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

Guidebooks

It is best to purchase at least one guidebook. These are excellent. "Your Swedish Roots" is easier to start with and "Cradled in Sweden" is more detailed. I own both. The book titles below the images are links.

"Your Swedish Roots" 

"Cradled in Sweden"




If you think about purchasing a used copy of "Cradled in Sweden", only purchase the 1995 and 2002 editions. The earlier editions have much less material. The two recommended editions have the same material, except the covers and type are different. (The author died between the two editions.)

You can also download a booklet with an overview of Swedish genealogy plus ideas on how to gather clues about where your ancestors may have lived in Sweden. This booklet is called "Tracing Your Swedish Ancestry" and was written by James E. Erickson and Nils William Olsson.

 "Tracing Your Swedish Ancestry"



That last url changes frequently. It works today but if it changes, do what I do. Google the title. I have been able to find the site through many url changes by remembering the title.

Judy

Swedish Genealogy Week next June in Sweden

There is an event in Sweden which may interest you, especially if you have roots in Dalsland province.

 I don't remember seeing much about this. I discovered it by accident, so maybe they need a little publicity. ;-)

http://www.lilleskogen.se/dalsland.htm

I asked about this when I heard about it and somehow got on their mailing list. They sent the following email yesterday. I may or may not attend. I haven't decided yet.

---------------------
Information about the Genealogy Week

Final confirmation for participation should be made by March 31st.
I will send an e-mail to everyone on the registration list during March and ask for confirmation.
To go through with the arrangement we need a minimum of 18 participants.

A deposit of 2000 SEK should be paid by April 30th and we will provide you with payment details.

A final payment should be made by May 31st.

So far we have 14 participants on the registration list.

For further details you can go to www.lilleskogen.se or send me an e-mail.

Kind regards
Lotta
---------------------------
Contact information is on the first website above.

Note that all meals and all lodging is included for that week, according to their site. Of course you need to get there on your dime.

I used the following currency converter to convert the price.

http://www.xe.com/ucc/

As of yesterday (because currency values change over time, depending upon the value of the dollar compared to the Swedish kronor), the price **PER PERSON** in a double room would be $1,350.60. The single supplement of 250 kronor is **PER NIGHT**. 250 kronor converts to $37.74. Multiplied by 7 nights, the single supplement is $264.18. That means the single price would be $1,350.60 + $264.18 = $1,614.78.

The deposit of 2000 Swedish kronor (SEK) converts to $301.82.


This is the place where we will stay.

Judy

Estate Inventories (Bouppteckningar)

Bouppteckningar (estate inventories) are online (for at least some areas in Sweden) on the Arkiv Digital site, which is fee-based. After the recent free weekend from Arkiv Digital, there are quite a few postings from people who hope to get a complete translation. Sadly, we are mostly on our own. It is hard to find someone who will translate those wonderful records for us.

Full translations of the bouppteckningar would overwhelm the helpers and we have few helpers on boards and lists who are able to do this. (If one person gets a total translation, that opens the door to **everyone** getting a total translation.) I am only one person and I have found dozens of bouppteckningar and I'm sure I'll find more. Add the rest of the people with bouppteckningar who would like a translation and think of what our helpers' lives would be like if they tried to help out with complete translations. (I've completely translated only one of mine, although I have a pretty good idea of what the beginning paragraphs say for most of mine.)

The help desk at the Family History Library in Salt Lake City will ***NOT** translate them. They might help out with the paragraph at the beginning which has the genealogical information and some of the column headings, but they can't possibly spend hours trying to read and translate the inventory. They have too many other people needing help to spend all that time with just one patron.

I have collected some links for bouppteckningar. Use the information from those to figure out the basic legal vocabulary and to help you get started.

1) Pono's site: Look at the links on the left side of the page. He has a link to some of his own translations and also has a link to a picture dictionary of items often found in a bouppteckning.

 http://tinyurl.com/7fqdexv



2) SweGGate: Dr. Haeffner created a guide to bouppeckningar (Click on his links.) and also has definitions for many bouppteckning words.

 http://tinyurl.com/3k9mtd



3) a thread on the Rootsweb Sweden board:

 http://tinyurl.com/7qgqjxc



4) a thread on the Sweden Genforum board:

http://tinyurl.com/7hsam7f



5) Ordering a bouppteckning:

This is the site through which we can order a bouppteckning. There is a cost, they say. I have never had to pay a penny, but if you lack details and they need to do research, you will have to pay.

Order form in Swedish

Google translation of the order form




6) Elisabeth Thorsell's site recommends this article about bouppteckningar:

 http://tinyurl.com/cl3fn8o


Go to the links for each picture to see the actual page from which each screen shot was taken.

Judy