Beyond Parish Registers:A Case Study: Difference between revisions

NOTE: To check if a place name is a parish, you can consult the [https://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Swedish_Parishes_I-R Swedish parish listing ]in the FamilySearch wiki.  

A search of ''Svensk Ortforteckning'', a major Swedish gazetteer, listed ''Henkelstorp'' as a farm area belonging to Västra Karaby parish, also in Malmohus county.  

In 1712 the hoped for entry finally showed up i.e.  "the 4th Christmas Day (29 Dec 1712) married the farm hand (and bachelor) Jöns Jönsson of Henckelstorp, and "the female person" Elena Asmundsdotter."  

Normally, a Swedish female who had never been married before is referred to as a "Piga" in the records.  The phrase the minister used to describe Elena, i.e. "female person", indicated something had happened in her life previous to her marriage to Jöns.  Experience said that "something" was probably an illegitimate child.  Subsequent research proved that to be the case.   

Searching backwards from the date of Jöns and Elena's marriage, the following was found. "On 11 Jun 1712, Boel, the illegitimate daughter of "Asmon Tors.(son's)" dotter Elena from Henchelstorp and the soldier Mattis Hall, reportedly in Captain Vrangel's Company, Vestmanlan Regiments, was christened."  A further note in this entry indicates Elena was publicly absolved of her sin on 23 Nov 1712, at which time she had the district court's resolution or judgement in her posession.  

Jöns must have loved Elena a great deal as he was willing to marry her within 6 months of her having borne a child he had not fathered, and to raise the child as his own.  

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1691 Tax List - Page 1 [[:File:Sweden 1691Tax List p10001.jpg|Sweden_1691Tax_List]]  

1694 Henckelstorp&nbsp;Jöns Torson 1 1 _ _ 1 = 3 taxables&nbsp;&nbsp; (Jöns, a wife and a farmhand taxable)<br>  

Asmun Torson 1 1 _ _ _ _ 1= 3 taxables (Asmund, a wife, and an "other" person taxable)  

<br>With high anticipation we looked forward to the next tax years' searches.&nbsp; If our ancestor Elena was living at home, and was tax eligible, she should&nbsp;be marked as a slashmark in the&nbsp;"daughter" column,(the 4th space over in the lists), from 1697 on, as she would have turned 15, or taxable age, about 1696.&nbsp;  

<br>1697 Hänckelstorp&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;#2 Nils Torson 1 1 _ _ 1 _ _ 1 = 4 taxables&nbsp; (Nils, a wife, a farmhand, and an "other"&nbsp;person taxable)&nbsp;&nbsp;<br>  

<br>1698&nbsp;Hänckelstorp&nbsp;#2&nbsp;Jöns Torson 1 1 1 2 _ _ _ _1 Anders Olsson (the parish tailor) = 6 taxables&nbsp;  

(These figures for Jöns Torson show that in 1698, besides he and his wife,&nbsp;he had 1 son and 2 daughters who were eligible to be taxed, as well as the parish tailor who was living in their household.)  

We knew from&nbsp;the parish record entry for Elena's illegitimate child that her father was definitely "Asmund Torson."&nbsp;The more information which could be found to substantiate that, the better, so searches continued.&nbsp;  

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Pernilla, Asmund Torsson's wife and Elena's probable mother, is either deceased, or ill, or too old to be taxed.&nbsp; The tax list for 1710 is missing.&nbsp;&nbsp;The next available list, 1711, shows yet another change in these family structures.  

#6&nbsp; Asmund Tors(on's)&nbsp;'''''änckia (widow)&nbsp;'''''Pernilla, dtr Ellna &nbsp;_ 1 _ 1 _&nbsp;= 2 taxables

<br>As you'll note, the tax list information shows that sometime between 1709 and 1711 Asmund&nbsp;Torsson dies.&nbsp; Since the parish registers of Västra Karaby begin in 1688, that means I can search the death records, and hopefully pick up an age on him, which will give me his approximate birth year!&nbsp;&nbsp;  

The parish register deaths show Asmon Torsson died betweeen 4th &amp; 5th of Jan,&nbsp;1711, having been sick for 8 days.&nbsp; He was buried on 11 Jan, and was&nbsp;listed as age 67 = born @ 1643/4.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;  

The next available tax list was 1720.&nbsp; The only person listed at Henckelstorp, of those for whom we were searching,&nbsp;was Anders&nbsp;Jönsson, Asmund Torsson's nephew, and his family.&nbsp; That indicates Pernilla, Asmund's wife, was either too old or ill to be taxed, or, had also passed away.  

<br>A search of the parish register deaths showed the latter was the case.&nbsp; "Pernilla, widow of Asmun Torson died 18 Apr and was buried 24 Apr 1719, age 68" = born about 1651.  

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<br>The 1660 list shows the taxables living at Henckelstorp are Jöns Thorsen, his wife, and a female farmhand, and in another household, Tor Andersen and wife.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;  

<br>In 1662 Jöns Toereson and wife, and Torre Andersön and wife show up again at Henkelstorp.  

<br>'''''Bless the tax man of 1663!'''''&nbsp; Here he lists Jôns Torson, and wife ''Elena,'' and Tor Andersön and wife ''Hanna''.&nbsp; Besides obtaining the probable name for&nbsp;either Jöns' and/or&nbsp;Asmund's mother, the information also&nbsp;tells us&nbsp;Jöns Torson&nbsp;was married at least twice, since his wife in the 1700 tax list was named&nbsp;''Gertru''.&nbsp;  

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<br>The 1666 and 1668 lists were so&nbsp;faint, no names could be read - there was just a line here, a blob of ink there.&nbsp;That does happen sometimes, considering these records are over 300 years old.&nbsp;Perhaps in the originals more could be read.  

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With all the information found in the parish registers, tax lists, and catechism records, the family tree branch for Asmund Jönsson, born in Barsebäck parish, now looks like this:  

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&nbsp; The family group sheets belonging to that line now appear like this:  

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