Pajala Parish, Norrbotten, Sweden Genealogy

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

History
Pajala parish was formed in 1725 as a chapel parish by breaking away from Övertorneå parish. In 1788 Muonioniska (now Muonio in Finland) erupted and before 1812 Kolari (now in Finland) erupted.

Kengi's mill parish, which was formed in 1655 by a part of Övertorneå parish, was incorporated into Pajala parish in 1837. Documents from Kengi's mill parish are recorded in the Pajala church archives.

Muonionalusta parish was formed in 1854 by breaking out of Pajala parish. In 1926, Muodoslombolo became a church village in the parish.

From Pajala parish to Korpilombolo parish, 1856 Kirnujärvi village was transferred.

Tärendö parish was formed in 1882 by breaking away from Pajala parish. On January 1, 1914, Junosuando parish was added by breakaway from Pajala.

On January 1, 1948, Pajala Parish was divided into two church records; Pajala Church Accounting District (Pajala Church Archives) and Kaunisvaara Church Accounting District (which included Aareavaara, Huuki, Kaunisvaara with certain exceptions, Kihlangi and Ristimella and Eastern Pajala 1: 1, see Kaunisvaara Church Archives). The division into districts ceased from on January 1, 1971.

Pajala parish was part of a joint pastorate with Övertorneå parish (mother parish) 1725-1842. 1842-1854 the parish was its own pastorate. From 1852 the parish was the mother parish in a common pastorate with Muonionalusta parish. In 1882, Tärendö parish was added to the pastorate and in 1914 also Junosuando parish.

Tärendö parish formed its own pastorate from 1 May 1916, 1948 Junosuando formed its own pastorate and in 1962 Muonionalusta parish formed its own pastorate. From 1962, Pajala parish thus constituted its own pastorate.

Common actions for the pastorate, e.g. minutes, are recorded in the Pajala church archives. From the 1930s, Pajala parish and Muonionalusta formed a church community. The community's documents are included in the Pajala church archives.

Until the end of 1809, the Pajala parish also covered significant areas on the eastern side of the Muonio River. After the peace, the Muonionic Chapel Assembly came to lie on the Finnish side. Muonioniska became its own Finnish church congregation in 1812. When the congregation became its own pastorate in 1897, the name was changed to Muonio. Most of Kolari village was ceded and in 1819 the Kolari chapel congregation was formed on the Finnish side.

In Övertorneå church archives there is information about Pajala parish: House examination books 1810-1845, see A I b: 1 Births and baptisms 1718-1723, see C: 1 Hearings and marriages 1726-1783, see C: 1 Letters, etc., see J: 1-2 Church and poor care accounts 1777-1808, see L I a: 2

Parts of the Pajala church archives from the 19th century were destroyed on November 24, 1941 by a fire. In volumes P: 1-2, there is a family register established in 1954 as well as transcripts of Statistics Sweden's extracts from ministry books that partially replace the loss for the church books.

The archive list contains a scanned list of all the villages and farms included in house examination books A I: 1-5 with information on which parishes they belonged to in connection with the formation of new parishes and the division of Pajala parish in 1809.

Place Names
Aho, Aidanpää, Airivaara, Aittamaa, Alatalo i Jarhois ( Aittamaa in Jarhois), Alatalo i Keksisvara, Antikarvois se Karvoinen och Anttis, Anttis, Areavaara, Aumaho, Autio Barsk, Bertu se Pertu  Erkheikki  Fors  Gard  Hannu, Harju, Heikki, Heinoinen, Holm i Kangos, Holm i Lovikka Huuki  Isolehtipalo  Jarhois, Jatko i Anttis, Jatko i Tärendö, Johdet, Juhonpieti, Junosuando by, Junosuando masung, Junti, Juto, Jysky  Kainulasjärvi, Kaltio, Kangas, Kangoinen, Kangos, Kantola, Kardis, Karvoinen, Kassa, Kaunisvaara, Kauppi, Keksisvaara, Kengis bruk, Kenttä, Kero, Kihlangi, Kirnujärvi, Knekta, Koivuniemi, Kolari, Kompelusvaara, Kreku, Kruka, Kult, Kuopala, Kyöstäjä, Kyrö, Käryjärvi, Kärändöjärvi, Kätkösuando, Käymäjärvi  Lahti i Junosuando, Lahti i Pajala, Lampa, Lanto i Junosuando, Lanto i Tärendö, Lassi, Lassu, Lasu, Lauri i Tärendö, Lauri i Pajala, Lautakoski, Lehmivaara, Lehtipalo, Lehto (Pajala), Lehto Junosuando, Lehto Tärendö, Liminga (Pajala), Liviöjärvi, Lovikka  Makkaraniemi, Manenä, Mella Merasjärvi (Pajala), Merasniemi, Mukka, Muodoslompolo, Muonionalusta, Muonioniska, Mäkitalo ( Pajala), Maäkitalo (Tärendö)  Niemi, Nilimaa, Niska, Niva (Pajala), Niva Olli el.N. Tärendö ( Niva eller N. Tärendö), Nivankorva, Nuoksujärvi, Nykäinen  Olli  Pahtajärvi, Pajala, Palo (Korpilombolo), Palo (Tärendö), Palokorva, Palovaara, Pantsare, Parkajoki, Pavo, Pekkari, Pekkari el. Tervahauta, Pellikä, Pentasjärvi, Pertu, Peräjävaara, Poromaa, Prästbordet, Pääjärvi, Rautio (Pajala) Rautio (Tärendö), Ruokojärvi, Råvaniemi  Saadis, Saitajärvi, Salmijärvi, Siikajärvi, Siikavaara, Sirkka, Snäll, Svala, Svart, Särkimukka  Tervahauta Pekkari el. T., Tornefors, Tuoma, Tyni, Tärendö Uusitalo Kangoinen el. U., Vaaranperä, Vanhanen (Pajala), Vanhanen (Tärendö), Vinsa, Viss, Vuopio, Välitalo, Välivaara, Vänkö Ylikodanmännikö

Inhysesfolk se resp. byar (farmers found in specified villages), Komminister ( assistant vicar), Tjänstfolk(servants)

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, ($), index and images. Also on Ancestry.com, ($), 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. (ArkivDigital, Ancestry.com, and MyHeritage.com  are available at a FamilyHistory Center near you free of charge.) 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, Norrbotten 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, Norrbotten" 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