Skänninge Parish, Östergötland, Sweden Genealogy

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

History
The Middle Age church ”Vårfrukyrkan” in Skänninge, built around 1300 by the German population in the town, the Swedish population had a different church, but after the Reformation this is the only church left in the town, churches and monasteries destroyed by the Swedish king Gustaf Vasa around 1550, when he needed stones to build his new castle in Vadstena.

Place Names
Part of Skänninge parish is divided into "Quarters" and places are numbered. The rest of the parish has names for villages, estates, and farms.

Quarters:

Brokvarteret Follingekvarteret Nordanåkvarteret Sprättebrunnskvarteret

Names of smaller places within the parish:

Andersberg, Asphagen, Asptorpet, Axstadgatan Backen, Bodeshemmet, Borneholm (Bornholm), Bråttom  Dungen  Eriksberg  Fattighuset  Grindtorpet under Lövingsborg, Grindtorpet under Lövingsborgslätten, Gripenberg (Gripenborg), Gropen  Hagalund, Hillertorpet, Holketorpet, Högliden, Höjden  Johannesberg (Johannisberg), Jakobsborg, Jonsberg, Jordbeg (Jordsberget)  Karlsborg, Koppartorpet, Kärret  Lagringe, Landstorp, Lugnet, Lund Norra, Lund Västra, Lövingsborg, Lövingsborgslätten  Marielund  Nybygget under Jakobsborg, Nybygget under Lövingsborg, Nytorpet  Pastorsbostället, Petersborg, Piskarhemmet, Porskärret  Sandtorpet under Karlsborg, Sandtorpet under Lövingsborg, Snippen, Stugan utan namn under Lövingsborgslätten, Stugan utan namn under Västra Lund, Stugan utan namn under Nordanåkvarteret Nr 155, Stugan utan namn under Nordanåkvarteret Nr 163, Surland  Tegelbruket, Tullhuset Södra, Tullhuset Västra  Valltorp, Vretalyckan  Örbacken, Östanå

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, ($), index and images. Also on Arkiv Digital ($), 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.
 * 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, Östergötland 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, Östergötland" 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