Vestfold County, Norway Genealogy

Guide to Vestfold ancestry, family history and genealogy: birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, parish registers, and military records. Vestfold is a county in Norway, bordering Buskerud and Telemark. Many islands are located at the coast. Vestfold is mostly dominated by lowland and is among the best agricultural areas of Norway. Vestfold is known for shipping and sailing. Formerly a headquarters for whaling fleets, the coastal towns of Vestfold now engage in fishing and shipbuilding.

Church Records/Civil Registration

 * These are the most important records you will use, and a majority of your research will be found in them. All civil registration was kept by the church parishes until 2012.
 * 1812-1938 Norway, Church Records, 1812-1938 at MyHeritage — index & images ($)
 * 1815-1930 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1815-1938 Norway Church Records, 1815-1938 at MyHeritage — index & images ($)
 * Digitalarkivet: Digitized parish registers of Westfold
 * Norway Indexed parish register transcriptions
 * The FamilySearch Library has microfilms for all Westfold parish registers up to about 1920. These can be viewed at the library or at a Family Histor Center near you.
 * By clicking on the parish links above, you may find direct links to all the records for that parish.
 * You do not have to be fluent in Norwegian. These records use a very limited, specialized vocabulary that is easy to learn. For help reading and interpreting theses records, see:
 * Norwegian Genealogical Word List
 * Norway Handwriting
 * Scandinavian Handwriting
 * Scandinavian Handwriting, part 3 - No part 2 available


 * [[Media:Parish_Register_Headings_for_Norway.pdf|Parish Register Headings for Norway]]: This pdf gives the translation of headings for the records in different time periods.  When a record is written with labeled columns it is much easier to search. Much of the material you read in each column will just be names and dates, since the meaning of those names (child, parents, godparents, minister) only has to be read once, in the column heading.


 * For more detail on the contents of these records and how to use them, see Norway Church Records and Norway Civil Registration.

Censuses

 * Brunlanes prosti, Prestemanntall 11, 1664 - 1666
 * Tønsberg prosti, Prestemanntall 10, 1664 - 1666 (include some parishes in Buskerud county)
 * Eiker og Lier fogderi, Numedal og Sandsvær fogderi, Brunla fogderi, Fogdemanntall 5, 1664 (Brunla Fogderi only)
 * Solør, Odal og Østerdal fogderi, Larvik grevskap, Manntall 2, 1701
 * 1801 Census
 * 1865 Census; also at - How to Use this Collection
 * 1875 Census partial; also at - How to Use this Collection
 * 1885 Census (cities only)
 * 1891 Census partial index, full scan
 * 1900 Census
 * 1910 Census
 * 1920 Census

Government Offices and Sites

 * Vestfold fylke
 * Vestfold fylkeskommune
 * Vestfold fylkeskommune- navnendring

Land Records
1886 and 1838 land registers are found at The Norwegian Historical Data Centre. These are Excel files, which can be downloaded. The give the name of the farm, the farm owner, and the amount of tax. Both farms and sub-farms are included.

Passenger Lists

 * Emigranter over Larvik 1887-1930


 * Emigranter over Sandefjord 1904-1921


 * Passprotokoll for Tønsberg 1829-1833

Probate Records

 * Digitised probate records for Vestfold county


 * 1696-1801 Probate Records for Tønsberg and Holmestrand 1696-1801 (1782)


 * 1672-1812 Probate Registers for Larvik 1672-1812


 * 1640-1903 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index

Taxation
