Swedish American Genealogist
Volume 32 | Number 4 Article 1
12-1-2012 Full Issue Vol 32 No. 4
Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.augustana.edu/swensonsag Part of the Genealogy Commons, and the Scandinavian Studies Commons
Recommended Citation (2012) "Full Issue Vol 32 No. 4," Swedish American Genealogist: Vol. 32 : No. 4 , Article 1. Available at: https://digitalcommons.augustana.edu/swensonsag/vol32/iss4/1
This Full Issue is brought to you for free and open access by Augustana Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Swedish American Genealogist by an authorized editor of Augustana Digital Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. (ISSN 0275-9314)
A journal devoted to Swedish American biography, genealogy, and personal history
Volume XXXIIDecember 2012 No. 4 CONTENTS
Meeting New Sweden ...... 1 By Jan Myhrvold
News from the Swenson Center...... 7 Copyright © 2012 (ISSN 0275-9314) By Lisa Huntsha
Swedish American Genealogist John Norquist, a “Good, Honest Swede”...... 8 By John D. Norquist Publisher: Swenson Swedish Immigration Research Center Sophia Carolina Schön ...... 10 Augustana College, Rock Island, IL 61201-2296 By Lars-Åke Wångstedt Telephone: 309-794-7204. Fax: 309-794-7443 E-mail: [email protected] Handwriting Example 33 ...... 12 Web address: http://www.augustana.edu/swenson/ Bits & Pieces ...... 13 Editor: Elisabeth Thorsell Hästskovägen 45, 177 39 Järfälla, Sweden How to trace your Swedes ...... 14 E-mail: [email protected] By Mats Lönegren
Editorial Committee: Led by words (bouppteckningar) ...... 16 H. Arnold Barton, Tyresö, Sweden By Norman Sandin Dag Blanck, Stockholm, Sweden Dennis L. Johnson, Pottstown, PA Solution to the Handwriting problem 33 ...... 19 Ronald J. Johnson, Madison, WI Christopher Olsson, Stockton Springs, ME A mystery child ...... 20 Priscilla Jönsson Sorknes, Minneapolis, MN By David Anderson
Swedish American Genealogist, its publisher, editors, On citing Swedish records ...... 23 and editorial committee assume neither responsibility By Elisabeth Thorsell nor liability for statements of opinion or fact made by contributors. Book Reviews ...... 24
Correspondence. Please direct editorial correspon- Interesting Web Sites ...... 30 dence such as manuscripts, queries, book reviews, announcements, and ahnentafeln to the editor in Genealogical Queries ...... 31 Sweden. Correspondence regarding change of address, back The first Swede in Canada ...... 31 issues (price and availability), and advertising should The Last Page ...... 32 be directed to the publisher in Rock lsland.
Subscriptions. Subscriptions to the journal are $28.00 per annum and run for the calendar year. Single copies are $8.00 each. Swenson Center Associates are entitled to a special discounted subscription price of $15.00. Direct all sub- scription inquiries to the publisher in Rock Is- land. In Sweden the subscription price is 275.00 kro- Cover picture: nor per year. This subscription fee may be de- Gloria Dei, or Old Swedes’ Church in Philadelphia. posited in our plusgiro account: 260 10-9, Swed- (Photo by Jan Myhrvold, Oct. 2012). ish American Genealogist, c/o Thorsell, Häst- skovägen 45, S-177 39 Järfälla, Sweden. Meeting New Sweden
A Norwegian exploring the Forest Finn heritage
BY JAN MYHRVOLD
The annual New Sweden History Wednesday Oct. 31 (ASHM) farther south in Philadel- Conference took place in Philadel- Because of “Hurricane Sandy,” phia, and at the museum I saw for phia on Nov. 3, 2012, with the theme Maud’s original flight was cancelled the first time trees that had blown “The Forest Finns of Europe, New and she was transferred to a flight down. Curator Carrie Hogan was our Sweden, and North America.” In on the 31st. After arrival, she spent contact, and she gave us a lot of in- connection with this, Dr. Maud Wedin a day in New York and could clearly formation. We bought a number of of Falun, Sweden, and I, Jan Myhr- see the damage done by “Sandy.” The books in the museum shop, and had vold from Gerdrum, Norway, were first thing she noticed was that the plenty of time to visit the great invited to be lecturers. train from the airport to downtown exhibtions about the Swedish immi- As both Maud and I are especially did not run because there was no gration to the U.S. The ASHM has, interested in the Forest Finns, we electricity. as the name suggests, its focus on all also managed to set aside a few days epochs of the immigrating Swedes, after the conference, getting ac- not just New Sweden as I assumed quainted with New Sweden, and Thursday Nov. 1 at first. Later in the day we visited most importantly, visiting places with Maud took a bus to Philadelphia as the Liberty Bell and Independence connections to the Forest Finns. the trains still did not run from New Hall, where the U.S. Declaration of New Sweden is the name of the York. I arrived at Newark in the Independence was signed by John Swedish colony that was started in afternoon, and by then the trains ran Morton. For lunch we had a Phila- 1638 along the Delaware River in the to Philadelphia. I did not notice much delphia cheese steak sandwich, and future states of Pennsylvania, Dela- damage from the storm of three days then we did not eat anything more ware, and New Jersey. The first For- earlier. that day. est Finns were deported there as they had farmed with the then prohibited Friday Nov. 2 Saturday Nov. 3 method of “Slash and burn” agri- After breakfast we visited the Amer- This was another day with an early culture (svedjebränning) in Sweden. ican Swedish Historical Museum start. We went back to the museum The choice between a gruesome punishment and deportation to the “West Indies” was not difficult. The colonists of New Sweden sent mes- sages to the “old country” about the fertile soil, and soon more shiploads of people came. Still, after the Dutch had taken over New Sweden in 1655, and the English had taken over in 1664, the immigration continued for some years. It is estimated that about 600 individuals immigrated. Even after the government became Eng- lish, New Sweden was allowed to gov- ern itself for some time with Swedish clergymen and Swedish law. The Church of Sweden did not leave New Sweden until 1789. The American Swedish Historical Museum in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Swedish American Genealogist 2012:4 1 and had breakfast there. Kim-Eric surnames in an American church Williams introduced Maud, who record, written in Swedish, are started with her lecture on “The Evo- photographed by a Norwegian. lution of Forest Finn Culture in Fin- In the cemetery outside we found land and Scandinavia in the 16th and the family grave of Erik Pålsson 17th Centuries.” Next was Ronald Mullica. On the border of the ceme- Hendrickson with his lecture on “ ‘On tery we saw our first log cabin, “The this shore a home established ... ’: An Shorn Log Cabin.” It had been moved Introduction to the Forest Finns in to Swedesboro, and was supposedly America.” My own lecture came next, built at Racoon Creek by Morton its title was “Perspectives on Family Mortonson, the paternal grandfather Names and Migration before 1821: of John Morton. As we had already Studies on the Forest Finn Ethnicity heard about the “Morton Farmstead” in Dalarna and the Swedish-Nor- and the “Morton Morton House,” that wegian Border Area.” we planned to visit, we had the After lunch the archeology profes- humorous idea of naming this place sor Lu Ann De Cunzo lectured on the “Morton Morton Morton House.” “The ‘Cultures of Agriculture in 17th- Our schedule was strict so there Century New Sweden.” At the end of was unfortunately not time to take the day we got a practical lecture by Old Swedes Church, Swedesboro, New more photos of the church records. Jersey. Frank Eld, who has studied the Instead we were able to visit a house Finnish timber techniques in North Racoon Creek, which was one of the that is said to be the oldest wooden America. His talk was titled “Finnish settlers’ areas on the New Jersey side house in America, “The Nothnagle Vernacular Log Structures in New of the Delaware River. Log Cabin” in Gibbstown, New Jer- Sweden and North America.” We had brunch at a small restau- sey. The owners, Harry and Doris The about 140 participants of the rant in Swedesboro, which turned out Rink, who live next door, were very conference were very interested, and to be the culinary highpoint of the happy to show us around. The house were an inspiring group to talk to. trip. Alfred Nicolosi had offered to was built 1638-1645, according to the take us around to several points of information sign, but research shows Sunday Nov. 4 interest. The first was the Trinty that it probably dates to no earlier Church, also called Old Swedes’ than 1670. Today we picked up our rental car. Swedesboro, which was built in 1703. Even though it had a GPS, it did not Nicolosi had chosen a very ambi- Here they kept a copy of the old tious program for us, and we soon take many minutes before we were church register, starting in 1713, lost. After a few days we understood continued our trip towards Delaware where I found on page three several and the Winterthur Museum. This the American system of signs and Finnish surnames. It was a some- roads. Due to this mishap we found museum is the repository for the what exotic instance, when Finnish collections of Henry Francis du Pont, and has more than 90,000 artifacts that were used in the U.S. between 1630 and 1860. Our guided tour lasted 90 minutes, but we only saw a small part of the collections. We must return another time. We were un- fortunately not allowed to take photos.
Monday Nov. 5 We had been invited to see the reconstructed ship Kalmar Nyckel. We arrived in good time so we could first visit the Holy Trinity (Old Swedes’) Church in Wilmington, Delaware, which is situated just a stone’s throw from the Kalmar Nyckel shipyard. Nearby is the Hend- rickson House, which has been moved here from Crum Creek, some
2 Swedish American Genealogist 2012:4 kilometers farther north. Shack” we went on to “Finland,” an At the church we also met again area where many Forest Finns set- with Earl Seppala, whom we had met tled in the 1650s. Today there is a big at the conference two days back. monument, made by Väinö Altonen, Seppala is one of the big enthusiasts, in memory of those immigrants. a retired engineer and retired U.S. Without help we would never have Army colonel, who is a member of 11 found this place as there are no signs volunteer societies and on the boards that point to it. of eight of them. He is very active A little farther north, by Darby with the Kalmar Nyckel Foundation. Creek, is the “Lower Swedish Cabin,” Now we moved to the shipyard, which we visited after the Finn Mo- where the ship Kalmar Nyckel was nument. We had hoped to finally see built and launched in 1997. Sam a log cabin that was built after the Heed, who is Director of Education Forest Finn model, but it was built and Senior Historian of the Founda- along the same lines as the other tion, met us and took us on a privi- ones we had seen in the U.S. The logs leged tour of the ship. were not squarely cut, as in other The original Kalmar Nyckel was buildings, and the corners were not one of the ships that kept the con- sawed off, but there was a gap be- nection between the Motherland and tween the horizontal logs where clay New Sweden. The new Kalmar or cement had been used to seal the Nyckel is known as the Tall Ship of The Kalmar Nyckel replica. walls. Delaware and is used by the state of old days you may handle. The Cen- Delaware for outreach and edu- tre is only about 100 sq. feet, but is Tuesday Nov. 6 cational purposes. She usually is out well worth a visit. Today was the U.S. Presidential sailing during the summer. Just behind the shipyard we found Election, so we had no special pro- Also in the shipyard is the New “Fort Christina.” Today there is gram, but used the day to travel a- Sweden Centre, which welcomes nothing to see from the fort, but a round southern New Jersey to find visitors and school groups to explore wide avenue leads to a big monument more old buildings and explore new the lives of the Swedish and Finnish where it is supposed to have stood. sites. settlers in a set of exhibits, “Experi- The place was chosen originally We started by going to the “Swed- ence New Sweden,” designed by the because the stable bedrock made it a ish Granary” in Greenwich, by the well-known Aleasa Hogate, the safe place to descend from the ships Maurice River, at the southernmost Centre's VP and Education Director. to the shore. point of New Jersey. We had seen There are replicas of items from the After a good lunch at “Joe’s Crab pictures of that house and now we hoped to find that it had been built in the Nordic manner. At a distance it looked so, but this building was also built without the sealed log walls.
The Swedish Granary. The next stop was the open air museum “New Sweden Colonial Farmstead” in Bridgeton City Park (NJ), which was built for the 350th anniversary celebration of New Swe- The Finnish Settlers Monument, by Väinö Aaltonen, first inaugurated at the 300th den in 1988. Today volunteers are jubilee in 1938. It is located in Chester, Pennsylvania. fighting the bureaucracy, which has From left: Alfred Nicolosi, Maud Wedin, and Jan Myhrvold. Photo by Earl Seppala. Swedish American Genealogist 2012:4 3 allowed the buildings to fall into dis- repair. It is unbelievable how ne- glected the buildings have become in 24 years. The bottom logs have been destroyed in some buildings. Even if there is low precipitation in the area, the humidity seems to be high. If this state of disrepair were typical of American policy, it would not be possible to preserve buildings even from the 1800s. Now it was finally time to visit an archive, and we went to the Salem County Historical Society, which has archives and a library. Much of New Sweden on the east side of the Dela- ware River belongs to Salem County. We stayed there until they closed and then we tried the Salem County courthouse, where the court records The Morton Morton house, Norwood, Delaware Co., Pennsylvania. are kept, but it was closed due to the election. Wednesday Nov. 7 Even if he was sometimes a hard Next we went to see a Swedish log This time the weather had become master, he was also very important cabin, close to Salem, the “Hancock much colder, and there was snow in for the development of the colony. House,” where the fireplace was not the air in the evening.We met Ron Not too far away is the “Morton of a Swedish type. Then we went back Hendrickson at Tinicum Island in Homestead” which consists of a two- to Mullica Hill, where we managed Philadelphia at Governor Printz story main building, with two big to take photos of Erik Mullica’s house Park, where there is a statue of rooms downstairs, and two rooms before it became too dark. Governor Johan Printz, who was the upstairs. The fireplaces are placed in governor of New Sweden 1643-1653. the middle of the house, and have no signs of being of either Swedish or Finnish type. This might be because John Morton’s father died early and his mother remarried an English- man. On the way to the next interesting site we also visited the grave of John Morton at the Old Swedish Burial Ground, Chester, Pennsylvania. The next place was the “Morton Morton House” in the Norwood area of southwest Philadelphia, which was built around 1750 by Morton Morton, a cousin of John Morton’s. After some trouble we found the Gloria Dei church in Philadelphia, and luckily enough it was open, so we could go inside from the heavy rain. Then it was time to visit another archives. Maud had made an appoint- ment with Kim-Eric Williams, the historian of the Swedish Colonial House built by Eric Mullica, Jr in 1704. Eric’s father Eric Pålsson Mullica, born Society and an archivist at the Luth- 1636 in Delsbo (Häls.) arrived with his parents, Pål Jönsson and his wife Margret, on eran Archives Center, located at the the Eagle (Örnen) in 1654. Eric Mullica, Sr. was married to Ingeri Olsdotter, from Lutheran Seminary in Philadelphia. Värmland, and they had 8 children. Of these, sons Eric, Jr and brothers John and The records of the Swedish Colonial William bought a plot of land in 1704 at what is now called Mullica Hill, Gloucester Society are housed there, as is the Co., New Jersey. Source: Peter S. Craig: The 1693 Census on the Swedes on the Craig Collection. Dr. Peter Stebbins Delaware (1993), and Wikipedia (Eric Pålsson Mullica). 4 Swedish American Genealogist 2012:4 Thursday Nov. 8: Going home day Before we left for Newark Airport we had to make a detour and see how the Amish people live. We were told to drive directly west towards Lan- caster. The first sign of being in the right area was when we saw a road sign with a horse and carriage. Not long after that we saw the first Amish driving just such a carriage, which was just as in the movies. We were told that they did not use either cars or tractors, but that they do use tractors, but not of the newest kind. A car is OK to be transported in, but they do not seem to own or drive them themselves. We have to come back and visit New Sweden again, as there are so many more places to visit and things Maud Wedin and Kim-Eric Williams. to research. We wish to say “Tack!” to Alfred Craig, FASG, researched the Swe- Society will have finished digitizing Nicolosi, Ron Hendrickson, Earl dish and Finnish population of New the bulk of the Craig Collection and Seppala, Aleasa Hogate, Sam Heed, Sweden for many years, and was the will be making it available online to Kim-Eric Williams, and the staff of one who “knew everything” about Society members. the ASHM for their generosity and them. Sadly, Dr. Craig died in 2009 As soon as I was back at the hotel hospitality! but generously willed all his re- I joined the Colonial Society, at $30/ search materials to the Society. Dr. year. Jan Myhrvold can be reached at Williams explained that shortly the
This annual award helps defray costs the Swenson Center is three weeks, for one person doing research for an and the award must be used within extended period of time at the Cen- one year of notification. ter and was established by Nils Wil- Anyone interested in applying for liam Olsson, a leading authority in the research award should submit a the field of Swedish-American stud- two- to three-page proposal to the ies, and his wife Dagmar. Swenson Center outlining the pro- The Olsson Award is a reimburse- posed research topic. ment for travel and living expenses The proposal should also include associated with your visit to the a current curriculum vitae, as well Swenson Center, up to $2,500, and is as a statement showing how the open to anyone doing academic re- resources of the Swenson Center are search on any aspect of Swedish- appropriate for the particular project. American history. It is not intended The deadline for applications is May to be used for genealogical research. 1, 2013. We particularly encourage graduate Address: Swenson Swedish Imm. students and younger scholars to Res. Center, Augustana College, 639 apply. The minimum stay required at 38th Street, Rock Island, IL 61201- 2296. Swedish American Genealogist 2012:4 5 Your link to your history!
NEW! NEW! The Swedish Cen- The Digital The Swedish Cen- sus database (Folk- sus of 1990 – the räkning) for 1910 Research Room way to find your liv- has now 2 million Here you can do research ing cousins. individuals. 105 110 about people and their A DVD with mil- posts were just ad- property, their life, work lions of Swedes 20 ded. and taxes. years ago. Contact us at the ad- dress below to find out much more!
Stockholm Tax Rolls Mantalslängder and Kronotaxer- One of the released ingslängder from prisoners in the 1652 to 1915. SVAR prison Indexes too for records. some of them. www.riksarkivet.se/svar
______SVAR Box 160, S-880 40 Ramsele, Sweden Phone: +46-10-476 77 50 Mail: [email protected] www.riksarkivet.se/svar
6 Swedish American Genealogist 2012:4 News from the Swenson Center
Collection Feature
– The Anna Persson Cave family papers, 1897-2006
BY LISA HUNTSHA
Here’s a sneak peak at a recently faithfulness may become stronger processed collection at the Swenson and stronger.” “Dear, do try and be Center, the Anna Persson Cave happy…but of course memory does family papers, 1897-2006. cause us pain at times, in fact it is Anna Eleonora Persson was one of ‘sweet pain’ still I do not like the nine children born to Carl Gustaf thoughts of your being sorrowful in Persson and Severina Olsdotter in any way, so please keen up.” Holm (Hall.), Sweden, on December Their courtship transitioned into 9, 1887. Anna immigrated in 1907 their marriage in Boston on February from Halmstad to Bloomington, Illi- 28, 1914. After they married, they nois, to join her sister who had al- settled in Canton, Massachusetts, ready immigrated. She took the jour- and had two children: Eleanor Cave, ney across the Atlantic by herself at born on April 25, 1918, and Eric Cave, the age of 20. She details the expe- born September 24, 1919. rience in a letter to her family, in- Their letter writing continued as cluding the kind travelers she met the young family traveled across the along the way, her shock at the pov- ocean again to visit relatives in both erty in London, and awe at the build- England and Sweden. In December ings in Chicago. 1919, the family went to England to Later, Sigrid Persson joined her meet grandmother Cave. In March, sisters in Bloomington. Sigrid quickly however, Fred returned to Canton to Anna Persson Cave. left to move to New York City and help with the spring planting. Anna she took Anna with her. Anna began and the children went on to Sweden ness. It features three different types working as a maid in the big city and to visit her family. They stayed until of repairs, which are nearly imper- when her employer moved to Ver- August of 1920. ceptible. mont, she went too. In the summer Upon their return to Canton, they Anna’s daughter, Eleanor, carried of 1913 in Brattleboro, Vermont, found that Frederick had terminal on the correspondence with the fami- Anna meet Frederick (Fred) Cave, an cancer and the doctors had given him ly after her mother’s death and com- Englishman and a gardener. one year to live. It was true; he died piled genealogical information, all of Their courtship developed through on December 19, 1921. Anna Persson which is included in this collection. letter writing, with Anna in Brattle- Cave was 34, a young widow in care To see more, search our online dig- boro and Fred in Boston. Fred wrote of two children. ital database on p. 30. kind words until they could be uni- To support her family, Anna took ted in person: “I must say how very, in sewing and mending for clients. very happy I am in your love, (it still Her workmanship was exceptional seems too good to be true) and I hope, and her skills supported the Cave Anna, we shall (neither of us) never family. The collection includes pieces Lisa Huntsha is the archivist of do anything unworthy of our love, but of mending that she would send out the Swenson Center. that our trust in each others’ to potential clients to secure busi- Her e-mail is:
Swedish American Genealogist 2012:4 7 John Norquist, a “Good, Honest Swede” and his Journey to America
BY JOHN D. NORQUIST
During the late 19th and early 20th is now Roseau village. He was en- century, about 1.3 million Swedes gaged in the mercantile and timber immigrated to the United States. My business at Roosevelt (Minn.) and in great-grandfather, also named John the last ten years spent the greater Norquist, was one of these immi- part of his time there. “He was a man grants, but I knew little about his life of good principles and always on the other than that he lived in Roseau, square. His hearty handshake will be Minnesota. I did not even know when missed by a great number of friends he was born or when he died. My re- in all walks of life.” search would lead to a number of The Minnesota Historical Society surprises. also has a very good index of articles, Like many Minnesota researchers, including an article from Minnesota I started with the Minnesota Death History entitled “Touring with a Index, an online listing of Minnesota Timber Agent,” which detailed the deaths, currently dating from 1904 travels of a federal timber agent in to 2001. Surprisingly to me, he was northern Minnesota in 1890, which not listed there, even though he lived described Norquist as a “good hon- in Minnesota. I decided to investigate est Swede.” The Historical Society’s nearby states, and found him in the records showed me that the first online North Dakota Death Index dance in Roseau County occurred at listed as dying in Pembina County, his claim house (square dancing took North Dakota. The North Dakota place) and he also served on the first Death Index allows one to search in school board in Roseau County. John Norquist with sons Emil and Alfred ten-year increments, and I found that The next step was to fill in the gaps ca 1920. he died on 29 October 1923, at the using census records. Working back- married “45 years ago” or in about age of 70. It also listed his birthdate wards, I was able to find him in Ros- 1878. I then found a record of his as May 7, 1853. eau County in the federal censuses 1877 marriage to Katie Peterson in Why did a 70-year-old Minnesotan of 1920, 1910, the Minnesota census St. Paul, Minnesota. I still cannot die in North Dakota? I’m not entirely of 1905, the 1900 federal census, and explain why his wife was not listed sure, but this led me to his obituary the 1895 Minnesota census, using in the 1880 census, but I can specu- in the Roseau Times-Region found at resources like familysearch.org and late. the Minnesota Historical Society in Heritagequest. Going farther back Homestead records, found online St. Paul. The article said that he was became more difficult. The 1890 cen- at the Bureau of Land Management, “the earliest actual settler in this sus was destroyed by fire, but I found helped solve the puzzle. He filed his section” and was taken to Drayton, the family in 1885 in Alma, Marshall first homestead application in Mar- North Dakota, “about five weeks ago County, Minnesota. shall County, Minnesota, in Novem- in an attempt to check a cancer of the The 1880 federal census lists a ber 1879. The actual homestead re- stomach.” The article said that he correct-age person named “John cords are at the National Archives in “slept away painlessly, a fitting close Nordquist” living in Cokato, Wright Washington, and I was pleased to to a life of energy and action.” The County. He was listed as married, liv- find it saying “I am the head of a article also said that he came to the ing with his widowed mother and family and have declared my inten- Roseau Valley in 1888 and located on children, but no wife was listed, even tion to become a citizen of the Unit- a homestead five miles north of what though his obituary said he had ed States.” I think that in the 1880 8 Swedish American Genealogist 2012:4 ally came from her side of the family rather than his. I also found out that Carrie had an illegitimate son, Pe- ter, before her marriage to Jan. One discovery led to another. John’s wife Kajsa (Katie) Persdotter was born 1 September 1854 in Öst- mark, (Värm.), to unmarried parents. Through a Swedish website called Anbytarforum, I found out that Katie had a sister who also emigrated (Marit Persdotter) and other siblings who stayed in Sweden. Through Anbytarforum, I was able to connect with a third cousin who lives in Sweden. Katie Persdotter Norquist died 25 August 1928, and is buried with her husband at Silent City Cemetery in Roosevelt, Roseau Co., Minn.
The John Norquist family. census John was in the process of Jansson” (AKA John Norquist, Jr.) moving from Wright County to Mar- left with his father, 56-year-old “Jan shall County, and the census taker Larsson” (AKA John L. Norquist, Sr.) simply missed his wife and one-year- and 8-year-old “Johannes Jansson” old daughter Hulda (maybe they from Östmark, (Värm.), aboard the were getting settled in Marshall Nordlyset (Northern Light) via Kris- County). tiania (Oslo) destined for “Kvebec” The family was also listed in the (Quebec) on May 26, 1868 (“Johan- 1875 Minnesota census as the “Nor- nes” was listed in the Östmark parish quist” family and the 1870 Minnesota records as born on 9 November 1865, census as the “Newquist” family liv- so he would have been only 2, not 8, ing in Cokato, Wright County, Min- when he emigrated). Interestingly, On Jan Larsson’s line, I was able nesota. his wife Carrie (listed as Kari) de- to trace his line back to Per Pålsson parted a month later, on July 4, 1868, Hakkarainen, a “Forest Finn” who Swedish roots found with their other six children. Why immigrated from Finland to the forests of western Sweden in the My next big discovery was the fami- didn’t they travel together? It must 1600s. I therefore learned that I am ly’s emigration records. From the have been difficult for a woman to part Finnish, although in my case it 1900 census, I knew they emigrated travel with six children. Neverthe- is less than 1%. in 1868 from Värmland, Sweden, but less, they eventually reunited along Genealogy has been a fascinating did not know exactly when and from the way and made it to Cokato, Min- journey for me, and I hope to keep where they left. I knew that Värm- nesota. learning more and more about my land was in the western part of Swe- Now that I knew their home family’s past. den, and thinking about their jour- parish, it led me to many other inter- ney, thought, “what if they left esting discoveries through Swedish through Oslo rather than through a parish records. It turns out that Jan John D. Norquist lives in Fairfax, Swedish port?” Norway has excellent Larsson was born in Malung, (Dala.), VA. on-line emigration records, and they and had been married once before to His e-mail is: allow one to search using various a Marit Andersdotter, and had five
Swedish American Genealogist 2012:4 9 Sophia Carolina Schön, companion to Erik Jansson, returned to Sweden - what happened next?
BY LARS ÅKE WÅNGSTEDT AND ELISABETH THORSELL
In 1994 when Ovanåker kommun In 1865 she moved with her broth- so they could not have the banns read wanted to use the 150th anniversary er Olof Enoch to Stora Ulfsätra in until February 1883, when she had of the first of Erik Jansson’s book- nearby Järfälla parish (Stock.), but received testimonies from the cler- burnings to attract tourists to our she is not listed in the Järfälla rec- gyman of Österunda concerning her area, I realized that much more re- ords. Olof Enoch was a tenant farmer conduct before leaving Sweden. She search was needed on this subject. there until he and his family in 1874 had also received the testimonies of Since, I have found several items of Oct. 28 moved to Rickebasta in Alsike reliable men in North America, and interest; there seems to be no end to parish (Upps.),² which he owned. finally of the pastor of Spånga.6 this project. Some of these findings From the church records of nearby Finally Carl Erik and Sophia have to do with Sophia Schön after Spånga³ it is noted that she came Carolina were married in Alsike on her return to Sweden, and I wish to there in 1868 Oct. 24, from Öster- 1883 March 3, but he died not long share them, so that other research- unda, which is also wrong. The pas- after in 1886 Mar. 31 at Rickebasta ers will not be frustrated as I was. tor must have confused where she of the gout, at age 67 years, 10 Sophia Carolina Schön was born was born and where she came from. months, and 19 days.7 1821 May 20 in the parish house Her birthdate is also recorded wrong, In 1887 Olof Enoch and his wife (socknestugan) in Österunda (Vstm.), 1821 Nov. 20, instead of May 20; this moved to Uppsala, but Sophia Carol- and her parents were the church follows her the rest of her life. Un- ina moved back to Spånga. verger (klockare) Carl Albin Schön fortunately the preserved moving-in In Spånga she lived for some time and his wife Anna Stina Olsdotter, certificates (flyttningsbevis) from at Värsta gård,8 and is called änke- living at the residence of the parish Spånga do not start until 1874. In the fru Karolina Sofia Andersson. She organist (organistbostället). moving-in records of Spånga she is did not stay long here; in 1889 Nov. 6 In the Bishop Hill records is a note classified as a mamsell, which at that she moved to Färentuna parish that Sophia returned to Sweden in time means an unmarried female of (Stockh.) on one of the islands in 1868, which is wrong. We do not know a somewhat higher social status than Lake Mälaren. She lives with the where she first landed in Sweden, but a piga. family of the commissar Sixten Rag- she came in the summer of 1863 to In Spånga she works as a house- nar Hasselström and his family at her brother Olof Enoch Schön (b. keeper for the tenant farmer Carl 1823 Apr. 1 in Österunda) and his Erik Andersson (b. 1818 May 15 in family, who at that time lived in Hölö (Södm.)), at Lunda farm.4 His SALE! Husby in Spånga parish.1 There is a wife did not live with him, as she Swedish Passenger note in the clerical survey that she preferred living in the little town of Arrivals in U.S. Ports just arrived, without any testimonies. Trosa, where she died in 1872 March 26. 1820–1850 In 1881 March 17 both Carl Erik By Nils William Olsson Andersson and Sophia Carolina and Erik Wikén (1995). Spånga AI:17 (1861-1869), page 13. Text Schön also moved to Rickebasta, 628 pages of Swedes, says: ankommit från N. Amerika som- where Carl Erik became the tenant maren 1863, utan betyg (arrived in the comments, and indexes. farmer for Sophia’s brother. Ac- summer of 1863 from North America, $35 + $5 S&H without testimony). cording to a note in the clerical sur- vey the local pastor was not con- Contact Jill Seaholm at vinced that Sophia was free to marry,
10 Swedish American Genealogist 2012:4 Ulfsätra farm in Järfälla, where Sophia probably lived a few years with her brother.
Hända gård, possibly as some kind Endnotes: of a housekeeper, as they do not seem 1) Spånga AI:17 (1861-1869), page 13. 9 to be related. 2) Järfälla AI:11 (1861-1874), pages In 1891 Feb. 19 the Hasselström 42 and 52. family and Sophia Carolina moved to 3) Spånga BI:a:4, picture 54. Sophia 10 Väsby in Skå parish (Stockh.), is #86. where Mr. Hasselström, who had now 4) Spånga AI:18 (1869-1876), p. 253. been appointed county constable 5) Alsike AI:13 (1881-1885), page 78. (länsman) had his official residence. 6) Alsike C:6 (1871-1887), page 79. Sophia Carolina stayed with the 7) AlsikeC:6 (1871-1887), page 110. Hasselströms until she died on 1899 8) Spånga AI:21 (1886-1892), page Värsta estate in Spånga, where Carolina Jan. 18 from heart disease. 309. Sophia worked for some time. 11 An eventful life had ended. 9) Färentuna AI:17 (1886-1890, page 146. 10) Skå AI:17 (1891-1899), page 220. 11) Skå FI:2 (1896-1936), page 4.
Swedes born, married, or dead in 1942 are now available online at SVAR In January 2013 the Swedish Cen- line on the SVAR web site, which is a On SVAR you can find all church tral Bureau of Statistics (Statistiska subscription site. records from the 1600s onwards, Centralbyrån, SCB) released their SVAR is the online branch of the emigration records from 1869 on- extracts from the church records of Swedish National Archives, and you wards, military muster rolls, prison births, marriages, and deaths in may find more information in their records, Swedish censuses for 1880, 1942. The Swedish Privacy laws are ad on page 6 in this issue of SAG. 1890, 1900, and partly for 1910. You in force for all such data younger SVAR is a huge site, and it is not can find probate records’ indexes for than 70 years, so every new year they always that easy to find what you are about half the country, and much release a new set of records. looking for, but they have a very fast more. The SVAR site is indispensable The new records are published on- e-mail support. for the serious genealogist.
Swedish American Genealogist 2012:4 11 Handwriting Example 33
This list is an example of the fact that with page numbers. The first is barrel of barley, and 1/4 barrel of the husförhörslängder (clerical sur- alphabethical, the other is a geo- herrings. veys) sometimes have additional con- graphical one. Then a list of all the All the children preparing for their tent of much interest. dragoons (13 individuals) of the Royal first communion are also listed with The above list was found in Dan- Life regiment [a cavalry regiment], year of birth and where they lived. mark (Upps.) AI:14 (1836-1840) Bild that had their homes in the parish. There is also a list of those that 13 (Arkiv Digital). Here the cler- Next comes a list of all the soldiers were prohibited from going to com- gyman has listed all the people in the of the Royal Uppland regiment and munion. People were required to sign parish that were not free to marry. Rasbo Company (an infantry Regi- up for this, and if the clergyman The reasons vary, but these three ment). These soldiers numbered 17 knew that they had failed their exa- cases had to do with children born individuals who all had their little mination, they were not allowed to out of wedlock, and where it seems soldier’s cottage in the parish. Then go to communion. One woman had that the parties involved had not there is a list of all the places where tried to use a false name, but was come to any agreement on the pay- the household examinations were to found out. ment of child support. take place in the next five years. At last there is a list of those that The clergyman had many other Next we have a list of all the or- had been admonished either publicly irons in the fire, so in this volume phans that were supported by the or privately. Females were usually there are other helpful and interest- parish poor account (fattigkassan) admonished privately after giving ing lists. until they reached the age of 15. One birth out of wedlock. Males most First there are two indexes for the little boy who lived with his aunt in often had been caught stealing. farms and minor places in the parish, Vaksala parish got 1 barrel of rye, 1 Transcription and translation on p. 19. 12 Swedish American Genealogist 2012:4 Bits & Pieces
Allt för Sverige 3 Swedish Council of Royal visit for the New SAG received the following press re- America is moving Sweden Jubilee lease: SCA has a new location but still The Swedish and Finnish embassies “We are now casting for season 3 of within the Nordic community! in Washington, D.C., along with the the nominated TV series, ‘Allt för After 40 years at the same location Delaware-based New Sweden Alli- Sverige.’ (The previous working title within the American Swedish Insti- ance, jointly announced today that of the show was Great Swedish ad- tute on Park Avenue in Minneapolis, King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen venture.) SCA is moving just a few miles east Silvia of Sweden will visit Delaware “After the major success of season to Danebo, the Danish American in May for the 375th anniversary of 1 and 2 we are now looking for out- Center. the New Sweden Colony. going, fun, adventurous people for As part of its expansion into the The Speaker of the Parliament of season 3. Nelson Cultural Center, the ASI is Finland Eero Heinälouma will at- “In order to be able to apply, you also moving as many offices and tend as a representative of his coun- have to be an American of Swedish storage spaces as possible out of the try, which was part of Sweden at the descent; you areeligible even if your Turnblad Mansion. While this will time of the colony’s settlement. ancestors came over 150 years ago. make much more of the historic The king, queen, and speaker “If you are interested in finding out building open to the public, it reduces formally accepted an invitation from about your heritage and Swedish the amount of office space available Gov. Jack Markell to come com- roots, you should apply. on the campus. SCA understands memorate the colony’s start with the “Please go to our website ASI's needs as it expands and we are 1638 landing of the ship Kalmar www.greatswedishadventure.com happy to now be a part of both the Nyckel at a sheltered spot called “The “You will find all the information Swedish-American and Danish-Ame- Rocks” along the Christina River, on the casting process on our site.” rican communities. named for the young Swedish queen The winner of Allt för SCA will continue to be able to at that time. receive mail at the 2600 Park Avenue (Delawareonline.com 2013 Jan.16) Sverige 2012 address until summer but the new address should be entered in your The TV show Allt för Sverige was database as soon as possible: aired on Swedish TV during the fall Swedish Council of America of 2012. Ten Swedish Americans 3030 West River Parkway competed to win the grand prize: to Minneapolis, MN 55406-2361 meet their Swedish family. Anna (SCA eUpdate December 2012) Brita Östman Mohr of Columbia Falls, MT, was the winner, and met No more Vikabröd her unknown Swedish relatives. The famous hardtack factory of Vika- bröd in Dalarna will close later this year for financial reasons.
The new director in Karlstad Since November 2012 Mathias Nils- son is the new director of the Sweden America Center of Karlstad. Mathias is a computer specialist, the pro- grammer of Emiweb, and with a deep interest for all immigrants. SAG wishes him the best of luck! Swedish American Genealogist 2012:4 13 How to trace your Swedes
- a research example
BY MATS LÖNEGREN
are used more frequently and some If you have immigrants among your Lillie, born 1897, and Elizabeth, born names are more popular within the ancestors, you probably know a lot 1899, and a son: Gunhilt born in parish and within the family. about what happened to these people 1894. All children were born in New- Another challenge is that both the when they built their new lives in the ark. Oskar is a laborer in a grease first names and the surname were United States, but maybe not so refinery and the oldest daughter is often changed when arriving in the much about the world they left. The of school age. new country. Some names where name of the town or village and After more than 10 years in the common and easy to pronounce in the perhaps the names of the father and United States, the family moved back new country but other names like mother are all the information to Sweden. On September 4, 1902, Karl and Johannes were changed to known. In the best cases old letters Augusta Albertina and five children Charles and John. This can be a pro- and photos are preserved. The ques- moved from Newark to the farm blem if both the first name and sur- tion then is whether these small Markusgården in Täng parish, which name were changed. If the surname pieces of information are correct? was her parental home. From the was changed from a common “son” What more can be found about these records we can now see that the son name (patronymic), like Andersson, families? Where and how were they Gunhilt was actually a daughter to Alman (for example), it may living? Were there any siblings? What named Gunhild Teresia. The daugh- require additional time to identify are the names of the grandparents? ter Agnes Florner is now also in the the person in the Swedish church Are there cousins living in Sweden family. A note states that “Her hus- records. today? Etc. band (is) in America.” When looking The questions above are the most in the household record we see that common and are often the informa- The example 6 more children were born from 1904 tion that is available. This is where An example of this is a case from the to 1911. Since the household record the investigation starts. research we have been doing this last covers the years from 1900 to 1916, The first challenge is to identify year. Augusta Albertina Nilsdotter we also find Oskar there and that he the person in the church or emigra- left Sweden and found a husband in moved to Täng on Nov 11, 1903. In tion records. The complete name, date the new country and returned with the household record the name is of birth, and the name of the parish her family some years later. Oskar Alexius Jansson (the name is needed, but with only parts of that Augusta Albertina was born on the had been Johnson). The family has information it might still be possible farm Markusgården in Täng, Skara- changed the surname from Johnson to identify the person. It is common borg County, November 30,1867, the to Jansson. There is also a note that that the first name is known, year of daughter of the farmer Nils Andreas- his surname earlier had been Alex- birth, and the parish. With that in- son and Inga Brita Andersdotter. Her andersson! The household records formation it is, in most cases, possible father Nils died in 1882 and of the 9 also stated that the birth parish was to find the person. But to be sure, the children, 4 died at a young age. Five Acklinga and the date of birth was person must be traced through the of them immigrated to America be- July 20, 1869, and not 1871 as seen years to see that he or she actually tween 1887 and 1893. Augusta Alber- in the census for 1900. According to left Sweden as we expect. If the per- tina left Täng parish on July 28, 1890. the household record, as well as in son we are looking for has a common In the census for 1900 we find that the migration record, he came from Swedish name, for example Per Augusta is living with her family in North America Nov 11, 1903, which Svensson, the parish often had more Newark City, Essex Co., NJ. Her hus- puts a question about the paternity than one Per Svensson born the same band is Oscar Johnson, born in of the daughter Edit born in Täng year and living in the same village. Sweden in July 1871. They have Jan. 3rd 1904. Within a parish or area some names three daughters: Annie, born 1892,
14 Swedish American Genealogist 2012:4 Where was Oscar born? Alexander Jonsson and Maria Greta Fritorp in Sparlösa parish (Skar.). To find parents and siblings to Os- Andersdotter. Not really what was His wife Augusta Albertina died kar we now go to Acklinga parish and expected. Is our Oskar the boy Gus- January 23, 1958, in Tengene (Skar.). check the birth record. But no Oskar taf or the boy Albert or none of these? Alexius Johnsson, Jansson, or Alex- When looking a little bit more we see andersson can be found and no one that the family moved shortly after else that with any certainty can be the birth of the twins and is later liv- Oskar. He is neither born in another ing at Källebacka farm as seen earli- year nor in another parish. Why not er. The interesting thing now is that check if the information from census one of the twins is named Gustaf Al- that says that he was born in July bert and the other twin is named 1871? But there is nothing found on Oskar Alexius! Around 1878 the this date either. We know from the family moved to Acklinga, which is census of 1900 that he had been in why Oskar got his parish of birth Täng Markusgården. America since 1888 and maybe left wrong. Acklinga for America about 1888. This example shows how the name The Genealogical Society of Swe- When we check emigration and can change both when moving to and den (Genealogiska Föreningen) household records, there he is! He is from the United States but also when has a team of skilled researchers living at the farm Källebacka. We living in Sweden. It also shows that and we are happy to help you with also get the information that he is information is not always correct and your research requests. Please vis- born in Hömb parish (Skar.) from the that to get to the truth several it our web page: household record. The date of birth sources of information must be http://www.genealogi.net is also here, July 20th 1869. Now we checked and judged. or send an e-mail to check the birth record in Hömb and Oskar Alexius and his family
Täng församlingsbok (Täng AII:1 (1900-1916) Bild 37 / sid 25) from Arkiv Digital. Youngest children died as infants. Swedish American Genealogist 2012:4 15 Led by words – my journey in the world of bouppteckningar
BY NORMAN SANDIN (PONO)
Boy, am I lucky! Why? Because I have Let me explain my ancestors were unfamiliar to me. They all were firmly attached to the ancestors who are Swedes! Some 15 When a person died in Sweden in land as reflected by possession of years ago I started pursuing my earlier times a qualified team was animals, farm equipment, wagons, genealogy. I had already been gather- called in to inventory the estate and and sleighs, while some also had ing contemporary information on my evaluate all chattel and real property. specialties such as milling and relations, but I decided to start This was done to settle all claims and charcoal burning. I was quite igno- digging into my ancestral heritage. debts, as well as to identify the heirs rant of most of these activities – but The first thing I learned was that all and provide the basis for disposition that was the fascination of the four of my grandparents immigrated of the estate. Not everyone was sub- pursuit. to the United States from Sweden. ject to this, but when one can be Fortunately, many items found in The second thing I learned was that found for an ancestor, it is a treasure a 1785 household will likely also Swedish records were among the best trove of detail into the day-to-day life appear in one in 1882 and all the in the world. Boy, am I lucky! of that person and his family. These years between. And that type of item Over those next few years I found bous are found in the archives of the is in my house today. I’m talking some 567 direct ancestors – those härad (legal district) where the per- about knives, forks, and spoons, pots who actually contributed to my DNA son had lived. They are available by and pans, plates and bowls, furniture – and some 5,428 persons including microfilm or online (if you have a sub- and bedding, and clothing. Once I siblings of directs, with some brief scription). learned these words, they could be excursions into spouses and de- For a person like me however, recognized in each bou. scendants of siblings. I collected translating bous to English is a great names, dates, and places for these challenge. They are handwritten in people as typical genealogists do, and Swedish in ledgers, but this state- Weaving tools quite enjoyed it. ment alone doesn’t begin to describe Other words took me down their Then I discovered bouppteck- the difficulty. Handwriting factors path. Väfstol (loom) led me to learn a ningar (bous) and my life took a turn. include the recorder’s penmanship, bit about loom accessories, with their In fact, if one would plot the various spelling, and knowledge of the reeds, shafts, shuttles, heddles, pul- paths I have taken since the dis- decedent’s areas of interest. Lan- leys, winders, harnesses, and cogs, as covery, it would resemble the data guage factors include local dialect, well as the ribbon or inkle loom. Swe- chart from the Large Hadron Collider year of the death, and age and dialect dish is skedar, skaft, skyttel, solv, interpreted to depict the Higg’s of the recorder. Ledger factors in- trissa, nystblad, spännare, kuggar, boson. clude quality of paper and ink used, and bandstol. storage conditions, and digitizing techniques used. I’ve only done a Production of linen dozen bous, but in just this sample, Häckla (heckle) led me down the road the above factors varied widely. to processing flax into linen by Now we must add my personal breaking, scutching, heckling, comb- shortcomings. I started with almost ing, spinning, and weaving. Tools for zero knowledge of Swedish. Those those processes include bråkor, häck- few words I did know came from lor, kammar, spinnrock, and väfstol. parents who knew the language in Bast is the raw fiber and linne is the their youth but lost it over time from fabric. disuse. In addition, the lifestyles of
16 Swedish American Genealogist 2012:4 Cloth types Smithy tools cart and animal drawn travel cart. Vadmal (homespun) led me to ex- Städ (anvil) reminded me of smithy Färdskrinda and höskrinda are plore period cloth types. Blends of tools I had used before and led to somewhat heavier travel buggy and linen, wool, and cotton and methods hammar och tång, rasp, filar, blås- hay wagon. And åkvagn or trilla and of fabrication include dräll, blaggarn, bälg, skruvstäd, nageltorn, and hov- planvagn or flakvagn are the more kalmink, rask, kamlott, and lärft. Lin, tyg. These tools are used by black- robust carriage and flatbed wagon. ull, and bomull are the big three smiths, tinsmiths, and even farriers. fibers, silke is silk, and sammet is They include hammer and tongs, Winter travel velvet. Definitions of the blends and graters, files, bellows, vice, nail head Of course winter was a significant methods are still vague to me, just form, and farrier tools. factor so some substitute for wheels like the English word “worsted” was required – släde and kälke were which makes my eyes glaze over. Fishing equipment used for that purpose. Various sleighs One of my ancestors was a miller, but and sledges or toboggans were used Production of aquavit must have fished for additional in- for work and travel. Their use or Brännvinspanna (still) introduced come. He had 24 fishing nets and 4 cargo usually was attached to the me to the equipment for distilling boats. Fishing equipment included word. Examples are kyrkosläde and alcohol, including the still, cover, läggnät, skottnät, slinga, båt, eka, vedkälke – church sleigh and fire- funnels, pipes, and cooling vessel. metrev, träkrok, and ljuster. The gear wood sledge. Still parts include hatt, tratt, pipor, was lay net, trammel net, fishnet and kylfat. section, boat, flat-bottomed row boat, Containers fishline, wooden fish hook, and fish- By far the largest group of Swedish Cattle ing gig. One boat was upriver, one words found in these bous involve the Kviga (heifer) got me curious about downriver, one on a local pond, and subject of kärl (containers). I feel the farm animals, so I had to learn the one at home. need to summarize rather than words anka, bock, får, galt, get, gris, simply list them. Barrel, bin, box (4), gumse, häst, höna, kyckling, kalv, kil- Farming equipment chest, jar (2), jug, keg, pail or bucket ling, ko, lamm, ox, risbit, spädgris, Hand tools for farm and garden (7), trough, tub (3), and vat each have sugga, sto, tacka, tjur, and tupp. Now showed up in most of the bous and 1 or more “root” let’s see if I remember – duck, male some had more serious equipment words as noted. goat, sheep, boar, goat, pig, male like vält, harv, and many types of But it doesn’t stop sheep, horse, hen, chick, calf, kid, cow, plog. That is a roller for flattening the there. Many of lamb, ox, 1 to 3 y.o. male goat, field, a harrow; and plow. Plows in- these root words suckling pig, sow, mare, ewe, bull, and cluded järnplog, hästplog, vändplog, are combined with rooster. snöplog, and finnplog or gaffelplog. words that indi- That is iron plow, horse plow, mould- cate the intended board plow, snow plow, and Finnish content (milk plow or fork plow (for rocky fields). pail), the material the container is made of (wooden box), or the intended use of the con- Wagons and carriages tainer (brew vat). The possible Kärra, skrinda, and vagn introduced combinations are limited only by the me to wheeled conveyances. Perhaps imagination of the recorder. I’m oversimplifying it, but these three words seem to be somewhat Summary generic terms for carts, light wagons, and heavy wagons. The dragkärra Every one of the Swedish words and färdkärra are light manual pull discussed here appeared in at least one of the 12 bous that were trans- Log joinery lated during this period. The words Timmerhake (log dog) got me into the themselves gave great insight into field of log joinery, where I found the lives of my ancestors and further drag, käxla, huggjärn, bandknif, and educated me in many areas. The vändhake. These tools had other uses monetary side gave still further as well, but supported construction insight and revealed that the sample with logs – dividers, gutter adze, chi- covered a wide range of the human sel, two-handled band knife or spoke- condition. The following table pro- shave, and cant hook or peavey. A dung cart. vides a means for comparison. Values are given for 7 inventory items that Swedish American Genealogist 2012:4 17 are somewhat common, 4 category digits of debts and total are un- lated bouppteckningar and a Swed- sub-totals, and the total value of each readable. ish-English Pictorial Dictionary with estate. Instead of doing an inventory of more than 750 words online and The monetary systems changed loose items for 1853, an auction was available to help others trying to do over this time and values needed to conducted and the proceeds deter- a translation. be adjusted to provide a valid com- mined the total. These Genealogy Resources are parison. Several early ones showed available at p. 30. I hope they will values in two systems, the higher * Real estate apparently belonged help you. values were divided by 18 to get the to the widow and was not included Ed:s note: Norman Sandin has lower. Shown in the table are the in the estate. written before on the lower values. The 1879 and 1882 may ** Heritable rights to value added bous. See SAG 2009:3 need some adjustment – possibly a to rental property (röjselrätt) – i.e., and 2009:4. division by 4. The 90 daler cow in buildings, new fields, etc. 1785 is odd relative to other item *** Loose property was auctioned values, but consistent with other and not inventoried. animals in the same inventory. After adjustments, 1820 was the Afterword largest estate. The gentleman had It doesn’t seem like much now that I significant real estate and was owed reread it, but it took many months, more on promissory notes than lots of help and innumerable side anyone else. 1879 was the only one trips to get where the information is An 18th century man with a negative remainder – last today. The result is a dozen trans- from Småland.
Swedish noblemen in California in 1852
In SAG 1/2012, on page 18, there was known date, and died in the U.S. on Carl Gustaf von Quillfelt, who might an article on Swedes found in the 1891 April 20. have been a son of Wilhelm Carl Kurt 1852 state census of California. One Now a specialist on Swedish noble- von Qvillfelt, who had at least three R. Fleetwart was identified as Baron men abroad, Örjan Werkström, has sons who immigrated to the U.S. This Gustaf Robert Fleetwood, b. 1824 found two more in that article. man is probably the Carl Gustave von Dec. 23 in Uddevalla (Göt.), son of The first is recorded as just C. West- Quilfelt who in 1854 Jan. 9 married Baron Carl Johan Fleetwood and his field, but can be identified as Claes Anna Maria Kortkamp in Calaveras wife Sophia Carolina Gödecke. He Henning Wästfelt, b. 1829 Jan. 27, Co., CA. immigrated in 1845, and in 1855 con- immigrated unknown year, later Source: Elgenstierna, Gustaf: Den tinued to Australia (SPAUS #950). major in the Confederate Army, died introducerade svenska adelns ättar- Another one was Albin Fredrik 1863 Apr. 5 near Mobile, AL. tavlor (History of the Swedish Nobil- Adalrik Gegerfelt, b. 1823 Aug. 16 in The other one was listed as Chas ity) (1925–1936). Jönköping, who immigrated un- Quilfald, and has been identified as
18 Swedish American Genealogist 2012:4 The solution of the Handwriting Example 33
Transcription Förteckning på Personer, som icke äro ledige till ägtenskap
pag. 25 Dragon J. P. Holst vid Hammarby, har ett barn med Pigan A. M. Nilsd[otte]r i Willinge.
pag. 126 Drängen Jan Jonasson i Willinge, har ett Barn med Pigan Lena Cajsa Carlsd[otte]r som sistl[idne] höst flyttade ifrån Berga By till Hagby Socken.
pag. 171 Drängen Eric Matsson i Wiggeby, har barn med Dejan Lagerholm, med flera i nästgrän- sande Socknar. ------flyttade på hösten 1836 till Bondkyrkoförsaml[ing].
Translation
List of People who are not free to marry
pag. 25 Dragoon J.P. Holst at Hammarby, has a child with the maid A.M. Nilsd[otte]r of Willinge.
pag. 126 The farmhand Jan Jonasson of Willinge, has a child with the maid Lena Cajsa Carlsd[otte]r, who during the last fall moved from Berga Village to Hagby Parish.
pag. 171 The farmhand Eric Matsson of Wiggeby, has a child with the milkmaid Lagerholm, and more in the nearby Parishes. ------Moved during the fall of 1836 to Bondkyrko parish. Comments: The word pag. is short for the Latin word pagina, which means page. On the page mentioned you may find more information on the persons named above. Bondkyrko parish is in the city of Uppsala, also called Heliga Trefaldighet (Holy Trinity).
Swedish American Genealogist 2012:4 19 A mystery child – an extra child is found in a family where she did not belong
BY DAVID ANDERSON
Swedish church records in the 19th (layman judge) Carl Gustafsson for Their second daughter, Johanna century are amazingly complete and four years from 18582 to 1862 at the Charlotta, is born shortly thereafter generally speaking it is possible to Spennar farm. He then works as a on 14 Jul. 1867 at Bergsgården. easy to trace people from cradle to farm hand at Sols, in Fäggeby, in Johanna Charlotta’s birth is the 75th grave since the movement of people 1862 and 18633 before spending most recorded in St. Kopparberg in 1867 was so heavily regulated and docu- of a year at Hampus, Orrsta, St. and her parents are recorded as mented. The individual parish hus- Skedvi, in 1864.4 On 28 Aug. 1864, at “Dagkarlen Johan Johansson och förhörslängd (clerical survey) records the age of 24, the farmhand Jan Jans- Hustru Augusta Persdotter, Bergs- provide the backbone to researching son from the farm Hampus in Orrsta, gården.” Again the mother’s name is Swedish ancestors in great depth and St. Skedvi, married the farm owner’s recorded as Augusta Persdotter. are supported by birth, marriage, daughter Augusta Persdotter of The family lived at Bergsgården death, and occasionally the in- and Yttersätra, Stora Skedvi. On the in Stora Kopparberg from 1867.9 In out- moving records. Generally marriage record Jan’s birth is re- 1869 the family moved to Nygården speaking, people would move away corded as being on 24 Apr. 1840, while in Vika (Dala.) where the “arbetaren” from home at the age of 15–18 to get Augusta’s birth is recorded as being (the laborer) Jan Jansson, his wife experience learning a trade before 26 Feb 1837 in Norrbärke. This is the Augusta Persdotter, and now four getting married sometime in their first marriage for both of them.5 children, Hedvig Augusta, Johanna early 20’s and raising their own Charlotta, Johan Wilhelm, and Erica family. Births of children seem to The first child arrives Carolina are recorded.10 have been generally evenly spaced After their marriage the couple lives The two new children are: Johan about 2 years apart and mortality briefly with her parents at Herrmans, Wilhelm, born 16 Jan 1871 in Vika, rates were high. My great-grand- Yttersätra, where their first child and Erica Carolina, born on 6 Jan father’s brother’s family provides a Hedvig Augusta was born on 15 Oct 1872 in Ugglebo. Johan Wilhelm’s stereotypical opportunity to track a th 1864. The birth record says: “bonden birth record indicates he is the 5 family 150 years later, with an alto- Herrmans Jan Jansson i Yttersätra recorded birth in Vika in 1871, and gether surprising and unexpected rd o Hu (= hustru (wife)) Augusta Pers- the 3 child born to Jan and Augus- twist. dotter.” This gives his occupation as ta. His parents’ names are recorded “bonde” (peasant farmer) and ties as “Jansson, Jan, arb[etaren] Nygård- A Dalarna family him to the farm Herrmans. The fami- en and Persdotter, Augusta.” Johan Jansson was born in the ly is then for a short time found at The birth records for Vika list th cottage Jonas Erkers in Grådö, Hede- Fäggeby, Stora Skedvi, in 1866 where Erica Carolina as the 6 born in Vika th mora, on 24 Apr. 1840 to Jan Jans- Jan is working as a dagkarl (day in 1872 on Jan 6 . She is reportedly th son (1801-1845) and Anna Persdotter laborer).6 The family moves and lives the 4 born child of “arbetaren Jan (1798-1874). He was the youngest briefly at the Prästgården, Stora Jansson i Nygården och Hu. Augu- child born to this couple and one of Skedvi, through the winter of 1866- sta Persdotter (barnet födt i Ugg- only two of the five born in this family 67 where they are noted living by 18 lebo).” A side note indicates that to survive to adulthood. The other Nov 1866.7 Erika Carolina was baptized by the surviving child, Anders Jansson (b clergyman K F Sjöström in Ugglebo. 1829 - ?) is my great-grandfather. The On the move A check of Vika’s husförhörslängd did small family lived in the cottage Jon- not show the family living in a place They leave Stora Skedvi for Stora as Erkers until they moved to the with the name of Ugglebo or leaving Kopparberg (Dala.) on 24 Apr. 1867, nearby Svens cottage in 1854, where and returning to Vika in 1872 when but are not recorded in Stora Kop- Johan remained until 1858 when, at Erica Carolina was supposedly born parberg’s Inflyttning record until 28 the age of 18, he moves a few miles in “Ugglebo.” There is however, June 1867 when the dagkarlen [the north to Stora Skedvi.1 Johan is mentioned that the family did move day laborer] Johan Jansson m[ed] found at Fäggeby, Stora Skedvi, in 1872 from Nygården, Vika, to Pers- Hu[strun] o[ch] barn are recorded 11 where he is living and working as a arfvet, Vika, where Johan is listed moving to the house Bergsgården in farm hand (dräng) for nämndeman as being a backstugesittare (dug-out St. Kopparberg.8 dweller). There are no other notes in
20 Swedish American Genealogist 2012:4 The birth of the mysterious Erica Carolina in Ockelbo 6 January 1872. Ockelbo CC:2, image 32. (Arkiv Digital). the Vika husförhörslangd of the Daughter Emma Wilhelmina dies on le), but according to a letter [dated] family moving from Persarfvet, 16 Oct. 1879 of “difteri,” or diptheria; 1875 Aug. 7, from the vicar (kyrko- where daughter Emma Wilhelmina Klas Emil, born 3 Jun. 1876, dies on herde) Rydberg, she is not known is born on 17 Jun. 1873. Emma 28 August 1876, cause not listed; there, and thus as there is no know- Wilhelmina’s parents are “arbetaren Klara Matilda, born 24 Jan. 1878, ledge of her domicile, the child is Jan Jansson och hu Augusta Pers- dies on 14 Jun 1879 from com- recorded in the moving-in records dotter i Persarfvet 9 år.” The “9 år” plications due to “lungsot,” or tuber- under the number [in right margin] notation indicates, correctly, that the culosis. There is also a note with 3 in the year 1875 moving-in book.”18, parents have been married nine Erika Carolina, translated by Elisa- 19 See picture below. years. beth Thorsell, that says: “This child A check of parish listings in is incorrectly recorded with these Cradled in Sweden said “Ugglebo, see parents, and does not belong to this Who was Augusta Ockelbo.”12 I then checked the parish family, and is buried in Mo in 1875. Carolina? birth records for Ockelbo and found Its mother was the vagrant Augu- The name of Jan’s wife was Augusta a birth recorded on 6 Jan. 1872 for sta Carolina Eriksson.”15 The five Persdotter. The name of Erika Caro- Erika Carolina, born to “Jansson Jan, remaining living family members, lina’s mother is Augusta Carolina arbetskarl från Wika, Falu län och hu although their names are not crossed Eriksson or Sundqvist. Many ques- Persdr Augusta Carolina,” (Jansson over, are noted as moving back to tions remain about who Augusta Jan, laborer from Vika, Falu County, “Stora Kopparb[erg] on 7/10 18]81.”16 Carolina was, and where she was and his wife Persdr Augusta Carol- A search of the Mo parish church from. Was Jan Jansson the biological ina) (highlights mine for emphasis). records during 1875 reveals that on father of Erika Carolina? If not, why The entry includes a note that the July 30th Erika Carolina, daughter did a birth record from Ockelbo birth certificate for Erica Carolina to the widow (enkan) Augusta where Erika Carolina was born get was sent to the pastor in Wika on 23 Carolina Sundqvist from parts sent to Vika where Jan Jansson and Jan. [1872].13 unknown, aged about 3 years old, family live? If so, where did the paths It is interesting to note that Jan, died of the measles (messling).17 A of Jan and Augusta Carolina cross? or Johan, Jansson’s wife’s name, note with Erika Carolina’s death Was Augusta Carolina living in Vika Augusta, is consistently given as record is translated as: “The mother in 1871 at the same time Jan was liv- Augusta, not Augusta Carolina, in has told the vice pastor G. Kolle that ing there? Augusta Carolina, being a her birth record from Norrbärke on [she] has her domicile in Gävle (Gef- 26 Feb 1837, marriage record from Stora Skedvi, in various husförhörs- längd records, and in her children’s birth records. Nowhere is she called Augusta Carolina. The husförhörslängd for Pers- arfvet, Vika, 1876-1885 14, shows ar- betaren Jan Jansson’s family with two additions to the family, three deaths, and four names crossed over which indicates those people are no longer present. Those crossed over names include Erika Carolina. Mo parish (Gävl.) Deaths (1867-1894) EI:2, image 80. (Arkiv Digital).
Swedish American Genealogist 2012:4 21 The death of Augusta Persdotter Jansson in Helsingberg, Stora Kopparberg. SCB-picture from SVAR.
Death of Johan Jansson in Helsingberg, Stora Kopparberg. (Stora Kopparberg AIIb:8 (1916-1937) p. 29, Arkiv Digital). wanderer or vagrant, may not show On 4 July 1913 the hu[stru] Augu- Sweden, Revised version (Logan up in various parish in- and utflytt- sta Jansson f[ödd] Persdotter hu[s- UT, 1995) p, 313. ning, or husförhörslängd records. She tru] till f.d. åkaren (former coach- 13) Ockelbo parish (Gävl.) Births, does provide an enigma of someone man) Johan Jansson (Johansson) (1870-1879) CC:2, image 32. Ockel- who lived outside the norm for that dies of hjärtsjukdom (chronic heart bo church records burned in 1904, time period. disease) in Stora Kopparberg. Johan so the records have been replaced The inflyttning record for Stora died 14 March 1930 at Helsingberg, by the SCB extracts. Kopparberg20 shows that on 11 Nov Stora Kopparberg.22 14) Vika parish (Dala.), cl. survey 1881 arbetaren Johan Jansson with (1876-1885) AI:12a, p. 124. family from Wika moved to Helsing- Endnotes: 15) Elisabeth Thorsell, Sweden, to berg, St. Kopparberg. There were two 1) Siv Thorsell, Gårdar och Gårds- David Anderson, e-mail 20 Aug. males and three females. Soon after namn i Nås Fjärding, Hedemora 2012, “Re: Erica Carolina”; pri arbetaren Johan Jansson’s family’s (Hägersten, Siv Thorsell, 1990), p. vately held by Anderson, Port- arrival in Helsingberg, Stora Koppar- 31. land, OR, 2012. berg, son Klaes Axel Kasper is born 2) Stora Skedvi parish (Dala.), cl. 16) Vika parish (Dala.), cl. survey on 20 Oct 1881. His mother’s name survey (1852-1861) AI:13a, p. 71. (1876-1885) AI:12a, p. 124. is: “Pettersson, Augusta.” The use of 3) Stora Skedvi parish (Dala.), cl. 17) Mo parish (Gävl.), Deaths (1867- Petter, rather than Per in her sur- survey (1862-1871) AI:14a, p. 75. 1894) EI:2, image 80. name is not unusual since they are 4) Stora Skedvi parish (Dala.), cl. 18) Mo parish (Gävl.), Inflyttnings- forms of the same name, as are Jan survey (1862-1871) AI:14a, p. 80. längd (1850-1894), image 42. and Johan. Klaes Axel Kasper dies 5) Stora Skedvi parish (Dala.), cl. 19) Thorsell, e-mail, 20 Aug. 2012. in 1883. After many years of moving survey (1862-1871) AI:14a, p. 179 20) Stora Kopparberg (Dala.), Inflytt- within and between parishes, Johan 6) Stora Skedvi parish (Dala.), cl. ning (1861-1894), BI:3, image 241, is finally noted as living in house survey (1862-1871) AI:14a, p. 81 line 81. “N:7, ” and being “Arbetaren, Egare, ” 7) Stora Skedvi parish (Dala.), cl. 21) Stora Kopparberg (Dala.), cl. 21 or laborer owner. He finally has a survey (1862-1871) AI:14b, p. 413. survey (1885-1894), AI:31, p. 269. place of his own. With “Eg Arb:” 8) Stora Kopparberg parish (Dala.), 22) Stora Kopparberg (Dala.) cl. (egare/owner, arbetaren/laborer) Jo- In- och utflyttningslängd (1861- survey (1916-1937) AIIb:8, page han now is owning his own house, he 1894) BI:3, image 73, line 45. 29. and his wife settle down in “Gård N: 9) Stora Kopparberg parish (Dala.), 7. Johan Jansson.” The surviving cl. survey (1867-1876) AIb:13, p. children move out: Hedvig Augusta 140. moves to Vika on 20 Apr. 1891; Johan- 10) Vika parish (Dala.), cl. survey Author David Anderson lives na Charlotta moves 17 Jul. 1891; and (1866-1875) AI:11a, p. 86. in Portland, Ore. Johan Wilhelm, who has now taken 11) Vika parish (Dala.), cl. survey His e-mail is the surname of Käll moves to Stock- (1866-1875) AI:11a, p. 92.
22 Swedish American Genealogist 2012:4 More thoughts on citing Swedish records – Why should I???
BY ELISABETH THORSELL
By now one hopes that it is no longer böcker), banns and marriage records cation for the pictures. That GID- necessary to explain why it is im- (lysnings- och vigselböcker), and number is quite worthless as a source portant to cite one’s sources. But, just death and burial records (död- och citation, as they can only be deci- in case, here are a few reasons. begravningsböcker). phered by other Ancestry users. 1. You do it for your own needs; you Each cathegory of books were giv- SVAR, a branch of the Swedish never know if you need to back- en a code letter (Swedish: signum) National Archives (Riksarkivet), also track and see who else was listed and then a volume figure. provides the church records in black- on that page in the cl. survey. And These letters are: and-white, but has the modern vol- that is much easier to do if you AI = clerical surveys ume “names”. have made proper citations. B = removal records If you are using the microfilms of 2. You do it for the sake of the ones C = birth and baptism records the Family History Library, you that continue your research. How E = banns and marriage records should add FHL Film 135601. So are they to know if you had looked F = death and burial records then the citation says “Lommaryd in this or that record, unless you If a birth, death, or marriage has (1789-1791) AI:2:234, FHL Film have made notes of the sources? been found in the chronologically 135601.” 3. You do it for the people you wish to kept records it might not be neces- However, if you are going to work share your research with. During sary to write a long citation. You can in Swedish archives, you will have no the years you read the records for just make a note for yourself, that help of the FHL film numbers, as Lommaryd, you probably will meet you have found this event in the right they are virtually unknown in Swe- with others who have roots in the book. But if you have found a death den. same parish, and it is much easier date in a different source, like a bo- Those Swedish code letters, men- to compare results if you have the uppteckning, then you must do a full tioned above, appear on the first page proper citations. citation. of every volume, and on the same Book Lommaryd AI:2 thus is the page you can see what years the We agree about this, second volume of the clerical surveys volume covers. It is a good idea to add for Lommaryd. When you have found those years to your citation, as you don’t we? that your ancestors lived at Degla have already seen in this article. So, how do you cite sources? You farm, on page 234 in Lommaryd AI:2, The good thing about adding the should do it in such a way that it is you can cite the source for that family years for the volume is that when the possible for anyone to trace the docu- as “Lommaryd (1789-1791)AI:2, p. archive that has the original books ment where you found that specific 234,” or just “Lommaryd (1789-1791) for some reason changes the volume piece of evidence that showed that AI:2:234.” number, you still know what years your Johan was indeed the son of Nils These days many of us use the you are looking for. in Lillegården. services of the internet providers, Many of the modern computer mainly the Swedish company Arkiv programs have good facilities for Swedish church records Digital, that have newly photo- citations, but if they do not fit your The Swedish archives have organized graphed pictures of the records in requirements, you can always write the church records in the same way color. a text note. since they started to care for them in Another provider is Ancestry.com, the late 1600s. Each parish archive that a few years back bought the More reading: was supposed to keep the same kind Swedish company Genline. Genline Mills, Elizabeth Shown, Evidence of records as every other parish in the scanned the Mormon microfilms, Explained: Citing History Sources country, according to the Church Law that were filmed in black-and-white from Artifacts to Cyberspace. Gene- of 1686. in the 1950s mainly. Since then the alogical Publishing Company, Inc., The main categories were clerical archives have changed many of the Baltimore (2007). surveys or household examination “names” of the volumes, so descrip- Ms. Mills also has a very useful web records (husförhörslängder), removal tions on Ancestry might not be cor- site, see page 30. She is also on Face- books (flyttningslängder), birth and rect any longer. Also they have kept book. baptism records (födelse- och dop- the old GID-numbers as identifi- Ed: s note: This is an updated article from SAG 2004/3. Swedish American Genealogist 2012:4 23 Book Reviews Here you will find information about interesting books on the immigration experience, genealogical manuals, books on Swedish customs, and much more. We welcome contacts with SAG readers, suggestions on books to review perhaps. If you want to review a book yourself, please contact the Book Review Editor, Dennis L. Johnson, at <[email protected]> or Dennis Johnson, 174 Stauffer Road, Bucktown Crossing, Pottstown, PA 19465, so he knows what you are working on. in third class. Of the 123 Swedes on and the Swedish-American press are Swedes on the board the Titanic, 66 were adult men, summarized in the next chapters, 32 adult women, and 28 were child- with numerous examples included to Titanic ren. 14 of the men (21%) were saved, bring this event home to the reader 14 of the women (44%) survived, and and provide a good view of the world only 6 children (24%) were saved. Of reaction to this major catastrophe as Not My Time to Die, Titanic and the the Swedish passengers, 118 were well as the journalistic styles of one Swedes on Board, by Lilly Setter- single and only 21 were married. hundred years ago in cities large and dahl, Nordstjernan Forlag, New York, 2012, 295 pages, softcover, Illus- Although the more prominent small. The Swedish-American press trated, Amazon.com $19.95 plus passengers received most of the coverage was particularly interest- shipping. publicity in the press, many accounts ing, since it tended to focus more on were published in other newspapers the fate of the Swedish passengers It is fitting that this book should be around the nation and in Sweden, on board, especially those from the published in the year of the 100th including in the Swedish-American cities having a connection to the vic- anniversary of the sinking of the press. The author has researched the tims of the sinking. passenger liner Titanic, the new and files of all of these papers to assemble The remaining two-thirds of the “unsinkable” flagship of the White this account of the Swedes who book is devoted to the individual Star Line, a British shipping com- survived and those who were lost. stories of the Swedish passengers on pany. The ship sank after striking an Many survivors’ stories were re- the Titanic, first those who survived iceberg off Newfoundland on April ported at the time and are included. and then those who perished. Each 15, 1912. Of the total of 2,223 on She has also researched widely in story occupies a few pages and is board (1,324 passengers, 899 crew), Swedish and American records and individually titled according to the there were only 706 survivors. A to- in genealogy archives to tell the experiences described, for example: tal of 1,517 were lost. Among the lost stories of those who did not survive, “Why couldn’t we be together until were a number of prominent passen- and those whose families were the end?,” or “His mother screamed, gers including the captain, who went broken by this tragedy. ‘Save my Boy’.” or “Swedish-Ameri- down with the ship. This disaster was The introduction is a brief sum- can kissed his wife goodbye.” All are widely reported at the time and has mary of the experience of departure since been the subject of books, films, from Sweden and a breakdown of and articles over the century since who these Swedes were and their this tragedy occurred. reasons for traveling. Sweden in 1912 Lilly Setterdahl felt it was im- is described, with a map of Sweden portant to write this book since the showing the counties and provinces. largest ethnic group on board after Following this introduction is a his- the British and the Americans were tory of the Titanic, her construction, the Swedes, yet there has been no captain and crew, prominent passen- account of their fate written outside gers, and cargo. The voyage and of Sweden. Most survivor stories that collision are described, attempts at were published in 1912 and later rescue, inquiries into the disaster, were told or written by the more rich and the more recent discovery of the and famous passengers, or members wreck on the ocean’s bottom. Numer- of the crew. Little attention has been ous photographs of the ship, her paid to the experiences of the third passengers, and crew are included. class passengers. Except for a very Coverage of the sinking in the few, the Swedish passengers traveled American press, the Swedish press,
24 Swedish American Genealogist 2012:4 Book Reviews available, made the location favor- The story of a able for milling and manufacturing in the rapidly growing state. The builder railroad came to the area by 1854, and a bridge over the Mississippi connected Rock Island and Daven- Building the American Dream, A port by 1856. Moline, on the south Swedish Immigrant Carpenter, side of the river, soon was connected heart-rending stories of survival or Contractor, and Family in Moline, Illinois, by Curtis C. Roseman, by trolley to become the third of the loss. The author has found a story for 2012, Heritage Documentaries, tri-cities. In 1848, John Deere and each Swede on the Titanic, a massive Inc., Moline, IL, 241 pages, soft Co., a plow manufacturer, came to research task. Lilly Setterdahl has cover. $20.00 plus shipping. Moline and quickly expanded into a put together a gripping account of the major manufacturer of farm equip- fate of those on the Titanic, one which At first glance, this book appeared to ment. Other growth in all three cities makes the readers place themselves be another personal family history brought many jobs and a demand for in the shoes of each victim, and think about the author’s own ancestors. workers in the area, attracting many “what would I do if this were happen- This type of book is generally valu- Swedes and others in the latter part ing to me.” Accounts of heroism, able and of great interest to the of the 19th century. sacrifice, circumstance, separation, family which is the subject of the his- Gustaf Adolph (Gust) Johnson and fear move the reader to tears. tory, but not of great interest to other immigrated to the U.S. in 1899, The author has done yeoman work readers. I do not generally review following a common route from Gö- in bringing all these individual books of this type in SAG, but look teborg via Hull in England, to Liver- stories to light about the Swedes on for books of wider interest to a va- pool, and then by ship to New York. board the Titanic, a much different riety of readers. I did read the book, He traveled by rail and steamer first and more tragic immigrant ex- however, to make sure I had judged to Chicago and then to Moline. His perience than that experienced by the contents appropriately. older sister Hilma had come to most of our forebears and country- I was pleasantly surprised as I Moline in 1893 and he had other men. Many lives were prematurely made my way through the book that contacts living there from Sweden. ended and even the survivors had it had quite a bit more to offer. The He had grown up on a farm, Frugård, their lives altered, often irreparably. book centers on the maternal grand- near Holsbybrunn, east of Vetlanda, All because of the coincidence of parents of the author and his close in Småland. His parents, Jonas Pe- many factors, individually insignif- relatives and immediate descendants ter and Johanna Johnson, had owned icant, but when taken together re- in Moline, Illinois, from the early 20th Frugård since the early 19th century. sulted in the sinking of a great ship century until the present day. As the Jonas’s sister Anna had immigrated and the unfortunate loss of so many story of Gust Johnson and his wife, to Jamestown, New York, but Jonas lives. Dennis L. Johnson Selma, unfolded, I found that I was Peter and Johanna had never left developing a much more complete Sweden. They had a total of eight picture of this very Swedish com- children, two of which died in child- munity and the character of life in hood, and all but one of the remaining this city and the surrounding area for six migrated to the U.S. the people who had uprooted their The original Moline settlers and lives in Sweden to find their own founders had come primarily from future and that of their children in New England, New York, and Penn- this Midwestern town. sylvania. These founders became Moline is an integral part of the most of the civic leaders, manu- tri-cities of Rock Island, Illinois; facturers, business people, and bank- Davenport, Iowa; Moline, Illinois; and ers. Swedish immigrants arrived a several smaller communities which little later as laborers, tradespeople, grew up nearby. (This area is more and workers who were employed by commonly known today as the “Quad their predecessors in the fast-grow- Cities”.) From the 1840’s, these towns ing tri-cities towns. By the 1880’s, located on the Mississippi River at a however, about a third of the popu- point where water power was readily lation of Moline was of Swedish Dennis L. Johnson, Book review editor. Swedish American Genealogist 2012:4 25 Book Reviews saved his money, and bought two smaller jobs. building lots, married Selma Carlson, Selma Carlson Johnson died of a and began building a house for his massive stroke in 1937, leaving Gust wife and future family. a widower. They had two daughters, Selma Carlson was born in Swe- Dorothy and Elinor. Dorothy married den but was brought to the U.S. by in 1937, just before her mother’s her parents when she was two years death. She married a Cliff Roseman, origin, and the first mayor of Swed- old. Gust Johnson knew Selma before who later became a pharmacist and ish descent was elected in 1895. going to California; the families were owner of the pharmacy on the cam- When Gust Johnson arrived in 1889, close and he met her in church. They pus of Augustana College. Elinor also the Swedes had gained considerable were married in 1908 in their Mis- attended Augustana College and political power and the next several sion Covenant church, and soon married Rev. Martin Olson. He was mayors were all Swedish. Because of moved into their new home. Selma called to be a missionary, and the the manufacturing jobs available, had worked as a domestic for some couple left for Tanganyika, Africa, Moline and its neighboring cities eight years for the Allen family in almost immediately, where they were attracted immigrants from numer- Moline, and they remained close after serving for nearly four years. Elinor ous European nations. A large num- she married. The author devotes a died tragically in childbirth at their ber of Belgians came to this area as chapter to the family of Selma Carl- mission in December, 1940. well, but Swedes continued to be the son and their origins in Sweden. Dorothy and Cliff moved into her largest ethnic group. The remainder of the book is pri- parents’ house with Gust, and lived When Gust Johnson came to marily an account of Gust Johnson’s there until he died in 1947. The cou- Moline in 1899, he lived with his sis- career as a carpenter and home- ple remained in the house, raising ter Hilma. When she married, he builder mostly building homes in three children, Cynthia, Elinor, and lived for a time with the couple and Moline with a few in nearby locations Curtis (the author). Cynthia, born in worked for his brother-in-law, Nels in Davenport or Rock Island. By the 1938, attended Augustana College Mattson, and later for a contractor, time he married he was transitioning and then received a doctorate in Erick Liljegren, doing carpentry from carpenter into a contractor, geology from the University of Illi- work. He took some courses at a local taking on projects mostly for Swedish nois, married another classmate and business college. He moved to Oak- friends as a hands-on small con- geologist, and they went on to long land, California, for a few years, tractor. He usually did one house at careers in teaching and in the oil working as a carpenter, studying a time and did much of the carpentry industry. Curtis Roseman, the author, business, and teaching Sunday himself, engaging others for the other was born in 1941, attended August- School. Shortly after the San Fran- trades such as plumbing, heating, ana College and the University of cisco earthquake in 1906, he moved and electrical work. He kept careful back to Moline to again work as a car- accounts of all his work and seemed penter. He moved in with his sister to make a profit beyond his own Selma again, by then a widow. Hilma wages on each house completed. Al- remarried and returned to Sweden. most every house he built has been Gust continued work in Moline, identified and recorded in this book, thanks to the careful accounts that became available to the author. This SALE! could be a very dry chronicle except Swedish Voters in for the colorful descriptions included Chicago 1888 by the author which help fill out one’s picture and understanding of this By Nils William Olsson city of Moline through the decades 302 pages of Swedes, of the 20th century. The builder’s comments, and indexes. career was affected by World War I, $10 + $5 S&H the boom times of the 1920’s, the Contact Jill Seaholm at Great Depression of the 1930’s, and into World War II. At least eighty
26 Swedish American Genealogist 2012:4 Book Reviews Old Swedish through the text is much information farming related to the social and economic history of the Swedish lands, in- cluding five inserted “theme texts” on The Agrarian History of Sweden, particular aspects of Sweden’s his- 4000 BC to AD 2000, by J. Myrdal Minnesota, and eventually became a and Mats Morell, Eds, Nordic tory. Two of the essays are written professor of geography at the Univer- Academic Press, Lund, Sweden, by the editors, Janken Myrdal and sity of Southern California. Upon his Hardcover, Illustrated, 336 pages, Mats Morell. Janken Myrdal is the retirement in 1999 he and his wife Amazon.com, $40.11 plus shipping. grandson of the well-known Swedish moved back to Moline to live in the scholar Gunnar Myrdal, sociologist house he grew up in, built by his Seven essays by individual authors and economist. These essays, in grandfather in 1923. The home was make up this volume intended to chronological order, provide a de- filled with memorabilia and the cover the history of agriculture in tailed account of the history of agri- boxed records of his grandfather Sweden over six millennia. Woven culture in Sweden. The ending of the Gust Johnson. By 2006, Curtis had begun to sort and catalog these records, a process which resulted in this book, Building the American Dream. In his introduction, Roseman Add to your family history states his goal of providing a nar- rative of what life was like for his Learn what Sweden and America were like grandparents and others featured in when your ancestors emigrated the book. This the author has accom- plished. Join the Swedish-American The book is eminently readable on several levels: the story of this part Historical Society of his family, the career of one builder and contractor, and the story of the Four issues a year of the Swedish-American growth of Moline and what life was Historical Quarterly, plus dividend books like for the Swedes who had migrated The Society's latest book is Norwegians to this particular corner of the U.S. in the latter decades of the 19th and Swedes in the United States: century, and the following decades. Friends and Neíghbors The book is well illustrated and foot- noted with sources, and the author For more information, write has even included photos of nearly Swedish-American Historical Society all of the houses built by his grand- 3225 W. Foster, Box 48 father during his career. It is not only of interest to the general reader Chicago IL, 60625 about the Swedish immigrant ex- or see www.swedishamericanhist.org perience, it conveys a good picture of Moline during that period, and is a Mention the Genealogist when you join or order books valuable gift to all the many de- scendants and relatives of this re- markable and sturdy Swede and his family.
Dennis L. Johnson
Swedish American Genealogist 2012:4 27 Book Reviews the Christian era also brought to plague in the 14th century. Agri- selective breeding of sheep and cultural land expanded into the for- cattle, spinning and weaving of ested areas, often by former slaves. fabric, and the demarcation of fields This period also saw the beginnings and pathways with stone walls, and of larger scale iron mining, the advances in carpentry and con- introduction of Christianity to Swe- struction. With the Viking Age, den, and the rise of monasteries. Non- later Stone Age marked the begin- runestones began to appear to mark agricultural occupations began to ning of agriculture in Sweden. These property and as monuments to the expand, and cities were founded or essays trace the evolution of agri- dead. expanded in many locations. Iron culture from these beginnings to the Janken Myrdal picks up this his- plowshares became common, now present day. tory of agriculture with his essay on drawn by horses or oxen, and crop The first essay, by Stig Welinder, the rise of feudalism, the years from rotation came into practice. Water an archeologist, looks at a long pe- 1000 to 1700 A.D. The Swedish state and windmills came into use, live- riod from 3900 B.C. to 800 B.C. This was established in the 11th and 12th stock farming increased, dairying was a period of primitive crop-raising centuries, but not with its present advanced, and specialization became using primarily human labor and few borders. Over the next centuries more common. Peasant revolts a- tools. Change came very slowly, there Sweden gained lands from Denmark gainst increasing taxes and repres- are no written records, and most in- and Norway to the south and west, sion by the nobles and landowners formation about the period must be and lost lands in present-day Fin- resulted eventually in a parliament inferred from archeological sources. land. Swedish people thought of representing all classes. From various sources and locations themselves more in terms of their The fourth essay, by Carl-Johan the author has described many province than the nation state, and Gadd, a professor of economic history, aspects of this period, from changes the nation of individual farmers deals with the period from 1700 to in farmhouses, crops, gender roles, transitioned into a feudal society 1870, a period of agricultural revolu- the typical household, rituals, life, more like much of Europe. This sys- tion in Sweden. Although many other death, grave rituals, and similarities tem consisted of a structure of land- factors were present, the greatest with agriculture in other parts of lords and peasants, or serfs, in a changes were brought about by the Europe. hierarchical society. A warrior caste new enclosure laws passed in 1827. Ellen Anne Pedersen and Mats of nobles controlled most of the land These laws led to a fifty-year period Widgren in their essay cover the pe- and peasants paid rents in cash, which brought about a great trans- riod from 800 B.C. to 1000 A.D., a labor, or in-kind to the landowners. formation to the patterns of land, liv- period roughly corresponding with This was a period of steady popula- ing patterns, and agriculture. The the Iron Age. This was a period of tion increase except for a trough due older pattern had resulted, in most changes, expansion into lands previ- areas, of villages where the farmers ously not cultivated, regressions and lived, surrounded by lands which the abandonment and reforestation over generations had been divided of lands. New tools, crops, and into multiple small strips. Each far- farming systems increased pro- mer might own from a dozen to up to ductivity. Cattle began to be used fifty separate strips of land. With more intensively and stalling (keep- redistribution, these lands were re- ing indoors in winter) became more organized such that each farmer had common, probably to make milk a single contiguous and regular par- production more efficient. Manuring cel of land roughly equal to his pre- of crops became more widely used, vious holdings. This resulted in an and haying for winter use increased. increase in productivity for each far- Prior crops such as millet, emmer mer. It also meant that many farm- wheat, spelt, and nude barley gave ers moved from their villages to a way to hulled barley as the dominant house on their own land, resulting in crop. Changes in climate, newer the dissolving of these many small harvesting tools, stone-clearing, and villages. other practices were all factors in Other changes included use of these changes. The early centuries of newer implements for agriculture,
28 Swedish American Genealogist 2012:4 Book Reviews ity among farmers opened the mar- Myrdal, co-editor, summarizes this ket for many new products that made volume on Swedish agrarian history their lives easier or more com- and provides a wider view of farming fortable. The era of the self-sufficient in northern climates on northern farm was ending, farm work became Europe’s frontier. Swedish farming less arduous, and animals were history is contrasted with European raised for food while machinery mixed farming, and the importance and the introduction of the potato as replaced their use as draft and work of farming implements through his- a crop. The potato would feed twice animals. Food consumption changed tory is reviewed, and periods of ex- as many people from the same land, from the traditional gruel, porridges, pansion and stagnation in agricul- freeing up land for other sale crops. and unleavened barley bread, as ture are discussed, and this history It also brought an era of very cheap these staples in the diet gave way to of agriculture is placed in the per- liquor (vodka and snaps) with a rise a variety of leavened breads, cheeses, spective of changes in the social sys- in alcoholism. By the 1870’s a reli- meat, butter, commercial fish pro- tem. Implications for the future, and gious revival became a response to ducts, and specialty foods. Better the competition for uses other than the rise in alcoholism. Surprisingly, transport and roads led to indust- agriculture for land conclude this fi- the author describes this period as a rialization of much food production nal essay. time of increased prosperity for farm- for both city dwellers and farmers. For the lay reader, this book offers ers, and ignores completely the Wages and a cash economy replaced a great deal of information which effects of the massive emigration, much traditional barter and home- charts not only the agrarian history mainly to North America, which grown foods. Electrification of rural of Sweden but also adds to the occurred during the period 1850- areas and telephones added to the knowledge of the social and cultural 1900. Despite this loss of nearly a comfort and efficiency of farming. history of Swedes over a period of fifth of the people, the overall popu- In the sixth essay, Irene A. Flygg- 6000 years. For scholars, this is the lation of Sweden continued to grow. are and Maths Isacson address first effort to condense this long and The transition to an industrial so- tensions that they see between rich history into a single volume ciety is chronicled by co-editor Mats modernization of farms and reality about the history of agriculture in Morell as he examines the period from 1945 to the present day. These Sweden. All essays are well footnoted from 1870 through 1945, and the tensions include the transition from with sources, and many illustrations resulting changes in agriculture and a nation of small farms to an increase add to the clarity of the presen- marketing. Advances in mechani- in larger, more industrialized farms, tations. This book may be a bit zation went hand-in-hand with tensions between town and country, ponderous for the casual reader, but advances in agriculture and mutu- changes in the roles of men and is rewarding for those willing to take ally reinforced each other. Increasing women in farming, stronger farmer the time to absorb the wealth of in- productivity on the land required organizations, national agricultural formation provided. fewer farmers, releasing many farm policy, and tensions in land use and Dennis L. Johnson workers for jobs in industry and conservation of the landscape. manufacturing, and greater prosper- A concluding essay by Janken New and Noteworthy The January/February 2013 issue of Family Tree Magazine contains a very useful article by Rick Crume on “Hit- ting the books”, which gives insight on how to search for family history in Google Books. A try with this gave me a number of hits on books I did not know existed. The Swedish Ancestry Research Association (SARA), based in Worcester, MA, was founded in 1994 to serve genealogists with Swedish roots in the northeast U.S. During these years they have had an ambitious publication program, with a monthly Newsletter and an annual journal, The Sara Journal, dedicated to a different Swedish province (landskap) in every annual journal. The provinces that have been presented so far are: Östergötland, Dalsland, Närke, Skåne, Småland, Värmland, and Dalarna. Recently a new journal appeard: Västmanland, with a number of interesting articles on, for instance, the Skultuna Brassworks, Castles in Västmanland, The Engelbrekt Rebellion (1400s), the Bergslagen Mining district, and a story about emigrants from Säterbo to Worcester, and more. These journals can be purchased by contacting SARA. A link to SARA is to be found on page 30.
Swedish American Genealogist 2012:4 29 All links tested in January 2013 and Interesting Web Sites should work
Swedes in Illinois: http://www.illinoisancestors.org/swedes/ About Lennart Setterdahl and his microfilming and oral interviews : https://sites.google.com/site/lennartsetterdahl/home The Royal Canadian Regiment (WW I): http://regimentalrogue.com/ Veterans Affairs Canada: http://www.veterans.gc.ca/eng U.S. Newspaper Program: http://www.neh.gov/us-newspaper-program Portal of Texas history: http://texashistory.unt.edu/ Online Military Indexes and Records: http://www.militaryindexes.com/ The Swedish Central Soldier’s Registry: http://www.ep.liu.se/databases/soldatregister/search.sv.aspx Digitized newspapers from Bishop Hill: http://www.galvalibrary.org/ Generous Genealogists: http://generousgenealogists.com/ New Sweden Colonial Farmstead: http://www.newswedenfarmstead.org/nsf/Welcome.html Finnish American Society of the Delaware Valley: http://www.fasdv.org/index.htm The New Sweden Centre: http://www.colonialnewsweden.org/ On the Forest Finns in America: http://www.genealogia.fi/emi/art/article152e.htm The New Sweden 375th Jubilee: http://www.375th.org/ The Augustana online database: augustana.pastperfect-online.com/ North Dakota Death Index: https://secure.apps.state.nd.us/doh/certificates/deathCertSearch.htm British Columbia searchable records: http://search-collections.royalbcmuseum.bc.ca/KeywordGenealogy A. F. Dalin: Ordbok öfver svenska språket (1850-1853) in Swedish: http://spraakbanken.gu.se/dalin/index.html Norman Sandin’s web site (see p. 18): http://www.sandinfamily.com Nordstjernan newspaper (in English): http://www.nordstjernan.com/ The 2012 Ander Lecture at the Swenson Center, by Donna Gabaccia on “Immigrants and Natives 1776-present” : http://www.augustana.edu/x47998.xml Elizabeth Shown Mills: https://www.evidenceexplained.com/ Swedish Ancestry Research Association (SARA): http://sarassociation.tripod.com/sara/SARA_Home_Page.htm
30 Swedish American Genealogist 2012:4 Genealogical Queries
Genealogical queries from subscribers to Swedish American Genealogist will be listed here free of charge on a “space available” basis. The editor reserves the right to edit these queries to conform to a general format. The inquirer is responsible for the contents of the query. We would like to hear about your success if you receive useful information as a result of placing a query in this publication. Please send us your feedback, and we will endeavor to report your new discoveries in this section of the journal.
Anderson, Lindblom Seeking Mary Christine Anderson (or Maria Kristina/Christina, Maja Stina, Stina Maja, etc., etc., etc., – and maybe Anderson was her dad's last name and not her patronymic! The 1900 census says that she was born Oct. 1868 in Sweden, and immigrated in 1893. The 1910 census says she was 39 years old and born in Denmark! Death & burial was 13 Oct. 1950, Oak Hill Cemetery, Hammond IN. She lived in East Chicago City, Lake Co., Indiana, with her husband and family. Married 21 Sep. 1895 in Chicago, IL (Cook Co. Marriage database), to Knut Agathon "Charles" Lindblom, (b. 7 Dec. 1872 in Motala (Östg.). He immigrated on 6 May 1890 fr. Motala Verkstad (Östg.). He died 1 Sep. 1911 in Lake Co., IN, or maybe in Cook Co., IL (but not found in the Cook co., Death Index). Children: all born in East Chicago, Lake Co., IN: Lilley A, (b. Feb. 1896 in Indiana); Violet, (b. July 1898 in Indiana); Eddie, (b. 1898? not in 1900 Census, but age 12 in 1910); Effie M., (b. 1901); Ester, (b. 2 Oct. 1904); Olga C., (b. 23 March 1906); Emil (b. Nov./Dec. 1909). 1910 census says 7 children born, 5 still living. Lilley & Violet are not listed, so they must have died young. After Knut A. (Charles) died or was killed on 1 Sep. 1911, Mary C. Anderson Lindblo(o)m sent all the children to an orphanage in Mishawaka, IN. Seeking info about Knut’s (Charles’) death, and where Mary C. Anderson was from in Sweden, and where the children all lived within the U.S. 1312 All information on this family will be most welcome! Jill Seaholm, Swenson Center, Augustana College, 639 38th Street, Rock Island, IL 61201-2296. E-mail:
The first Swede in Canada The church clerk (klockare) Rahl at Racoon and Penns Neck. He had Månsson and his wife Ingeborg on to leave soon afterwards, as the Swe- 1713 Nov. 26 gave birth to a son, Paul, dish church authorities did not think who had a most unusual career. He that he preached the true doctrine. was born on the farm Brytsbo in He seems to have spent most of his Jonsberg parish in eastern Östergöt- time from 1744 in England and land, which is seen in his surname America, preaching to Hernhutian Brytzelius. congregations in PA. In 1760 he again Little Paul was an intelligent child became a Lutheran, and was the pas- and sent to school in Norrköping, and tor of a Swedish church for a year, Linköping. In 1734 he entered Upp- then became pastor of Zion Lutheran sala University, but did not graduate Church in Oldwick, NJ. In 1767 he there. As other poor stundents he was ordained in London as a priest supported himself as a teacher to in the Anglican Church, and then wealthy peoples’ sons. In 1740 he became pastor of the church in came to Germany and joined the Chester, Lunenburg Co., Nova Sco- Herrnhut sect (similar to the Moravi- tia, Canada. ans), and soon travelled to America, Paul Brytzelius died there in 1773 where he in 1742 preached in Phila- Apr. 9. He was married to Regina delphia. He was ordained in 1743 to Dorothea Schilling and had a large the priesthood in the Herrnhutian family. Church, and then for a short while Source: Swedish Biographical Dic- was a priest in the Swedish churches tionary.
Swedish American Genealogist 2012:4 31 The Last Page Dear friends, We have now passed the darkest part example we can cite his list of things did not like the new computer, so I of the year, and the days are slowly that George Washington ordered had to by a new one, which is much getting longer, which is very nice. from England in 1757: 6½ pounds of quicker than the old one. And once I Before Christmas I bought a book snuff, two and a half dozen tooth get to read the manual I might figure to give to someone, but I started to cleaning sponges, 20 sacks of salt, 53 out the new OCR program. This read the book, and kept it. It is At pounds raisins and almonds, a dozen means that the scanner reads printed Home: A Short History of Private Life, mahogany chairs, two tables that fit text, and makes a file that I can work by Bill Bryson (2010). If you have not together, a big Cheshire cheese, some with, something that saves a lot of read it, I think you should. The marble for a chimney, some papier re-typing, which is very boring as you author, born in the U.S., is most maché, a barrel of cider, 53 pounds of probably know. widely known for his travel books. He candles, 20 sugar-loaves, and 250 To those of you that are Workshop started to think about his house, an glass panes, to just mention a few “Alumni” I would ask you to tell me old English rectory, and wondered things, that he wanted, and could not when you change your e-mail ad- why it was built in the way it was, find in America. I think you will also dress. Otherwise I can not send you and also he wondered about the fur- enjoy this book. e-mails, when there is something I niture and household goods, and Since late November I have a new want you to know. tried to find out their history. The computer, with Windows 7, instead of SAG has a regular Facebook page, book covers many subjects, mainly on my old XP. It has sometimes been a but also a special Facebook page for life in the old days. Then there was chore to learn lots of new things.but the workshop members. no big difference if you lived in Eng- by now I have mastered most of the Till next time! land, the U.S., or Sweden. As an things I need to use. My old scanner Elisabeth Thorsell
Help us promote the SAG journal! SAG
Do you belong to a Swedish genea- logy or other Swedish interest group? Workshop Even a group that only sometimes focuses on Sweden? We are happy to supply SAG back issues and sub- Salt Lake City scription brochures for you to use as handouts. If you will have a raffle or 3 – 9 Nov. drawing, we can even provide a certificate for a 1-year subscription 2013 ! to SAG for you to give away. Contact Jill Seaholm at
The SAG Workshop is the highlight of the year – a fun learning experience and a chance to do your Swedish genealogy with hands-on help from experienced Swedish and American genealogists. The social side includes both welcome and farewell receptions, a buffet dinner & entertainment. Contact Jill Seaholm at 309-794-7204, or e-mail:
32 Swedish American Genealogist 2012:4 Abbreviations
Table 1. Abbreviations for Swedish provinces (landskap) used by Swedish American Genealogist (as of March 2000) and Sveriges Släktforskarförbund (the Federation of Swedish Genealogical Societies, Stockholm [SSF]).
Landskap SAG & SSF Landskap SAG & SSF (Province) Abbr. (Province) Abbr.
Blekinge Blek. Närke Närk. Bohuslän Bohu. Skåne Skån. Dalarna Dala. Småland Smål. Dalsland Dals. Södermanland Södm. Gotland Gotl. Uppland Uppl. Gästrikland Gäst. Värmland Värm. Halland Hall. Västerbotten Väbo. Hälsingland Häls. Västergötland Vägö. Härjedalen Härj. Västmanland Väsm. Jämtland Jämt. Ångermanland Ånge. Lappland Lapp. Öland Öland Medelpad Mede. Östergötland Östg. Norrbotten Nobo.
Table 2. Abbreviations and codes for Swedish counties (län) formerly used by Swedish American Genealogist (1981-1999) and currently used by Statistiska centralbyrån (SCB) (the Central Bu- reau of Statistics, Stockholm).
Län SAG SCB SCB Län SAG SCB SCB (County) Abbr. Abbr. Code (County) Abbr. Abbr. Code
Blekinge Blek. Blek. K Stockholm Stock. Sthm. AB Dalarnaa Dlrn. W Södermanland Söd. Södm. D Gotland Gotl. Gotl. I Uppsala Upps. Upps. C Gävleborg Gävl. Gävl. X Värmland Värm. Vrml. S Halland Hall. Hall. N Västerbotten Vbn. Vbtn. AC Jämtland Jämt. Jmtl. Z Västernorrland Vn. Vnrl. Y Jönköping Jön. Jkpg. F Västmanland Väst. Vstm. U Kalmar Kalm. Kalm. H Västra Götalandc Vgöt. O Kronoberg Kron. Kron. G Örebro Öre. Öreb. T Norrbotten Norr. Nbtn. BD Östergötland Ög. Östg. E Skåneb Skån. M a formerly Kopparberg (Kopp.; W) län. b includes the former counties (län) of Malmöhus (Malm.; M) and Kristianstad (Krist.; L). c includes the former counties (län) of Göteborg and Bohus (Göt.; O), Skaraborg (Skar.; R), and Älvsborg (Älvs.; P). BD
Lappland Norrbotten
AC
Västerbotten
Ångermanland Z Jämtland Y
Härjedalen Medelpad
Hälsingland X Dalarna Gästrikland w Uppland C Värmland Västman- S U land T AB Närke Södermanland Bohuslän Dals- D land Östergötland E O R Västergötland P Gotland F Halland Småland H I N G Öland Blekinge Skåne L K M
The counties (län) as they were before 1991. The provinces (landskap).