At home in France

[Watkins]

I've just discovered that many of the archives for the department in which I live here in France are available online. Among them are very detailed diaries which were required to be kept by the primary school teacher in every commune. Unfortunately as these are handwritten they are sometimes hard to read. However, one of the things they had to record was the number of foreigners living in the commune and I've found an entry for the nearest town to me which relates the story of a poor Danish woman, working as a domestic, who was dismisssed lest anyone mistake her for German.

If I can work out how to post links and if anybody is interested I'll post the link.

[gillchadwick]

Yes please!

[spof]

Most definitely.

[Watkins]

http://www.archives16.fr/arkotheque/consult_fonds/index.php?ref_fonds=2

I don't think I've done this right maybe someone can sort it for me.

Once you get to this start page you need to enter the name of a commune. Try "La Rochefoucauld" for starters.

I'll try to help with translation if I can.

Wow it works!

[Watkins]

http://www.archives16.fr/arkotheque/arkotheque_visionneuse_archives.php?arko=YTo0OntzOjQ6ImRhdGUiO3M6MTA6IjIwMTItMDktMTMiO3M6MTA6InR5cGVfZm9uZHMiO3M6MTE6ImFya29fc2VyaWVsIjtzOjQ6InJlZjEiO2k6MjtzOjQ6InJlZjIiO2k6NjQ0Mzt9

This letter from a teacher brought a tear to my eye. She tells how her pupils came upon a trainload of wounded and how, without any command, began to sing. Some of the wounded were hanging out the window to listen.