Anders Peter Jonasson (Jonsson) - emigration to U.S.

[Tom Brown]

Hello.

I've done extensive research on my great grandfather, Anders Peter Jonasson.   

He was a seaman, born in Ålem, Kalmar län, in 1835.  He emigrated around 1857 at age 22 to the U.S.  He changed his name to Thomas Brown, served in the Union Navy during the U.S. Civil War and settled in Philadelphia.  He sailed regularly between Rouen, France and Philadelphia and died in 1907 near Philadelphia.

I have a letter from his sister in Sweden, Sofia, to his son stating that he left at age 22. 

I have found a record of a Thomas Brown joining the Union Navy in 1858, saying he was born in Sweden.  I believe that this is him since his name, Thomas Brown, wasn't Swedish. 

I also found a record of of an Anders Jonsson, age 22, arriving in NY on 8/3/1857 on the ship Lulla or Lulea.  But it says he came from Gothenburg, which isn't near Kalmar, and lists his occupation as a farmer.

But I have been unsuccessful in locating any documentation of his emigration from Sweden to the U.S. or better documentation of his arrival, name change, or enlistment in the Union Navy. 

I don't know if he was registered in any Seamens' Homes in or near Kalmar or Gothenburg.

I will include some details below.  Thank you for any enlightenment anybody can provide.

Tom Brown

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Anders Jonasson – Essential Family facts                      

Anders Peter Jonasson (Jonsson)
Birth: 3/5/1835 Ålem  Kalmar län
Baptism: 3/14/1835 Ålem
Residences: Ålem, Ryssby, Söderäkra, Hagby?
Emigration: (age 22, 1857?) __/__/__ ?
Name change to Thomas Brown: __/__/__ ?
Enlistment in Union Navy: 10/11/1858 ?
Naturalization as US Citizen: 1/10/1862
Marriage: 1/4/1870 Emma Vincent  Philadelphia, PA USA
Death: 2/13/1907 Lindenwold, NJ USA
Burial: Yeadon, PA USA

Parents
Jonas (Jon) Samuelsson  (father)
Birth: 9/26/1809 Ryssby
Baptism: __/__/__
Marriages: Elin Kajsa Persdotter  1/10/1832 Ryssby
                  Johanna Persdotter    2/16/1849 Ryssby
Death: 1/26/1864  Söderäkra
Burial: ___________

Elin Kajsa (Cajsa) Persdotter  (mother)
Birth: 6/1/1811  Ålem
Baptism: __/__/__ ?
Marriage:  Jonas Samuelsson  1/10/1832
Death: 2/11/1846 Ryssby
Burial: ___________

Johanna Persdotter (step-mother)
Birth: 5/24/1819 Hossmo
Baptism: __/__/__ ?
Marriage: Jonas Samuelsson  2/16/1849 Ryssby
Death: 11/3/1904  Söderäkra?
Burial: __________

Siblings
* Maria (4/8/1833-1/27/1914) *
Johan (6/13/1836-__/__/__ ?)
Olaus (10/7/1838-__/__/__ ?)  seaman
Karl Gustaf (6/4/1841-__/__/__ ?)  seaman
Christina (Kristina) Sofia (12/2/1843-6/13/1931)

Step-siblings
Emma (1/11/1850-4/26/1879 ?)
Lovisa (7/6/1852-8/17/1921)
August (7/13/1856-2/5/1933)
Wilhelmina (8/7/1858-__/__/__ ?)
Per Ludvig (9/27/1863-__/__/__ ?)

* Maria’s children  (emigrated to U.S.)
John Peterson (Janne Edvard Petersson?) 10/15/1856-__/__/__ ?
Emigration: __/__/__ ?  NY, USA
Ida Maria (Anderson) 3/31/1863-__/__/__ ?
Emigration: __/__/__ ?  NY, USA

[Kristina Rylander]

I don't think you will find him in any commercial passenger list since he was a sailor. The passenger list you found only states that the port was Gothenburg, not that this Anders Jonsson came from there.

Did a quick search in sjömanshuset in Kalmar but couldn't find him (but I could have easily missed him, will try again later). His father died in 1864 and there was an estate inventory made after him:
Södra Möre häradsrätt (H) FII:77 (1864) Bild 298 / sid 585 (AID: v78738.b298.s585, NAD: SE/VALA/01584)

Not sure if you are aware but there it is stated that the sons Anders Peter, Johan, Olaus and Carl Gustaf are all living abroad or at some unknown location since a longer period of time.

[Ulla Lundell]

Hello Tom


I looked at some of the people you asked about Jonas  died 26 of January 1864 in Söderåkra Påbonäs baptized 9 of September 1809. Elin Kajsa born 10 of January in Ryssby died 11 of November in Ryssby 1846 she was buerried  17 of Febryary 1846 Johanna Perdotter barn 24 of May 1819 baptized 31 of May 1819 died in 3 of november 1904 in Påbonäs Söderåkra buierrid 9 of November Söderåkra 9 of November 1904


// Ulla :-)

[Tom Brown]

Thank you both, Kristina and Ulla. 

I agree that he may only be found in the seamens' home registers.  I tried looking but there are several and it was difficult to read.  I was told by a Mormon genealogist that it would be unusual for him to have sailed from Gothenburg, because of its distance from the Kalmar area.  But that was the only record I could find that seemed to match dates, age and name.

The letter i have from his sister also mentions that his brothers Olaus and Carl Gustaf had also gone to sea and were never heard from again.  I didn't know that his brother Johan was also a seaman.

I appreciate your help and thank you, Kristina, for taking the time to look in the Sjömanshuset in Kalmar. 

I will be posting another query about another aspect of his parents as a separate query.

Regards,  Tom

[Kristina Rylander]

Anders Peter and Johan are both listed with "till sjöss" about the same time (around 1857). This is a record from Hagby before the family moves to Söderåkra:
Hagby (H) AI:5 (1850-1860) Bild 10 (AID: v22265.b10, NAD: SE/VALA/00117)

Not sure if you use arkiv digital? I think riksarkivet are doing some maintenance at the moment. So there might be some disturbances, but here is a link for that as well:
https://sok.riksarkivet.se/bildvisning/C0027271_00009

Riksarkivet is free to use if you have an account.

[Tom Brown]

Hi Kristina.

What does "till sjöss" signify?

I do use ArkivDigital, courtesy of a local Mormon church.  I also have an account with Riksarkivet, but I'm not good at using it yet.

Tom

[Kristina Rylander]

"At sea"

It think it also states "skrivna på sjömanskapet", maybe...its faint...and that should mean that they were registered at a sjömanshus. I am thinking Kalmar, but maybe also Visby (Gotland)...? I am not sure. There are others here more familiar with sjömanshus than I am.

Side note: I read the story about his ship going down and with him as the only survivor in 1888. His son William was not so lucky. Found it through your tree at ancestry. Thank you for uploading that.

[Kristina Rylander]

Wondering if I found them...? Could they both have been registered as early as 1854 at Sjömanshustet in Kalmar?
Sjömanshuset i Kalmar (H) DIIa:2 (1847-1863) Bild 820 / sid 76 (AID: v285049.b820.s76, NAD: SE/VALA/00666)

There is a Johan Jonsson born 1836 Ålem, residing in Ryssby and also a Anders Peter Jonsson (a few rows below him) born 1835 with no birth location but residing in Ryssby.

For Johan there is a note about adm. in Helsingör 1854 and for Anders Peter it says unknown since 1854.

The family lived in Ryssby between 1842 and 1854:
Ryssby (H) AI:12 (1837-1849) Bild 97 / sid 84 (AID: v23920.b97.s84, NAD: SE/VALA/00312)
Ryssby (H) AI:14 (1850-1861) Bild 155 / sid 820 (AID: v23922.b155.s820, NAD: SE/VALA/00312)

[Kristina Rylander]

Johan had the number 278 when he was registered, see previous post. I have found a Johan Jonsson with the number 278 for "Briggen Delphin" with the captain J A Höglund. He is listed as cook.
Sjömanshuset i Kalmar (H) DIIIa:5 (1853-1854) Bild 2410 / sid 209 (AID: v285106.b2410.s209, NAD: SE/VALA/00666)

[Tom Brown]

Hi Kristina.

This is certainly them.  But just Anders & Johan?  I'm also wondering about Olaus & Carl Gustaf.

I also have those Hagby & Ryssby records from ArkivDigital.

---
I'm curious how you found my Ancestry Tree?  I have a copy of several articles about the shipwreck, but I didn't think it was posted.

Another question about using Riksarkivet:

In an earlier reply you listed the Hagby record and then included a Riksarkivet link below that.  I used that link and it went directly to the image of the Hagby record.

But when i put the book reference into the Riksarkivet search bar on the Riksarkivet home page, I get O results.

How would I search in Riksarkivet if I have the parish book reference?  The Riksarkivet link has a number that is different from the Parish book reference listed above it.

I guess i don't know how to search Riksarkivet yet.

Tom

[Kristina Rylander]

Anders Peter had the number 308. I found an Anders Jonsson, 19 years old residing at Ryssby with the number 308 at something (cannot read it) Sophia:
Sjömanshuset i Kalmar (H) DIIIa:5 (1853-1854) Bild 1910 / sid 159 (AID: v285106.b1910.s159, NAD: SE/VALA/00666)

He is listed as a jungman I think?

[Kristina Rylander]

I simply searched for Thomas Brown born 1835 Sweden. Your tree is the first tree that comes up if you go into public member trees:
https://www.ancestry.com/family-tree/person/tree/183790194/person/422396638024/facts

If you then go into gallery the articles are there.

[Kristina Rylander]

Seems like riksarkivet is down at the moment. But I usually go into "digitala forskarsalen", then "specialsök" and then if I remember correctly "kyrkoarkiv". Then you can write e.g.. Hagby there and it would come up. Hopefully 

Edit: I don't search for a book. I search for the parish and then choose which book to open. Use arkiv digital mostly, only riksarkivet when there is something there that's not available at arkiv digital or to give a reference to someone who doesn't have access to arkiv digital.

[Tom Brown]

Hello Kristina.

when you found Anders and Johan as seamen in the Sjömanshuset book, did you do an Archive search and just page through the book? 

Or was there a way to do a name search digitally?

I investigated the ship name "__?__ Sophia" you found.  I believe the hard-to-read word before Sophia is "Galeas." 

This was a type of Scandinavian ship with 2 masts, similar to a Dutch "Galjoot." http://www.ageofsail.net/aoshipty.asp

Tom

[Kristina Rylander]

Yes, I just looked up Sjömanshuset i Kalmar through the archive search and then manually went through the books page by page. Didn't know what year they were registered so it took a while to do.