Schöftland Parish, Aargau, Switzerland Genealogy

Description: Guide to Schöftland Parish, Aargau, Switzerland, ancestry, family history, and genealogy: birth records, marriage records, death records, parish census, civil census, family history, area history, and military records.



Geography
The former municipality of Schöftland is in the Kulm district and the Aargau canton. It is located in the center of the middle Suhr valley.

Schöftland (as of 2009) has an area of 6.28 km² (2.42 square miles). The land use is divided up as follows:
 * 35.2% - agricultural purposes
 * 39.5% - forested
 * 23.7% - settled (buildings or roads)
 * 0.3% - rivers or lakes

History
In 1212, Schöftland was first mentioned by the name of Schofftellang. In 1254 as Schoflach. Schöftland is in the Kulm district and the Aargau canton.

The population history of Schöftland is: 1764 - 600 inhabitants 1803 - 870 inhabitants 1850 - 1,243 inhabitants 1900 - 1,323 inhabitants 1950 - 2,316 inhabitants 1975 - 2,781 inhabitants 1980 - 2,769 inhabitants 1990 - 2,691 inhabitants 2000 - 3,219 inhabitants 2020 - 4,468 inhabitants

Per the 2000 census:
 * 24.0% were Roman Catholic
 * 55.7% were Swiss Reformed Church
 * 0.06% were Christian Catholic Church

In the early 7th century, a private church was mentioned. In the Middle Ages, the Schöftland Church was the center of a large parish. By early 21st century, Rued, Kirchleerau, Uerkheim, Kölliken, Mosleerau and Muhen had separated from the parish. Since the beginning of the 21st century, the parish of Schöftland includes Hirschthal, Holziken, Wittwil, Staffelbach and Bottenwil.

Church Records
The parish of Schöftland was first mentioned in the seventh century. It includes the municipalities of Hirschthal, Holziken, Staffelbach, Wittwil, Bottenwil, and Obermuhen.

Original church records are located onsite at the Schöftland civil registration office. Microfilm copies of the following church records are available onsite at the Aargau State Archives:
 * Baptisms, marriages 1612-1655; burials 1612-1679 (with gaps)
 * Baptisms, marriages 1654-1681
 * Baptisms, marriages 1682-1693
 * Baptisms, marriages 1694-1711
 * Baptisms, marriages 1719-1731; burials 1712-1713, 1729-1731
 * Baptisms 1732-1769; marriages, burials 1732-1752
 * Baptisms 1769-1792
 * Baptisms 1793-1808
 * Baptisms 1809-1818; baptisms non-resident citizens 1861-1868
 * Baptisms 1817-1827
 * Baptisms 1827-1835
 * Baptisms 1836-1849
 * Baptisms 1850-1863
 * Baptisms 1864-1875
 * Marriages 1752-1808
 * Marriages 1809-1835
 * Marriages 1817-1841
 * Marriages 1841-1852
 * Marriages 1853-1875
 * Burials 1752-1816
 * Burials 1817-1837
 * Burials 1838-1866
 * Burials 1867-1875
 * Family book Schöftland, Staffelbach, Wittwil, Bottenwil, Holziken, Hirschthal, Muhen 1765-1769

The following church records are located onsite at the Schöftland civil registration office:
 * Marriages non-resident citizens 1817-1875
 * Banns 1836-1852; burials 1862-1868

Post-1875 church records are found onsite at the Schöftland parish church office.

Census
(See here for information regarding Aargau census records.)

The following censuses are available from FamilySearch for Schöftland:
 * 1837 (images 615-627)
 * 1850: Form A (images 149-178)
 * 1850: Form B (image 179)

Surnames
The following surnames held citizenship in Schöftland prior to 1875:

Related sources
The town's website (in German) can be found here.

Libraries and archives
State Archives of Aargau

Societies
Genealogical-Heraldic Society of Bern (GHGB)