[Understanding migratory phenomena: mobility within a village in Hérault from 1836 to 1962]

Using a previous reconstitution of families living in the village of Puéchabon (Hérault) and twenty-three lists of its inhabitants from 1836 to 1962 as a base, the author has analyzed the migrations of the villagers according to sex, marital status and age group while distinguishing two types of migration: actual departures and entries (permanent or long-term departures, and entries by newcomers or those returning after prolonged absences), and short-term absences and subsequent returns. Using this typology, he brings out three periods of migration for the village residents: before the War of 1870, there were traditional movements; between 1870 and World War II, a pronounced rural exodus occurred; and since then, there has been a less striking but more regular decline in population.