Although parish registers and vital records are valuable genealogical sources, beware of the errors they sometimes contain, as illustrated here, such as the following.
According to her death certificate, Marie Jouny, aged 77 on the 26th of June 1861, born in Brusvily, was the daughter of the late Pierre Bezard and Roberte Bardoult.
AD22 > Registres paroissiaux et d'état civil > Brusvily > Registres d'état civil de 1793 à 1922 > Lot 51, 1843-1869, décès
However, her birth certificate provides conflicting information, as it states that Marie Jouni, "born in Le creux on the 13th of June 1786", was the daughter of Philippe Jouni and Roberte Bardoul.
AD22 > Registres paroissiaux et d'état civil > Brusvily > Registres paroissiaux de 1696 à 1792 > Lot 3, 1766-1792, BMS > cote 5MI637
Two other conflicting pieces of information are worth noting:
- If Marie was born on the 13th of June 1786, she was not 77 but 75 when she died on the 27th of June 1861.
- The place of birth is different.
So, are the two Marie the same person? And if so, where was she born and who was her father?
The answers can be found in her marriage certificate.
AD22 > Registres paroissiaux et d'état civil > Brusvily > Registres d'état civil de 1793 à 1922 > Lot 26, 1793-1815, mariages
On the 26th of November 1811, Marie Jauny, "born at Le Creux in Brusvily" on the 30th of June 1786, living at Le Creux, daughter of Philippe Jauny and Roberte Bardoult, married Pierre Bezard, born on the 29th of June 1772. This record is a key document because :
- It solves the conflict between birthplaces by telling us that Le Creux is a village located in the municipality of Brusvily. The same place is therefore mentioned in the birth and death certificates;
- It clarifies Marie's parentage: her mother was Roberte Bardoult, mentioned in all three records, and her father was Philippe Jouni/Jauny, which is confirmed by the marriage certificate of Roberte and Philippe recorded in Brusvily on the 13th of February 1781;
AD22 > Registres paroissiaux et d'état civil > Brusvily > Registres paroissiaux de 1696 à 1792 > Lot 3, 1766-1792, BMS > cote 5MI637
- It also reveals the nature of the relationship between Marie and Pierre Bezard: Pierre was not Marie's father, but her husband. Pierre's death certificate provides the confirmation that Marie was his wife and Philippe Jouny his father-in-law.
AD22 > Registres paroissiaux et d'état civil > Brusvily > Registres d'état civil de 1793 à 1922 > Lot 48, 1793-1815, décès
BUT, according to her marriage certificate, Marie was born on the 30th of June, whereas she was born on the 13th of June according to her birth certificate! A further review of the birth register shows that the births recorded after that of Marie occurred on the 24th of June, then on the 15th of August. Therefore, she was not born on the 30th but on the 13th.
All these records related to Marie Jouny illustrate one of the golden rules of genealogy:
Never rely on a single source, or you are likely to make serious mistakes!
Comentarios