Nyskoga and Södra Finskoga parishes

[Stephanie Johnson]

I would like to know more about Nyskoga and Södra Finskoga parishes.  I recently found that I have ancestors from those parishes.  I do know that Finnish farmers were brought in to farm the area.  I would like to know more about the history, what the people are like, what the culture is like.
 
Tack,
Stephanie

[Maud Svensson]

Hi Stephanie, Nyskoga and Södra Finnskoga parishes are both in Torsby kommun, Värmland county. Värmland was the most important county for the Finnish immigration. At the end of the 17th century the Finnish population in Värmland was about 6000 persons and the Finnish culture was particularly strong there.
Immigration of a larger scale started about 1570. Most of the Finns came from Savolax, where they were experts on burn-beating. They moved to Sweden when their possibilities to carry on their work had been deteriorated, contributing causes were war, oppression and years of famine.
As almost all of the immigrants came from Savolax and lived in a compact community in the woods they were successfull in maintaining their Savolax culture. Burn-beating was a pronounced team-work, the Finns lived rather isolated from the Swedes in extended families and they married within their own group. They managed to keep their songs and music heritage alive. Their ethnical isolation lasted till about 1850.  
Compared to the Swedes in the 17th century the Finns were very cleanly - a sauna was always attached to their houses.  
Sorry for my defective English - hope you could understand it.
Kind regards,
Maud

[Carl-Johan Ivarsson]

Nyskoga and Södra Finnskoga remained strongly Finnish until early or mid 20th century. I have heard that when Nyskoga parish was formed in 1872 (it used to be the western part of Norra Ny parish), there was just two Swedish-speaking inhabitants there, namely the pastor and the school-teacher. Older people from this area spoke Swedish without a Värmland accent, because they started to learn Swedish in school!
Just to confuse, Norra Finnskoga is mostly a Swedish area....
However, there is not much left of the Finnish ethnicity in everyday life, but the traditions are kept at several hembygdsgårdar in the area.

[Stephanie Johnson]

Tack så mycket Maud and Carl-Johan!
 
Your informaton helps me understand what the area is like.
 
The hembygdsgårdar, any idea what towns are they in and do any have a website?  I have been searching the web looking for more information on what places to visit in the area, but I have had no luck.
 
Best regards,
Stephanie

[Stephanie Johnson]

I need some help with Nyskoga parish records.  What I have access to are for 1880 and 1890, but they seem to be transcriptions, they seem to be more of a census... they are not the original records.  They do not contain a birthdate, just a birth year.  And place of birth is confusing.  After studying the records, it appears that fors. means born in the parish, which should mean Norra Ny, because Nyskoga was part of Norra Ny... but I am not completely certain of this.  
 
If anyone is familiar with this parish and these records, I would appreciate any help.  I found the family that I was looking for in 1880, and did find new information.  I do know that some of the people emigrated shortly after 1880.  I did not find any of the family in 1890.  I do not know what happened to rest of the family, whether they moved, died or emigrated.  I think I know where to look back in time, but I don't know where to look after 1880.
 
Tack så mycket.
 
Stephanie

[Anita Berglund Eriksson]

Stephanie,
What are the names of the family?
 
Regards
Anita

[Stephanie Johnson]

Hej Anita,
 
The family from Kärnberg, Nyskoga is:
 
Pål Hendricksson or Hindricksson, f. 1836
Karin Jönsdotter or Jonasdotter, f. 1835
Maria Pålsdotter, f. 1863
Kristina Pålsdotter, f. 1869
Andreas Pålsson, f. 1873
Johannes Pålsson, f. 1874
Gustaf Pålsson, f. 1877
Wilhelm Pålsson, f. 1878
also living with the family...
Olof Danielsson, f. 1859 i Södra Finnskoga
Karolina Pålsdotter, f. 1860
Emil Olofsson, f. 1880
 
It appears that Pål, Karin, Karolina, Maria, and Kristina were born in Norra Ny, and Andreas, Johannes, Gustaf, Wilhelm and Emil were born in Nyskoga... since Nyskoga was formed in 1872.
 
I do know that Olof Danielsson, Karolina Pålsdotter (my morfars far and mor) and Emil emigrated 1881-1882, and I do know that Gustaf did emigrate, but I do not know when.
 
Pål was listed as Hendriksson in the Nyskoga record, but I have some research that was done for a distant relative that said his surname was Hindriksson.  Karin was listed as Jönsdotter, but the research said Jonsdotter, and apparently her fars name was Jonas Mattisson.  The research also said Karin was born in Finska.  It will be a few weeks until the microfilms from Norra Ny come in for me to check to see if these people were born there and find out more information.
 
Regards,
Stephanie

[Anita Berglund Eriksson]

Hej Stephanie,
A great deal of my links to my grandmothers (mormors) father are from Kärnberg Nyskoga (Norra Ny).Unfortunately I have not all informations about this family just now, but I got interested of your Karin Jönsdotter born 1835.
 
My Jöns Mattesson was born in 1803-03 in Kärnberg Norra Ny. In his first marriage with Karin Persdotter born 1796 in Mangen he had at least three children. One of them is named Karin but I dont know the year she was born. I dont know more about her and not her husbands name. Have you more details about Jöns Mattesson?
 
I am related to a son from this Jöns Mattessons second marriage.
 
Im sorry I dont have more information to give you for the present, but when I have I will let you know.
 
 
Regards Anita

[Anita Berglund Eriksson]

Hi again,
In a book I borrowed once I found Pål Henriksson born 1836 and his wife Karin Jönsdotter born 1835 with their children you named above except Gustaf and Wilhelm. They lived in a house named Pålsgården Snårberg and Påls father Henrik Pålsson lived there before them. Pål Henriksson sold this house before he and his family went to Amerika.
 
I still don´t know who this Karin Jönsdotter is.
May be she is a daugher of my Jöns Mattesson??
 
Regards Anita

[Stephanie Johnson]

Hej Anita,
 
The names I have for parents of Karin Jonsdotter or Jönsdotter are Jonas Mattison and Marit Jönsdotter.  No other children or family is listed.  This information comes from the research I mentioned, and I do not know where the information originally came from or how acurate it is.  Since you have a reference that appears to be my Pål Hendriksson and the church record also says Hendriksson, the Hindriksson from the research may be wrong.  I have been able to confirm other information from Olof Danielsson in Södra Finnskoga and his family.
 
I have ordered fodde and husförhörslangd records for Norra Ny that hopefully will give me more information for this family.  If Karin Jönsdotter was born in Norra Ny as the Nyskoga record seems to indicate, I should be able to find out her parents names.  It will probably take about 3 weeks for the records to get here.
 
The book you mentioned says that Pål Hendriksson and family emigrated to America!  Do you know any more about that?  My mother remembers a brother of Karolina named Gust (Gustaf), but she did not know about any other relatives.
 
Tack så mycket for the information!  We might be distant relatives!  I will keep searching to see what I can find out.
 
Regards,
Stephanie

[Anita Berglund Eriksson]

Stephanie,
In the book I mentioned before I discovered two other children of Pål and Karin. Do you know them?
They are
Anna born 1862
Martin 1867
 
It isn?t written anything more about this family in this book. Its a book from 1954 but gives a lot of information about Norra Ny and Nyskoga parishes and their inhabitants.
 
As soon as I can I will go to the Archives to see what I can find about this family.
 
Best regards
Anita

[Stephanie Johnson]

Hej Anita,
 
I did not know about Anna and Martin.  They would fit into some of the gaps in birth years for children of Pål and Karin.  I would guess that Anna and Martin died.  I wondered if they had lost some children.  They may have even lost a couple more.
 
Now this may be impossible to do, especially over the internet, but is there anyway to figure out which house was Pålsgården Snårberg?  In August I visited Sweden and Nyskoga.  A very nice man, I did not get his name, helped us find Kärnberg.  He tried to help us figure out which was the right house.  He even pulled out a book, which may be the same one you have.  But, I did not know enough information at the time.  I took some pictures of Kärnberg, and I am wondering if I happened to get a picture of Pålsgården Snårberg.  Kärnberg is very beautiful.
 
Tack så mycket for all of your help.
 
Best regards,
Stephanie

[Anita Berglund Eriksson]

Hi again!
Actually it was a picture of Pålsgården in the  book I mentioned from 1954. I have made a copy of it so if you like I can send it to you, if you give me your adress (to my e-mail adress above if you like).
 
I haven?t been to Kärnberg of myself but I hope I will come there in a near future...
 
Concerning the spelling of Hendriksson/Henriksson and Hindriksson it?s the same name but it spells in different ways.
 
Hälsningar Anita

[Stephanie Johnson]

Hej Anita,
 
I have been searching emigrants from Norway, I think I have found Pål and his family!  A Paul Hendriks. from Nyskoga emigrated in 1882 through Olso.  The age is wrong, but I did not see any other Pål Hendrikssons in Nyskoga.  His destination was Grand Forks.  In 1883 the rest of the famiy emigrated to Grand Forks, all of the names and ages match up.  I did not find Olof, Karolina and Emil, but I do have their utflyttning information from the Emigrantinstutet in Växjo, but I have not found the port they emigrated from.
 
This is so exciting!  I would not have thought to look for them emigrating if it were not for your help.  Tack så mycket!
 
Best regards,
Stephanie

[Anita Berglund Eriksson]

Hallo Stephanie,
 
I have problems with my email, so if you have tried to reach me via e-mail so please contact me through Anbytarforum.
 
Regards,
Anita

[Stephanie Johnson]

Hej Anita,
 
I hope the pictures I tried to send did not cause the problem... I am sorry if they did.
 
Regards,
Stephanie

[Stephanie Johnson]

I need some help with Södra Finnskoga socken.  
 
My ancestor Daniel Danielsson, f. 26 April 1829 i Norge was living in Mackartjärn, Södra Finnskoga by 1859.  He is listed as the upgift fader (I know that is unmarried) for Olof Danielsson f. 14 June 1859.  The column before the parents names lists a location... is this place of birth for the parents?  That would make sense.  Under Olof's name is p. 144.  Is this the page # in the husförhörsland?  I have not ordered those records for those years, yet.
 
Also, in the Inflyttade (that is how it is spelled on the top of the page) records... I am looking for Daniel Danielsson, since he had to move into Södra Finnskoga.  Daniel Danielsson is a common name.  In 1859 there is a Daniel Danielsson coming from Grue and a page 144, the same as the one listed under Olof.  My question, were people listed in the Inflyttade very close to when they came into the parish, or could there have been some delay?  If he did move into the parish in 1859, it would be difficult for him to be the father of Olof born in June.  Daniel is listed as the father, and he did married the mother, Lisa Olsdotter in 1860.  Now Lisa's mother was from Grue, Norge, so it is still possible they got together in Grue and then Daniel moved to Södra Finnskoga.
 
Also, when someone moved to Sweden from Norway, did they have some document that listed information about them including what parish in Norway they were born?  There is some question about whether he was born in Grue or somewhere else in Norway, or even born in Sweden and moved to Norway when he was a couple of years old.  He may have thought he was born in Norway.
 
One last question on Daniel Danielsson... I do not know when he died.  He appears to still be living in 1895 i Vållfallet, Skallbåcken, Södra Finnskoga.  I do not have access to records beyond those years.  Is there anyway to find out when and where he died?
 
Regards,
Stephanie

[Stephanie Johnson]

Hej Anita,
 
I found some more information on your Jöns Mattesson (spelled Mattsson in the record I found).  You probably already know this.  In the Norra Ny records 1854-1858 it looks like he was living at Snårberget in Kårnberget... födde 1803-3 and the day is a squiggle which might be a 2, place I think is Här (here?).  Living with him is dotter Ingeborg 23-4-38 (or 36), son Per 2-5-40, and dot.(and something I can't figure out) Kjerstin Jönsdtr 29.  At the bottom of the page is Olof Mattsson (brother?) 3-8-92.  There was no Karin listed here.
 
I don't know if Snårberget is the same house as Pålsgården Snårberg.  It would be interesting if it were.
 
Parents of my Karin Jönsdotter are Jöns Olsson and Walborg Persdotter.  The Jonas Mattisson and Marit Jönsdotter appear to be Karolina's godparents (I am not sure of the Swedish term).  It appears that Karin's ancestors lived in Kärnberg for many generations.
 
Pål Henriksson and family appear to have moved to Snårberg in 1862.  It looks like his parents lived in Norra Flatåsen and Mellan Flatåsen.  They may have moved to Snårberg after 65.
 
I did find out some of this information on my own.  But I now have both Karin and Pål's ancestors back a number of generations, thanks to another kind researcher.  It turns out that I connect to his wife's ancestors.
 
My best regards,
Stephanie

[Anita Berglund Eriksson]

Hi Stephanie,
Thank you very much for your information. I was at the Archive for some days ago, but I didn?t find something new. I have asked for that book I told you about before, but I haven?t got it yet. I think I will get more information there at present. If I find something I will tell you.
 
Jöns Mattesson had a daughter, Karin Jönsdotter born 1824, in his first marriage with Karin Persdotter born 1796, but she can not be your Karin. Kjerstin Jönsdotter born 1829 is Jöns Mattessons daughter also in his first marriage. It?s written dot.inh. which means she is living with his father as inherent.
 
Jöns Mattessons son Per born 1840 is my ancestor (my grandmothers father, mormorsfar) but he moved rather early from Kärnberg (1858) so it?s before your ancestors Pål Henriksson moved there.
 
Snårberget is not the same house as Pålsgården, but there is still in Kärnberg.  
 
If I find something new in the book I will let you know.
 
All the best!
And best regards
Anita

[Anita Berglund Eriksson]

Hi Stephanie,
 
I will try to make a summary of what I have found:
 
As you know the parents of your Karin Jönsdotter f 1835 are Jöns Olsson Tarvainen (a finnish name) f 1807 and Valborg Persdotter f 1804 in Noppen, Mangen. They lived in Nergården or Alagulla, Kärnberg.  
Jöns Olssons father was Olof Jonsson Tarvainen f 1782 and his wife Karin Persdotter Rämäinen (also a finnish name)f 1786 from Östmark.
 
I have borrowed two books about the old Nyskoga and I have found some interesting informations about Pålsgården and my ancestors house Tomasgården in Snårberget, Kärnberg. I will copy this information, try to make a translation and then send it to you.  
 
Concerning your ancestor Daniel Danielsson f 1829 in Södra Finnskoga I don?t find anything for sure in the book I mentioned before (I?m sorry I forgot to look for him in the Archive). I have found  Vålfåll Skallbäcken in the book, and there is written the earliest user of Södra Vålfall was named Marias Olle, who went to Amerika. The house was sold 1886 to Jan Mattson.
 
My letter comes!
My best regards  
Anita

[Anita Berglund Eriksson]

Hi again,
I have to add something interesting: in one of the books there is a picture of Karin Jönsdotters brother Per Jönsson f 1842 and his wife Anna Henriksdotter f 1840. It?s a rather long article about this family and this Per Jönsson seemed to be a kind of madcap but very clever. Per och Annas eldest daughter Maria became a teacher and emigrated to USA!
 
I will also send you this article.
 
Regards Anita

[Stephanie Johnson]

Anita,
 
Tack så mycket!  I did not have the Finnish names.  You  have done so much, I cannot thank you enough!
 
I know it is an American holiday, but I wish you a Happy Thanksgiving.  I am so thankful for all that you and all of the Swedish researchers do.
 
My best regards,
Stephanie

[Anita Berglund Eriksson]

Hi Stephanie,
Have you got my letter?
Best regards,
Anita

[Stephanie Johnson]

Hej Anita!
 
Yes I did receive your letter with all of the wonderful information!  Tack så mycket!  I have been sharing all of it with my mother and other family memebers.  It is so interesting, and all of the translating you did must have taken a long time.  
 
God Jul och Gott Nytt År!
Stephanie