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RESEARCH OUTLINE Finland CONTENTS Introduction ............................. 1 Helps for Using This Research Outline ........ 1 Records Selection Table: Finland ............ 3 Maps of Finland .......................... 4 Archives and Libraries ..................... 7 Biography ............................. 10 Cemeteries ............................. 11 Census ................................ 11 Church History ......................... 12 Church Records ......................... 12 Civil Registration ........................ 16 Court Records .......................... 17 Emigration and Immigration ............... 17 Encyclopedias and Dictionaries ............. 21 Gazetteers ............................. 21 Genealogy ............................. 22 Heraldry ............................... 24 History ................................ 24 Language and Languages ................. 26 Maps ................................. 26 Merchant Marine ........................ 28 Military Records ........................ 28 Names, Personal ........................ 29 Nobility ............................... 31 Occupations ............................ 31 Periodicals ............................. 31 Probate Records ......................... 32 Public Records .......................... 33 Schools ................................ 34 Social Life and Customs .................. 34 Societies ............................... 35 Taxation ............................... 35 Other Records for Finland ................. 36 For Further Reading ...................... 36 INTRODUCTION This outline can help you find information about people who lived in Finland. It gives information about records of genealogical value for Finland and helps you decide which types of records to search. Generally, you must know the specific town in Finland where your ancestor was born before beginning research in Finland. Sometimes you can find this information in Finnish or other European or United States sources. You will need some basic understanding of genealogical research procedures. You may want to read A Guide to Research (30971) or Principles of Family History Research (34020) or see the video orientation program, all of which are available at the Family History Library and at Family History Centers . HELPS FOR USING THIS RESEARCH OUTLINE Before using this outline you need to choose the information you would like to learn about one of your ancestors, such as a birth date or a maiden name. After you have decided what information you want to find, look at the “Record Selection Table” in this outline. It lists the kinds of information you may want and the best types of records for finding that information. You can find a section in the outline for each type of record listed in columns 2 and 3 of the “Record Selection Table.” The subsequent sections referred to in this outline give more information about these records and how to find them. The sections are in alphabetical order. This outline does not mention all possible genealogical record sources. At the end of the outline, you will find a brief list of additional topic headings under “Other Records” and a short bibliography of sources under “For Further Reading.” For help in tracing Finnish immigrants, use the research outlines for the country of arrival and the Tracing Immigrant Origins Research Outline (34111). References to the Family History Library Catalog™ The Family History Library Catalog is a listing of all the records available at the Family History Library. The catalog is available at the Family History Library and at each Family History Center . Staff at the library or centers can help you learn to use the catalog.

Transcript of Finland...RESEARCH OUTLINE Finland CONTENTS Introduction ..... 1 Helps for Using This Research...

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RESEARCH OUTLINE

Finland

CONTENTS

Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1Helps for Using This Research Outline . . . . . . . . 1Records Selection Table: Finland . . . . . . . . . . . . 3Maps of Finland . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4Archives and Libraries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7Biography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10Cemeteries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11Census . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11Church History . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12Church Records . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12Civil Registration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16Court Records . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17Emigration and Immigration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17Encyclopedias and Dictionaries . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21Gazetteers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21Genealogy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22Heraldry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24History . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24Language and Languages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26Maps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26Merchant Marine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28Military Records . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28Names, Personal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29Nobility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31Occupations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31Periodicals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31Probate Records . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32Public Records . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33Schools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34Social Life and Customs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34Societies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35Taxation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35Other Records for Finland . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36For Further Reading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

INTRODUCTION

This outline can help you find information aboutpeople who lived in Finland. It gives informationabout records of genealogical value for Finland andhelps you decide which types of records to search.

Generally, you must know the specific town inFinland where your ancestor was born beforebeginning research in Finland. Sometimes you canfind this information in Finnish or other Europeanor United States sources.

You will need some basic understanding ofgenealogical research procedures. You may want toread A Guide to Research (30971) or Principles ofFamily History Research (34020) or see the videoorientation program, all of which are available atthe Family History Library™ and at Family HistoryCenters™.

HELPS FOR USING THISRESEARCH OUTLINE

Before using this outline you need to choose theinformation you would like to learn about one ofyour ancestors, such as a birth date or a maidenname.

After you have decided what information you wantto find, look at the “Record Selection Table” in thisoutline. It lists the kinds of information you maywant and the best types of records for finding thatinformation.

You can find a section in the outline for each typeof record listed in columns 2 and 3 of the “RecordSelection Table.” The subsequent sections referredto in this outline give more information about theserecords and how to find them. The sections are inalphabetical order.

This outline does not mention all possiblegenealogical record sources. At the end of theoutline, you will find a brief list of additional topicheadings under “Other Records” and a shortbibliography of sources under “For FurtherReading.” For help in tracing Finnish immigrants,use the research outlines for the country of arrivaland the Tracing Immigrant Origins ResearchOutline (34111).

References to the Family History LibraryCatalog™

The Family History Library Catalog™ is a listing ofall the records available at the Family HistoryLibrary. The catalog is available at the FamilyHistory Library and at each Family HistoryCenter™. Staff at the library or centers can help youlearn to use the catalog.

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For more information about genealogicalcollections, look in the Locality Search of theFamily History Library Catalog under:

FINLAND - GENEALOGYFINLAND, [COUNTY] - GENEALOGYFINLAND, [COUNTY], [TOWN] -

GENEALOGY

This outline gives instructions for findinginformation in the catalog. For example, in thesection of this outline called “Genealogy” you mayfind the following statement:

This tells you to look in the catalog under:

• Finland and then the subject GENEALOGY.

• A county in Finland and then the subjectGENEALOGY.

• A town in a county in Finland and then thesubject GENEALOGY.

This outline includes many references to specificrecords. The references include call numbers andcomputer numbers, which are listed in parentheses.

• Call Numbers. The call number is used to find arecord in the Family History Library (FHL).

• Computer Numbers. Each record is assigned anumber to identify it in the catalog. If you areusing the Family History Library Catalog oncomputer or compact disc, you can search forthe record by the computer number. This is thequickest way to find the listing of the record inthe catalog.

For additional information on using the catalog seeUsing the Family History Library Catalog™(30966).

References to Other Family History LibraryPublications

The Family History Library has many otherpublications that may be helpful to you in yourresearch. Some are referred to in this outline. Theirtitles are in italics and their item numbers are inparentheses. They are available at the FamilyHistory Library and the Salt Lake DistributionCenter.

Finnish Terms

In this outline, Finnish and Swedish language termsare frequently given in brackets and italics after theEnglish terms, such as marriages [Vihityt/Vigda].The Finnish word is listed first. English translationsin parentheses follow Finnish- or Swedish-language book, microfilm, or microfiche titles.

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RECORDS SELECTION TABLE: FINLAND

This table can help you decide which records to search. It is most helpful for research from 1800 to thepresent.

Step 1. Choose an ancestor you would like to know more about. Decide what new information you wouldlike to learn about that person. This new information is your research goal.

Step 2. In column 1 of this table, find the goal you selected.Step 3. In column 2 of this table, find the types of records most likely to have the information you need;

then read the sections in this outline about those types of records.Step 4. Look in the Family History Library Catalog™, and choose a specific record to search.Step 5. Look at the record.Step 6. If you do not find the information you need, return to column 3 and search those record types.

Note: Records of previous research (Genealogy, Biography, History, Periodicals, and Societies) are usefulfor most goals, but they are not listed unless they are especially helpful.

1. If You Need 2. Search These Record Types First 3. Search These Record Types NextAge Church Records Census, Probate RecordsBirth date Church Records —Boundaries and Origins Gazetteers Maps, HistoryChildren Church Records Census, ProbateDeath information Church Records ProbateEmigration date Emigration and Immigration Church RecordsEthnic background Church Records Minorities, Social Life and

Customs, EthnologyHistorical background History Social Life and CustomsMaiden name Church Records —Marriage information Church Records —Occupations Church Records Probate, OccupationsOther family members Church Records Census, ProbateParents Church Records Census, ProbatePhysical description Military Records Biography, GenealogyPlace-finding aids Postal and Shipping Guides Gazetteers, Maps,Place of residence Church Records Geographical Names

Census, TaxationPrevious research Genealogy, Periodicals Biography, History, Archives and

LibrariesRecord-finding aids Archives and Libraries Bibliography, GenealogyReligion Church Records Minorities, Encyclopedias and

DictionariesSocial activities Social Life and Customs History

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ARCHIVES AND LIBRARIES

Archives collect and preserve original documentsof such organizations as churches or governments.Libraries generally collect published sources, suchas books, maps, and microfilm. This sectiondescribes the major repositories of genealogicaland historical records and sources for Finland.When one of these institutions is referred toelsewhere in this outline, return to this section toobtain the address.

If you plan to visit one of these repositories,contact the organization and ask for informationabout collection, hours, services, and fees.

Although the records you need may be in anarchive or library in Finland, the Family HistoryLibrary has copies of many valuable genealogicalrecords on microfilm from several Finnish archivesand libraries.

The following major types of genealogicalrepositories are discussed in this outline:

• National archives

• Provincial archives

• Parish offices

• Military archives

• Other Finnish archives and libraries

• United States archives

National Archives

The Finnish National Archives have documentspertaining to the whole country. Records of thecities of Helsinki, Espoo, Kauniainen, and Vantaaare also found in the national archives; however,records from Uusimaa County are in the provincialarchives in Hämeenlinna.

Records of genealogical value at the nationalarchives include the following:

• Church records

• Census records

• Court records

` Emigration records

The National Archives of Finland are open to thepublic. You may purchase microfilms through thenational archives and request photocopies of therecords by using forms obtained from the archives.

You can write to the archives at:

National Archives of FinlandKansallisarkistoPL 25800171 HelsinkiFinlandTelephone: 011-358-9-228 521Fax: 011-358-9-176 302http://www.narc.fi/ka.html/ (Finnish)http://www.narc.fi/sve/ka.html (Swedish)

The archives are located at:

Rauhankatu 17HelsinkiFinland

Provincial Archives

Finland has eight regional archives that houserecords about their particular area. Most Finnishrecords of genealogical value are kept at provincialarchives, including the following:

` Church records

` Census records

` Emigration records

` Court records

Each provincial archive also has a large collectionof printed material about its area, including localhistories and biographies.

The provincial archives are open to the public andwill answer correspondence. Each archive hasdifferent service hours, so make sure you know thedays and times it is open before visiting.

For Turku-Pori County, write:

Turun maakunta-arkistoPL 38320101 TurkuFinlandTelephone: 011-358-2-2760 818Fax: 011-358-2-2760 810http://www.narc.fi/ma/tma/index.htm

For Häme and Uusimaa Counties, write:

Hämeenlinnan maakunta-arkisto13100 HämeenlinnaFinlandTelephone: 011-358-3-653 3801Fax: 011-358-3-653 3810http://www.narc.fi/ma/hma/index.html

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For Kymi, Mikkeli, and Kuopio Counties and forthe former Viipuri County and the parishes of Sallaand Petsamo, which were ceded to the USSR in1944, write:

Mikkelin maakunta-arkistoPL 250101 MikkeliFinlandTelephone: 011-358-15-321 310Fax: 011-358-15-321 3157http://www.narc.fi/ma/mma/mmapsivu.htm

For Vaasa County (see also Jyväskylän maakunta-arkisto), write:

Vaasan maakunta-arkistoPL 24065101 VaasaFinlandTelephone: 011-358-6-317 3912Fax: 011-358-6-312 0392http://www.narc.fi/ma/vma/finhtml/index.htm

For Keski-Suomi County, which was formed in1960 from the eastern part of the former Vaasacounty and the border parishes from Häme,Mikkeli, and Kuopio Counties, write:

Jyväskylän maakunta-arkisto40100 JyväskyläFinlandTelephone: 011-358-14-617 592Fax: 011-358-14-610 651http://www.narc.fi/ma/jyma/index.html

For Pohjois-Karjala County, which was formed in1960 from the eastern half of the former KuopioCounty, write:

Joensuun maakunta-arkistoPL 14680101 JoensuuFinlandTelephone: 011-358-13-251 4602Fax: 011-358-13-251 4606http://www.narc.fi/ma/joma/index.htm

For the counties of Lappi and Oulu Counties, write:

Oulun maakunta-arkistoPL 3190101 OuluFinlandTelephone: 011-358-8-311 7066Fax: 011- 358-8-311 7068http://www.narc.fi/ma/oma/oulul.htm

For the county of Ahvenanmaa (Åland) County,write:

Ålands landskapsarkivPB 6022101 MariehamnFinlandTelephone: 011-358-18-253 44Fax: 011-358-18-191 55

Parish Offices

Local parishes usually have church records createdafter 1900. They may also have earlier records.You can write to local parishes and church archivesfor information. For more information, see the“Church Records” section of this outline.

Military Archives

Finnish military records that were created before1810 are preserved at the Military Archives ofSweden. The address for the archives is:

KrigsarkivetS-115 88 StockholmSwedenTelephone: 011-46-8-782 41 00Fax: 011-46-8-782 69 76http://www.ra.se/kra/

Finnish military records from 1810 are at theMilitary Archives of Finland. (Most of the recordsbegin in 1812.) The address for the archives is:

Sota-arkistoPL 26600170 HelsinkiFinlandTelephone: 011-358-9-161 6362Fax: 011-358-9-161 6371

Other Finnish Archives and Libraries

Many genealogical works are deposited in theUniversity of Helsinki Library. The address is:

Helsingin yliopiston kirjastoUnioninkatu 3600170 HelsinkiFinlandhttp://renki.helsinki.fi/hyk/kirjasto/kokoelma/arkistot.html

An archive that has newspaper clippings fromSwedish-language newspapers from the early1900s to the present, including deathannouncements, emigration information, andindexes, is:

Brages UrklippsverkKaserngatan 2800130 HelsingforsFinland

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Finland has many organized historical andgenealogical societies. Some societies maintainlibraries and archives that collect valuable records.For more information, see the “Societies” sectionof this outline.

United States Archives

The following archives have specialized collectionson Finnish immigration and other records:

Finnish-American Historical ArchivesSuomi College601 Quincy StreetHancock, MI 49930USA

Immigration History Research CenterUniversity of Minnesota826 Berry StreetSt. Paul, MN 55114USA

Lutheran Church in America Archives1100 E. 55th StreetChicago, IL 60615USA

Inventories, Registers, Catalogs

Most archives have catalogs, inventories, andguides that describe their records and how to usethem. If possible, study these guides before youvisit or use the records of an archive so that youcan effectively use your time.

The following publication is a comprehensive listof Finnish archives. It gives names and addressesof the archives and a brief description of theirholdings:

Suomen arkistojen opas: Arkiven i Finland, enhandledning: Guide to Archives Repositories inFinland. Helsinki: Valtion painatuskeskus,1975. (FHL book 948.97 A35v no. 6 1975;computer number 139337.)

A general guide written in English about theFinnish public archives is:

Guide to the Public Archives of Finland. Helsinki:National Archives, 1980. (FHL book 948.97J5g; computer number 40247.)

Helpful guides written in Finnish and Swedishabout the National Archives are:

Kansallisarkisto, asiakkaan opas (The NationalArchives: A Guide). Helsinki: Kansallisarkisto,1994. (FHL book 948.972 J5k; computernumber 826987.)

Riksarkivet, en handledning (The NationalArchives: A Guide). Helsingfors: Riksarkivet,1995. (FHL book 948.972 J5ka; computernumber 826988.)

The following book series contains a guide to theholdings of the National Archives of Finland:

Valtionarkiston yleisluettelo—Översiktskatalog förRiksarkivet (Inventory for the NationalArchives). 4 vols. Helsiniki: Valtioneuvostonkirjapaino, 1956–73.(FHL book 948.97 A35s;computer number 155950.)

The following book contains a guide to theprovincial archives of Finland:

Maakunta-arkistojen opas (Guide to the ProvincialArchives). Helsinki: Valtion painatuskeskus,1976. (FHL book 948.97 A35v no. 2 1976;computer number 139382.)

A guide to the military archives has been publishedin English, Swedish, and Finnish:

Guide to the Military Archives of Finland.Helsinki: The Military Archives, 1977. (FHLbook 948.97 J5ga; computer number 830849.)

Sota-arkiston opas (Guide to the MilitaryArchives). Helsinki: Valtion painatuskeskus,1974. (FHL book 948.97 A35v no.5 1974;computer number 139292.)

Krigsarkivet: en handledning (Guide to theMilitary Archives). Helsingfors: Statenstryckericentral, 1977. (FHL book 948.97 A35vno. 9 1977; computer number 139288.)

These guides are available at the Family HistoryLibrary. They may also be available at your publicor university library or through interlibrary loan.

To find other inventories, guides, catalogs, anddirectories, look in the Locality Search of theFamily History Library Catalog under:

FINLAND - ARCHIVES AND LIBRARIESFINLAND - ARCHIVES AND LIBRARIES -

INVENTORIES, REGISTERS, CATALOGS

Computer Networks and Bulletin Boards

Computers with modems can be useful tools forobtaining information from selected archives andlibraries. In a way, computer networks themselvesserve as a library. The Internet, certain computerbulletin boards, and commercial on-line serviceshelp family history researchers:

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` Locate other researchers.

`̀̀̀ Post queries.

` Send and receive e-mail.

` Search large databases.

` Search computer libraries.

` Join in computer chat and lecture sessions.

You can find computerized research tips andinformation about ancestors from Finland in manysources at local, provincial, national, andinternational levels. The list of sources is growingrapidly. Most information is available at no cost.

Some very useful databases and guides for Finlandare available on the Internet. In this outline, youwill find references to sites that contain indexesand transcripts of Finnish church records,emigration records, maps, and research guides. Youcan also find information about addresses andactivities of various societies and archives on theInternet.

General sites that act as an index to manyinteresting Finnish genealogical sites on theInternet include:

` Family History Finland, part of theWorldGenWeb project:http://www.open.org/rumcd/genweb/finn.html

` Cyndi’s List for Finland/Suomi:http://www.cyndislist.com/finland.htm

` Genealogical Research in Finland:http://www.genealogia.fi/indexe.htm

` Family History Library home page:http://www.familysearch.org/

BIOGRAPHY

A biography is a history of a person’s life. In abiography you may find the individual’s birth,marriage, and death information and the names ofhis parents, children, or other family members. Usethe information carefully because there may beinaccuracies.

Many brief biographies have been gathered andpublished in collective biographies, sometimescalled biographical encyclopedias or dictionaries.Usually these only include biographies ofprominent or well-known citizens of a country.Some feature specific groups of people, such asbankers or musicians.

Some significant Finnish biographical collectionsavailable through the Family History Library are:

The Scandinavian Biographical Archives. NewYork: K. G. Saur, 1989. (FHL fiche6060424–31, 6060441–45, 6060452–66;computer number 409520.) The information inthis collection comes from many sources and isin alphabetical order by surname. It also has anindex (FHL book 948 D32s; computer number731014). The second section contains Finnishand Swedish biographical sketches. To findmore specific microfiche numbers for thismaterial, look in the Locality Search of theFamily History Library Catalog under:

FINLAND - BIOGRAPHY

Biographica (Biographies). Salt Lake City: UtahinSukututkimusseuralle kuvannut AB. Rekolid,1952. (FHL film 55735–55767; computernumber 355764.)

Kansallinen elämäkerrasto (BiographicalEncyclopedia of Finland). Porvoo: WSOY,1927–34. (FHL book 948.97 D36k; computernumber 194617.)

Colliander, O. I. Suomen kirkon paimenmuisto(Memorial of the Clergy of Finland). Salt LakeCity: Utah in Sukututkimusseuralle kuvannutAB. Rekolid, 1952. (FHL film 55724–34;computer number 76320.)

The Finnish Historical Society is working on aproject to publish biographical sketches of 6,000Finns. This collection will first be available on theInternet, later on compact disc, and finally in bookform. The biographies that have been completedare in Finnish, but eventually many will also beavailable in English. Following are the addressesfor the trilingual home page for this organizationand for their biographical database, respectively:

http://www.histseura.fi/

http://194.100.110.49:3000/KB/default.htm

You can find collective biographies at the FamilyHistory Library in the Locality Search of theFamily History Library Catalog under:

FINLAND - BIOGRAPHYFINLAND, [COUNTY] - BIOGRAPHYFINLAND, [COUNTY], [TOWN] -

BIOGRAPHY

You may also find some biographical informationin Finnish local history books. See the “History”section of this outline for more information.

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CEMETERIES

If you know the specific area where your ancestorlived, you may contact the local mortuary[hautaustoimisto/begravningsbyrå] for informationabout burials that occurred after the 1920s.

Cemeteries and churchyards keep records of thelocation of graves. Graves are often reused after 25years, and the tombstones are replaced. But thecemetery records generally provide both birth anddeath dates of everyone who has been buried there.

The Family History Library has not microfilmedany Finnish cemetery records, but the library doeshave the yearbooks of the Finnish GenealogicalSociety, which list the gravestones of several oldcemeteries. The yearbooks have a personal nameindex for the first 13 volumes, which cover 1917 to1929 (to find out what parish graveyards areincluded, you must search each volume of theyearbook separately):

Vuosikirja: Årsskrift (Yearbook). Lahti: Kirjapainoja Sanomalehti Oy, [1917]. (FHL book 948.97D25v; computer number 76320.)

CENSUS

General Background

A census is a count and description of thepopulation. In Finland records similar to censusrecords are called henkikirjat/mantalslängder.These records were a type of populationregistration kept for taxation purposes.

Various tax lists were kept from the 1530s on;however, they are not as comprehensive as thehenkikirjat/mantalsängder, which began in 1634.

Another record similar to a census is thecommunion book. For more information, see the“Church Records” section of this outline.

The henkikirjat/mantalslängder precede the earliestchurch records and can frequently be used toextend family lines beyond what is recorded in thechurch records. They also can be used to fill ininformation where the church records have gaps orare missing.

Various age groups were included in the earlyhenkikirjat/mantalslängder:

` 1634–1651: persons over age 12

` 1652–1855: persons between ages 15 and 63

` 1655 on: persons between ages 15 and 63 andheads of households over age 63

Before 1765 some people did not have to registerfor the henkikirjat/mantalslängder because they didnot have to pay the associated taxes:

` From 1640 on, the nobility and their servantsdid not have to register.

` From 1652 on, owners of large estates did nothave to register.

` Soldiers generally did not have to register whilethey served.

` Very poor people did not have to register.

After 1765 the government began to use thehenkikirjat/mantalslängder for statistical purposes;therefore, everyone—including people exemptfrom the taxes—was required to register. Peoplegradually complied.

Using Census Records

Before using original census records, you shouldfirst use the Suomen asutuksen yleisluettelo/Generalregistret över bosättningen i Finland(General Register of Settlement in Finland). Thisregister includes 1539 to 1809. See the “PublicRecords” section of this outline for moreinformation.

The henkikirjat/mantalslängder records are groupedin two time periods:

` 1634–1809

` 1810–1860

All of the records have a similar format, listing thedistricts, parishes, and villages. Within eachvillage, the taxpayers are listed by household. Thehead of the household is listed by name. Othermembers of the household are indicated bynumbers in various columns. In many of the laterrecords, all members of the household are listed byname. Ages are frequently mentioned.

1634–1809

The henkikirjat/mantalslängder for 1634 to 1809are part of the Uudempi tilikirjakokoelma/Nyareräkenskapssamlingen (New Collection ofAccounts). See the “Public Records” section of thisoutline for a description of this source.

You can find these records by looking in theLocality Search of the Family History LibraryCatalog under:

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FINLAND, [COUNTY] - CENSUSFINLAND, [COUNTY] - MILITARY

RECORDSFINLAND, [COUNTY] - PUBLIC RECORDS

The catalog has two sets of records under the sametitle, Uudempi tilikirjakokoelma/Nyareräkenskapssamlingen (New Collection ofAccounts):

` Henkikirjat/mantalslängder. The catalog entryrefers to the year and number of each volume.The catalog entry does not describe the records.

` Other records. Besides the henkikirjat/mantalslängder, this collection also includesother records, such as tithes, general accounts,and so forth. At the beginning of each volume isa list of the contents.

An index to the henkikirjat/mantalslängder isavailable for this time period. It is organized bycivil districts [kihlakunta/härad] and cities andspecifies the page number on which the district orcity begins within each census volume. This indexis:

Luettelo henkikirjamikrofilmien käyttökopioista1634–1808/Förteckning över brukskopior avmikrofilmer av mantalslängder 1634–1808(Inventory of Microfilms of the 1634–1808Censuses). Ed. Matti Walta. 2nd rev. ed.Helsinki: Valtionarkisto, 1989. (FHL book948.97 A33La 1989; barcode 021774.)

1810–1860

To find Finnish henkikirjat/mantalslängder thatwere kept from 1810 to 1860, look in the LocalitySearch of the Family History Library Catalogunder:

FINLAND, [COUNTY] - CENSUS -1810–1860

During this time period, the henkikirjat/mantalslänslängder were only filmed every fiveyears. These films have internal indexes to thedistricts and parishes indicating initial pagenumbers.

CHURCH HISTORY

It is helpful to understand the historical events thatled to the creation of records, such as parishregisters, where your family is listed.

The Swedes brought Christianity to Finland in theform of Roman Catholicism between 1050 or 1150and 1300. Along with religion, the Swedes also

established administration in southwestern Finland,from which it spread north and east.

By the time of the Protestant Reformation, Finlandwas an integral part of the Swedish kingdom. TheLutheran religion became the kingdom’s officialstate church in 1611. When Finland gained itsindependence in 1917, 98 percent of the populationwas Lutheran. In the Family History LibraryCatalog, the Finnish Church [SuomenKirkko/Finska Kyrkan] is listed as the author ofchurch records.

While the Swedes were introducing Christianity inthe west, the Novgorodians, who were from aRussian city-state, converted the eastern Finns toEastern Orthodoxy. The Swedish governmentcontinually contended against the practice ofOrthodoxy, and the Orthodox population remainedvery small.

Historically, the orthodox religion in Finland hasbeen called Greek Catholic [Kreikkalais-katolinen/Grekisk katolsk]. The term GreekCatholic in east central Europe refers to theUniates; however, in Finland it refers to theOrthodox Church of Finland [Suomen ortodoksinenkirkko/Finlands ortodoxa kyrka]. The OrthodoxChurch of Finland also became a state church in1918. Today, 1.5 percent of the Finnish populationbelongs to this church.

Other denominations were tolerated, especiallyfrom the late 1800s on. Methodists, Baptists,Roman Catholics, and other groups were quitesmall in Finland. The earliest records from thesegroups date back to the 1890s. From 1923 on,when a freedom of religion law was passed, peoplewithout a religious preference were recorded in thecivil registry [Siviilirekisteri/Civil registret]. Theserecords are also discussed in the “CivilRegistration” section of this outline.

CHURCH RECORDS

Records of births, marriages, and deaths arecommonly called vital records because criticalevents in a person’s life are recorded in them.Church records are vital records made by parishministers. They are often referred to as parishregisters or churchbooks. They include records ofchristenings and births, marriages, burials anddeaths, and communions. Church records may alsoinclude account books, confirmations, and recordsof people moving in and out of a parish.

In general the Lutheran church began keepingrecords after a 1686 royal decree. Each parishgradually complied with this decree.

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Before the decree some prominent churchmen,including bishop Johannes Rudbeckius in Swedenand bishops Isak Rothovius and Johannes Gezeliusin Finland, promoted record keeping. Hence, someparishes began keeping records earlier. Forexample, Teisko birth records begin in 1648.

Since Finland was a part of the Swedish kingdomin 1686, church records were kept in Swedish.Records were not kept in Finnish until after 1863,when Finnish was made an official language inFinland. The transition from Swedish into Finnishwas gradual, and about 30 Finnish parishes still useSwedish as their primary language. This outlinegives the names of records and institutions in bothlanguages.

Church records [kirkonkirjat/kyrkoböcker] are theprimary sources for accurate information on names;dates; and places of births, marriages, and deaths.Since the state entrusted the church to keep vitalrecords, virtually every person who lived inFinland was recorded in the church records fromthe time the records began.

In Finland, birth, marriage, and death records arecalled history books [historiakirjat/historieböcker], and the communion books arecalled main books [pääkirjat/huvudböcker].

Information Recorded in Church Registers

Information recorded in church books varied overtime. Later records generally give more completeinformation than earlier ones.

No uniform format for church records was used,but the information listed in the various formatswas generally the same.

Births [Syntyneet/Födda] and Baptisms[Kastetut/Döpta]

Children were generally baptized or christenedwithin a few days of birth. Stillbirths weregenerally registered in both the baptism and burialrecords.

Christening registers usually contain:

` Names of the infant and parents.

` The baptism date (later registers also contain thebirth date).

` The child’s legitimacy status.

` Names of godparents and witnesses.

` Father’s occupation.

` The family’s place of residence.

The records may also contain:

` Death information if the child died very young.

` The street name or family’s address if they livedin a larger city.

Earlier registers typically give less information,sometimes including only the names of the childand father and the date of the christening. Until theend of the 1700s many pastors either did notinclude the mother’s name in the birth records orincluded only her given name.

Marriages [Vihityt/Vigda]

Couples were generally married in the bride’shome parish. Typically, people were well into their20s before they married.

Marriage registers generally include:

` Names of the bride and groom.

` Marriage date.

` The residences of the bride and groom beforethe marriage.

` The occupations of the bride and groom.

` Marital status (single or widowed).

` The names and residences of witnesses andpossibly the parents.

` The three dates on which the marriageintentions were announced in addition to themarriage date.

The three dates on which the marriageintentions were announced are often referred toas banns [kuulutetut/förelysta]. They ensuredthat the persons to be married fulfilled all legalconditions for marriage, such as being of age,having parental consent, not being closelyrelated, and widowers and widows havingprobated their former spouses’ estate. Bannsmay also be in a separate register.

Deaths [Kuolleet/Döda] and Burials[Haudatut/Begravna]

Burials were recorded in the parish where theperson died and was buried. Burials usually tookplace within a few days of death.

Burial registers often give the followinginformation:

` Name of the deceased

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` Burial date and death date

` Age of the deceased

` Place of residence

` Cause of death

For the death of a woman or child, earlier burialrecords often list only the husband’s or father’sname and the word for wife or child. They may notgive the name of the deceased.

Burial records may exist for individuals who wereborn before the earliest birth and marriage recordsand can at times extend your research anothergeneration. Stillbirths were generally recorded inboth the christening and burial registers; however,many stillbirths were recorded only in the burialrecords.

Church Records Extracts [Kirkonkirjojenkopiot/Avskrifter av kyrkoböcker]

To preserve the original records, the FinnishGenealogical Society has transcribed Finnishchurch records. These transcriptions are calledchurch record extracts [Kirkonkirjojenkopiot/Avskrifter av kyrkoböcker].

The extracts cover births, marriages, deaths, andsometimes church accounts and moving recordsfrom the earliest records, some beginning in the1600s, to at least 1850.

The extracts are written in modern handwriting andare therefore easier to read than the originalrecords. The information in these records has beenput into columns and contains the basicinformation as in the original records. However,christening extracts do not list the names of thewitnesses, and other random information is also leftout.

The Family History Library Catalog lists theoriginal church records as kirkonkirjat and theextracts separately as kirkonkirjojen kopiot under:

FINLAND, [COUNTY], [PARISH] - CHURCHRECORDS

The extracts of birth records and some marriagerecords have also been extracted and included inthe International Genealogical Index®. You can findalphabetical printouts for many parishes in thecatalog under the heading:

FINLAND, [COUNTY], [PARISH] - CHURCH RECORDS - INDEXES

Confirmation Registers[Rippilapset/Skriftskolebarn; Konfirmationer]

A person’s confirmation, or first communion,generally took place between the ages of 14 and 16.Most parishes kept confirmation records, theearliest dating from the mid 1700s. The recordsfrequently list boys and girls separately by villagesor residences, giving their names and birth dates orages.

Communion Records[Rippikirjat/Kommunionböcker]

The 1686 royal decree required ministers to keeprolls of all their parishioners, where the parishonerslived, their attendance at communion, and theirreligious knowledge. Some communion books goback to the late 1600s. They exist for most parishesfrom the mid 1700s.

Many ministers began making yearly entries foreach household, but with time, ministers beganmaking entries every 5 to 10 years.

Communion records list the inhabitants of a parishby village, farm, and household. The head of thehousehold appears first and other householdmembers next. The records generally list thefollowing information:

` Each person’s name and occupation or his or herrelationship to the head of the household

` Each person’s birth date and birthplace andpossibly marriage date and death date

` The place to or from which a person moved andthe moving dates

` Circumstances such as poverty, illness,illegitimacy, and committed offences

Typically earlier communion records have lessinformation than later ones. Search all availablecommunion books for the place where and timewhen the person lived. Verify all birth, marriage,and death dates in the respective original records.

Preconfirmation Records[Lastenkirjat/Barnböcker]

Pre-confirmation records were kept primarily in theparishes of eastern Finland. Many parishes inwestern Finland also kept them, at least briefly.These records list each residence, the parents, andthe children who had not yet been confirmed(usually all children younger than about age 14).After their confirmation, the children weretransferred into the communion book.

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Moving Records [Muuttaneet/Muuttokirjat;Flyttningslängder/Flyttningsbetyg]

Moving records can help you trace a family as theymoved around Finland. You can find movingrecords in several sources.

Communion Books. Ministers used thecommunion books to note individuals and familieswho moved into or out of the parish.

Moving Certificates. By the late 1700s someparishes began to issue moving certificates[muuttokirjat/flyttningsbetyg] to persons leavingthe parish. These certificates identified the personsto their new minister and were chronologicallyarchived in the new parish.

The certificates usually included the followinginformation about a person:

` Name

` Birth date and birthplace

` Occupation

` Marital status

` Reading ability

` Knowledge of religion

` Worthiness to partake of the communion

` Character reference

` Vaccination information

` Place where the person was registered fortaxation

If a whole family moved, the certificate generallycontained at least the name of each family member.

Arrival and Removal Records. In the 1800sparishes began using special arrival and removalrecords [sisään- ja ulosmuuttaneet; seurakuntaanja seurakunnasta muuttaneet/in- ochutflyttningslängder]. These records, which arefrequently essential to family history research,chronologically list the people who moved into orout of the parish.

The records give the following information about aperson:

` Name

` Occupation

` Parish moved to or from

` Previous or subsequent residence in the parish.In more recent records, the residence isindicated by the page number in the communionbook.

The records sometimes list:

` Age or date of birth

` Religious knowledge

` Character reference

` Gender

Wives and children may not be mentioned byname, only as numbers in a separate column.

Finding Church Records

Church records were kept at the local parishchurch. The term parish [seurakunta/socken;församling] refers to the jurisdiction of a churchminister.

Before you can find church records, you mustknow the name of the parish that kept the recordsabout your ancestor.

The boundaries of a parish may cover manyvillages and farms, which generally have their ownplace-names. If you know a place of origin, use agazetteer to determine whether the name refers to afarm, village, parish, or county. See the“Gazetteers” section of this outline for moreinformation.

For large cities that have several parishes, theFamily History Library Catalog lists the parishesunder the name of the city.

Over time, some parishes have been divided andborders have been changed. The earlier records of aparticular parish may be found in its “mother”(previous) parish. A guide to the divisions of theparishes in Finland is in:

Leinberg, K. G. Finlands territoriala församlingarsålder, utbildning och utgrening intill 1885 årsutgång (Finland’s Territorial Parishes’ Ages,Development, and Branching through the Endof 1885). Helsingfors: SvenskaLiteratursällskapet, 1886. (FHL book 948.97 B4No. 3; film 157159; computer number 186251.)

Records at the Family History Library

The Family History Library has Finnish Lutheranchurch records from the time they begin, in the late1600s or early 1700s, to 1860 and sometimes to1900.

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The Family History Library also has churchrecords from Orthodox parishes in Finlandbeginning in the late 1700s and continuing untilabout 1900 and most of the church records (bothLutheran and Orthodox) from areas that were cededto the Soviet Union in 1944.

To find Finnish church records, look in theLocality Search of the Family History LibraryCatalog under:

FINLAND, [COUNTY], [PARISH] - CHURCHRECORDS

Records Not at the Family History Library

The Family History Library does not have recentchurch records. You can obtain this information bywriting to the local parishes in Finland. If you donot speak Finnish, you may write your letter inEnglish. In your letter, include a statement that youare willing to pay for the services you request. Youwill be billed when the research has beencompleted. A Finnish Letter-Writing Guide(36215) is available through Family HistoryLibrary publications.

For a list of the Lutheran and Orthodox parishes inFinland and their addresses, see:

Kunta- ja rekisterinpitäjäluettelo: Förteckning överkommuner och registerförare (Register of theParishes and Record Keepers). Helsinki:Väestörekisterikeskus, 1981. (FHL book 948.97E4k; computer number 125454.)

You can also find addresses for the Evangelical-Lutheran Churches in Finland on the Internet:

http://www.evl.fi/kkh/y/srkosoit/index.htm

You may also find more information in a largedatabase, the HisKi Project, that is being developedfor the Internet. The database includes indexes andextracts to many Finnish parish records. Recordsfrom additional parishes are added to the databaseas they become available.

The database includes christenings, marriages,burials, and moves. The indexes include records forsome parishes during the period 1860 to 1900, forwhich the Family History Library does notcurrently have all the records.

You can search the indexes for a single parish,several parishes, or by a county or region. To findthe HisKi Project in English, go to the followingInternet address:

http://194.252.3.119/historia/indexe.html

Search Strategies

When you begin using church records, it is usuallybest to first verify the information you already havebefore you try to find new information.

The following steps may be helpful as you useFinnish church records:

1. Find a person’s birth record. Write down thename of the parents and the place where thefamily was living.

2. Search the communion records andpreconfirmation rolls, if applicable, of thatparish for the date and place where the familywas then living (several households may havebeen living in the same place). Note allinformation about the family, including names,birth dates, birthplaces, marriage and deathdates, and moving information.

3. Search the original church records to verify theinformation you found in the communion andpreconfirmation books.

4. Repeat steps 1 to 3 for the person’s parents,siblings, or other persons of interest.

If you do not find earlier generations, searchneighboring parishes and the InternationalGenealogical Index.

CIVIL REGISTRATION

Records of births, marriages, and deaths arecommonly referred to as vital records because theyrefer to critical events in a person’s life. Civilregistration is the vital records made by thegovernment. Vital records of Finland havetraditionally been kept by the church. See the“Church Records” section of this outline for moreinformation.

In 1923 a freedom of religion law was passed. As aresult, people who did not have a religiouspreference were recorded in a civil registry[Siviilirekisteri/Civil registret]. Later, people whobelonged to churches other than the state churcheswere also included in the civil registry.

In 1970 the government’s census records[henkikirjat/mantalslängder] became the basis of ageneral population register [Väestörekisteri/Befolkningsregistret] for all people in Finland. Thispopulation register also incorporated theinformation from the earlier civil registry[Siviilirekisteri/Civil registret]. For moreinformation about Finnish censuses, see the“Census Records” section of this outline.

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The Väestörekisteri/Befolkningsregistret has localoffices on a commune (parish) level. The centraloffice has a computerized register that includesinformation on individuals nationwide. The centraloffice can help you find living relatives in Finland.

You can contact the office at:

VäestörekisterikeskusPL 7 (Kellosilta 4)00521 HelsinkiFinlandTelephone: 011-358-9-229 161Fax: 011-358-9-2291 6795http://www.vaestorekisterikeskus.fi/

COURT RECORDS

Court records may contain genealogicalinformation. These records are an account of courtproceedings in deciding property disputes,guardianships, thefts, drunkenness, assaults, ormurders. Court records concerning probate caseswere kept separately. See the “Probate Records”section of this outline for more information.

Court records may give details that bring to lifenames on a chart and that aid in compiling a familyhistory.

To find court records in the Family History LibraryCatalog, look in the Locality Search under:

FINLAND, [COUNTY] - COURT RECORDS

EMIGRATION ANDIMMIGRATION

Emigration and immigration sources list the namesof people leaving (emigrating) or coming into(immigrating) a country. For Finland, emigrationinformation is usually found in passport recordsand passenger lists. The information in theserecords generally includes the emigrants’ names,ages, occupations, and destinations and their placesof origin.

In addition to determining where an emigrant camefrom, emigration and immigration records can helpyou construct family groups. If you do not findyour ancestor, you may find emigrationinformation about your ancestor’s neighbors.People who lived near each other in Finland oftensettled together in their new country.

Records were created when individuals emigratedfrom or immigrated to Finland. Other recordsdocument an ancestor’s arrival in the destinationcountry. This section discusses:

• Finding the emigrant’s town of origin.

• Emigration from Finland.

` Immigration to Finland.` Finnish passport lists.

` Passenger lists (departures).

` The Institute of Migration.

` Records of Finnish emigrants in theirdestination countries.

Finding the Emigrant’s Town of Origin

Once you have traced your family back to anemigrant ancestor, you must determine the city ortown where he or she was from. Finland has nonationwide index prior to 1970. Birth, marriage,and death records were kept locally andchronologically.

Several sources may give your ancestor’s place oforigin. You may be able to learn the town yourancestor came from by talking to older family members. Members of your family or a library mayhave documents that name the city or town such as:

• Birth, marriage, and death certificates.

• Obituaries.

• Journals.

• Photographs.

• Letters.

• Family Bibles.

• Church certificates or records.

• Naturalization applications and petitions.

• Passenger lists.

• Passports.

• Family heirlooms.

Emigration from Finland

Through the years, many Finns have immigrated tomany places—mostly Sweden, Norway, NorthAmerica, Russia, and Australia.

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North America

As early as 1638 Finns and Swedes colonized NewSweden, which was located around the DelawareRiver. Many of these Finns had been living incentral Sweden, and their ancestors had left Finlandduring the 1500s.

From the 1860s onward, an estimated 316,000Finns, primarily from Ostrobothnia, immigrated tothe United States. Most settled in Michigan,especially in the upper peninsula. Many Finns alsosettled in Minnesota, Massachusetts, New York,Ohio, Wisconsin, Illinois, Montana, Washington,Oregon, and California.

From 1860 to 1996 about 92,000 Finns immigratedto Canada, especially Toronto. Finnish immigrationto Canada peaked in the 1920s.

Australia

About 10,000 Finns have immigrated to Australiasince World War II.

Sweden and Norway

Throughout the years, many Finns, includingcolonists, refugees, and laborers, have immigratedto Sweden. Many Swedes, especially during theSwedish Era, have emigrated to Finland as well.Some localities in northern and central Swedenhave had a Finnish population for several centuries.Since World War II, about half a million Finnshave moved to Sweden. An authoritative history ofthe Finns in Sweden is:

Tarkiainen, Kari. Finnarnas Historia i Sverige (TheHistory of the Finns in Sweden). 2 vols.Helsinki: SHS, 1990. (FHL book 948.97 W2t;computer number 617064.)

Many Finns have also moved to northern and east-central Norway. From Norway many of them haveimmigrated to the United States.

Russia

Russia, especially its former capital, St. Petersburg,was a destination for Finnish laborers, officials,and military personnel serving both the RussianEmpire and the Grand Duchy of Finland. At theturn of the century, 36,000 Finns lived in Russia,and 83 percent of them were in the St. Petersburgregion.

Finns living in St. Petersburg were a mobile group,and many of them later returned to Finland. Ahistory of St. Petersburg and the Finns that livedthere is:

Engman, Max. St. Petersburg och Finland,Migration och influens 1702–1917 (St.Petersburg and Finland, Migration andInfluence 1702–1917). Helsingfors: SocietasScientiarum Fennica, 1983. (FHL book 948.97W2en; computer number 382791.)

From the 1820s on, long before the general wave ofFinnish immigration to the United States, hundredsof Finns came to Alaska as representatives of theRussian Empire, making up about one-third of theRussian population there. Among them were thefamilies of government officials, Lutheranclergymen, and many seamen. After 1867 many ofthese Finns became early settlers in California.

Immigration into Finland

After World War I, about 30,000 Russian subjectsimmigrated to Finland, many of whom wereKarelian or Finnish.

In World War II, Finland lost its eastern regions tothe Soviet Union. Nearly half a million peoplewere evacuated from the areas.

The following five-volume set lists most of theevacuated Karelians who resettled in post-warFinland:

Siirtokarjalaisten tie (The Path of the EvacuatedKarelians). 4 vols. Turku: Nyky-Karjala Oy,1970–71. (FHL book 948.97 W2si; films1124548–1124549, computer number 127201.)This work indexes the evacuees by their homeparishes and indicates the place to where theymoved. The index is on film 1124579, item 2.

The evacuees brought most of their church recordswith them. These records are available at theFamily History Library and at the MikkeliProvincial Archives (for the address of the MikkeliArchives, see the “Archives and Libraries” sectionof this outline).

A special project is in progress in the MikkeliProvincial Archives to extract and alphabetize allpersons listed in the Karelian church records fromthe time they begin until 1949. The archive staffdoes not perform genealogical research but canprovide information, such as lists of surnames, fromtheir database for a fee. You can write to thearchives at:

Karjalan tietokantaPL 250101 MikkeliFinland

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Finnish Passport Lists

The Finnish passport lists are the primary sourcefor obtaining the immigrants’ places of origin. Thelists began around 1820 and are available onmicrofilm through 1920. The early lists are not asinformative as the ones from the mid 1800s on.These lists record the passport recipients inchronological order and contain:

` Names.

` Occupations.

` Home parishes.

` Destination countries.

` The number of children included in the passport.

Immigrants could receive a passport in any county.Many received them in the county from which theyembarked, not from their home county.

To find the passport lists in the Family HistoryLibrary Catalog, look in the Locality Search under:

FINLAND, [COUNTY] - EMIGRATION ANDIMMIGRATION

Both county offices [lääninkanslia] and cityoffices [maistraatti] issued passports. The cataloglists the county offices first and the city officessecond.

It is useful to know that in these records the city ofVaasa is often called Nikolainkaupunki/Nikolaistad and abbreviated as N:stad.

Passenger Lists (Departures)

The Finnish Steamship Company [SuomenHöyrylaiva Osakeyhtiö/Finska ÅngfartygsAktiebolaget]

In 1892 the Finnish Steamship Company [SuomenHöyrylaiva Osakeyhtiö/Finska ÅngfartygsAktiebolaget] began to coordinate the travel ofemigrants on several ship lines that left from theport of Hanko/Hangö.

The passenger lists of the Finnish SteamshipCompany are arranged by ship line and year andinclude the following information about emigrants:

` Names

` Ages

` Port of departure

` Destinations

The records seldom indicate the emigrant’s lastresidence in Finland. However, they do use thefarm name as a surname, which can be a clue to thehome parish.

The passenger lists of the Finnish SteamshipCompany have been microfilmed through 1960. Tofind them, look in the Locality Search of theFamily History Library Catalog under:

FINLAND - EMIGRATION ANDIMMIGRATION

Emigration through Other Countries

Finns also traveled through the ports of othercountries, primarily Göteborg, Malmö, andStockholm in Sweden, and Trondheim in Norway.

The Swedish and Norwegian passenger lists wereactually lists kept by the local police of peopleleaving the country. These lists generally include:

` Name.

` Age.

` Destination.

` Last residence (the specific place of residence isgiven about half the time; otherwise, it lists onlyFinland).

Below is a list of the ports and their recordsavailable through the Family History Library. Forcomplete bibliographic information and filmnumbers, please search the Family History LibraryCatalog.

• Göteborg . . . . . . . . Original records 1869–1920Index 1869–1951Index of Finns 1869–84 (FHL film 1043046;

computer number 0391618)

• Malmö . . . . . . . . . . . . Original records 1874–80Index 1874–1939Index of Finns 1879–1916 (FHL film 1613007;

computer number 091474)

• Stockholm . . . . . . . Original records 1869–1904Index 1869–1920Index of Finns 1880–1932 (FHL films

1613015–18; computer number 0062993)

• Trondheim . . . . . . . Original records 1867–1926Index 1867–1925Index of Swedes and Finns 1867–90 (FHL film

1282961 item 3; computer number 0254155)

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The Institute of Migration

The Institute of Migration in Turku, Finland, ispreparing indexes to the following types of records:

• Passport records

• Passenger lists of the Finnish SteamshipCompany

• Emigrant letters

• Death notices of Finns who died abroad

The institute will search the databases for amoderate fee. You can contact the institute at:

Institute of Migration/Emigrant RegisterPiispankatu 320500 TurkuFinlandTelephone: 011-358-2-231 7536Fax: 011-358-2-233 3460

To find a summary of the types of records in thecollection and to check the progress of thedatabase, check the institute’s Web site at:

http://www.utu.fi/erill/instmigr/index_e.htm

The Institute of Migration publishes a quarterlyjournal, Siirtolaisuus (Migration). (FHL book948.97 W2s; computer number 0119994.)

Among the institute’s other publications is abibliography of sources about Finnish emigration:

Koivukangas, Olavi, and Simo Toivonen. SuomenSiirtolaisuuden ja Maassamuuton Bibliografia:A Bibliography of Finnish Emigration andInternal Migration. Turku:Siirtolaisuusinstituutti, 1978. (FHL book 948.97W23k; computer number 0019647.)

National Archives

The National Archives of Finland has theemigration lists that were kept by parish ministersfor statistical purposes for 1882 to 1924. These arenot available at the Family History Library, but youcan obtain the information from them by writing tothe National Archives (see the “Archives andLibraries” section of this outline for the address).

Records of Finnish Emigrants in TheirDestination Countries

Sometimes the best sources for information aboutyour ancestor are found in the country to which heor she immigrated. These sources sometimesprovide the town of origin and other information.

To learn about these records, use handbooks,manuals, and research outlines, if available, for thatcountry.

In U.S. records, especially passenger arrivalrecords, Finns are often listed as being Russian orSwedish because Finland for a time was part of theRussian Empire or because many emigrants wereSwedish-speaking Finns.

The following book gives a history of Finnishimmigration to the United States and Canada andthe names of many early Finnish immigrants:

Ilmonen, S. Amerikan suomalaisten historia (TheHistory of Finnish Americans). 3 vols. Hancock,Mich.: by author, 1919, 1923, and 1926. (FHLbook 973 W2i; computer number 243542.)

A translation to the third volume of this work,along with a comprehensive surname index to thenames mentioned in the volume has also beenmade:

Ilmonen, S. The History of Finnish Americans. Vol.3 of Finnish and Scandinavian MigrationSeries. Translated, edited, and indexed byTimothy Laitila Vincent. Salt Lake City: FamilySleuths, 1998. (FHL book 973 W2i vol. 3;computer number 831035.)

Another book listing the places of origin of manyFinns is:

Vincent, Timothy Laitila. Journal of Pastor JohanWilhelm Eloheimo from the EvangelicalLutheran Parishes from Calmut, Michigan andIronwood, Michigan. Salt Lake City: FamilySleuths, 1998. (FHL book 977.49 K2or;computer number 831029.)

The following record might also be helpful:

The Records of the Russian Consular Offices in theUnited States, 1862–1928. Salt Lake City:Filmed by the Genealogical Society of Utah,1986. (On 169 FHL films beginning with film1463389; computer number 449311.) Theserecords contain data on subjects of the RussianEmpire, including Finns.

These records are indexed in:

Sack, Sallyann Amdur. The Russian ConsularRecords Index and Catalog. New York:Garland Publishing, 1987. (FHL book 973D22s; film 1605681; computer number453886.)

You can also find more information about findingthe origins of immigrant ancestors in the TracingImmigrant Origins (34111) research outline.

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ENCYCLOPEDIAS ANDDICTIONARIES

Encyclopedias provide information on branches ofknowledge and treat specific topicscomprehensively, usually in articles arrangedalphabetically. They often contain valuablegenealogical information. They can include articlesabout towns and places, prominent people,minorities, and religions. They can also giveinformation about such diverse topics as recordkeeping practices, laws, customs, commerce,costumes, occupations, and archaic terminology.

The Family History Library has general knowledgeencyclopedias in Finnish. They are listed in theFamily History Library Catalog under:

FINLAND - ENCYCLOPEDIAS ANDDICTIONARIES

For information on language dictionaries, see the“Language and Languages” section of this outline.

GAZETTEERS

Gazetteers are dictionaries of place-names.Gazetteers describe towns and villages; parishes,counties, and provinces; rivers and mountains; andother geographical features. They usually includeonly the names of places that existed at the time thegazetteer was published, and the place-names aregenerally listed in alphabetical order. For smallplaces, gazetteers generally include the names of higher government jurisdictions, such as civiloffices, districts, counties, and so forth.

You can also use the Family History LibraryCatalog as a type of gazetteer. If you are using thecatalog on microfiche, look at the beginning of theLocality Section for Finland to find an alphabeticallist of the parish names in both Finnish andSwedish. This list directs you to the county where aparish is located and, consequently, where you willfind it in the catalog.

If you are using the catalog on compact disc, usethe Locality Search or Locality Browse to find theparishes and determine what county they belong to.

The Family History Library Catalog is based on theFinnish counties [lääni/län] as of 1945, but it alsoincludes the ceded county of Viipuri. In addition,the International Genealogical Index includes thetwo counties founded in 1960 (see the “Maps”section of this outline for more information). In1998 the counties were again redrawn.

Early Finnish records, such as the Old and NewCollection of Accounts and military records, wereorganized by the old Finnish provinces [maakunta/landskap], which did not coincide with thecounties with the same names (see the “Maps”section of this outline for more information). Thecatalog lists these records under all pertainingcounties.

Regardless of the names a place may have had atvarious times, all Finnish places are listed in the

Family History Library Catalog as they appear inthe following sources:

Suomenmaa: maantieteellis-yhteiskunnallinentieto- ja hakuteos (Finland: A Geographical-Social Dictionary and Reference Work). 7 vols.Porvoo: WS, 1967–78. (FHL book 948.97 E2s;film 1224704, items 2–9; computer number56190.)

Suomenmaa: maantieteellis-taloudellinen jahistoriallinen tietokirja (Finland: AGeographical-Economical and HistoricalDictionary). Vol. 5. Helsinki: Tietosanakirja-Osakeyhtiö, 1923. (FHL book 948.975 E2s;computer number 766506.) The library has onlythis volume, which describes Viipuri County, ofthe earlier edition of Suomenmaa.

The following source contains an alphabetical listof Finnish parishes, variations of their names, thecounties they belong to, the date the parish recordsstarted, and county maps showing the parishboundaries:

Choquette, Margarita, Lee Choquette, and MatthewRussell. Parish and County Listing with Mapsof Finland. Salt Lake City: Corp. of thePresident, 1991. (FHL book 948.97 E2ch; fiche6068252; computer number 665344.)

The following two postal guides give the mostcomprehensive locality listings for Finland:

Posti- ja lennätinlaitoksen osoitehakemisto: Post-och telegrafverkets adressförteckning (Postaland Telegraph Address Register). Helsinki:Valtion Painatuskeskus, 1968. (FHL book948.97 E4o; film 824098, item 1; computernumber 125450.) This book lists places andwhich parish they belong to, but it does not listwhich county it belongs to.

Räsänen, Oskar. Posti- ja sähkösanomaosoitteidenhakemisto: Uppslagsbok för post- ochtelegramadresser (Guide for Postal andTelegram Addresses). Helsinki:Valtionneuvoston kirjapaino, 1930. (FHL book948.97 E8po; film 1440032, item 1; computernumber 133632.) This postal guide, which was

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printed in 1930, includes localities in the areasceded to the Soviet Union. Note that places thatare now in Lappi/Lappland County are listed inOulu/Uleåborg County at that time.

To find more guides to locating places in Finland,check the Locality Search of the Family HistoryLibrary Catalog under:

FINLAND - GAZETTEERSFINLAND - NAMES, GEOGRAPHICALFINLAND - POSTAL AND SHIPPING

GUIDESFINLAND - [COUNTY] - NAMES,

GEOGRAPHICAL

GENEALOGY

The term genealogy is used in this outline and inthe Family History Library Catalog to describe avariety of records containing family informationgathered by individuals, researchers, societies, orarchives. These records may include pedigreecharts, compiled information on families,correspondence, ancestor lists, research exchangefiles, record abstracts, and collections of original orcopied documents. These records can be excellentsources of information that can save you valuabletime. Because they are compiled from othersources, you must carefully evaluate them foraccuracy.

Major Collections and Databases

The Family History Library has several sourcesthat contain previous research or that can lead youto others who are interested in sharing familyinformation. These sources include:

• International Genealogical Index. This indexprovides names and vital information formillions of deceased persons who lived inFinland, mostly before 1900. This valuableresearch tool lists birth, christening, or marriagedates. The index for Finland includes namesextracted from parish registers by volunteersand names submitted by other researchers.

The International Genealogical Index isavailable on microfiche and on compact disc aspart of FamilySearch®. If you are using themicrofiche, you need to know which county tosearch. If you are using the compact disc,however, the computer will search the entirecountry for any name. The InternationalGenealogical Index includes Finnish countiessince 1960. Because Finland created newcounties in 1945 and 1960 some names mayappear twice—once in the pre-war county and,if resubmitted, once in the new county.

Because of patronymic naming customs, theInternational Genealogical Index indexesFinnish records under both given names andsurnames. On the compact disc edition, you cansearch for either a given name or a surname. Onthe microfiche edition, the surname fiche haveblack-on-white labels. The given name fichehave black-on-orange labels.

When using the Surname Search, it is best tosearch all the surnames a person was known by,such as the patronymic name, farm name, orfamily name. The counties of western Finlandare generally designated as patronymiccountries, which means that the each person isgiven a surname derived from the father’s givenname. The counties of eastern Finland aregenerally designated as fixed-surname counties.It is important to note that persons listed in theInternational Genealogical Index in an easterncounty with a patronymic surname may havebeen incorrectly assigned the father’spatronymic surname by the computer rather thantheir own patronymic name. (See the “Names,Personal” section of this outline for moreinformation about Finnish names.)

• Ancestral File™. This file, part of FamilySearch,contains family history information linked infamily groups and pedigrees that have beencontributed since 1979. As of 1992 the filecontains the names of millions of persons,including thousands of Finnish families.Ancestral File can print pedigree charts, familygroup records, and individual summary sheetsfor people in the file.

• Family Group Records Collection. More thaneight million family group record forms havebeen microfilmed in the Family Group RecordsCollection. This includes many Finnish families.There are two major sections: the ArchiveSection and the Patrons Section. The filmnumbers for both sections are listed in theAuthor/Title Search of the Family HistoryLibrary Catalog under:

FAMILY GROUP RECORDS COLLECTION

Family Histories and Newsletters

Some Finnish families have produced histories ornewsletters that may include genealogicalinformation, biographies, photographs, and otherexcellent information. These histories ornewsletters usually include several generations ofthe family.

The Family History Library has some publishedFinnish family histories and newsletters. These arelisted in the Surname Search of the Family HistoryLibrary Catalog and in the Locality Search of the

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catalog under the place where the family was mostprominent. Not every name found in a familyhistory will be listed in the Family History LibraryCatalog; only the major surnames discussed in thehistory are included in the catalog.

One fairly comprehensive family genealogy is:

Kojonen, Eero. Sursillin suku: GenealogiaSursilliana (The Sursill Family Genealogy).Helsinki: Weilin and Göös, 1971. (FHL book929.24897 Su 78a; film 1224709 item 8;computer number 163780.)

Many Finnish family histories are listed in:

Sivén, Gunnar. Suomalainen sukuhakemisto:Genealogiskt repertorium för Finland(Genealogical Reporatorim for Finland).Helsinki: Frenckellin Kirjapaino, 1943. (FHLbook 948.97 B4s, v.15; computer number153440.)

Mether, Leif. Sukuhakemisto: Släktregister: FamilyIndex. Helsinki: Suomen Sukututkimusseura,1992. (FHL book 948.97 D23me; computernumber 651565.)

The Family History Library has many books on thegenealogies of prominent Finnish families. One ofthese is:

Bergholm, Axel. Sukukirja: Suomen aatelittomiasukuja (Genealogies of Finnish Non-NobleFamilies). 2 vols. Helsinki: Otava, 1984. (FHLbook 948.97 D2su; computer number 660789.)The 1901 edition is on FHL films 396357–8; thecomputer number is 660789.

Family Registers [Perheluettelot/Familjeregister]

The Family History Library has two collections onmicroform that register Finnish families.

One of the collections is on microfilm and wascompiled by Erkki Koivisto, a minister. It includesthe following parishes:

` Kemi, Lappi, 1610–1908. (FHL film 1259704items 2–3; computer number 17975.)

` Kemijärvi, Lappi, 1565–1957. (FHL films1259703–4 item 1; computer number 16124.)

` Kuusamo, Oulu, 1659–1907. (FHL film1259704 item 4, 1259705 items 1–3; computernumber 15039.)

` Posio, Lappi, 1665–1854. (FHL film 1259705item 4, 1259706 item 1; computer number15531.)

` Savukoski, Lappi (including Sodankylä andPelkosenniemi), 1640–1876 (FHL film 1259706item 2; computer number 17265.)

` Tervola, Lappi,1612–1866 (FHL film 1259706items 3–4; computer number 16435.)

` Salla, Lappi, 1620–1968 (FHL film 1259701;computer number 16248.)

This collection uses a numbering system thatallows you to easily follow families for severalgenerations. To find out which years each filmcovers, see the Family History Library Catalog, inwhich family registers are referred to asPerheluettelot.

The other collection of family registers, titledHenkilökortit, is on microfiche and was compiledby O. V. Kankaanranta. This collection lists familygroups alphabetically and includes informationfrom about 1610 to the early 1900s for thefollowing parishes in Vaasa County:

` Halsua (FHL fiche 6060446, 2567–75;computer number 153687)

` Kaustinen (FHL fiche 6060446, 2576–91;computer number 608959)

` Veteli (FHL fiche 6060446, 2592–2600,2614–2627; computer number 608960)

` Perho (FHL fiche 6060446, 2601–13; computernumber 608961)

For the alphabetical breakdown on each fiche ofHenkilökortit, see the Family History LibraryCatalog.

Various historical books, including genealogies,have been published by two societies in Finland:

` Suomen Sukututkimusseura: GenealogiskaSamfundet i Finland (Genealogical Society ofFinland)

` Svenska Litteratursällskapet i Finland (SwedishLiterature Society in Finland)

See the “Societies” section of this outline for moreinformation about these two societies.

To find genealogical collections and familyhistories listed in the Locality Search of the FamilyHistory Library Catalog, look under:

FINLAND - GENEALOGYFINLAND, [COUNTY] - GENEALOGYFINLAND, [COUNTY], [TOWN] -

GENEALOGY

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If you find your surname in any of the sourcesdescribed in this section, determine whether theentry actually pertains to your family. All personswith the same surname are not necessarily related.Often, you will have to do some original researchbefore you can connect your ancestry to familieslisted in these sources.

HERALDRY

In early times coats of arms were common onlyamong the noble class. Since the Finnish nobilitywas part of the Swedish nobility, most of the coatsof arms for the noble families of Finland can befound in Swedish heraldic sources. They are listed in the Locality Search of the Family HistoryLibrary Catalog under:

SWEDEN - HERALDRY

A Swedish heraldry work that includes Finnishcoats of arms in color is the following five-volumeset:

Stjernstedt, A. W. Sveriges ridderskaps och adelsWapenbok (Swedish Coats of Arms of Knightsand Nobility). 5 vols. Stockholm: Lewertin &Sjöstedt, 1865–79. (FHL book 948.5 D6s;computer number 347912.)

A guide to heraldic terminology in Scandinavia,including Finnish language terms, can be found in:

Raneke, Jan. Nordisk heraldisk terminologi (NordicHeraldic Terminology). Sverige: Svenskanationalkommittén för genealogi och heraldik,1987. (FHL book 948 D6n; computer number469164.)

You can find more information about Scandinavianand Finnish heraldry in articles published in:

Heraldisk Tidsskrift (Heraldic Periodical).København: Societas Heraldical Scandinavica,1960–. (FHL book 948 D65h; computer number53668.)

HISTORY

Effective family research requires someunderstanding of the historical events that mayhave affected your family and the records aboutthem. Learning about wars, governments, laws,migrations, and religious trends may help youunderstand political boundaries, familymovements, and settlement patterns. These eventsmay have led to the creation of records, such asland and military documents that mention yourfamily.

Your ancestors will become more interesting toyou if you also use histories to learn about theevents in which they may have participated. Forexample, by using a history you might learn aboutthe events that occurred in the year your great-grandparents were married.

The area of Finland administered by Swedenspread from the southwest towards the east andnorth. The eastern boarder has fluctuated over time.The various county and parish divisions have alsochanged. Books about Finnish history frequentlycontain maps of these developments. One sourcethat is especially useful for understanding thedevelopment of political, ecclesiastical, judicial,and military jurisdictions is:

Jutikkala, Eino. Suomen historian kartasto: Atlas ofFinnish History. Porvoo: Werner SöderströmOsakeyhtiö (WSOY), 1949. (FHL book 948.97E3j; film 157159; computer number 194142.)

An informative overview of the use and availabilityof historical and archival sources in Finland is:

Suomen historian asiakirjalähteet (DocumentarySources of Finland’s History). Helsinki:Kansallisarkisto WSOY, 1994. (FHL book948.97 H2sha; computer number 827747.)

Some key dates and events in the history of Finlandare:

1050 or1150– The Swedes engaged in Christian 1300 crusades to Finland.

1300 The Turku Cathedral was dedicated.

1350 The black plague occurred.

1397– The Kalmar Union united Denmark, 1521 Norway, and Sweden under one ruler.

1523 Gustav Vasa was crowned king of Sweden.

1527 The Diet of Västerås proposed changingthe official religion from Catholicism toLutheranism.

1530s The government began keeping continuoustax records.

1548 Mikael Agricola’s translation of the NewTestament in Finnish was published.

1569 Titles of nobility were made hereditary inSweden-Finland.

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1570 The Älvsborg Ransom was issued,resulting in the silver tax (see the“Taxation” section of this outline for moreinformation).

1570s Finnish migration to central Sweden began.

1593 Meeting of clergy in Uppsala adoptedLutheranism over Catholicism.

1611– Gustav II Adolf reigned as king of Sweden. 32

1626 The government decreed that provincialmilitary regiments were to be established.These regiments supported Swedishinvolvement in the Thirty Years’ War.

1640 Åbo Academy (university in Turku) wasfounded.

1642 The Bible was published in Finnish.

1686 A church law prescribed that parishesshould begin keeping records.

1700– The Great Nordic War involved Sweden- 21 Finland and Russia.

1734 A new common law was established toinstigate estate inventories (probates).

1753 Sweden-Finland made the transition fromthe Julian to the Gregorian calendar.

1808– The Finnish War. Sweden lost Finland to 09 Russia.

1809 At the Diet of Porvoo, Finland was grantedautonomy within the Russian Empire.

1812 “Old Finland” (Viipuri County) was joinedto Finland. The capital moved from Turkuto Helsinki.

1835 Kalevala, the Finnish national epic, waspublished. It contributed to the rise ofFinnish nationalism.

1863 Finnish was proclaimed equal to Swedishas the official language.

1901 The Finnish army was abolished. Finnswere to join the Russian army.

1906 Women were given right to vote.

1917 Finland declared its independence fromRussia.

1918 Finnish socialists and nonsocialists foughta civil war.

1920 A law decreed that fixed surnames weremandatory.

1939– Finland fought the Winter War against the 40 Soviet Union.

1941– Finland fought the Continuation War against 44 the Soviet Union.

1944 Finland fought the Lapland War against Germany. 1995 Finland joined the European Union.

The following are only a few of the many historicalsources that are available at the Family HistoryLibrary. Books with film numbers can be orderedthrough local Family History Centers. Some maybe found in major research libraries.

Jutikkala, Eino, and Kauko Pirinen. A History ofFinland. Espoo: Weilin & Göös, 1984. (FHLbook 948.97 H2juti; computer number 430487.)

Juva, Einar W. Suomen kansan historia (A Historyof the Finnish People). 5 vols. Helsinki: Otava,1964–67. (FHL book 948.97 H2ju; computernumber 160578.)

Finlands historia (Finland’s History). 3 vols. Esbo:Schildts, 1992–96. (FHL book 948.97 H2fi;computer number 768001.)

Local Histories

Some of the most valuable sources for familyhistory research are local histories. They describethe settlement of the area and the founding ofchurches, schools, and businesses. You can alsofind information about locally prominent peopleand lists of farm owners. Even if your ancestor isnot mentioned, you may find information on otherrelatives that can provide important clues forlocating the him or her. A local history may alsosuggest other records to search.

In addition, you can study and enjoy local historiesfor the background information they can provideabout your ancestor’s lifestyle, community, andenvironment.

The Family History Library has some localhistories for towns and parishes in Finland. Similarhistories are often available at major public anduniversity libraries and archives as well. To findgeneral and local histories, look in the LocalitySearch of the Family History Library Catalogunder:

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FINLAND - HISTORYFINLAND, [COUNTY] - HISTORYFINLAND, [COUNTY], [PARISH] -

HISTORY

To find bibliographies that list works about Finnishhistory, check under:

FINLAND - BIBLIOGRAPHYFINLAND - HISTORY - BIBLIOGRAPHY

Calendar Changes

The Gregorian calendar is the calendar commonlyused today. It is a correction of the Julian calendarthat had been used since A.D. 46. Because leapyears had been miscalculated in the Julian calendar,by 1582 the calendar was 10 days behind the solaryear.

In Finland the last day of the Julian calendar was17 February 1753. At that time, 11 days wereomitted to bring the calendar in line with the solaryear. The day after 17 February 1753 became 1March 1753.

When you are looking for information about Finnswho spent time in Russia after 1753, remember thatRussia continued using the Julian calendar untilafter the revolution in 1917.

LANGUAGE AND LANGUAGES

Since Finnish was not an official language inFinland until 1863, most records were written inSwedish. To do research in these records, you willneed to know some Swedish and Finnish key wordsand phrases. Also, remember that Orthodox churchrecords were written in Russian until after Finnishindependence. Recently the Same language(Lappish) has also become an official language inFinland.

When you are looking up names or words inFinnish dictionaries or indexes, it is important toknow that the Finnish alphabet has three letters thatfollow the letter z: å, ä, and ö. The letter å does notoccur in native Finnish words, but many personaland geographical names of Swedish origin use thisletter.

Language Aids

The Family History Library has published theFinnish Genealogical Word List (35815) and theSwedish Genealogical Word List (31028) to helpyou in your research.

The following language dictionaries can also helpyou in your research. You can find these andsimilar material at many research libraries:

Alanne, V. S. Suomalais-englantilainensuursanakirja (Great Finnish-EnglishDictionary). 3rd ed. Porvoo: WernerSöderström Osakeyhtiö, 1968. (FHL film1224706 item 3; computer number 256608.)

Björkman, C. G. Svensk-Engelsk Ordbok (Swedish-English Dictionary). Stockholm: P. A. Norstedt,1889. (FHL film 1224734 item 1; computernumber 661976.) Swedish spelling wasreformed in 1906; therefore, this book includeswords as they were spelled prior to 1906.

Ernolv, Carl. Svensk-Engelsk Ordbok (Swedish-English Dictionary). Stockholm: SvenskaBokförlaget Norstedts, 1947. (FHL film1124531 item 12; computer number 203885.)

To find other language aids in the Locality Searchof the Family History Library Catalog, look under:

FINLAND - LANGUAGE ANDLANGUAGES - DICTIONARIES

SWEDEN - LANGUAGE AND LANGUAGES- DICTIONARIES

You may also find language aids in the SubjectSearch under:

FINNISH LANGUAGE - DICTIONARIES -ENGLISH

SWEDISH LANGUAGE - DICTIONARIES -ENGLISH

MAPS

Maps are an important source in locating the placesyour ancestors lived. They help you see theneighboring towns and geographic features of thearea your ancestor came from. Maps locate places,parishes, geographical features, transportationroutes, and proximity to other towns. Historicalmaps are especially useful for understandingboundary changes.

Maps are published individually or as atlases. Anatlas is a bound collection of maps. Maps may alsobe included in gazetteers, guidebooks, localhistories, and other history texts.

Different types of maps can help you in differentways. Historical atlases describe the growth anddevelopment of countries. They show boundaries,migration routes, settlement patterns, militarycampaigns, and other historical information. Roadatlases are useful because of the detail theyprovide. Other types of maps include parish maps,county atlases, and topographical maps. City street-maps are extremely helpful when researching inlarge cities such as Helsinki, Tampere, and Turku.

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Using Maps

Use maps carefully for the following reasons:

• Several places often have the same name. Forexample, two parishes are called Pyhäjärvi inpresent-day Finland and a third one used to be inthe former Viipuri County.

• Many place-names have both Finnish andSwedish names. For example, the same city iscalled Turku in Finnish and Åbo in Swedish.The names and spellings of some places mayhave changed since your ancestors lived there.For example, the city currently known as Loviisawas previously known as Degerby.

• Place-names are often misspelled in Americansources. Difficult names may have beenshortened and important diacritical marksomitted.

• Political boundaries are not clearly indicated onall maps.

Finding the Specific Place on the Map

To do successful research in Finland, you mustidentify the place your ancestor lived. Becausemany places have the same name, you may needsome additional information before you can locatethe correct place on a map. You will be moresuccessful if you have some information about theplace. Before using a map, search gazetteers,histories, family records, and other sources to learnall you can about:

• The county [lääni/län] your ancestor came from.

• The parish [seurakunta/socken, församling]where your ancestor was baptized or married.

• Towns where related ancestors lived.

• The size of the town.

• The occupation of your ancestor or his or herrelatives. (This may indicate the size orindustries of the town.)

` Nearby localities, such as large cities.

• Nearby features, such as rivers and mountains.

• Industries in the area.

• Other names the town was called.

Parish boundary maps can also be helpful whendetermining which parish church records to search.They can help you identify neighboring parishes if

you need to search through the various parishes ina given region.

Finding Maps and Atlases

Collections of maps and atlases are available atmany historical societies and public and universitylibraries. The Family History Library has severalexcellent Finnish maps and atlases. These are listedin the Locality Search of the Family HistoryLibrary Catalog under:

FINLAND - MAPSFINLAND, [COUNTY], [PARISH/CITY] -

MAPS

The following map is useful for genealogistsbecause it shows many of the smaller localities:

Suomi yleiskartta: Finland Generalkarta (FinlandGeneral Map). Helsinki: Maanmittaushallitus,1950. (FHL book 948.97 E7su; computernumber 216785.) This map has been publishedin several editions. The prewar editions includedthe areas ceded to the Soviet Union. The variouseditions of this map show the location of manyfarms. The text is quite small, and no localityindexes are available. Some of these editions areavailable at the Family History Library and maybe available at public libraries.

Other helpful atlases and maps at the FamilyHistory Library are:

Choquette, Margarita, Lee Choquette, and MatthewRussell. Parish and County Listing with Maps ofFinland. Salt Lake City: Corp. of the President,1991. (FHL book 948.97 E2ch; fiche 6068252;computer number 665344.)

Fennia: Suuri Suomi-Kartasto: Kartverk överFinland: Finland in Maps: Finnischer Atlas.Helsinki: W+G, 1979. (FHL book 948.97 E7f;computer number 19618.)

An excellent national historical atlas is:

Jutikkala, Eino. Suomen historian kartasto: Atlas ofFinnish History. Porvoo: Werner SöderströmOsakeyhtiö (WSOY), 1949. (FHL book 948.97E3j; film 157159; computer number 194142.)

One atlas that has reference information in separatevolumes in Finnish, Swedish, and English andincludes several maps is:

Suomen kartasto, 1925: Atlas of Finland, 1925:Atlas över Finland, 1925. Helsinki: Otava,1925–29. (FHL book 948.97 E7s; computernumber 146834.)

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You can purchase maps of Finland from:

KarttakeskusUnioninkatu 3200100 HelsinkiFinland

The National Land Survey of Finland (NLS) isresponsible for Finland’s cadastral system andother mapping assignments. The first systematicsurvey of Finland was conducted in 1633. The NLShas 21 district offices and seven national operationsand has detailed information and map surveysshowing property boundaries. You can

find some of their maps and their address on theInternet at:

http://www.nls.fi/laitos_e.html

MERCHANT MARINE

Merchant marines are sailors who work oncommercial ships. Finland had a large merchantmarine enterprise that traveled and tradedworldwide.

Among the records of the Finnish merchant marineare:

` Records of the navigational schools[merenkulkukoulu/navigationsskola].

` Records of the sailors’ houses[merimieshuone/sjömanshus].

The sailors’ houses recruited and registeredsailors. They made crew assignments for eachship and recorded the ships’ crews as theyembarked and disembarked. These recordscontain individual names, birth dates,birthplaces, marital status, position on the ship,salary, and previous ship assignments, with someports listed for each journey.

` Records of Finnish Lutheran churches or sailors’houses in foreign ports.

Since there were many Finnish merchant marines,these records are a valuable source for researchers.To find them, look in the Locality Search of theFamily History Library Catalog under Finland andthe main port cities:

FINLAND - MERCHANT MARINEFINLAND, [COUNTY], [CITY] - MERCHANT

MARINEFINLAND, [COUNTY], [CITY] - BUSINESS

RECORDS AND COMMERCEFINLAND, [COUNTY], [CITY] -

OCCUPATIONS

FINLAND, [COUNTY], [CITY] - SCHOOLSFINLAND, [COUNTY], [CITY] - TOWN

RECORDS

MILITARY RECORDS

Military records identify individuals who served inthe military or who were eligible for service. Mostyoung men in Finland were required to serve in orregister for military service at various times.Evidence that an ancestor served may be found infamily records, biographies, censuses, probaterecords, civil registration, or church records.

Finland has had a standing army since the sixteenthcentury. Military records give information about asoldier’s military career, such as promotions,places served, pensions, and conduct. In addition,these records usually include information about hisage, region of birth, residence, enlistment anddischarge dates, and physical description.However, many military records in Finland providevery few details about individuals other thanofficers.

The military records you may find include:

• Muster rolls.

• Lists of officers.

• Pay records.

• Pension records.

• Naval records.

The Family History Library’s main collection ofFinnish military records is from the Swedish Era(before 1809), when Finland was part of theSwedish realm. The military records for the periodsof Finnish autonomy and independence areavailable only through the Military Archives ofFinland. See the “Archives and Libraries” sectionof this outline for the address.

To determine to which company and regiment asoldier in a given parish belonged during theSwedish Era, you can use a map found in thefollowing book:

Jutikkala, Eino. Suomen historian kartasto: Atlas ofFinnish History. Porvoo: Werner SöderströmOsakeyhtiö (WSOY), 1949. (FHL book 948.97E3j; film 157159; computer number 194142.)Pages 42–43 contain the map.

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For information about the Finnish military and theFinnish regimental muster rolls that were keptduring the Swedish period, search the FamilyHistory Library Catalog under:

FINLAND - MILITARY RECORDS

In the catalog, the Finnish regiments are listed bytheir Swedish names. For example, the catalog liststhe Viipuri County Infantry Regiment as SverigeFörsvarsdepartamentet (Viborgs länsInfanteriregiment).

You can find other military records in the NewCollection of Accounts for each county (see the“Public Records” section of this outline for moreinformation).

NAMES, PERSONAL

Understanding surnames and given names can helpyou find and identify your ancestors ingenealogical records.

In Finnish genealogical research, researchingpeople with a common surname is not alwaysproductive because people often changed theirsurnames when they moved or for other reasons.

In the beginning of the 1900s as Finnishnationalism grew, many Swedish and other foreignsounding names were changed to Finnish names.For example Forsman became Koskimies andWidbom became Pajula. These could be directtranslations, partial translations, or completelydifferent names.

A law requiring permanent surnames for all Finnishcitizens was passed in 1920.

Surnames

Before record keeping began, most people had onlyone name, such as Johan. As the populationincreased, it became necessary to distinguishbetween individuals with the same name. Theproblem was usually solved by adding descriptiveinformation. Johan became Johan the smith, Johanthe son of Matts, or Johan from a given farm. Atfirst, such “surnames” applied only to one personand not to the whole family. After a fewgenerations, these names sometimes becamehereditary and were used from father to son. Beforethe twentieth century, women in Finland generallydid not assume the husband’s surname at marriage.

Eastern and western Finland have different namingtraditions. Both naming customs date back to theearliest written sources. There was frequent overlapof these practices in both areas.

Finnish birth records did not generally list asurname for newborn infants, but instead, listed afirst name. In creating a surname standard for theInternational Genealogical Index, the FamilyHistory Library assigns the surnames strictly bywhether a parish is classified as a patronymicparish (western) or a set surname parish (eastern).Without knowing which way a parish wasclassified, it is best to try all known possiblevariations, such as patronymic, farm names, andfixed surnames, when searching the InternationalGenealogical Index.

All Finns had patronymic names. If they also had afarm name or a family surname, the patronymicname may or may not have been written out. Thesame person may have used a patronymic name inone record and a farm or family surname in anotherrecord.

Following is a brief description of various types ofFinnish surnames according to geographic (east-west) distributions:

` Western Finland (Ahvenanmaa, Häme, Kymi,Turku-Pori, Uusimaa, and Vaasa Counties withthe exception of certain parishes). Surnameschanged from generation to generation accordingto the Scandinavian patronymic naming customsused in Sweden.

` Eastern Finland (Kuopio, Lappi, Mikkeli, Oulu,and Viipuri Counties with the exception ofcertain parishes). Surnames did not change fromgeneration to generation.

Surnames in Western Finland

Two types of surnames were common in westernFinland: patronymic and farm names. A farm namecould be used in additional to a patronymic name.

Patronymic Surnames. Patronymic surnames werecommon throughout Finland, but most people inwestern Finland used only a patronymic surname.

Patronymic surnames are based on the father’sgiven name. Swedish patronymics end with -son(son) or -dotter (daughter). For instance, Lars, sonof Anders, was named Lars Andersson, and Maria,daughter of Anders, was named MariaAndersdotter.

Although church records used the Swedish form ofthe names, Finnish genealogists often convert themto their Finnish equivalents. Patronymic names inFinnish end with -poika (son) or -tytär (daughter).For example Lars Andersson is Lauri Antinpoikaand Maria Andersdotter is Maria Antintytär inFinnish.

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In cases of illegitimacy, a child’s surname might bebased on the mother’s given name. For example,Henrik Mariasson would be the son of a Maria.

In the late nineteenth century, patronymicsurnames became fixed. In other words, they nolonger changed with each generation. As namesbecame fixed, brothers could take differentsurnames. One may have taken his own patronymicname, while another may have taken his father’spatronymic name. For example, brothers namedSven and Pär could be listed with differentsurnames. If their father was Lars Andersson, oneson might be listed as Sven Andersson (from hisfather’s patronymic) and the other son as PärLarsen (from his own patronymic).

Farm Names. Farm names were often used likesurnames, but they referred to a person’s place ofresidence. Thus a person called Juho (Johan)Koskiniemi lived at a place called Koskiniemi. Ifhe moved, he would use the name of the new farmas a surname. During the late nineteenth or earlytwentieth century, farm names often became fixedfamily surnames.

Surnames in Eastern Finland

Family Names. The surnames used in easternFinland are family surnames, which means thatthey were used in a family from generation togeneration. They represent some of the earliestfamily surnames of Europe and most of themindicate relationship or common origin, althoughthis cannot always be proved because of fewsources.

Family surnames have certain types of endings:-nen or -ainen/-äinen. For example, Huuskonenand Liimatainen are family surnames. In earlierrecords, these names were found with otherendings, such as Huuskoin and Liimatain. Earlyrecords also used a feminine variation: -tar. Forexample, Huuskotar and Liimatar both have thefeminine ending.

Nature. Other types of surnames used in easternFinland refer to nature. Such surnames includeKurki (crane), Orava (squirrel), and Repo (fox).

Farm Names. Farm names were also used ineastern Finland. Here they developed intopermanent family surnames and did not change as afamily moved. These names often end in -la/-lä or-lainen/-läinen. Examples of these names includeHeikkilä (Heikki’s farm) and Haapalainen (place ofaspens).

Soldier Surnames

When a soldier enlisted in the army, he was given anew surname. This name stayed with him as longas he served in the military. Often a certain namewas associated with the soldier’s cottage, and eachnew soldier assigned to that cottage received thesame name. Soldier names pertained only to thesoldier himself and not to his family ordescendants. After the mid-nineteenth century,however, these names frequently becamepermanent family surnames.

The Swedish military used soldier names todistinguish persons with common patronymicnames, such as Johansson and Mattsson. Thesoldier names were usually short, descriptive, andderived from Swedish: examples are Stål (steel),Glad (happy), Kämpe (fighter), Dufva (dove).However, in the mid-1800s Finnish languagesoldier names also became popular; examples areKuula (canon ball, bullet), Luoti (bullet), Saari(island).

Other Types of Surnames

Besides using patronymic names, both the nobilityand clergy used additional, inherited surnames.Nobility surnames are unique family surnames,generally given at the time of ennoblement. Theclergy often assumed surnames with the Latinizedending -ius, such as Alcenius and Rothovius.

In the 1800s artisans and urban tradesmen began touse their occupations as surnames in either theirFinnish or Swedish versions. Examples of thesenames are Nikkari or Snickare (carpenter) andMylläri or Möllare (miller). They also tookSwedish compound names, such as Söderqvist,Sjöberg, and Lindholm.

Given Names

Many Finnish given names are derived fromBiblical names, such as Taavetti (David), or thenames of saints, such as Yrjö (George). Names can also be of ancient Finnish origin, (such as Ilmari orTuulikki), or Swedish origin, (such as Sten orKnut).

When baptized, children were usually given one ortwo given names. It was customary to name theoldest child after the paternal grandparents, thesecond child after the maternal grandparents, thethird after the parents, and subsequent childrenafter godparents or other relatives. If a child diedyoung, it was also common to name the next childof the same gender with the same name.

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An authoritative reference book about given namesand surnames is:

Vilkuna, Kustaa. Suomalainen nimikirja (FinnishName Book). Helsinki: Otava, 1984. (FHL book948.97 G2s v.6; computer number 366726.)

You can find more sources about names in theLocality Search of the Family History LibraryCatalog under:

FINLAND - NAMES, PERSONAL

NOBILITY

If your research indicates that your ancestor was ofnobility, additional records, such as published genealogies of noble families, will be helpful.Some important sources for Finnish nobilityresearch are:

Finlands ridderskaps och adels kalender (Calendarof Finnish Nobility). Hesingfors: FrenckellskaTryckeri AB Förlag, 1858–. (FHL book 948.97D25f; film 1440049–55; computer number178071.)

Ramsay, Jully. Frälsesläkter i Finland intill Storaofreden (Nobility in Finland until the GreatUnrest). Helsingfors: Söderström, 1909. (FHLbook 948.97 D2r; film 1224730 item 11;computer number 147006.)

Carpelan, Tor. Ättartavlor för de på FinlandsRiddarhus inskrivna ätterna (GenealogiesRecorded at the Finnish House of Nobility). 4vols. Helsingfors: Frenckellska TryckeriAktiebolagets Förlag, 1954–66. (FHL book948.97 D22ca; computer number 159850.)

Carpelan, Tor. Ättartavlor för de på FinlandsRiddarhus inskrivna efter 1809 adlade,naturaliserade eller adopterade ätterna(Genealogies Recorded at the Finnish House ofNobility Recognized after 1809). Helsingfors:Frenckellska Tryckeri Aktiebolagets Förlag,1942. (FHL book 948.97 D22c; computernumber 159834.)

Aminoff, Torsten G., ed. Gentes Finlandiae(Nobility of Finland). Helsingfors: FrenckellskaTryckeri Aktiebolagets Förlag, 1966–. (FHLbook 948.97 B4gf; computer number 186014.)

Since the Finnish nobility was part of the Swedishnobility, most Swedish nobility books also includeFinnish nobility. To find these books, look in theLocality Search of the Family History LibraryCatalog under:

FINLAND - NOBILITYFINLAND, [COUNTY] - NOBILITYSWEDEN - NOBILITY

A Swedish nobility collection that includes manyFinnish noble families is:

Elgenstierna, Gustaf. Den introducerade svenskaadelns ättartavlor: med tillägg och rättelser(Genealogy of the Introduced Nobility ofSweden). Stockholm: P. A. Norstedt & SönersFörlag, 1925–36. (FHL book 948.5 D5e; films1440192–5; computer number 150277.)

An organization for the preservation of Finnishnobility is:

Suomen Ritarihuone (Finnish House of Nobility)Unioninkatu 3600170 HelsinkiFinland

OCCUPATIONS

Occupations were a measure of social status. Sometrades were viewed as more prestigious than others.Many tradesmen, such as butchers, tanners,shoemakers, tailors, and others, were organizedinto guilds. The purpose of a guild was to trainapprentices and regulate the practice of the trade inan area.

Guilds were usually established in each city. Therecords of these guilds contain lists of members,information on journeymen practicing in the town,marriages of journeymen, and advancements fromapprentice to journeyman and from journeyman tomaster craftsman. In addition, contracts betweenmasters and parents of apprentices may beincluded.

These records are usually found in the provincialarchives. The Family History Library has collectedrecords of some guilds in Finland. It also has bookswith biographical information about variousoccupations and other occupational records. Tofind them, look in in the Locality Search of theFamily History Library Catalog under:

FINLAND - OCCUPATIONSFINLAND, [COUNTY] - OCCUPATIONSFINLAND, [COUNTY], [TOWN] -

OCCUPATIONS

PERIODICALS

Most genealogical and historical societies inFinland publish magazines and newsletters. Thearticles often include:

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• Family genealogies and pedigrees.

• Transcripts of church records and migration lists.

• Helpful articles on research methodology.

• Information about local records, archives, andservices.

• Book advertisements and book reviews.

• Research advertisements.

• Requests for information about specificancestors.

The Family History Library has the followingFinnish genealogical periodicals:

Genos: Suomen Sukututkimusseuranaikakauskirja/Genos: tidskrift utgiven avGenealogiska Samfundet i Finland (Genealogy:Periodical Published by the GenealogicalSociety in Finland). Helsinki: 1930–. (FHL book948.97 D25g; computer number 160862.)

Sukutieto: datateknik (Computer Technique).Helsinki: Sukutietotekniikka ry, 1982–. (FHLbook 948.97 D25sd; computer number 437874.)

Sukuviesti: sukumme eilen ja tänään,sukuyhteisöjen yhteyslehti (Genealogical News:Our Family Yesterday and Today, Newsletter forthe United Genealogical Societies). Espoo: SYT,1978–. (FHL book 948.97 D25s; computernumber 133740.)

Obtaining Periodicals

Copies of periodicals are available from the localsocieties that publish them. Major archives withgenealogical collections have copies of manyperiodicals, particularly those representing the areathey serve.

The Family History Library subscribes to manyperiodicals. If you know the title of a periodical,use the Author/Title Search of the Family HistoryLibrary Catalog. If you do not know the title, lookin the Locality Search under:

FINLAND - PERIODICALSFINLAND - GENEALOGY - PERIODICALSFINLAND, [COUNTY] - PERIODICALSFINLAND, [COUNTY] - GENEALOGY -

PERIODICALS

See also the “Societies” section of this outline formore information.

PROBATE RECORDS

Probate records are court records that describe thedistribution of a person’s estate after his or herdeath. Information includes the name of thedeceased person, death date, names of heirs andguardians, relationships, residences, an inventoryand appraisal of the estate, a list of the deceased’sdebts, and names of assessors.

These records are very helpful for research as theyestablish relationships that may be hard to prove inother ways because of patronymic names.

Because laws determined which heirs got whatpercentage of an estate, it was often not necessaryto write wills; consequently, usually only the upperclasses wrote them.

The Probate Process

After a person died, two appraisers usually visitedthe house and made an inventory and appraisal ofthe property. In addition, creditors listed theirclaims against the estate. A probate official thendeducted the debts and court fees from the assets. Ifmoney was left over, it was divided up among theheirs. The widow usually received half of theestate. The remainder was divided equally amongthe children. Boys were allotted double the girls’portion.

Because this process was so well defined, recordswere not always kept. Probate cases that wererecorded usually involved minor children orchildren from more than one marriage. To ensurethat these heirs would be justly treated, guardianswere appointed to represent the underage childrenand any unmarried female heirs. The law waschanged in the mid-1860s to allow women torepresent themselves.

Many people, when they became too old tocontinue working, often took care of their propertyand estate before they died so they would have careduring their older years.

Availability of Probate Records

The keeping of wills and estate papers usually datefrom the mid-eighteenth century. Probateproceedings were held from 1734 on.

District probate courts [kihlakunnanoikeus/häradsrätt] oversaw the process and kept therecords. You may find probate records in thesecourt records. You may also find probate recordsamong the church records of many parishes. Theserecords, listed as perunkirjat, are duplicates of thedistrict court records. To find out which district

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court a particular parish belonged to, use the mapon page 34 of the following book:

Jutikkala, Eino. Suomen historian kartasto: Atlas ofFinnish History. Porvoo: Werner SöderströmOsakeyhtiö (WSOY), 1949. (FHL book 948.97E3j or FHL film 157159; computer number194142.)

The Family History Library has a substantialcollection of Finnish probate records. They arelisted in the Locality Search of the Family HistoryLibrary Catalog under:

FINLAND, [COUNTY] - PROBATERECORDS

FINLAND, [COUNTY], [PARISH] -PROBATE RECORDS

FINLAND, [COUNTY], [PARISH] - CHURCHRECORDS

PUBLIC RECORDS

In the Family History Library Catalog, the topicPublic Records includes other miscellaneous civilrecords that could not be listed under a morespecific topic.

Most public records in Finland were kept by civilauthorities and by the clergy (especially in the1500s) for tax-collection purposes.

The Old and New Collections of Accounts

The major collections of Finnish public recordsare:

` The Old Collection of Accounts [Vanhempitilikirjakokoelma/Äldre räkenskapssamlingen]1531–1634.

` The New Collection of Accounts [Uudempitilikirjakokoelma/Nyare räkenskapssamlingen]1635–1809.

These, like other Finnish public records, werecreated primarily for tax-collection purposes. Theyinclude land and tenant records, census records,military records, estate tax and rental records,bailiff accounts, lists of fines, and many otherjudicial documents.

These records were not kept uniformly throughoutFinland, and in the early years the counties andparishes were not equivalent to the moderndivisions.

Old Collection of Accounts, 1531–1634

The Old Collection of Accounts is listed in theLocality Search of the Family History LibraryCatalog under:

FINLAND - PUBLIC RECORDSFINLAND, [COUNTY] - PUBLIC RECORDS

The catalog entry follows this pattern:

` A list of contents [sisällysluettelo] for eachprovince appears first.

` General records [yleisiä asiakirjoja] for theentire country are listed next.

` Annual records for each province are listed last.

New Collection of Accounts, 1635–1809

The Locality Section of the Family History LibraryCatalog lists two sets of records as the NewCollection of Accounts [Uudempitilikirjakokoelma/Nyare räkenskapssamlingen].

` The first set includes census records[henkikirjat/mantalsländer] and can be found inthe Locality Search of the Family HistoryLibrary Catalog under:

FINLAND, [COUNTY] - CENSUSFINLAND, [COUNTY] - MILITARY

RECORDSFINLAND, [COUNTY] - PUBLIC RECORDS

This first set of records is listed only by year andvolume number. For more information, see the“Census Records” section of this outline.

` The second set of records is listed by recordtype, followed by the year and volume number.It is found in the Locality Search of the FamilyHistory Library Catalog under:

FINLAND - CENSUSFINLAND - MILITARY RECORDSFINLAND - PUBLIC RECORDSFINLAND, [COUNTY] - MILITARY

RECORDS

Suomen asutuksen yleisluettelo (SAY)

To make genealogical information from the earliestwritten sources in Finland accessible, a project wasundertaken that has become known as Suomenasutuksen yleisluettelo/Generalregistret överbosättningen i Finland (SAY) (The GeneralRegister of Settlement in Finland).

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This register does not include all of Finland, but itdoes include most of southwestern Finland. It wascompiled over several decades by various people;consequently, the format has varied somewhat overtime.

SAY consists of tables that provide an overview toinformation drawn from several sources in the Oldand New Collections of Accounts covering 1539 to1809.

It is usually arranged chronologically, showing 20years on each double page. It is organized byparishes, villages, farms, and dwellings. For eachresidence, SAY enumerates the name of farmowners and members of the household mentionedin the original record sources. A check markappears next to a name that is noted more than oncein the records with an additional mark for each timeit is used.

The original SAY register was written in differentcolors of ink, each color representing an originalsource from the Old and New Collections ofAccounts. The microfilm copy, however, is blackand white; therefore, it may be difficult to identifywhat source the information came from. Toovercome this, it is useful to know that the registerfollows a general pattern:

` The first notations on the page are generallyfrom land records. In the registers that cover1634 on, the information from the henkikirjat/mantalslängder is entered under the land records.

` The next notations come from the tithing records.

` Data from tax and military rolls appear last.

You can examine the information given in SAYand possibly identify additional information bylooking in the original Old and New Collections ofAccounts for the given time period and county.

To find SAY in the Locality Search of the FamilyHistory Library Catalog, look under:

FINLAND, [COUNTY], [PARISH] - CENSUSFINLAND, [COUNTY], [PARISH] -

TAXATION

The following publication is a guide to SAY. It iswritten in Finnish and Swedish:

Suomen asutuksen yleisluettelon opas:Generalregistret över bosättningen i Finland, enhandledningen (The General Register of theSettlement in Finland: A Guide). Helsinki:Valtion painatuskeskus, 1975. (FHL book948.97 A35v no.7 1975; computer number139227.)

SCHOOLS

If your ancestor was educated or was an instructorin the universities or other schools of higher orsecondary education in Finland, he or she mayhave been recorded in a publication of that school.Books about universities include information fromthe seventeenth to the twentieth centuries. Mostbooks about secondary schools generally cover thenineteenth and twentieth centuries.

These publications may contain valuableinformation about your ancestor such as name, age,hometown, and date of enrollment or graduation.Sometimes they contain biographical informationincluding names of parents, wife, and children.

The Family History Library has collected manybooks on schools and universities. They are listedin the Locality Search of the Family HistoryLibrary Catalog under:

FINLAND - SCHOOLSFINLAND, [COUNTY] - SCHOOLSFINLAND, [COUNTY], [CITY] - SCHOOLS

SOCIAL LIFE AND CUSTOMS

Effective family research requires someunderstanding of the society in which your ancestorlived. Learning about everyday life, religiouspractices, customs, and traditions will help youappreciate your ancestor and the time in which heor she lived. This information is particularlyhelpful if you choose to write a family history.Research procedures and genealogical sources maydiffer for each area and time period and are affectedby the local customs and traditions.

Local customs and traditions vary for differentareas of Finland and have changed over time. Theinformation that might be of interest to you mightinclude mortality rate, life spans, apprenticeshipcustoms, and courting and marriage customs.

The Family History Library has collected a fewsources that discuss Finnish social life andcustoms. They are listed in the Locality Search ofthe Family History Library Catalog under:

FINLAND - SOCIAL LIFE AND CUSTOMS

An informative book about Scandinavian(including Finnish) family life and customs is:

Gaunt, David. Familjeliv i Norden (Family Life inthe Nordic Countries). Malmö: Gidlunds, 1983.(FHL book 948 H6g; computer number 244448.)

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SOCIETIES

Many societies and organizations may havevaluable genealogical information. You can findseveral such societies in Finland and in the countrywhere your ancestor immigrated, including theUnited States. You may find it helpful to join oneof these societies and support their efforts.

Genealogical Societies

Several genealogical societies emphasize Finnishresearch. Most of them publish helpful periodicals,transcripts, and compiled genealogies. They mayalso have special indexes, collections, and projects.Some publish queries about Finnish ancestors ormaintain a list of members’ research interests.Some specialize in the immigrants to a specificarea.

The Genealogical Society in Finland providesaddresses of local genealogical societies and canalso refer you to local professional researchers.You can contact the society at:

Suomen Sukututkimusseura/GenealogiskaSamfundet i Finland

Liisankatu 16A00170 HelsinkiFinlandTelephone: 011-358-9-278-1188Fax: 011-358-9-278-1199http://www.genealogia.org/ssse.htm

You can find a list of local genealogical societies inFinland on the Internet at:

http://sss.genealogia.fi/stutkyh/indexe.htm

Historical Societies

Finnish historical societies in areas where Finnishimmigrants settled may have valuable information.They collect information about Finnish immigrantsand have special collections of books andmanuscript materials about Finland that may behard to find in other libraries and archives. You caninquire if their collection can be circulated.

Three Finnish-American historical societies are:

Finnish-American Historical Society ofMichigan

19885 MelroseSouthfield, MI 48075USA

Finnish-American Historical Society of the WestP.O. Box 3515Portland, OR 97208USA

http://www.teleport.com/~finamhsw/

Swedish Finn Historical Society6512 23rd Avenue NWRoom 301Seattle, WA 98117-5728USA

The addresses of many ethnic-heritage historicalsocieties in North America are given in:

Smith, Betty P. Directory: Historical Agencies inNorth America. 13th ed. Nashville: AmericanAssociation for State and Local History, 1986.(FHL book 970 H24d 1986; computer number491569.)

Wheeler, Mary Bray, ed. Directory of HistoricalOrganizations in the United States and Canada.14th ed. Nashville: American Association forState and Local History, 1990. (FHL book 970H24d 1990; computer number 531083.)

TAXATION

Most of the Finnish tax records available throughthe Family History Library are part of the Old andNew Collections of Accounts, which are discussedin the “Public Records” section of this outline.

The silver tax records have been extracted andpublished separately. Each province has been published in separate volumes, which enumeratethe tax paying farm owners by localities:

Fontell, A. G. Varsinais-Suomen hopeavero jahopeaveroluettelo v. 1571: Egentliga Finlandssilfverskatt och silferskatteregister för år 1571(Silver Tax and Silver Tax Register for the Year1571 for the Province of Finland Proper).Helsinki: Suomen Historiallinen Seura, 1892.(Not at the Family History Library)

Soikkeli, Kaarle. Uudenmaan hopeavero jahopeaveroluettelo v. 1571: Nylands silfverskattoch silfverskatteregister för år 1571 (Silver Taxand Silver Tax Register for the Year 1571 for theProvince of Uusimaa). Helsinki: SuomenHistoriallinen Seura, 1912. (FHL book 948.971R4s; computer number 129825.)

Suomen Hopeaveroluettelot 1571/FinlandsSilverskatteregister 1571 (Silver Tax Registersof Finland, 1571). Helsinki: SuomalaisenKirjallisuuden Seura, 1944–87. (FHL book948.97 R4s; computer number 110807.) Thiswork includes the provinces not listed in the twoprevious sources.

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4 02362 16000 0

The original silver tax records that these bookswere extracted from can be found in the OldCollection of Accounts by province for 1571.

Many other types of tax records included in the Oldand New Collections of Accounts have not beenpublished separately.

OTHER RECORDS FOR FINLAND

Other types of records not mentioned in this outlineare listed in the Locality Search of the FamilyHistory Library Catalog under the following topics:

ETHNOLOGYHANDWRITINGMANORSMILITARY HISTORYNAMES, GEOGRAPHICALOFFICIALS AND EMPLOYEESYEARBOOKS

FOR FURTHER READING

More detailed information about research andrecords of Finland can be found in:

Vincent, Timothy Laitila, and Rick Tapio. FinnishGenealogical Research. New Brighton, Minn.:Finnish America, 1994. (FHL book 948.97D27v; computer number 96006.)

Karskela, Sirkka. Sukututkijan tietokirja (ReferenceBook for Genealogists). Suomi: Finnroots, 1983.(FHL book 948.97 D27k; computer number215986.)

Brenner, Alf. Släktforskning, praktisk handbok förFinland (Genealogical Research, PracticalHandbook for Finland). Helsingfors: Söderström& Co., 1947. (FHL book 948.97 D27b; computernumber 194303.)

You can find a how-to guide for Finnish researchon the Internet at:

http://members.aol.com/dssaari/index.htm

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We appreciate the archivists, librarians, and otherswho have reviewed this outline and shared helpfulinformation.

© 1999 by Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved. Printed in theUSA. First edition July 1999. English approval 7/99

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