• Archdiocese of New Orleans Sacramental Records
• Diocese of Baton Rouge Catholic Church Records
• South Louisiana Records (Father Donald Hebert, ed.)
• Southwest Louisiana Records (Father Donald Hebert, ed.).
The SLR and SWLR sets, by Father Donald Hebert, are particularly important to Cajuns since they
cover much of Acadiana.
Many of the census records have been put into book form, though you will still probably
have to consult microfilm census records. Louisiana censuses from 1810 to 1870 are in book form.
Also, many parishes have better, printed versions of their census records. Remember to check out the
Soundex microfilm.
Besides the books, genealogical periodicals have tons of information on this period. Check
with the Acadian-Cajun Genealogical Periodical Article Index (Tim Hebert, 1990) to see what is
available. Other sources for this period include cemeteries (though a lot of headstones are faint or
absent), courthouses, and military records.
Ch 5 – Research: 1786 to 1809
It is in this time period that the Acadians finished moving around and settled down. Few
Acadians are known to have arrived in Louisiana in this period. The Acadians are starting to mix with
the other nationalities and are getting settled in their new home.
Resources for this period include church records, censuses, land records, military records,
courthouse/civil records, and genealogical books/periodicals. The mulit-volume church record books
mentioned above also include this period. Though not a state, censuses were taken occasionally. A
couple of books by Albert Robichaux (Louisiana Census and Militia Lists, 1770-1789; Colonial
Settlers Along Bayou Lafourche, 1770-1798) contain a number of censuses in eastern Acadiana.
Since this is shortly after the Acadians arrived, before Louisiana was a state, and so long ago, the
records for this period are harder to find and are more likely to have been lost, burned, etc.
Ch 6 – Research: 1755 to 1785
This is the period of the great deportation. The deportation started in 1755 and lasted about
eight years. Between 1755 and 1785, the Acadians were nomads ... looking for a place to settle. The
year 1785 marks the last surge of Acadian immigration, when seven ships delivered over 1500
Acadians to Louisiana.
In this period, Acadians could be found in the American colonies, England, the French
colonies, and France. In the American colonies, extant census data can be found in the Reider’s The
Acadian Exiles in the American Colonies, 1755-1768. Albert Robichaux compiled a number of
church records and lists of Acadians in England and France. These works include: The Acadians in
France (3 volumes), The Acadian Exiles in Nantes, The Acadian Exiles in St. Malo, and The
Acadian Exiles in Chatellerault.
This period marks the primary set of passenger lists pertinent to the Acadians. The
passenger ships of seven ships that brought over 1500 Acadians from France to Louisiana are available
in books by three different authors. It is also available online at acadian-cajun.com
<http://www.acadian-cajun/7ships.htm>.
For Acadians in the French colonies, the best single source is Father Donald Hebert’s
Acadians in Exile. It contains church records, lists, maps, and more. For Acadians in Louisiana at
this time, check the same material mentioned in the Ch 5 time period. For Acadians in Canada, you
would consult the church records and census data in Quebec, northeastern New Brunswick, and other
areas populated by large numbers of Acadians.
Ch 7 – Research: 1636 to 1754
This could be called the true Acadian period. The first permanent settlers began landing
in Acadia in the 1630s. These French settlers inhabited the land called Acadia until 1755-1763, at
which time the British expelled them. It is very difficult to get further back than these first settlers,
though it can be done for a few cases.
Though it was a long time ago, some records have survived. Many others, however,
have been lost or destroyed. So a full account cannot be found. The major sources of information
are church records and censuses. All of the surviving church records are in print. There are five
volumes of Acadian Church Records, and the 1707-1748 Grand Pre records are in the first
volume of the Baton Rouge Diocese works. The censuses can be found in print, on microfilm, and
on the internet.
Previous genealogists have done a bit of work on this time period, and you can find
compiled works that try to assemble many of the Acadian families. The major works to consult
are Stephen White’s Dictionnaire (to be published in 1999?), Bona Arsenault’s 6 volume Histoire
et Genealogie des Acadiens, Adrien Bergeron’s 8 volume Le grand réarrangement des
Acadiens, and Janet Jehn’s Acadian Descendants series. Please remember that all of these
compiled works have their share of errors. Mr. White’s long anticipated work should be the most
accurate reference once it is produced.
It is also noteworthy to point out that many names in south Louisiana and Canada,
considered to be Acadian or Cajun, are actually of other origins. You may find that you have to
look into other areas. In Louisiana, for example, you may have to look at the genealogy of the
French, French-Canadians, German, Spanish, etc. nationalities for branches of your family tree.
Ch 8 – Putting It All Together
You will always have some ancestors that you can't find information on ... that's the
way it is. Records have been lost (or never made), so it is inevitable. But there are answers out
there. You might look for someone for years, and all of a sudden come upon what you're looking
for in a source you never saw before. It helps if you keep a list of those ancestors that you're stuck
on.
When you are ready to put it all together, I'd suggest putting it on computer. Today's
computer programs allow you to manipulate the data quite easily. Most programs allow you to
print reports, charts, etc., making it easy to share and analyze data … and perhaps even create your
own book. Some, such as Family Tree Maker and Family Origins, will create web pages from the
data.
Ch 9 – Acadian-Cajun Genealogy Online
If you had to pick a portal to guide you into the online world of Acadian-Cajun Genealogy, you
would probably head for Acadian-Cajun Genealogy & History <http://www.acadiancajun.com>. Some of its major sections are on Acadian history & genealogy, Cajun history &
genealogy, a query page, and links to all other important Acadian-Cajun websites.