The late 19th and early 20th centuries brought French Canadian families from Quebec, often to work in Connecticut’s textile factories. While these families are well studied in Maine, Rhode Island,and elsewhere, their presence in Connecticut is less well known. If your ancestors were part of that migration, what resources exist to help you trace them?
Societies:
https://www.fcgsc.org/: French Canadian Genealogical Society of Connecticut “is dedicated to collecting, preserving and disseminating genealogical and historical information about our ancestors who settled in Quebec and Acadia and their descendants.”
The local historical society: Because so many families were involved in the textile mills, the historical society might have records of employment, photos, and more.
Online Archives:
https://francoamericandigitalarchives.org/overview: The Franco-American Digital Archives “addresses the need for online access to Franco-American cultural history by: locating and identifying archival materials that concern French-Canadian, Québécois(e), and Acadian diaspora communities in the US Northeast–wherever these materials have been collected around the world; bringing together information about these collections and their contents in an organized, searchable, and culturally conscientious way; and making accessible these collections and their contents by directing the public toward their digital presence and the institutions that collect and preserve them.”
Connecticut Digital Archive: The CDA hosts a number of related records, including oral history interviews.
Key Records:
Catholic churches: Most of the French-Canadian families were Catholic, so church records can provide a valuable resource in tracing families that were often very mobile and may not appear in property records.
Work of Other Researchers:
Julianne Mangin, “From Quebec to Connecticut,” Julianne Mangin: Writer, Researcher, Family Historian, 27 March 2018 (https://juliannemangin.com/2018/03/27/from-quebec-to-connecticut/). This blog post discusses the movement of her family from Quebec to Connecticut.
Richard C. Malley, “French-Canadians in Thompsonville,” Inside the CHS, 2 May 2013 (https://manuscripts.wordpress.com/2013/05/02/french-canadians-in-thompsonville/). This blog post covers the writer’s personal ties to Thompsonville as well as a new item acquired by what was at the time the Connecticut Historical Society.
“August 2016 Update: A Brief History of French Canadian Migration to New England,” Our Greene and Miranda Branches, 21 August 2016 (https://greeneandmiranda.wordpress.com/2016/08/21/latest-update-a-brief-history-of-french-canadian-migration-to-new-england/). This blog post outlines an ancestor’s migration from Quebec to Wauregan (Plainfield), CT.
Updated: 8 February 2026.
Connecticut Roots by Charter Oak Genealogy 