Communal records

The communal records are the Archives produced by the town hall and the municipal services, i.e. the documents of any nature compiled or only preserved for the administration of the common pursuant to the Législation and which are not more than one everyday usage. They also include/understand the files former to the establishment of the municipalities and which were entrusted to them.

Communal records in France

In France, the communes being very diverse sizes, with an also variable rural character, the communal records differ in the same proportion in volume and diversity from the funds. The deposits of Departmental records associated with the more comparable department S at least by their sizes, do not have such disparities.

The communal records thus indicate as well the bundles and registers which hold on some racks of an obscure part of small the Mairie of a commune of less than one hundred inhabitants that the contents of the vast municipal deposits managed by more the big cities. A simple typology can thus be done on the basis of means assigned by the commune to the conservation and management of its files, in particular in the plan of the personnel. In much communes, no personnel is exclusively affected with this mission, only the communes of some importance affecting a share of their budget to it by envisaging installations or constructions which the volume growing of the files requires. The most important cities organized with the wire of time a specific municipal service with specialized personnel ready to answer various waitings of the authorities, other municipal services and of course of the individuals who for administrative research or historical wish to consult the files.

Terminology question, it should be noted that in France the communal records are preserved and managed by the municipal Archives and not Communal records . With the beginning of XXIe S, more than 600 communes have a service of municipal Files. Is it legitimates to bring closer this figure to that of the 855 deposits of hotel-of-city declared in 1770 by the intendants in their reports/ratios submitted in province? If it is true that the cities or rather the communities of city were to manage titles, registers of deliberations, tax and different documents since centuries, the modern services, opened with the public, are not very comparable with these deposits worthy but reserved for the immediate administrative needs.

In 1790, continuity between the Parish and the common one allowed a natural transmission of the files former to the Revolution and the destruction and degradations saved to them which many departmental records knew as the files of the nation which did not have structures of conservation former to their legislative establishment.

A certain covering exists between the Communal records and the Departmental records : either because those preserve a second specimen, or because part of the Communal records for various reasons was transferred to the Departmental records. This is generally the case for the Cadastre, the civil statue, the Electoral rolls, etc

History of the communal records in France

With the law of September 20th 1792, the parochial registers hitherto held by the parochial clergy are entrusted to the mayor as well as the responsibility for the civil statue whose law establishes the methods. The mayors of the cities are charged of more than conservation of the files former to the Revolution.

Four decades pass without the management of the communal records particularly causing the benevolence of the government .

Then various circulars (June 16th 1842; August 25th 1857; November 20th 1879) give the first instructions (respect of the funds) for finally leading to a framework of classification valid for all the common Frenchwomen.

The law of April 5th 1884 encourages with the budget estimate for the management of the files. Later, the rural communes generally too stripped are invited to entrust their files to the Departmental records.

With the law of April 29th 1924, the prefect can order the deposit of it according to the report/ratio of the archivist-inspector.

To note, obligation made with the new municipalities control the files for which they have the responsibility during the new mandate (verification).

The law of December 21st 1970, of which the provisions make from now on left the Code of the inheritance, establishes the principle of the deposit to the Departmental records of the oldest files preserved by the communes of less than 2000 inhabitants.

Tally of classification of the Communal records

As for the Departmental records, the framework of classification subdivides on both sides year 1790, but this division is marked even: only the cities by their seniority have in theory (in addition to the files after 1790) of the files former to this date and this unit is identified and been characterized by a double capital (Series AA…).

In agreement with the regulation, each commune more or less adapts the framework of classification according to the diversity of its funds.

Tally of classification (1857): files former to 1790

This framework is the first with being in general force and it keeps the merit of simplicity, the following versions having preserved the initial structure.

Tally of classification (1857): files after 1790

  • Series a: Law S

  • Series b: Act S printed of the departmental administration
  • Series C: administrative Library
  • Series D: General administration of the commune
  • Series E: Civil statue
  • Series F: Statistical
  • Series G: Contributions; financial administration
  • Series H: military Businesses
  • Series I: Police force
  • Series K: Personnel, election S
  • Series L: Municipal Accounts Department and incomes
  • Series M: Monument S and public corporations
  • Series NR: Communal properties
  • Series O: Public works
  • Series P: Worship S
  • Series Q: Public assistance
  • Series R: State education; sciences; letters and arts
  • Series S: Various parts

Examples of funds of communal records

  • Deliberations of the municipal assembly (Series BB)

  • Capitation (Series DC)
  • Quartering (Series EE)
  • municipal Deliberations (series D)
  • Lists of names (census) (series F)
  • Land register (series G)
  • Electoral rolls (series K)

Conditions of consultation

According to the importance of the commune, it is necessary to be addressed to the town hall or the municipal Archives if they exist.

The first time, an inscription is required with presentation of an identity paper. That allows the compilation of statistics and a certain prevention of malevolent acts with regard to the documents.

The consultation is free. Under certain conditions, photocopies or photographs can be required with a share in the expenses. No exit of documents is possible.

The communication of the documents is done after the identification of a precise Cote in the various repertories presenting the contents of each preserved fund.

Various times defined by the legislation for the protection of the private life in particular, can prevent the communication: the not-communicable mention is usually indicated compared to the dimension concerned.

With the municipal Files or in certain town halls, of the microfilms or other media could be realized to avoid the handling and thus the degradation of the originals.

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