ancestors.

Absolutely!

The works of Chérin, Hozier, the Dossiers bleus, and the directories of the nobility are valuable resources for validating and documenting the nobility of your lineage: origin of the title, coat of arms, and noble genealogy.

Over the centuries, particularly before the French Revolution, nobles had to have their nobility confirmed by genealogists, which allowed them to access certain privileges, such as entry into prestigious schools, high military positions, as well as social and tax advantages.

In these cases, a thorough study of the noble family was conducted over several centuries. This study included family trees, the reasons for ennoblement, military deeds, as well as the merits of the main members of the noble branch.

Are you interested? I will take care of exploring these different sources to reveal the history of your noble family.

Yes, I propose this type of research.

Belgium is a country that has been the scene of numerous waves of migration throughout its history.

This research aims to gather all available data concerning the individual who emigrated. The archives of the foreign police constitute an invaluable resource, as they contain over 2 million files.

A thorough examination of your ancestor's journey in Belgium will provide you with a new understanding of their path. The report will be accompanied by documents from the police report (photograph, documents, criminal record, place of residence in the country, etc).

It is relevant to call upon a genealogist in this case since reconstructing the epistolary correspondences requires time and patience, as it is not always easy to decipher ancient writings.

I therefore propose to do it for you by identifying the individuals through the archives in order to connect the narratives of the letters with the main outlines of the protagonists' lives.

This research highlights family and friendship relationships, revealing past friendships, tensions, or love stories. Through the addresses, it is possible to trace movements, travels, and to place these correspondences in their historical context, whether they relate to wars, exiles, or migrations.

In some cases, these documents allow for the identification of family members who could not have been found solely through official records. They also bear witness to emotions and significant events, thus enriching the family history with valuable anecdotes.

After taking your genetic test, you may not know how to make the most of the results, particularly the "DNA matches" feature.

I offer my services to assist you in identifying your distant cousins.

Indeed, each person receives on average 50% of their genes from their parents, 25% from their grandparents, 12.5% from their great-grandparents, and so on. This means that it is possible, thanks to the test results, to identify distant cousins who share DNA segments with you.

The first step is to build your family tree. Upon request, I can help you create an ascending family tree. Once you have a good overview of your tree spanning at least 4 to 5 generations, you can use the results of your DNA matches to find your genetic cousins.

The aim will be to reconstruct the family tree of your genetic cousin until identifying the common ancestor that connects you.

What is it for?

This allows you to scientifically prove the authenticity of your family tree, while discovering distant or unknown cousins with whom you can, if you wish, get in touch.

It all depends on the location but also on the type of documents.

If the Lateran Council mandated the keeping of baptism and marriage registers by priests as early as 1215, the oldest register discovered in France is that of the parish of Givry (71), which records marriages from 1336 to 1357 and burials from 1334 to 1348.

In Brussels, the first recorded parish document is a burial dating from 1406 in the parish of Saint Géry. However, to discover the oldest baptisms in Belgium, one must refer to the parish of Saint Gudule, where records have existed since 1565, while the first marriages were registered there as early as 1482.

It was not until Francis I and the Ordinance of Villers-Cotterêts in 1539 that the keeping of baptismal registers became mandatory, and that French was established as the official language. This requirement would be extended to marriages and burials in 1579 thanks to the Ordinance of Blois.

In conclusion, it becomes feasible to trace our ancestors from the 16th century, a time when records became numerous in France and Belgium, provided that these documents have been preserved, which is not systematically guaranteed.

In the event of gaps or absence of parish registers, it is possible to broaden and enrich research through notarial acts. Unlike parish registers, these documents are drafted by notaries and have indisputable legal value. They include marriage contracts, wills, sales, inventories of goods, donations, and various other documents that have existed in Europe since the 12th to 13th century. They appeared in the south of France through neighbouring countries and Provençal ports, where commercial exchanges required legal traceability of goods. Just like parish registers, it was only from the 15th and 16th centuries that notarial acts developed.

Although it is often relatively easy to locate old documents, obtaining recent documents can prove more complicated. Indeed, communication deadlines are established to protect individuals' sensitive data and ensure their privacy.

These timeframes vary depending on the type of document and the countries involved.

Remarks: The deadlines in Belgium are defined by the law of 13 September 2023, amended by the royal decree of 11 November 2024. In France, these deadlines are governed by the Heritage Code, while in Italy, they stem from the Code of Cultural Heritage and Landscape. It should be noted that these deadlines may fluctuate according to the legislation in force in the relevant country, and that the table above may no longer be up to date in this context.

To consult a notarial deed dated less than 100 years ago in Belgium, it is necessary to obtain the authorisation of a notary on behalf of an heir or a beneficiary. In practice, notaries must deposit their minutes and registers with the State Archives when they exceed 75 years. Documents older than 50 years but less than 75 years can also be submitted by notaries.

Initially, a contact is necessary, by phone, by email or in person in Brussels, in order to discuss your project. This meeting allows me to gather the essential information to carry out a preliminary study, which will determine the feasibility of your research as well as the minimum number of hours required for its completion.

• If the preliminary study is not conclusive, I will inform you of the reasons and any potential obstacles encountered.
• If it is conclusive, I will send you a detailed quote, specifying the nature of the research to be carried out and an estimate of the time required. This quote is accompanied by the following documents:
• • A deposit invoice (30% of the total amount), the payment of which is essential to begin the research.
  • The General Terms and Conditions of Sale (GTCS), specifying the terms of service, payment conditions, deadlines, and any possible cancellations.
  • A search mandate, authorising me to carry out the procedures on your behalf.

All of these documents must be completed and returned for the research to commence.

What is the response time after the initial contact?

After the preliminary study, I commit to sending you, within 7 working days, all the documents to be signed, including the quote, the deposit invoice, the General Terms and Conditions of Sale (GTCS), and the search mandate.

What are the obligations of a genealogist?

It is essential to remember that the genealogist is subject to an obligation of means and not of results. Genealogical work depends entirely on the available sources, and it is therefore not guaranteed 100% that all the sought-after information can be found. Some archival documents may be missing, inaccessible, or incomplete, which can influence the results.

However, I am committed to conducting my research with rigor and methodology, making the best use of the available resources. If certain information cannot be obtained, I will clearly indicate this in my report, specifying the reasons for this impossibility, in order to ensure complete transparency with the client.

What is the completion time?

When sending the quote, I will provide you with an estimate of the completion time, which may vary depending on the type of research and the availability of the archives. Some archive repositories have variable hours, so these constraints may affect the timelines.

In any case, I commit to keeping you informed of the progress of the research, as well as any unforeseen circumstances that may impact the submission date of the study.

The format of the report depends on the type of study conducted:

• Family genealogy research: A sourced family tree is provided in Gedcom format. Upon request, I can also send digital copies of the sources accompanying the tree.
• Biographical, land, historical, press research: A complete and detailed report is provided in PDF format. Upon request and optionally, it can be printed, bound, and sent by post.
• Noble ancestor research: A family tree accompanies a detailed report. The tree is provided in Gedcom format, and the report in PDF, with printing and postal delivery options available.
• DNA Correspondence: A family tree accompanies a detailed report, all presented in a binder. The tree is provided in Gedcom format and included in the report in PDF, with the shipping cost mentioned in the quote.
• Postal and odonymic survey (street): Detailed chronology presented in a binder and in PDF format with article transcription. The cost of the dispatch is specified at the time of the quote.

📌 Clarifications on the content of research files:

• Each document is sourced with references from the archives and the classifications, ensuring the reliability and traceability of the research.
• The report format includes particularly striking archive excerpts that you can share with your loved ones.

To begin with, the birth, marriage, and death certificates of your oldest ancestors can help me identify the early members of your family tree.

Family books, family trees, and other family documents are excellent sources for obtaining basic information.

Family correspondences, as well as career and military records, may also contain valuable information about your family.

The cancellation period for an order is 14 days from the day of signing the contract or, if this period normally expires on a Saturday, Sunday, or a public holiday or non-working day, the first working day following.

A cancellation voucher is provided with the contract.

The search for grandparents and great-grandparents can be completed in a few weeks, whereas a complete family tree covering 6 to 8 generations may require several months of work.

This largely depends on access to documents, the depth of the investigation, as well as any unforeseen circumstances that may arise.

It happens that information regarding parents is not present in all documents, or that individuals have moved, which complicates the search. In this case, the genealogist must adapt their method and explore new avenues to trace the ancestors.

It is possible, in some cases, that travel may be considered in order to make progress in the research. Not all documents are available on the Internet and may be found in repositories elsewhere in Belgium or in other countries.

When a visit is necessary to obtain information about your ancestors, I will inform you by phone or email of the reasons for the visit and the associated additional charge. Then, I will leave you the choice of whether to proceed with this visit or not.