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From: (RossignolP)
Subject: Re: Language Barriers
Date: 12 Oct 2003 06:53:56 GMT
References: <vnqpkl21shhj57@corp.supernews.com>


Bonjour
1) You could learn french and spanish
2) You could contact universities and/or college for a professor of forein
language
3) You could contact a consul or embassy.
Films of "état-civil" and parishes registers are available at LDS
About translation remember that it is often hard to translate because a word in
a language has not exactly the same meaning in an other language
e.g. in english plantation and in french habitation. Habitation is a plantation
with all ressources : slaves, house, equipment etc.
It is also useful to know the laws e.g. In french colonies it was forbidden to
get the name of the master.
Bon courage
Philippe Rossignol
http://www.GHCaraibe.org

Dans l'article <>, "Monifa"
<>a écrit :

>'m a hands-on type of researcher and I really enjoy doing the digging for
>my family information myself. However, the language barriers in the Spanish
>and French islands are frustrating... Other than the information I was given
>by my family members, I have not been able to move past that. Second hand
>information is really helpful so you have some idea where to begin searching
>records (I.e., my cousin searching records in St. Barts). But I NEED to see
>that information for myself. I have conflicting dates from my two different
>sources who claim to have gotten their information from the same place - St.
>Barts Catholic Church. I would love to sit in a church in St. Barts or
>their library and go through microfiche copies of church records, go through
>cemeteries, etc. However, I don't see a trip to St. Barts in the near
>future. I'm getting so frustrated that I'm considering checking the prices
>for someone to do it for me over there (it might be cheaper than me actually
>flying there, accommodations, etc.) Note that the French Antilles don't
>have much available online. But then again, that's someone doing it again
>FOR me! :-( But if it's a professional, at least I can count on him/her
>finding accurate information, and if that person comes up with similar dates
>for the two different sets of information I have on the same family, at
>least I know what set is "more likely" correct.
>
>Now in Puerto Rico, the island is so large that my families names which are
>very, very common, it's like searching for a needle in a haystack. Puerto
>Rico might be easier to search since it's closer in physical difference and
>I can find cheap flights, cheap accommodations but the French islands are
>another story.
>
>What are you guy's opinion on this? Has anyone "overcame" the language
>barrier? How?
>
>Monie
>St. Thomas
>


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