Daily Ancestoren présence de
En présence de means "in the presence of" in French records; it introduces the witnesses who attended a baptism, marriage or burial.
The phrase means before, in sight of. In marriage entries it is followed by the témoins, sometimes with their relationship to the bride or groom.
Read the names that follow carefully. The Council of Trent required the names and homes of marriage witnesses, and when they are relatives the list can map the family around your ancestor.
As seen in a recordMarriage entry in a Catholic parish register, Quebec, 1860s
en présence de Évariste Pelchat, cousin de l'époux, et de Félix Morinville, beau-frère de l'épouse
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How to cite this page
Daily Ancestor. "en présence de." Dictionary of Old Record Words. https://dailyancestor.com/dictionary/french/en-presence-de. Last checked 2026-10-28.