There are MARCHANDS IN Canton Bern before 1800 and this is where I would start looking. The towns are Court Loveresse Roches,BE Sonvilier (which is the town you think they came from. If there was some kind of a case before the Bishop there might be something in the church Records relating to it. Many or most of the Bern Church Records have been filmed by the Family History Center - a place to start). On another note I was doing research for someone who was descended illegitimately from someone in Canton Zurich and when I wrote to the archives I was sent a paper on a court case where the woman took the man to court and won a judgement from him. These records at least in Zurich have not been filmed so you might have to write to the Canton Archives of Bern. But first try the Family History Center. Good hunting. Joe Wolfe On Fri, 3 Mar 2000 12:22:47 EST WFrantastic@aol.com writes: > I see that finding our about the location of a family in Bern can be > done ! > good for you . I am having a hard time with a family in Bern. The > name is > MARCHAND wife is Suzanne Bourquin three sons in 1817 when she and > they came > to US probably from Sonvalier.. MY question is where do I go from > here? I > know that her husband was alive when she left Switzerland. because I > have > found a letter where she stated that she "had to leave because of > the bad > behavior of her husband(?) he had taken her before the Bishop at > Bern to be > "Chastised" Is ther some way that I can find the records or this > family and > of their dealings with the Bishop at Bern? > > > thank you for your time > > Fran wilcox wfrantastic@aol.com