Beginning Swedish Research�Using ArkivDigital
5 Main Types of Swedish Church Records
-Birth and Christening Records
-Marriage Records
-Death and Burial Records
-Moving-in and Moving-out Records
-Household Examination Rolls
Church Records were kept by Parish Priest
Parish Map of Skaraborg County
Birth and Christening Records �(Födelselängd and Doplängd)
By law, christenings took place within 8 days of birth. The child’s given name was recorded with no surname
May contain:
-Name of child
-Date of birth
-Date of christening
-First and last names of parents
-Father’s occupation
-Place of residence
-Age of mother and father
-Witnesses
Birth Record 1767
Given Name
Farm
Birth date
Christening date
Year and Month
Parents Names
Witnesses Names
Birth Record 1920 �Page 1
Birth Record 1920�Page 2
Marriage Records
Information contained in these records may vary.
May contain:
-First and last names of bride and groom
-Birth dates or ages for both bride and groom
-Residences
-Parents’ names
-Bride’s giftoman (sponsor-usually her father)
-Banns dates
Marriage Record 1790
Date Year and Month
Day
Occupation
Groom
Residence
Bride
Marriage Record 1920 �Page 1
Marriage Record 1920 �Page 2
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In the earliest records, the entry was sometimes in paragraph form. Later records were more uniform with information listed in tables.
May contain:
-Name of deceased
-Sometimes parents’ or spouse’s name
-Age at death
-Residence
-Cause of death
Death and Burial Records
Death Record 1788
Age
Cause of Death
Name
Residence
Description of status
Date
Death Record 1920
Moving In and Out Records
This set of records is key to tracing persons who moved from place to place.
When a person or family moved outside the parish, the parish priest recorded this in the move-out records and gave a certificate of personal information to the individual to present to the new parish priest who recorded it in the move-in records.
The records are in chronological order giving the names of persons moving in or out of a parish.
May contain:
- Moving dates
-The names of individuals and their families
-Gender of the individuals
-Occupations
-Ages of individuals
-The places where the person is coming from and moving to
Moving Out Record 1916
Moving In Record 1916
Household Examination Records
The household examination rolls were originally for the purpose of keeping track of a person’s religiosity and were taken yearly
May contain:
-Names and relationships of family members
-Birthdates
-Places of birth
-Current residence
-Possible death dates for members of the household
-Birth of children during the year
-All household members
-Occupations
-Miscellaneous family notes
-Moving in or out
-Vaccination against smallpox
Around the 1900’s the examination rolls became secular and were known as the Församlingsbok.
Household Examination Record 1796
Household Examination Record
Tips for Searching
Note- Sometimes a priest would write the date based on the Feast Day or liturgical calendar instead of the standard calendar.
V and W I and J E and Ä C and K
A is not a substitute for Å or Ä
O is not a substitute for Ö
How to type Swedish characters
PC: Hold down the alt key and press the numbers in order on the number pad (square grid of numbers) of your keyboard and the release the alt key.��å = Alt + 134 �ä = Alt + 132 �ö = Alt + 148 �Å = Alt + 143 �Ä = Alt + 142 �Ö = Alt + 153��MAC: Press and release Option and u at the same time and then press the following letter. For uppercase just press shift together with the letter as usual after pressing Option and u.��å = Option + a �ä = Option + u + a �ö = Option + u + o �Å = Option + Shift + a�Ä = Option + u + Shift + a�Ö = Option + u + Shift + o
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Names
Most Swedish names are patronymic (names derived from an individual’s father). However there were other types of surnames present. These names could be influenced by factors such as occupation, military service, location, personal attributes, or nobility.
In the late 1800’s, Swedes started to transition to fixed surnames. The change was gradual and not fully standardized until the early 20th century.