Daily Ancestorcuré
Curé is French for "parish priest", the priest in charge of a parish, who usually wrote and signed the entries in its register.
The curé held the cure of souls of a parish, appointed by the bishop. Assistant priests are called vicaires, and either may sign an entry, so a change of signature does not mean a change of parish. Beware the false friend: an English vicar is a curé, and an English curate is closer to a vicaire.
The curé performed baptisms, marriages and burials, and from 1563 the Council of Trent made him responsible for keeping the registers.
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Daily Ancestor. "curé." Dictionary of Old Record Words. https://dailyancestor.com/dictionary/french/cure. Last checked 2026-10-28.