Bjursås Parish, Kopparberg, Sweden Genealogy

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

History
Bjursås is a locality situated in Falun Municipality, Dalarna County, Sweden. 

Place Names
Andersbo, Arvidsberg, Backgården, Baggbo, Baggarfvet, Björsberg, Bodarne, Boränget,  Finnboda, Fjällgryxbo,  Gopa, Gästgivare gården,  Hagen, Holen,  Kalkberg, Kullgärdet,  Liholm, Limbo, Lustbo,  Morsweden, Mårtsbo,  Nedre Larssveden, Nygården, Näset,  Orrholm,  Prestgården,  Rexbo,  Qvarntägt,  Rällsjöbo,  Skarpsweden, Skärbaggeholen, Slättberg,  Storgården, Storsweden, Stortägt, Stängslen, Sågen, Sågsbo,Sörskog,  Thomasbo, Tomta, Tysktägten  Vestanberg, Vrebro,  Öfra Lars Sweden.

Sweden 1951 Place Names Register and the Swedish Parish Pages list in this Wiki will give you searchable lists of places, particularly parishes and the farms within those parishes.


 * Surrounding Parishes

Good News (Household Examination Records)
Good news for Bjursås researchers! You have earlier husförhörslängd (household examinations) available to you than previously thought.

Records were found among those for Leksand församling (parish) that did not seem to belong to Leksand. They turned out to be those for Bjursås. There is a notation on the Leksand husförhörslängder list inside the books to this effect. Why they are with the Leksand records is unclear. Bjursås does show as part of the Leksand kontract (set of parishes), and the Leksand tingslag (a judicial district) in a later time period. Each of these has a note on the SVAR Web site. For AI:5 – “Includes Gopa skriftelag in Bjursås, which was moved there 1792. For 1695-1701, only communion record.” And for AI:6 - “Valid from 1709 to 1735. Includes Gopa skriftelag in Bjursås, which was moved there 1792.” These village names do appear in the Leksand vital records for the late 1600's and the early 1700's time period. Perhaps the Gopa area was sharing the Leksand parish priest.

Current published listings for Bjursås parish at the Nationell ArkivDatabas (NAD), at Ancestry.com, and on the FamilySearch Catalog, all show that husförhörslängd for Bjursås start in 1710. These two volumes cover 1690-1707 and 1709-1735, respectively, for villages in the Gopa area. Here are the villages (with original spellings), the time periods covered (there are notations in the records for later dates than the examinations are for), and where they are found in the books:

Find these under Leksand parish:

NAD

Ancestry.com

FamilySearch Catalog #0206531, items 7 &amp; 8

Census Records

 * Sweden Household Examination Records (Husförhörslängder)--explanation of this church record which is functionally the census of Sweden.
 * Sweden Household Examination Books, 1880 - 1920, ($), index and images. Also on Ancestry.com, ($), Arkiv Digital ($), and SVAR at Riksarkivet.

Church Records
See Good News section above.

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 ($),
 * Ancestry.com ($),
 * Arkiv Digital ($), and
 * SVAR at Riksarkivet.

Help Using ArkivDigital: Online Databases for Sweden

 * These lessons will teach you how to use ArkivDigital:
 * Sweden: An Introduction to ArkivDigital
 * Use the Full Scope of Arkiv Digital for Swedish Genealogy

Family History Library Records
Click Sweden, Kopparberg Records for a full listing of microfilmed records (some digitized online) at the Family History 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 Family History Center near you. Click on "Places within Sweden, Kopparberg and then select your parish.

Military Records

 * Sweden Military Records
 * Central Soldiers Register InstructionsSearch Engine

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


 * Reading Scandinavian Gothic Handwritten Records: (free, online lessons at FamilySearch):
 * Lesson 1: Scandinavian Gothic Letters,
 * Lesson 2: Names, Words, and Dates, and
 * Lesson 3: Handwritten Records

Help With Research Objectives and Strategies
Sweden Research Strategies