Vännäs Parish, Västerbotten, Sweden Genealogy

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

History
In 1928 the locality Vännäs was detached from the rural municipality with the same name, forming the market town of Vännäs. The two entities were reunited in 1971 and in 1974 Bjurholm Municipality was added. A split took place in 1980 when Bjurholm Municipality was re-established. 

(2) Vännäs parish was broken out in 1825 from Umeå county parish. On January 1, 1931, the parish was divided into two church registration districts: Vännäs Landskommun's church registration district (in 1980 the name was changed to Vännäsbygdens) and Vännäs köping's church registration district (1980, the name was changed to Vännäs central town). The division of the parish into two church registration districts ended on December 31, 1986.

Church accounting documents for Vännäs County Municipality's church accounting district are included in Vännäs' church archives. Church accounting documents for Vännäs köping's church accounting district are included in Vännäs' central town church archives.

Vännäs parish was part of a joint pastorate with Umeå county parish (mother parish) until 1834 to then form its own pastorate. According to the Chamber of Deputies' decision in 1869, the homestead Söderbäck no. 1 was transferred from Vännäs to Degerfors in the land register. In administrative terms, the homestead had already previously belonged to Degerfors.

According to a royal letter, in 1885 the homestead Berg n: ris 1-2, Mosjön 1-2 and Strand 1-5 were transferred in municipal terms and in the land register from Umeå to Vännäs parish.

Of the homestead Odlarön, 5/64 mtl originally belonged to Umeå parish and 3/64 mtl to Vännäs parish. According to a royal letter, the homestead and Strand 1: 26-30 were transferred from 1942 from Vännäs to Umeå parish. At the same time, certain areas were transferred from Umeå to Vännäs parish. The source used does not indicate which property was affected.

The archive list includes a scanned list of villages and farms included in the house examination books. The list also reports whether the village or farm is included in another parish's house examination book due to changed parish divisions.

Place Names
Boynäs, Björnlandsbäck, Brån, Brännfors, Brännan Dombäck  Eriksdahl  Fagernäs, Fällforsen, Fällforsbäck, Fällforsheden, Fällforsselet  Granselet, Gullbäcken  Harrselet, Harrselsfors, Hednäs, Holmbäck, Holmsjö, Hällnäs, Hällfors, Högbäck, Högaland, Höglunda, Högås, Högåker, Höganäs  Jerfdalen  Innergård, Innernäs

Jämteböle Kamparbäck, Kolkselet, Klintsjön, Kråkmyran  Lillsjön, Lybäck, Långnäs, Långsjö  Mjösjö  Norrmalm, Nyby, Nybo, Nygård, Nylandsnäs, Nyåker, Näsåker  Odlarlön, Olofsbäck, Orrböle  Pengfors, Pengsjö  Sehlsberg, Sehlsfors, Snarttjärn, Spöland, Stennäs, Sterkesmark, Sunnanå, Svettåker, Söderbäck  Tallberget, Tobacka, Trindliden, Tväråbäck  Westerbäck, Westerås, Westerselet uti Södra (Westerselet in South), Westsjöbäck, Winbäck, Wännäs, Wännfors, Wännforsbäck  Ytterkolkselet  Åkerbäck  Öhrsbäck, Östansjö, Österselet det Södra (Österselet South), Östergård

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, ($), index and images. Also on Ancestry.com, ($), 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.
 * at FamilySearch.
 * MyHeritage.com ($),
 * ($),
 * Arkiv Digital ($), and
 * SVAR 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, Västerbotten 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 FamilySearch Center near you. Click on "Places within Sweden, Västerbotten" and then select your parish.

Military Records

 * Sweden Military Records
 * Central Soldiers Register InstructionsSearch Engine

Related Sources
Sweden Online Genealogy Records Ask the Community

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