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What is a Repertoire?

French-Canadian Genealogy

Tim Firkowski

Wednesday, 24 September 2014

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When we think of the word "Repertoire" we may normally think of a musical composition, but in French-Canadian genealogy this has another meaning.

The English dictionary defines "repertoire" as a collection of works performed by an artist in his respective field. The English version of the word was taken from the French word "répertoire" which means the same thing or can be defined as an inventory or list, but has its origination from the Latin word "repertorium".

In French-Canadian genealogy research, a repertoire is a book that is a collection of the metrical records recorded by the parish. What you end up with is an advanced index of records from the church records, which includes pertinent information of a particular type of record. This is a secondary source and should never be used as proof of someone's lineage. You will need to use that information to find the original records.

The repertoires are created by volunteers transcribing the parish metrical records, then the transcriptions are checked and double checked for accuracy prior to publishing the data into a book.

How does this help in genealogical research as many records can be found online? Although it is true that many of the metrical records from Canada are available online, some records may have been indexed wrong, or are not indexed at all. If I am doing French-Canadian research, I prefer to be at the local French-Canadian research library in Manchester, NH "American-Canadian Genealogical Society", where I use the repertoire as an index to locate the records online. In general I have found DSC09109a

the transcriptions to be more accurate than those that have been indexed for online use. There is another plus to using the repertoire, since it is arranged by surname, you could easily locate a sibling's birth record on the same page, thus allowing for much more effective use of research time. (example in the image on the right) The library also has many more resources that can not be found online. If you have your computer with you, then using the available WiFi, you can use online resources at the same time to more effectively further your research.

There is no question that having documents available online makes genealogy research easier, but they are only one tool in a full toolbox that you must have to be successful in your research. You will be amazed at how much you can accomplish in your ancestral research when you take the time to visit your local French-Canadian research library. If you are not near a repository with the necessary resources, consider This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to expedite solving your mysteries.

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About the author

Tim Firkowski

I have been doing genealogy research since 2002 & have worked full time as a Professional Genealogist since 2008. I specialize in Polish and American-Canadian Genealogy. As a member of APG, I was the 2010/2011 President of the New England Chapter of the Association of Professional Genealogists (NEAPG). I have Certificates of Completion for studies in "Foundations of Forensic Genealogy" and "Advanced Forensic Genealogy Techniques". I have been a volunteer librarian at the local Family History Center, and a genealogy research consultant at “Ask the Expert” Ancestry Road Shows. I have traveled to Poland numerous times & researched in churches and archives. At conferences and special events, you may find me dressed up in my Sherlock Holmes outfit, or my Kujawy (the folk costume from the region in Poland where my ancestors came from).