Finland, Church Census and Pre-Confirmation Books - FamilySearch Historical Records

Finland

Why Should I Look at This Collection?
These records were created by the Lutheran priest in each parish. As the Lutheran church was part of the state in Finland, this collection serves as a census for the entire county.

What is in This Collection?
The parish priest was required by church law of 1686 to annually interview each member of the parish to determine their understanding of the Lutheran catechism. This church census (rippikirjat / kommunionböcker) was recorded in books that generally cover a five-year time period. Significant vital statistical events, such as births, marriages. deaths and moving from the parish were also recorded. Some parishes began keeping these records before the law was passed. Records from parishes in Eastern Finland generally do not record children who have not been confirmed.

Pre-confirmation books (lastenkirjat / barnböcker), also called children’s books and pre-communion books list the names of children who had not yet been confirmed members of the Lutheran church and are eligible to receive communion. After confirmation, which usually took place at age 15, they would be recorded in the communion book. The child's residence and parent's names are generally recorded. These records are generally kept in parishes from eastern Finland. After confirmation, which usually took place at age 15, they would be recorded in the communion book.

Reading These Records
These records are written in Swedish up until about 1865 and Finnish. FamilySearch has Online lessons to help you lean the gothic script, read names, words, and dates, and learn how to read a variety of handwritten records.

What Can These Records Tell Me?
These records generally contain the following information:

Church census
 * Person's name
 * Residence
 * Birth date

Preconfirmation
 * Child's name
 * Parents' names

How Do I Search This Collection?
You can search the index or view the images. Before searching this collection, it is helpful to know:
 * The name of the person you are looking for
 * The parish where the person lived

How Do I Analyze the Results?
Compare each result from your search with what you know to determine if there is a match. This may require viewing multiple records or images. Keep track of your research in a research log.

I Found the Person I Was Looking For, What Now?

 * Add any new information to your records
 * Check the image the index was taken from to see if there is additional information
 * Make sure to fully transcribe and cite the record entry for future reference; see the section Citing this Collection for assistance. Save or print a copy of the image
 * Use the information to find more. For instance, use the age listed in the record to estimate a year of birth, if that is yet undetermined
 * Use the information to locate the individual in church records

I Can’t Find the Person I’m Looking For, What Now?

 * Consider alternate spellings for names. The Swedish and Finnish languages were both used in Finland, and the priest making the record may have used either language
 * When looking for a person with a common name, look at all the entries for the name before deciding which individual is correct. Use other information, such as place of birth, age, occupation, or names of parents, to determine which candidate is the correct person. If listed, a personal title may be a clue to property ownership or occupation, either of which might be noted in other records
 * Check for variants of given names, surnames, and place names. Transcription errors could occur in any handwritten record; also, it was not uncommon for an individual be listed under a nickname or an abbreviation of their name
 * Vary the search terms. For example, search by either the given name or surname to return broader list of possible candidates which can then be examined for matches
 * Search the records of nearby parishes

Citing This Collection
Citations help you keep track of places you have searched and sources you have found. Identifying your sources helps others find the records you used.

"Finland, Church Census and Pre-Confirmation Books, 1657-1915." Database with images. FamilySearch. https://FamilySearch.org : 4 October 2017. From " Finland Church Census and Pre-Confirmation Books, 1657-1915." Database. MyHeritage. www.myheritage.com : 2016. Citing Kansallisarkisto (National Archives of Finland), Helsinki.
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