Sweden, Gotland Church Records - FamilySearch Historical Records

Title in the Language of the Records
Sverige, Gotland, Kyrkoböcker Register

Record Description
The collection consists of church records from the county of Gotland. It contains indexes to births, marriages, and deaths and also images of clerical surveys, registers of birth, marriage, death, move-in and move-out lists, confirmations, church accounts, etc.

For a list of records by parishes published in this collection, select the Browse.

Citation for This Collection
The following citation refers to the original source of the data and images published on FamilySearch.org Historical Records. It may include the author, custodian, publisher and archive for the original records.

Record Content
The key genealogical facts found in most Lutheran birth or christening or birth (Födde) records are:




 * Child’s name
 * Christening date
 * Sometimes the birth date
 * Parents’ names
 * Parents’ marital status
 * Parents’ residence
 * Fathers’ occupation
 * Sometimes the mother’s age
 * Witnesses and their residences

The key genealogical facts found in most Lutheran marriage (Vigde) records are:




 * Groom’s name
 * Depending on the time period, the groom’s marital status, residence, and age
 * Bride’s name
 * Depending on the time period, the bride’s marital status, residence, and age
 * Witnesses and their residences

The key genealogical facts found in most Lutheran death or burial (Döde) records are:




 * Name of the deceased
 * Death date
 * Burial date
 * Residence
 * Occupation
 * Age
 * Marital status and sometimes the spouse’s name
 * Sometimes other biographical notes

The key genealogical facts found in most Lutheran moving records (Inflyttnings and Utflyttnings) are:


 * Name of person moving
 * Former residence
 * New residence
 * Residence
 * Occupation
 * Age
 * Sometimes marital status

The key genealogical facts found in most Lutheran clerical surveys (Husförhörslängd) are:


 * Name of each member of the household
 * Birth dates
 * Birthplaces
 * Residence
 * Occupation
 * Deaths within the year
 * Marriages within the year
 * Moves within the year (including where they moved to or from)
 * Marital status
 * Relationships

The key genealogical facts found in most Lutheran church account registers (räkenskaper) are:


 * Name
 * Date
 * Residence within the parish
 * Amount paid
 * May give reason for payment

How to Use the Records
To search the collection, select "Browse through images" on the initial collection page ⇒ Select the Socken ⇒ Select the Signum ⇒ Select the Volum och år which takes you to the images. Look at the images one by one comparing the information with what you already know about your ancestors to determine which one is your ancestor. You may need to compare the information about more than one person to make this determination.

For detailed information on using Swedish church records, see the wiki article: Swedish Church Records

Choosing a Record to Search
The types of record books that are available are different for each parish. The following chart lists the types of records and the English translation.

Help with the Language
These records are in Swedish so you will need to be able to understand written Swedish. For help with reading the records, please see the following wiki articles:


 * Sweden: Language and Languages


 * Swedish Genealogical Word List

Online Courses
Online courses in reading Scandinavian Gothic handwriting are also available through the FamilySearch Learning Center. Select Scandinavia from the localities list on the left side of the main page.

Related Websites

 * Genealogy Research in Sweden
 * Genline : Swedish Genealogy Online
 * Arkiv Digital: Swedish Church Records Online (in color)

Related Wiki Articles

 * Gotland County, Sweden
 * Swedish Church Records
 * Sweden

Citing FamilySearch Historical Collections
When you copy information from a record, you should list where you found the information. This will help you or others to find the record again. It is also good to keep track of records where you did not find information, including the names of the people you looked for in the records.

Citation Example for a Record Found in This Collection
"Sweden, Gotland Church Records, 1582-1940; index 1655-1860," digital images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org: accessed 14 March, 2012), Fardhems forsamling &gt; C I Fodelse- och dopbocker &gt; 3, 1836-1861. Fol. 1-178. Kykobok. Aven for Linde och Lojsta. &gt; Image 100 of 121 images, entry Johannes Nichlas fodde December 21 1854. from the National Archives of Sweden, Riksarkivet SVAR. FHL microfilm, 445 reels. Family History Library, Salt Lake City, Utah.

A suggested format for keeping track of records that you have searched is found in the wiki article Help:How to Cite FamilySearch Collections.