Västervik Parish, Kalmar, Sweden Genealogy

Guide to Västervik Parish, Sweden ancestry, family history, and genealogy: birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, and military records.

History
Västervik Municipality is a municipality in Kalmar County, in south-eastern Sweden, with its seat in the city of Västervik. The present municipality was created in 1971, when the former City of Västervik was united with eight surrounding rural municipalities. 

Place Names
Bränneriet, Fattighuset, Färgerigården, Klockarebostället, Kyrkan, Norra Kvarteret Nr 1 - 5 Nr 6 Kyrkan

Nr 7 Fattighuset

Nr 8 - 29

Nr 30 - 32 Bränneriet

Nr 33 - 37

Nr 38 Obebyggd

Nr 39 - 69

Nr 70 - 71 Färgerigården

Nr 72 Sjöbod

Nr 73 - 74

Nr 75 Sjöbod

Nr 76 - 89

Nr 90 Blockareboställe

Nr 91 - 98 Sjöboden Norra Kvarteret Nr 72, Sjöboden Norra Kvarteret Nr 75, Sjömanshuset

To see what kind of place it is you will need a Swedish Gazetteer.


 * Surrounding Parishes

Census Records

 * Sweden Household Examination Records (Husförhörslängder)--explanation of this church record which is functionally the census of Sweden.
 * Sweden Household Examination Books, 1840-1947, ($), index and images. Also on Ancestry.com, ($), Arkiv Digital ($), and SVAR at Riksarkivet.

Online Database Church Records
The easiest way to access the Swedish Church Records is through the internet, using these five sites (see links to specific collections below). Four of these sites require a subscription for access. (ArkivDigital, Ancestry.com, and MyHeritage.com  are available at a FamilyHistory Center near you free of charge.)
 * at FamilySearch.
 * MyHeritage.com ($),
 * ($),
 * Arkiv Digital ($), and
 * at Riksarkivet.

Help Using ArkivDigital: Online Databases for Sweden

 * These lessons will teach you how to use ArkivDigital:
 * ArkivDigital: Explore Your Swedish Heritage

FamilySearch Library Records
Click Sweden, Kalmat Records for a full listing of microfilmed records (some digitized online) at the FamilySearch Library, that may be digitized. Check back occasionally to see if your records have become available. In the meantime, some of them might be available at a Family History Center near you. Click on "Places within Sweden, Kalmar and then select your parish.

Military Records

 * Sweden Military Records
 * Central Soldiers Register InstructionsSearch Engine

Related Sources
Sweden Online Genealogy Records Ask the Community
 * PLF Database -- A large portion of births, marriages, and deaths have been indexed on CD-Roms for the county of Kalmar. The 4 disc set has been created by Person-och Lokalhistoriskt Forskarcentrum, Oskarshamn (PLF). To learn more about these CD-Roms click here.


 * Nixon -- a name index of Biographical and genealogical information for Kalmar and a few other counties. To learn more click here.

Help Reading Swedish Records

 * You do not have to be fluent in Swedish to read these records! They have a limited vocabulary: mother, father, born, bride, groom, married, etc. The rest of the content will be names, dates, and places, which do not need translation.
 * This Swedish Word List covers typical terms found in the records.
 * Swedish Historical Dictionary Database, SHDD: This interactive dictionary allows you to enter a word in the search box and receive the translation.
 * Feast Day Calendar (Moveable) and Feast Day Lists (Fixed and Moveable) will help you translate dates written in feast day form.
 * Sweden surnames are patronymic and change every generation, so carefully study Sweden Names, Personal.
 * For help with reading the column headings found in more recent records, see [[Media:Swedenish Par Reg and Exam headings.pdf|Swedish Parish Register and Household Exam Roll Headings]].
 * Instructions, document examples, and translations are given for Reading Swedish Birth and Christening Records 1717, 1752, 1771, 1792, 1803, 1834, 1854.

Help Reading Old Handwriting

 * Reading Gothic Handwriting for Swedish Genealogy, Lesson 1
 * Spelling and Phonetics for Swedish Genealogy, Lesson 2 — Names, dates, and key genealogical words
 * Reading Gothic Handwriting for Swedish Genealogy: Put It All Together, Lesson 3
 * Birth and Christening Records for Swedish Genealogy
 * Scandinavian Handwriting
 * Scandinavian Handwriting, part 3 - No part 2 available

Help With Research Objectives and Strategies
Sweden Research Strategies