Scanned Swedish Records: Genline

There are subscription services which have scanned Swedish parish records (and other types of Swedish records) and placed them online. They are all fee-based and all require us to download their reader. That reader link is on their sites so you don't have to go searching for them on other sites.

I am a subscriber to three subscription sites with Swedish parish records. I will discuss Genline today.
 

Genline is my sentimental favorite. It was the first site to start putting parish records online, so I was able to stop ordering microfilms and going out to a Family History Center to view them, which was a major savings in both film rental fees and time. Genline has been purchased in recent years by the world version of Ancestry.com, but former subscribers to Genline who now belong to Ancestry.com's world subscription don't like it as well. (I've heard quite a few complaints.) If you already have a subscription to the world version of Ancestry.com, then use it, of course.

http://www.genline.com

This is a listing of their records.

Parishes scanned by Genline.

Genline also has the SCB records. They are extractions of the full birth, marriage, and death records sent for statistical purposes to Stockholm starting in 1860. Genline's explanation of those SCB records is in the next link.

SCB

If you don't subscribe, you can find Genline at these locations.

Where to find Genline

Even though Ancestry.com has purchased Genline, you still should be able to get a subscription to Genline. Their subscription page tries to make you think that it is better to have an Ancestry World Deluxe Membership. I don't want to have one, since I have mostly Swedes in my ancestry and I already have better access to the Swedish parish records. You may have a different opinion.


I think you have to be registered (no charge) with Genline before you subscribe.

Registration


Subscriptions


You need to download the Genline reader, which they call the Genline FamilyFinder. That allows you to see the images.

Genline FamilyFinder

There is a user guide.

User guide

Especially note the GID number which is mentioned in the user guide. Every image has a unique number called the GID (Genline Identification Number).

=================

GID number (GID#)

All images in Genline's Swedish Church Records archive have an unique ID number — called the Genline ID number (GID#). The GID# consists of three groups of period delimited numbers. The first group of numbers represents Parish ID, the second group the Sequence ID number, and the third group the image number in the sequence.
For example, 227.1.30500 would be
Parish ID Number.Sequence ID Number.Image Number

=================

You can use that GID number when you ask for help on a message board or list. However, do NOT just use the GID number because then you are limiting your help to people who subscribe to Genline. Remember that there are other companies too.

For example, you might need help reading this image.

At the top right of this screen print you will see a box for the GID number.

790.27.102700

That number will get another Genline subscriber to the same page on their computer, but it is not enough information for helpers with other services.

 You need a better source reference. To get that, you could 1) copy the source information from the top of the page,but then you are likely to make an error, or 2) do the following.

Put your cursor in the GID box and click only once. (If you click twice, you will highlight the box and you DO NOT want to highlight that box.) Then, while the cursor is in the GID box, press control + c and you will get the following, which is the same as the top of the page. Use that as your source when you ask for help. Then people with other services can find the same record.

790.27.102700,  [Älvsborg]  Frändefors,  AI.11, Household examination, 1829 - 1833, 148-0,  Image 159 of 207  

I will tell more about the other Swedish services with scanned records at another time.

"Swedish Genealogical Dictionary" has become very hard to find.

Many of us have purchased a dictionary called "Swedish Genealogical Dictionary" compiled by Phyllis J. Pladsen, Joseph C. Huber, and Eric B. Pladsen. I have the fourth edition which was published in 2000 by Pladsen Sveria Press.

It contains more than 5,700 Swedish words and abbreviations.

I find its short definitions very helpful. There are websites and dictionaries with more detailed definitions but it helps greatly to quickly find a definition for a word in an old record.

I'll post more about more detailed dictionaries later. (I have already posted a couple of websites with Swedish genealogy words.)

It may be hard to find. It  is now out of print.  Phyllis Pladsen is deceased. Her son was selling it online until recently. (That site has been taken down.) Try a used book store or site.


www.abebooks.com

I found ONE copy on the abebooks.com site. (More may show up from time to time. Keep checking that site. It is an earlier edition (1991) so it won't be as large as the one I own.

1991 copy of "Swedish Genealogical Dictionary" currently on sale

Maybe you can find this dictionary at a public library.

Amazon.com may have some copies for sale, but their site says that availability is limited. Most are unpriced. One is extremely overpriced at $97.63 for a used copy of the 1991 edition.

 Amazon.com

If it is at all possible to find this dictionary, I recommend that you purchase a copy. Mine is basically worn out since I've used it so often. Good luck!

Judy

Some sites with Swedish genealogical vocabulary words

Many people worry about reading the Swedish genealogical records because they don't know how to read Swedish. However, many of us know little to no Swedish. We are not able to hold conversations in Swedish or read books in Swedish. We are still able to get MUCH information from the Swedish parish records. If we can do it, so can you. ;-)

For the most part, the records are written in a set pattern. The guidebooks (listed earlier in this blog) are great at helping us get started, and actually, it doesn't take long to figure out what sort of information is likely to be in each record.

Also, there are some wonderful sites with genealogical vocabulary for Swedish research. (The modern dictionaries are not as helpful because the records often use archaic Swedish. I've been told by a few Swedes that they also had to learn the archaic words used in the records. We who don't speak Swedish are not the only ones who have to learn these words.)

I have found these sites very helpful.

SweGGate (Click on the previous word: SweGGate) for the link.) has several dictionaries with difficult-to-find words, arranged by categories for the most part.

Family Search

This list can be sorted by English or Swedish.

Judy