Everything I know about Quebec notary records, I learned from my friend, genealogist and author Sharon Callaghan.
Notary records are an incredible resource for researching your ancestors in Quebec, whether your folks were English or French-speaking, and these records are unique in North America.
Some of the notary records I have found about my ancestors include an 18-page estate inventory, a business partnership agreement, and marriage contracts.
The challenge is learning which notaries our ancestors hired and how to find their records in the enormous collection, and Sharon is the best person to explain how.
Notary records presentation
If you plan to be in Montreal next Tuesday, November 3, I highly recommend you get yourself to the Jewish Genealogical Society of Montreal’s meeting where Sharon will deliver her presentation, Quebec Notary Records – The What, Where and How of a Genealogical Treasure Trove.
This lecture addresses Quebec’s unique notary system, which has existed since the beginning of New France. Sharon will explain why these records can be so valuable in family history research, notaries having played a comprehensive role in ancestors’ day-to-day lives.
Also covered will be various methods of accessing their records, which can potentially open a gateway to an abundance of genealogical data.
The presentation begins at 7:30 p.m. in the Gelber Conference Centre at the Jewish Public Library, 5151 Côte Sainte-Catherine, Montreal. Everyone is welcome. Free admission. See the poster — Notary Records at the Jewish Genealogical Society of Montreal.
Sharon is the author of Paths of Opportunity, published by Shoreline Press, Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue, Quebec. The book portrays the Irish Montreal experience of one family who helped make Montreal what it is today. If your Irish ancestors lived in Montreal between 1840 and 1930, this book will help you gain a better understanding of how they lived.
