NULL Skriv ut sidan - SV: Swedish Finns

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Titel: SV: Swedish Finns
Skrivet av: Göran Kuhlberg skrivet 2018-01-01, 14:26
My grandmother is Swedish (relatives from Smaland), and I was told that her husband was a Swedish "Finn".
I believe his father is (my grandfather's father):
Edvard Kjellberg Wickman (or Vikman)
born 07/20/1868 in Korsholm, Vikby, Lansi-Suomen Laani, Finland

Does anyone know anything about this area? if it was settled by Swedes, or not?
The name Vikman/Wickman doesn't seem particularly Swedish or Finnish, so I'm not sure.
Bruce


Hello Bruce!

The region around the town of Vasa was in deed at that time a Swedish speaking area and still is, even though lots of Finnish speaking people have moved in, especially after WWII. The rather big city of Vasa has its attractions!

The family of Edvard Kjellberg can rather easily be traced in the communion books of Mustasaari (Korsholm) parish from the 1840ies up to 1906. They lived on the Kellberg farm in Wikby (formerly Wiken) village from 1845 to 1874, after a few years spent in another village they returned in 1877 to Wikby to live on the Wikman farm, where they then stayed for some 20 years. Edvard seems to have avoided service in the imperial Russian army by not turning up for the draft but emigrating to America.

The dual name Kellberg/Wikman is explained by the family living on two different farms, and the use of either one of them is equally correct. 'Wickman' is probably just a variation in the spelling of Wikman. Perhaps it sounds more American!? Here is a link to a communion book page: http://digi.narc.fi/digi/view.ka?kuid=9062645. Carl Fredric Josephsson born 18.1.1835 is the father of Edvard Kellberg.

Material from 1864 to 1906 is available online, but you have to be member of  Finland's Family History Association http://www.sukuhistoria.fi/sshy/index_eng.htm to be able to use it.


Best regards

Göran Kuhlberg