Hamina Parish, Kymi, Finland Genealogy

Guide to Hamina parish, Finland ancestry, family history, and genealogy: birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, parish registers, and military records.

History
Hamina is a municipality of Finland and is unilingually Finnish. The city was founded in 1653, and on 1 January 2003, the municipality of Vehkalahti was merged with Hamina. In 1743, Hamina was transferred to Russia in the Peace of Turku. St. John's Church (Johanneksen kirkko) was completed in 1843. Maria's Church (Marian kirkko) is the original church in Vehkalahti, built in the 1400s. The Orthodox Church of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul (Pyhien apostolien Pietarin ja Paavalin) was built in 1837 on the site of Elizabeth's Lutheran church, built in 1732, and burned down in the city fire of 1821. Between the years of 1732 and 1742 Ulrika Eleonora Church served the Swedish-speaking population of Hamina until it was destroyed in a fire. The Swedish name is Fredrikshamn.

Records Loss
The church burned down on 28/6 1742, when the city was set on fire before surrendering to the Russians. The church (Swedish, shared with Vehkalahti) burned with its bell tower in the town fire on 18/8 1821: "Tors sitt friståndö läge blefvo sålunda äfven Rådhuset och finska (Vehkalahti) kyrkan illa sköflade. Den svenska (=Hamina) brann ner rubb och stubb, sä att man jänvt och nätt hann Rädda kyrkokäril, skrudar och ljuskonor men icke bärga ens klockorna". Osmo Durchman, "The destruction of church archives", Genos 3 (1932); "The destruction of church archives. Supplement VI," Genos 5 (1934); "The destruction of church archives, Supplement VII," Genos 6 (1935). Sigurd Nordenstreng, Fredrikshamn city history, III. Fredrikshamn, 1911, p. 615.

The oldest history book, which includes those born in 1726-41, ordained in 1728-42 and those who died in 1733-42, is kept in the Loviisa church archives together with the oldest history book of Loviisa starting in 1748 and 1750. after all, this town was founded only after the Peace of Turku (1743) and received settlement rights in 1745, which is why Loviisa's history book Alkamisvuosi 1726, which appears in the literature, should have raised suspicions. Osmo Durchman, "The destruction of church archives. Supplement VIII," Genos 15 (1944).

Villages
As of 1939 the following villages were found in this parish: Fredrikshamn, Hamina.

Place Names
To see what kind of place it is you will need a Finnish gazetteer.

Surrounding Parishes
Vehkalahti, Sippola, Miehikkälä, Virolahti, Haapasaari, Kymi, Kotka

Church Records

 * 1655-1839 (*); Haminan saksalainen seurakunta at FamilySearch Catalog &mdash; images
 * 1657-1890 at FamilySearch &mdash; How to Use This Collection; index
 * 1657-1915 at FamilySearch &mdash; How to Use This Collection; index & images
 * 1682-1892 at FamilySearch &mdash; How to Use This Collection; index
 * 1725-1909 at FamilySearch &mdash; How to Use This Collection; index
 * 1726-1889 (*); Haminan seurakunta at FamilySearch Catalog &mdash; images
 * 1732-1902 (*); Haminan seurakunta at FamilySearch Catalog &mdash; images
 * 1782-1909 (*); Haminan seurakunta at FamilySearch Catalog &mdash; images
 * 1821-1902 (*); Haminan Kadettikouluseurakunta at FamilySearch Catalog &mdash; images
 * 1861-1895 (*); Haminan seurakunta at FamilySearch Catalog &mdash; images
 * 1861-1903 (*); Haminan seurakunta at FamilySearch Catalog &mdash; images
 * Hamina ja Vehkalahti - Fredrikshamn at HisKi, Genealogical Society of Finland (Suomen Sukututkimusseuta) &mdash; index. More information about the church

Emigration and Immigration Records

 * 1900-1920 at FamilySearch &mdash; How to Use This Collection; index

Taxation Records

 * 1809-1915 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images