The BARIL families to whom this web site is dedicated are of French origin.
In modern France, excluding major cities, there are approximately 250 BARIL telephone listings. Canada boasts over 3,100. Along with those who re-settled in the United States beginning in the early 1800's, all Canadian Baril families are descended from a single person, Jean Baril.
Jean emigrated to New France in 1665, settled in the village of Batiscan in the present-day province of Québec, and sired 15 sons during three marriages. If you are a Baril living in North America, you are almost certainly a descendant of Jean. If you know the names of your Baril grandparents and where they were married, you can trace your heritage to Jean.
Outside metropolitain areas, Baril families in modern France are still living in the regions their ancestors occupied at the time of Jean's departure and some have traced their ascendance back to the 1700's, a few even to the 1500's.
The scope of interest for Baril genealogists and historians, therefore, is to map out all possible Baril family activities and movements over the last 400 years, both in France and in North America. Our hope is to re-document the link between those living in North America and those who remained in France.
As of New Year's Day 2002, key documents are still missing.