Le Breton

Le Breton family page

Flora Le Breton

Record Search

Direct links to lists of baptisms, marriages and burials for the Le Breton family can be found under Family Records opposite. If you want to search for records for a spelling variant of Le Breton, or for any other family name, just click below on the first letter of the
family name you are interested in. This will open a new tab in your browser giving you a list of family names beginning with that letter,
for which there are baptism records in our database of half a million church and public registry records.

You can also select marriages or burials. Select the name you want
and when the list of records is displayed you can easily refine the search, choosing a single parish, given name(s) and/or start and end dates.

The records are displayed 30 to a page, but by selecting the yellow Wiki Table option at the top left of the page you can open a full, scrollable list. This list will either be displayed in a new tab or a pop-up window. You may have to edit the settings of your browser to allow pop-up windows for www.jerripediabmd.net. For the small number of family names for which a search generates more than 1,500 records you will have to refine your search (perhaps using start or end dates) to reduce the number of records found.

New records

From August 2020 we have started adding records from non-Anglican churches, and this process will continue as more records, held by Jersey Archive, are digitised and indexed. Our database now includes buttons enabling a search within registers of Roman Catholic, Methodist and other non-conformist churches. These records will automatically appear within the results of any search made from this page.

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If you can help with information about the Le Breton family, please contact editorial@jerripedia.org, using Jerripedia as the subject of your email. We are particularly interested in information which will help create further family trees, family histories and photographs

A blue link anywhere in the text will lead you to another page with more information on this family

1981 stamp

Origin of Surname

Did the earliest Le Bretons come to Jersey from Brittany or England?

The logical assumption is that they were Bretons from Brittany, but Le Bret, or Le Brit, is also thought to indicate that someone in post-1066 England was born there, rather than having come from Normandy with William the Conqueror.

The descendancy below, thought by some genealogists to be feasible and by others to be highly fanciful, suggests that the lineage of Jersey's early Le Bretons can be traced back through England, and thence to the Dukes of Brittany, but it is probably more likely that they were descended from an official, who happened to be a Breton, appointed by the Abbott of Mont St Michel to oversee and manage his Jersey seigneurie of Noirmont.

It is possible that both versions are true, and that there were more than one unconnected Le Bretons in Jersey in pre-medieval times. Payne, in his Armorial, sides with the French connection, but throws in the possibility that there are stronger Norman links.

Payne's Armorial of Jersey

It is supposed that this family is derived from Brittany, although the arms borne by it differ but slightly from those of Le Breton, of Normandy. One of its early members is reputed to have given to the parish church of St Brelade its service of communion plate. In 1283 Philip Le Breton, l'homme du Mont St Michel, held the franc-fief of Noirmont, the fief es Guarauz, and the fief Burnouff. In 1370 William Le Breton was a Jurat of the Royal Court.

Bailiff Thomas Le Breton, born 1791

Bailiff Thomas Le Breton, born 1763

The family formerly possessed much land in the parish of St Clement. It has given to the Island three Deans and two Baillies. Of the former, the Very Rev Thomas Le Breton was Rector of St Mary and Dean of Jersey in 1714; the Very Rev Francis Le Breton, Rector of St Saviour and Dean in 1775; and the Very Rev William Corbet Le Breton, who at present holds the two last-named preferments.

Of the latter, Sir Thomas Le Breton, was the eldest son of Dean Francis Le Breton, and was born in 1763. He received his early education at Winchester College, whence he removed to Pembroke College, Oxford, and while there obtained the Chancellor's prize. He was elected a Fellow in 1786, but declining to take orders, returned to Jersey to prosecute his studies for the insular bar. In 1799 he was sworn an Advocate of the Royal Court, where he soon became eminent. He was appointed Attorney-General of the Island in 1802, and Lieutenant-Bailly to Lord Carteret in 1816. In 1824 he was deputed by the States of Jersey of Jersey to plead the cause of the Islanders before the English Government in resistance of the encroachments of the French on the local oyster fishing limits

On this occasion, Mr Le Breton had conferred on him the honour of knighthood. On the death of Lord Carteret in 1826, the patronage of the office of Bailly, long held by his family in hereditary succession, reverted to the Crown, and Sir Thomas succeeded to the vacant chair. He died in 1838. His portrait, by Sir Thomas Lawrence, is in the possession of the family, and has been engraved.

His eldest son, also named Thomas, was for many years Attorney-General, and afterwards Bailly of the Island. He was born in 1790, and studied jurisprudence at Caen, in Normandy; and whilst there was presented to Napoleon I on the occasion of the Emperor visiting that city. Subsequently, he became a member of the Jersey bar, Vice-Consul for France in Jersey, and a Receiver of the King's dues in the Island. He had, before this, entered the St Hclier Battalion of the Militia, in which he rose to the command in 1820; and on the auspicious visit of her Majesty to the Island in September, 1846, the whole of the insular troops being under the command of Colonel Le Breton, Her Majesty conferred on him the honour of knighthood.

In July 1848 Sir Thomas succeeded the late Sir John De Veulle as Bailly of Jersey, a post which he held until his death in November 1857.

Arms (as borne by Philip-Hemery Le Breton, : Azure, two chevronels, or; a mullet for difference. Impaling: Argent, an oak-tree, ppr. ; on a chief, gules, three mullets of the field, for Aikin. Crest : A rose, gules, slipped and leaved, vert.

Variants

• Le Breton 1291
• Le Bretton, 1287
• Les Bretaus 1331
• Le Bretoun 1309
• Le Bretun 1286
• Le Britun 1274
• dictus Brito, 1270
• Brito 1236-7
• Le Bret
• Le Brit

Family records

Family trees

Although much of the efforts of Le Breton researchers have been devoted to attempting to connect all family descendancies to a common ancestor, they have not succeeded. There are a number of trees below which are not linked, and even a suggestion that the Le Bretons came to Jersey via England. That is perhaps unlikely, but it is by no means unlikely that different people settled in Jersey around the same time, and having come from nearby Brittany in France, in an era when family names were by no means in universal use, they were simply called Le Breton, to indicate their origins. However, the appearance of the same given names at the top of many of the trees suggests the opposite. We have revised our Master Tree to take it back several generations, with the caveat that there are no records to prove the descendancy, which includes at least two generations for which no names are known.

• Herbert Le Breton: 12th-17th centuries: Master tree

These four trees are referred to in a major history of the Le Breton family and are linked from the Master tree

• Branch A - Ambroise Le Breton: 15th-20th centuries: Includes Lillie Langtry
• Branch B - Servais Le Breton: 15th-20th centuries
• Branch C - Jean Le Breton: 16th-19th centuries
• Branch D - Raoulin Le Breton: 15th-17th centuries

• Ambrois Le Breton: 16th-19th centuries
• Ambrois Le Breton 2: 16th-20th centuries
• Pierres Le Breton: 15th-16th centuries
• Edouard Le Breton: 18th-20th centuries

• Burnulf Poingdestre: 12th-17th centuries: Tree linking 12th century Poingdestre family to Le Breton family
• Eudes de Bretagne: 10th-15th centuries: A perhaps somewhat fanciful tree which is said to trace the ancestry of the Le Bretons before they arrived in Jersey

Family documents

• Partage of Servais Le Breton's héritage‎

Church records

Tips for using these links

• Le Breton baptisms in Jersey
• Le Breton marriages in Jersey (groom)
• Le Breton marriages in Jersey (bride)
• Le Breton burials in Jersey

Motor sport enthusiast Denis Le Breton in 1978

Family histories and biographies

• The Rev J A Messervy's history of the Le Breton family
• Le Breton emigrants to New Zealand
• Le Bretons of St Brelade and Trinity
• A history of the Le Breton family
• Francois Le Breton, Dean
• Dean Thomas Le Breton
• Thomas Le Breton, Bailiff
• Thomas Le Breton Jnr, Bailiff
• William Corbet Le Breton, Dean
• Lillie Langtry, actress and socialite, daughter of William Corbet Le Breton
• John Le Breton, Canadian Army officer, farmer and litigant

Great War service

• Le Breton family members who served in World War 1
• Presentation to Regimental Sergeant Major Jack Le Breton, DCM, at the Town Hall

Family wills

• Le Breton family wills from 1663 to 1980 held by Jersey Archive

Burial records

• Le Breton burial records 1820-1978

Family properties

• Rock Vale, Trinity
• Mayfield, Trinity
• Les Ifs, Trinity
• La Hague Manor, St Peter
• Beechfield, Trinity
• Beau Vallon, St Saviour

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  In 1789 Mr Le Breton of St Saviour announced in the Gazette de l'Ile de Jersey the sale of land at Val de La Mare, St Peter
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  An auction sale of Francois Le Breton's house contents was advertised in Chronique de Jersey in 1840. Mr Le Breton, who was leaving the island, lived at 13, Terrace; probably the Grosvenor Street terrace of grand houses

Family businesses

• Thomas Le Breton and son Thomas were master paperhangers at 4 Halkett Place in the 1840s and '50s

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  George Le Breton, stables and carriage hire in Seaton Place
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  In this 1874 advert in Chronique de Jersey, George Le Breton announced the continuation of his horse grooming services
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  1874
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  A Le Breton ran the Victoria Baths in 1873
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  1887 advert from L'Almanach de la Gazette de Jersey
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  1866
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  Philip Elie Le Breton, Burrard Street tailors
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  Philip Elie Le Breton, Burrard Street tailors
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  In 1840 Thomas Le Breton, of 1 Morier Lane (Now incorporated in Halkett Place announced a reduction in price of wallpapers from Paris in Chronique de Jersey
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  In this 1870 advert in Chronique de Jersey George Le Breton announced that he had taken over the Town Battalion Inn at 26 Seaton Place from Mrs Coutanche
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  Mathieu Le Breton advertised the sale of the cutters Mock and Tartar in 1815

Arms

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  Pre-1500 coat of arms as researched by Julian Wilson
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  19th century Le Breton arms impaling Bisson. The Le Breton whose arms these were, had a Bisson wife

Family album

Flora Le Breton (1899–1951) was an English silent film actress from Croydon. She was a dainty blonde with dark blue eyes. She was known as the British Mary Pickford. Despite her name it appears that she had no connections to the Le Breton family in Jersey. Her father was also born in England, the son of a Frenchman

Le Breton grocery shop in Hue Street in the 1920s

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  Philip Le Breton, shoemaker
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  Clement Le Breton
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  Mary Ann Le Breton
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  Mrs Corbet Le Breton
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  Mrs Corbet Le Breton
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  Trevor Le Breton
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  Mrs Corbet Le Breton
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  Le Breton family at 9 Ann Street in 1930
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  Clifford Le Breton, 1944
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  Ethel Le Breton
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  Clifford Edgar Le Breton
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  H Le Breton
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  Clarry Le Breton of St Mary
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  Clarry Le Breton of St Mary
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  Thomas and Margaret Le Breton and family in Utah
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  Thomas and Margaret Le Breton, nee Honeycombe, in Utah in 1920
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  Thomas Edwin Le Breton, 1884
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  Thomas Edwin Le Breton (1870-19470 in Utah in 1888
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  Thomas Edwin Le Breton, 1892
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  Ernest John Le Breton (1892-1972), born in Jersey, the son of Charles John (1857-1933) and Elise Esther, nee Dolbel (1857-1937), and Lylia Le Maistre (1889-1967) whom he married in 1918. They emigrated to the USA in 1920 and had four children
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  This postcard has us defeated. The occupants of Le Carrefour, Millais, were Thomas and Mary Le Cornu, who were both aged 62 in 1901, and had a son Thomas, 33. We have been unable to trace a relative called Ada, nor any marriage to a Breton or Le Breton
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  Motorcycle trials rider Brian Le Breton in the early 1960s
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  Everard and Eva Le Breton, nee Bisson, with Everard Jnr and Lucy
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  Everard Le Breton, aged two, in 1915

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  Evening Post photograph of motor cycle triallist Brian Le Breton in 1952
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  Everard Le Breton in 1933

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  Everard Le Breton on his bicycle
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  Jack Le Breton
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  Jack Le Breton
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  Louisa Mary Ann Le Breton
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  Everard Le Breton driving a Bullnose Morris in 1933
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  Brothers Bernard and Dennis Le Breton
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  Eunice Le Breton, nee Mollet, with her mother Barbara, nee Bouchere
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  Alice Ann Elizabeth Le Breton (1863-1907)
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  Amelia Elizabeth Banks, nee Le Breton, Ernest Guibal Banks, Norah Violet Burt and Arthur Vivian Banks
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  Amelia Elizabeth Le Breton and Nancy Monica Banks
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  Amelia Elizabeth Le Breton (1864-1947)
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  Walter Ernest Marett and Alice Maud Mary, nee Le Breton, Walter George, Alfred, Lionel and Islay
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  Eliza Abbe Blee, nee Le Breton
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  Francois Le Breton (1795-1880)
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  Francois Le Breton
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  Mary Ann Pelagie Le Breton (1856-1922)
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  Ethel Mary Le Breton (1872-1933)
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  Ellen Tank, nee Le Breton) (1864-1967)
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  Leontine Louisa Grouvel, nee Le Breton (1863-1932)
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  Louisa Anne Le Breton (1904- )
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  Philip Elie Le Breton (1865-1947)
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  Philip Elie Le Breton, Burrard Street tailors
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  Philip Elie Le Breton, Burrard Street tailors
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  Philip Le Breton, shoemaker
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  Thomas Edward Le Breton at the Mormon Temple in Utah, 1892
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  An application in 1940 by Francis Nicolle Le Breton to defer his call-up so that he could continue to work on his father's farm. It succeeded

Le Breton family outing in 1926. See grocery shop photograph above

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  A photo of Charles Le Breton in 1940 ...
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  ... sent to his uncle and aunt from somewhere in France

Occupation curfew cards

Curfew passes issued to Francis, John, John Hedley and Raymond Le Breton during the Occupation as members of the Honorary Police

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Family gravestones

Click on any image to see a larger version. See the Jerripedia gravestone image collection page for more information about our gravestone photographs

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  Almorah cemetery
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  Almorah cemetery
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  Almorah cemetery
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  Almorah cemetery
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  Almorah cemetery
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  Almorah cemetery
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  Almorah cemetery
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  Almorah cemetery
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  Trinity Church cemetery
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  Trinity Church cemetery
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  Trinity Church cemetery
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  Trinity Church cemetery
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  Trinity Church cemetery
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  Trinity Church cemetery
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  Trinity Church cemetery
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  Trinity Church cemetery
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  St Mary’s Church cemetery
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  St Mary’s Church cemetery
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  St Mary’s Church cemetery
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  St Mary’s Church cemetery
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  St Mary’s Church cemetery
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  St Mary’s Church cemetery
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  St Peter’s Church cemetery
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  Old Mont a l’Abbe cemetery
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  Mont a l’Abbe cemetery
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  Mont a l’Abbe cemetery
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  Mont a l’Abbe cemetery
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  Mont a l’Abbe cemetery
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  Mont a l’Abbe cemetery
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  Mont a l’Abbe cemetery
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  Mont a l’Abbe cemetery
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  Mont a l’Abbe cemetery
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  Mont a l’Abbe cemetery
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  Mont a l’Abbe cemetery
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  Mont a l’Abbe cemetery
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  Mont a l’Abbe cemetery
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  St John’s Church cemetery
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  St John’s Church cemetery
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  St John’s Church cemetery
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  St John’s Church cemetery
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  Surville Cemetery
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  Surville Cemetery
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  Surville Cemetery
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  Surville Cemetery
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  Surville Cemetery
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  St Lawrence
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  St Lawrence
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  St Lawrence
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  St Saviour
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  The grave of Great War casualty Wilfred John Le Breton, Trinity
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  The grave of Great War casualty Thomas John Le Breton, Brown's Road Military Cemetery, Festubert
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  The grave of Great War casualty Raymond Le Breton, St Sever Cemetery Extension, Rouen
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  Hammond and Le Breton gravestones in Green Street Cemetery
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  The grave of Great War casualty Francis Le Breton at Ecoivres Military Cemetery, Mont-St-Elois

Tips

The church record links above will open in a new tab in your browser and generate the most up-to-date list of each set of records from our database. These lists replace earlier Family page baptism lists, which were not regularly updated. They have the added advantage that they produce a chronological listing for the family name in all parishes, so you do not have to search through A-Z indexes, parish by parish.

We have included some important spelling variants on some family pages, but it may be worth searching for records for a different spelling variant. Think of searching for variants with or without a prefix, such as Le or De. To search for further variants, or for any other family name, just click on the appropriate link below for the first letter of the family name, and a new tab will open, giving you the option to choose baptism, marriage or burial records. You will then see a list of available names for that type of record and you can select any name from that list. That will display all records of the chosen type for that family name, and you can narrow the search by adding a given name, selecting a parish or setting start and end dates in the form you will see above. You can also change the family name, or search for a partial name if you are not certain of the spelling

The records are displayed 30 to a page, but by selecting the yellow Wiki Table option at the top left of the page you can open a full, scrollable list. This list will either be displayed in a new tab or a pop-up window. You may have to edit the settings of your browser to allow pop-up windows for www.jerripediabmd.net. For the small number of family names for which a search generates more than 1,500 records you will have to refine your search (perhaps using start or end dates) to reduce the number of records found.

New records

Since August 2020 we have added several thousand new records from the registers of Roman Catholic, Methodist and other non-conformist churches. These will appear in date order within a general search of the records and are also individually searchable within the database search form

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