Åsele Parish, Västerbotten, Sweden Genealogy

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

History
The first Swedish settlement in Åsele Municipality was in Gafsele south of Åsele. It was created in 1799 and named in honour of Queen Frederica Dorothea Wilhelmina of Sweden. Other nearby parishes were named Dorotea and Vilhelmina, but Åsele refused to take any of these names, as they were very proud of themselves and the town. In 1974 the former market town Åsele was amalgamated with Dorotea and Fredrika. In 1980 the Dorotea part was detached, forming a new Dorotea Municipality. 

(2) Åsele parish was formed in 1648 by breaking out of Lycksele parish. From Åsele parish, the following parishes have broken out: - In 1746, the Föllinge (Hotagen) lapp parish was broken out - 1783 Volgsjö chapel was broken out (later Vilhelmina parish) - 1795 Viska kapellag (later Fredrika parish) was broken out - In 1795, Bergvattnet's chapel was broken out (later Dorotea parish)

Åsele parish formed its own pastorate 1648-1686. 1686-1700 the parish was part of a joint pastorate with Anundsjö parish (mother parish). 1700-1799, Åsele parish constituted its own pastorate. Vilhelmina parish was part of the pastorate 1799-1812 with Åsele as mother parish. Åsele parish again formed its own pastorate 1812-1998.

Åsele parish and Fredrika parish formed an economic church community in 1986, but the parishes continued to be two separate pastorates until 1 January 1999 when they formed a joint pastorate (Åsele parish was the mother parish). Åsele-Fredrika church community documents are recorded in Åsele church archives.

Åsele parish was for a period in both Västerbotten county and Västernorrland county. In 1846, Rödvattnet, which belonged to Åsele but was located in Västernorrland County, was transferred to Anundsjö parish in Västernorrland County. In 1868, the remaining part of Åsele, which was located in Västernorrland County, was transferred to Anundsjö. The villages that were then transferred were Holmträsk, Lägsta, Mossaträsk, Solberg, Tjäl and Tjärn. Åsele parish was then entirely in Västerbotten county. According to older history, Holmträsk should not have been transferred to the archive list (list 43/1950) until 1871.

In 1854, Gulsele in Åsele, Västerbotten County, was transferred to Junsele. However, the county boundary was not changed until 1858. According to the County Administrative Board's five - year report 1886-1890, around 1860, with the consent of Åsele parish priest, all nomadic pieces in the parish were transferred in ecclesiastical terms to Vilhelmina parish.

During the years 1732-1820, there was a lapp school in Åsele, which was run by a priest-ordained schoolmaster and was withdrawn in the latter year.

In a fire in 1856, the birth register 1748-1800 was destroyed.

In Tåsjö house examination book A I: 1 (1773-1804) the following villages belonging to Åsele parish are included: Arksjön, Avaträsk, Bellvik, Norrby, Ormsjön, Vägsjön, Västerormsjön and Västvattnet.

Place Names
Almsele, Arksjö, Avasjö Berget, Björksele, Bomsjön, Borgen, Borgsjö  Forsnäs  Gafsele, Gigsele, Gulsele, Gärdsjö  Holmträsk, Häggsjö, Hälla  Idvattnet, Insjö  Kullerbacka, Kvällträsk, Kyrkplatsen,  Lill-Lögda (Lillögda), Lomsjö, Långvattnet, Lugnet, Lägsta, Lögdaberg, Lövliden, Lövnäs  Marielund, Mossaträsk  Noret (västra/södra/östra)  Orgnäs, Oxvattnet  Prästbordet

Rissjön (yttre/övre) Sandsjön, Siksjön, Skolan, Solberg, Stennäs, Stensundslandet, Storsjön, Svartbäcken, Sör-Åsele  Tallberget, Tegelträsk, Tennsjön, Tjäl, Tjärn, Torvsele, Torvsjön, Trehörningen  Vaksjö, Varpsjö, Västanbäck, Västansjö, Västerås  Yxsjö  Åkerberget, Älgsjö

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