Nedertorneå Parish, Norrbotten, Sweden Genealogy

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

History
Tornio parish was formed around 1340 by breakaway from Luleå parish (what after several breaches of new parishes today is called Nederluleå parish). From the 16th century, the parish was called Nedertorneå parish. In 1928, the name was changed to Nedertorneå-Haparanda parish.

In 1482, Särkilax parish (later called Övertorneå parish) was broken out. In 1647, Torneå parish (for the city of Torneå, which was founded in 1620), was broken out.

The main part of Nedertorneå parish was on the eastern side of the Torne river. When the church was on the east side of the river, the congregation was transferred to Finland at the peace of 1809. Nedertorneå parish is called in Finnish Alatornio. The area on the west side of the Torne River, about a third, came to belong to Sweden. That part formed a new parish in 1818 with the same name, Nedertorneå parish.

Within Nedertorneå parish there were three church accounting districts, Seskarö (May 1, 1923 to December 31, 1976), Haparanda church accounting district (April 13, 1928 to December 31, 1976) and Nedertorneå church accounting district (April 13, 1928 to December 31, 1974). When Nedertorneå church accounting district ceased in 1975, it was in Haparanda church accounting district. For population registration information 1975-1976, see Haparanda church archives. Haparanda church accounting district in turn ceased on December 31, 1976. For population registration information fr.o.m. 1977, see Nedertorneå-Haparanda church archives (1977-1999).

Haparanda Church Accounting District included the city of Haparanda, which also previously had its own church records.

In connection with the abolition of the church accounting districts, the archive formation for Nedertorneå parish was also broken and a new church archive was formed from 1 January 1977, see Nedertorneå-Haparanda church archive.

Nedertorneå parish has been part of the following pastorate. After 1809, the report refers to the Swedish congregation. The parish mentioned first has been the pastorate's mother parish. - 1340-1413 Luleå parish and Tornio parish - 1413-1482 the parish constituted its own pastorate - 1482-1530 Torneå parish and Särkilax parish - 1530 - around 1538 the parish formed its own pastorate - around 1538-1606 Tornio parish and Särkilax parish - 1606-1614 the parish constituted its own pastorate - 1614-1647 Nedertorneå parish, Enonteki parish and Simojärvi parish (later Jukkasjärvi) - 1647-1673 Nedertorneå, Enontekis, Simojärvi and Torneå, - 1674-1745 Nedertorneå and Tornio, - 1745-1785 Nedertorneå, Torneå and Karungi (later Karl Gustav) - 1785-1809 Nedertorneå and Torneå - from 1809 the parish constituted its own pastorate.

Leipijärvi village was partly transferred from Karl Gustav parish to Nedertorneå parish in 1829.

Nutikummu or Sammuli, belonging to Nedertorneå parish, occurs both in house examination books for Karl Gustav parish (A I: 1-2) and for Nedertorneå parish (A I: 4)

Pitkäjärvi, belonging to Nedertorneå parish, appears in Karl Gustav's house examination book (A I: 1) and Nedertorneå examination book (A I: 1-).

The church archives for the period before 1809 mainly belonged to the Finnish parish Nedertorneå. The church records for the Swedish congregation begin no earlier than 1814. For the time before, information can be found in the Finnish Nedertorneå.

At the National Archives in Härnösand, roll film and for some years also paper copies of church books for the Swedish period that belonged to the Finnish Nedertorneå during the division of the kingdom in 1809. A list of what is kept at the National Archives is attached to the archive list.

Place Names
Aava, Aavanperä, Akusjärvi, Alatalo, Asplund Benjamin, Brushane, Danieli  Fjeli  Granvik  Haapaniemi, Haaparanda by, Hammare, Haparanda stad, Haapasaari, Harrioja eeller Törmänen, Heiskala, Hemmola, Hovslagare, Huhtasaari, Håka  Innala, Israeli  Jatko, Joki, Joki eller Alatalo, Juhohuntti, Junkkala, Juntti, Jusola, Järvi  Kandoma, Karhakka, Karsikko, Karsikkojärvi, Kattilasaari, Keräsjoki, Keräsjänkkä, Kittilä, Klockare,, Kohre, Kopukka, Koski, Krook, Kråklund, Kukko, Kurkinen, Kyrkoherdebordet, Kyrkoherdebostället, Kyöstäjä  Lahti, Laiva, Lappiniemi, Lassiheikki, Leipijärvi, Leski, Lomakka, Lugnet se Marielund, Lumpïoja, Långträsk se Pitkäjärvi  Maija, Marielund Lugnet, Lönnbom, Matinlassi, Mattila, Mikkonen, Mulju, Mursu, Mustaparta, Mäki i Seskarö, Mäki i Säivis  Naartijärvi, Niemi, Nikkala, Nikkalavainio, Nuoliniemi, Närä  Ojala  Palo, Parviainen, Pekula, Pelli, Pellikkä, Pentheikki, Petersberg, Pietilä, Pitkäjärvi, Piuva, Pohjanen, Puodiniemi, Purra i Nikkala, Purra i Mattila, Pyny  Raida, Radiajärvi, Randa i Vuono, Randa i Nikkala, Randajärvi, Revoniemi, Rova, Rudja, Ruona, Ruostetoja  Salmi, Sammuli, Sangijärvi, Sattaoja, Sax, Seitsenkaari Seskarö, Seivits Säivis, Selvä Selvälä, Sortti, Stridfält, Sundholmen, Säivis, Sängelä  Tano,  Trumpetare, Tikka, Tuoma, Tvola, Törmänen Harrioja  Utter  Viiki, Viinala, Vittikko, Vojakkala Övre, Vojakkale Nedre, Vuono här kallat Vuonum, Vuonoja, Vuopio, Vähä Karsikkojärvi, Vähäviiki, Väätioja

Soldatboställen (soldier residence), Backstugusittare och hyresfolk upptagna i slutet av resp. byar ( Crofter and hired people listed at the end of village), Socknearresten, Tjänstefolk (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. 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