Vehkalahti Parish, Kymi, Finland Genealogy

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

History
Vehkalahti is a former municipality surrounding the town of Hamina in south-eastern Finland. At the beginning of 2003 Hamina and Vehkalahti combined to form a new town of Hamina. The southern parts of Karelia are known to be the oldest parts of modern Finland with settlements. First markings of Vehkalahti as a continuous settlement or village are dated in 1336, when it became a major place for east/west trading. Maria's Church (Marian kirkko) is the original church in Vehkalahti, built in the 1400s. The Swedish name is Veckelax.

Villages
Between 1919 and 1931 the following villages were found in this parish: Brakila, Hietakylä, Husula, Husupyöli, Ihamaa, Kannusjärvi, Kitula, Kolsila, Kuorsalo, Lankila, Metsäkylä, Myllykylä, Mäntlahti, Neuvottoma, Onkamaa, Paijärvi, Pampyöli, Poitsila, Pyhältö, Pyöli, Pyötsaari, Reitkalli (Bredskall), Salmenkylä (Strömsby), Salmi, Sivatti, Summa, Tammio, Turkia, Töytäri, Vehkajärvi, and Vilniemi. As of 1939 the following villages were found in this parish: Hillo, Kannusjärvi, Kolsila, Kuorsalo, Metsäkylä, Mäenlahti, Mäntlahti, Neuvottoma, Paijärvi, Pyhättö, Reitkali, Summa, Turkia, Vehkalahti, Vilniemi.

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

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

Church Records

 * 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
 * 1697-1913 (*); Vehkalahden seurakunta at FamilySearch Catalog &mdash; images
 * 1725-1909 at FamilySearch &mdash; How to Use This Collection; index
 * 1737-1851 (*); Vehkalahden seurakunta at FamilySearch Catalog &mdash; images
 * 1744-1875 (*); Valkjärven seurakunta at FamilySearch Catalog &mdash; images
 * 1857-1900 (*); Vehkalahden seurakunta at FamilySearch Catalog &mdash; images
 * Vehkalahti - Veckelax at Finland's Family History Association (FFHA) (Suomen Sukuhistoriallinen Yhdistys ry) &mdash; images
 * Vehkalahti - Veckelax 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