Selected records from Cathedral of St. Paul Parish Record Books, 1840-1857 (Minnesota Historical Society BA1.2/.S2C3). Description from the MHS site: "Photostatic copies of the registers of baptisms, marriages, deaths, and confirmations conducted by Catholic priests at St. Paul and at St. Peter's Church in Mendota, giving the names of settlers, 'half-breeds,' fur traders and their families, and Indians. Many of the entries—which are in French, Latin, and English—were made by Father Lucien Galtier. (Originals are in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis Archives.)" Records from the collection were selected for their connection to the Beauchemin, Boursier, Coursolle, Felix, Kilcool, LeClaire, Martin, Robinette, and/or Turpin families (see captions for individual images).

Some background - Priests who served at what would later become St. Peter's Catholic Church in Mendota, Minnesota include: Bishop Jean Matthias Loras (1839), Father Lucien Galtier (1840-1844), Father Augustin Ravoux (1844-1857), Father Anatole Oster (1857-1859), Father J. Claude Robert (1859-1866), Father Claude Genis (1866-1868), Father Patrick F. Glennon (1868-1877), Father Joseph Anthime Payetite (1877-1878), Father C. Arthur Sicazrd De Carufel (1878-1881), Father William P. Murray (1881), Father Constantine L. Egan, O.P. (1881-1883), Father Louis Cornelis (1883-1886), Father Thomas F. Duane (1886-1891). Father John Gmeiner (1891-1894), Father Martin Mahoney (1894-1902).

Bishop Loras, in 1839, journeyed from Dubuque to Mendota in what would later become Minnesota Territory to minister to the few Catholics who had recently settled in that vicinity. In 1840, Father Galtier was sent to Mendota, and in 1841, he built the first permanent Catholic church in the territory, the Chapel of St. Paul, from which the city takes its name. Father Augustine Ravoux, who succeeded Galtier late in 1841, built churches in Mendota and St. Anthony.

Some help with French vocabulary: n., naissance = birth, né, nee = born, baptisé = baptised, b, bapteme = baptism, m, mariage = marriage, acte de mariage = marriage certificate, ct; contrat de mariage = marriage contract, marié = married, groom, mariée = married, bride, d, deces = death, décédé = deceased, f., feu, feue = deceased, s., sepulture = buried, inhumé = buried, déclare = declare, trouve = find, assiste de = in the presence of, marchand de fourrures = fur trader, sauvage = Indian man, sauvagesse = Indian woman, la famille = family, un mari = husband, époux = husband, une femme = wife, épouse = wife, une veuve = widow, un veuf = widower, parents = parents, un père = father, une mère = mother, un parrain = godfather, une marraine = godmother, un frère = brother, une soeur = sister, enfant = child, enfants = children, un fils = son, une fille = daughter, fils aine = eldest son, fille ainee = eldest daughter, beau-fils = stepson, belle-fille = stepdaughter, beau-pere = father-in-law, belle-mere = mother-in-law, genre = son-in-law, bru = daughter-in-law, un grand-père = grandfather, une grand-mère = grandmother, un petit-fils = grandson, une petite-fille = granddaughter, un cousin = male cousin, une cousine = female cousin, un oncle = uncle, une tante = aunt, un neveu = nephew, une nièce = niece, mois = month, année = year, ans = years, agé de = years old, les mois de l'année = months of the year, janvier = January, février = February, mars = March, avril = April, mai = May, juin = June, juillet = July, août = August, septembre = September, octobre = October, novembre = November, décembre = December, les saisons = seasons, printemps = spring, été = summer, automne = autumn/fall, hiver = winter, les jours de la semaine = days of the week, lundi = Monday, mardi = Tuesday, mercredi = Wednesday, jeudi = Thursday, vendredi = Friday, samedi = Saturday, dimanche = Sunday, j'ai = I have, tu as = you have, il a = he has, elle a = she has, on a = it has, nous avons = we have, vous avez = you have, ils ont = they have, elles ont = they have, je suis = I am, tu es = you are, il est = he is, elle est = she is, on est = it is, nous sommes = we are, vous êtes = you are, ils sont = they are, elles sont = they are, à = to, at, in, après = after, avant = before, avec = with, chez = at the home/office of, among, dans = in, de = from, of, about, depuis = since, for, en = in, on, to, pendant = during, pour = for, sans = without, sur = on, vers = toward, 0 = zéro = zero, 1 = un = one, 2 = deux = two, 3 = trois = three, 4 = quatre = four, 5 = cinq = five, 6 = six = six, 7 = sept = seven, 8 = huit = eight, 9 = neuf = nine, 10 = dix = ten, 11 = onze = eleven, 12 = douze = twelve, 13 = treize = thirteen, 14 = quatorze = fourteen, 15 = quinze = fifteen, 16 = seize = sixteen, 17 = dix-sept = seventeen, 18 = dix-huit = eighteen, 19 = dix-neuf = nineteen, 20 = vingt = twenty, 30 = trente = thirty, 40 = quarante = forty, 50 = cinquante = fifty, 60 = soixante = sixty, 70 = soixante-dix = seventy, 80 = quatre-vingts = eighty, 90 = quatre-vingt-dix = ninety, 100 = cent - one hundred, 1,000 = mille = one thousand.

For more information on the families featured in these records, see http://familyimages.smugmug.com/gallery/3573564 or http://forefolk.homestead.com/AliceFrancesSheppard.html. To search for images by keyword, see http://familyimages.smugmug.com/keyword.