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| link5=[[Norway Church Records|Church Records]] | | link5=[[Norway Church Records|Church Records]] | ||
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''For information about records for non-Christian religions in Norway, go to the [[Norway Religious Records|Religious Records]] page.'' | ''For information about records for non-Christian religions in Norway, go to the [[Norway Religious Records|Religious Records]] page.'' | ||
== Online Resources and Websites == | |||
*'''[https://www.digitalarkivet.no/en/search/sources Digitalarkivet.no]''' - Norwegian National Archives, images of church books and other records | |||
*'''[http://www.rhd.uit.no/kirkebok/kirkebok_sok_e.aspx Norwegian Historical Data Centre]''' - search parish registers online<br><br> | |||
'''Baptisms'''<br> | |||
*'''1634-1927:''' [https://www.familysearch.org/search/collection/1467014 Norway Baptisms, 1634-1927] at FamilySearch, index | |||
*'''1634-1927:''' [https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/60092 Norway, Select Baptisms, 1634-1927 (in Norwegian)] at Ancestry ($), index | |||
*'''1634-1927:''' [https://www.myheritage.com/research/collection-30030/norway-baptisms-1634-1927?s=275764761 Norway, Baptisms, 1634-1927] at MyHeritage ($), index | |||
*'''1634-1917:''' [https://search.findmypast.com/search-world-Records/norway-baptisms-1634-1927 Norway Baptisms 1634-1927] at FindMyPast ($), index | |||
*'''1648-1903:''' [https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/1345 Norway, Births and Christenings, 1648-1903 (in Norwegian)] at Ancestry ($), index<br> | |||
'''Marriages'''<br> | |||
*'''1660-1926:''' [https://www.familysearch.org/search/collection/1468080 Norway Marriages, 1660-1926] at FamilySearch, index | |||
*'''1660-1926:''' [https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/60095 Norway, Select Marriages, 1660-1927 (in Norwegian)] at Ancestry ($), index | |||
*'''1660-1926:''' [https://www.myheritage.com/research/collection-30031/norway-marriages-1660-1926?s=275764761 Norway, Marriages, 1660-1926] at MyHeritage ($), index | |||
*'''1660-1926:''' [https://search.findmypast.com/search-world-Records/norway-marriage-index-1660-1926 Norway Marriage Index 1660-1926] at FindMyPast ($), index | |||
*'''1600s-1800s:''' [https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/1346 Norway Marriages, 1600s-1800s (in Norwegian)] at Ancestry ($), index<br> | |||
'''Burials'''<br> | |||
*'''1666-1927:''' [https://www.familysearch.org/search/collection/1468081 Norway Burials, 1666-1927] at FamilySearch, index | |||
*'''1666-1927:''' [https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/60093 Norway, Select Burials, 1666-1927 (in Norwegian)] at Ancestry ($), index | |||
*'''1666-1927:''' [https://www.myheritage.com/research/collection-30032/norway-burials-1666-1927?s=275764761 Norway Burials, 1666-1927] at MyHeritage ($), index | |||
*'''1666-1927:''' [https://search.findmypast.com/search-world-Records/norway-burials-1666-1927 Norway Burials 1666-1927] at FindMyPast ($), index | |||
==Historical Background== | |||
Christianity came to Norway around 1152 to 1153 in the form of the Catholic church. The church was organized with an archbishop in Nidaros (now Trondheim), with ten bishop seats under him: four in Norway, two in Iceland, one in Greenland, one in the Faeroe Islands, one in the Orkney Islands, and one in the Hebrides Islands and Isle of Man. | Christianity came to Norway around 1152 to 1153 in the form of the Catholic church. The church was organized with an archbishop in Nidaros (now Trondheim), with ten bishop seats under him: four in Norway, two in Iceland, one in Greenland, one in the Faeroe Islands, one in the Orkney Islands, and one in the Hebrides Islands and Isle of Man. | ||
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A uniform system for keeping church records was introduced by royal ordinance in December 1812. The use of a standard form began during the winter of 1814. This form was replaced by a new one in 1820, and another in 1870. The form adopted in 1870 is basically the same one still in use today. | A uniform system for keeping church records was introduced by royal ordinance in December 1812. The use of a standard form began during the winter of 1814. This form was replaced by a new one in 1820, and another in 1870. The form adopted in 1870 is basically the same one still in use today. | ||
Because of concerns over possible destruction of church books by fire or loss, the Ordinance of 1812 required that a duplicate register be kept in a separate place. These records, called klokker bøker (clerk books), were kept by the parish clerk. The clerk books are designated as such in the FamilySearch Catalog by the use of "kl" to the left of the volume and time period of the record. | Because of concerns over possible destruction of church books by fire or loss, the Ordinance of 1812 required that a duplicate register be kept in a separate place. These records, called klokker bøker (clerk books), were kept by the parish clerk. The clerk books are designated as such in the FamilySearch Catalog by the use of "kl" to the left of the volume and time period of the record. | ||
==Information Recorded in the Records== | |||
At first, the record-keeping requirement was limited to baptisms, marriages, and burials. Confirmation registers of many parishes date from as early as 1736. Until a standard form was established in 1814, no directions were given on how to keep church records, so the records before that date vary greatly. | At first, the record-keeping requirement was limited to baptisms, marriages, and burials. Confirmation registers of many parishes date from as early as 1736. Until a standard form was established in 1814, no directions were given on how to keep church records, so the records before that date vary greatly. | ||
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This brings up another question. Who should baptize the child? Often a child died shortly after birth, and there was no time for the minister to get there. Therefore it was necessary to give instructions about how an infant was to be baptized. Clean water was to be used, but in some cases beer was used if clean water could not be found. If an infant looked sickly or death was imminent, the baptism could be performed by the father of the child, the midwife or even the mother. In the church records you will often see en entry that a child had been baptized (hjemmedøbt) at home. This baptism, if the child lived, would be confirmed by the minister in the church at a later time. The confirmation of a christening or baptism is not to be confused with the confirmation process that took place when a child was between 13-18 years of age.<br><br> | This brings up another question. Who should baptize the child? Often a child died shortly after birth, and there was no time for the minister to get there. Therefore it was necessary to give instructions about how an infant was to be baptized. Clean water was to be used, but in some cases beer was used if clean water could not be found. If an infant looked sickly or death was imminent, the baptism could be performed by the father of the child, the midwife or even the mother. In the church records you will often see en entry that a child had been baptized (hjemmedøbt) at home. This baptism, if the child lived, would be confirmed by the minister in the church at a later time. The confirmation of a christening or baptism is not to be confused with the confirmation process that took place when a child was between 13-18 years of age.<br><br> | ||
===Other Birth Records=== | ===Other Birth Records=== | ||
==== Birth Clinics (Fødeklinikker) ==== | ==== Birth Clinics (Fødeklinikker) ==== | ||
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The midwife would also keep a record, or diary of children born. In the year 1900, these records were standardized and you will find the name of the mother, her marital status, birth number (if it was her first, second etc.), if natural birth or complications, condition of mother (father), sex of the child, the child's health, name of the child will not be listed in these records. Each birth is listed in order of birth and may include the time. If a midwife served in several clerical district she was to keep a separate record for each. A midwife was not ordered by law to bring her records to the archive, but many of these records are available in the State Archives and in the Community Archives. They are listed with the records for the District Physicians or as their own record. | The midwife would also keep a record, or diary of children born. In the year 1900, these records were standardized and you will find the name of the mother, her marital status, birth number (if it was her first, second etc.), if natural birth or complications, condition of mother (father), sex of the child, the child's health, name of the child will not be listed in these records. Each birth is listed in order of birth and may include the time. If a midwife served in several clerical district she was to keep a separate record for each. A midwife was not ordered by law to bring her records to the archive, but many of these records are available in the State Archives and in the Community Archives. They are listed with the records for the District Physicians or as their own record. | ||
A midwife was to report a living birth to Sunnhetskommisjonen/Helserådet (Health Department) within 8 days of the birth. Stillborn children or children who died shortly after birth were to be reported to the parish priest within 24 hours. The parish priest was to send his report to the Health Department once a month. | A midwife was to report a living birth to Sunnhetskommisjonen/Helserådet (Health Department) within 8 days of the birth. Stillborn children or children who died shortly after birth were to be reported to the parish priest within 24 hours. The parish priest was to send his report to the Health Department once a month. | ||
=== Introductions=== | === Introductions=== | ||
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=== Vaccination (Vaksinasjon) === | === Vaccination (Vaksinasjon) === | ||
During the last part of 1700's smallpox vaccination was encouraged in Norway, and records of those vaccinated can be found in the parish register. In the early records the pastor listed all the children vaccinated on a particular day. These records may also list the person who performed the vaccination. After 1814 this information was sometimes added as a notation on the christening record. The main genealogical value of vaccination records is to show that a person resided in a parish at a given time. When the vaccination date is given in more than one record it can also be a way to verify that the person you have is the right one by comparing those dates. | During the last part of 1700's smallpox vaccination was encouraged in Norway, and records of those vaccinated can be found in the parish register. In the early records the pastor listed all the children vaccinated on a particular day. These records may also list the person who performed the vaccination. After 1814 this information was sometimes added as a notation on the christening record. The main genealogical value of vaccination records is to show that a person resided in a parish at a given time. When the vaccination date is given in more than one record it can also be a way to verify that the person you have is the right one by comparing those dates. | ||
==How to Find the Records== | |||
The parish registers are kept at the local parish church until 80 years have passed since the date of the last entry. The registers are then sent to the state archive for the area. (See the "[[Norway Archives and Libraries|Archives and Libraries]]" section.) The duplicate copy of the register is sent to the state archive as soon as it is filled. | The parish registers are kept at the local parish church until 80 years have passed since the date of the last entry. The registers are then sent to the state archive for the area. (See the "[[Norway Archives and Libraries|Archives and Libraries]]" section.) The duplicate copy of the register is sent to the state archive as soon as it is filled. | ||
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Parish boundary maps can also be extremely helpful when determining which parish church records to search. They can also help you identify neighboring parishes if you need to search more than one parish in a region. | Parish boundary maps can also be extremely helpful when determining which parish church records to search. They can also help you identify neighboring parishes if you need to search more than one parish in a region. | ||
====Digitalarkivet ==== | ====Digitalarkivet ==== | ||
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====The Norwegian Historical Data Centre==== | ====The Norwegian Historical Data Centre==== | ||
You may also search for an ancestor in the | You may also search for an ancestor in the [http://www.rhd.uit.no/indexeng.html Norwegian Historical Data Centre database], however it is not as complete as the one for the Digital Archives (Digitalarkivet) as many of the parish records have not been transcribed: | ||
*Registreringssentral for historiske data<br>Ekspedisjon Universitetet i Tromsø<br>N-9037 Tromsø<br>Norway<br>Telephone: 47 77 64 41 81<br>[http://www.rhd.uit.no/indexeng.html Website] | *Registreringssentral for historiske data<br>Ekspedisjon Universitetet i Tromsø<br>N-9037 Tromsø<br>Norway<br>Telephone: 47 77 64 41 81<br>[http://www.rhd.uit.no/indexeng.html Website] | ||
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Baptism, marriage, and burial records with entries from the last 80-year period are located at the local parish church. Occasionally, pastors delay sending their old church books to the archives, so some local parishes may have records that are older than 80 years. You may write in English to local parishes for information from this most recent time period. When writing, always include a self-addressed envelope. This letter writing guide will help you with phrasing your requests: [[Letter Writing Guide for Genealogy]] | Baptism, marriage, and burial records with entries from the last 80-year period are located at the local parish church. Occasionally, pastors delay sending their old church books to the archives, so some local parishes may have records that are older than 80 years. You may write in English to local parishes for information from this most recent time period. When writing, always include a self-addressed envelope. This letter writing guide will help you with phrasing your requests: [[Letter Writing Guide for Genealogy]] | ||
=='''Lutheran Church Records'''== | |||
The Lutheran church records are the [[Primary sources|primary source]] for genealogical research in Norway. Church records [kirkebøker] provide excellent information on names, dates, and places of births, marriages, and deaths. Almost everyone who lived in Norway was recorded in a church record. | |||
Records of births, marriages, and deaths are commonly called vital records because critical events in a person's life are recorded in them. Church records are vital records made by the pastor or his assistant. They are often referred to as parish registers or church books and include records of christenings, marriages, and burials. In addition, church records may include lists of members, confirmations, marriage banns, and accounts of people [[Scandinavia Moving In and Moving Out|moving in and out of the parish]]. | |||
Church records are crucial for Norwegian research. The Evangelical Lutheran Church became the state church (Statskirken) or national church (Den Norske Kirke, lit. The Norwegian Church), after the Reformation in 1536. As such, it is an arm of the national government. The church keeps the vital records for the government. | |||
<BR><BR> | |||
[https://familysearch.org/ask/learningViewer/520 '''Exploring Church Records in Norway'''] - Research tutorial at FamilySearch | |||
===Historical Background=== | |||
Den Norske Kirke (The Norwegian Church), or Statskirken (the State Church) was separated from the state May 21st 2012. Prior to this date there was no separation of church and state. From this date the Norwegian Lutheran Church is not an arm of the state and does not have any more power than any other church (religion) in Norway. | |||
After the Reformation in 1536 the Evangelical Lutheran Church became the state or national church of Norway, and as such was an arm of the national government. The head of the church was a cabinet member, Kirke- og Undervisningsminister (Secretary of Church and Education). There was no ordinary civil registration organized and in earlier times all registration was entrusted to the ministers of the Evangelical Church, and up to May of 2012 it was the clergy who by entries in the church registers were responsible for the greatest part of this work. Most of these records are available online at Digitalarkivet (Digital Archives) of Norway; as well as on microfilm at the Family History Library. | |||
You may also be able to find more recent family by contacting the Folkeregister (Register of Vital Statistics) but only if you are a direct line descendent. | |||
There was no civil registration organized in earlier times when all registration was entrusted to the minister of the Evangelical Church, and for the purpose of this class these are the records we will learn about.<br> | |||
Many people have the misconception that there always were records kept, and that something has happened to the earlier ones. One common belief is that when the Catholic Church was outlawed, and the Lutheran Church took over after the Reformation, the Catholic priests took the records with them when they left. This is not so, there were no records. In many cases the last Catholic minister was the first Lutheran minister. <br>Before 1876 there was no form of civil registration, but that year a law was passed to send all information about births, death, and marriage to Statistsk Sentralbyrå (Bureau of Central Statistics) for statistical purposes, and in 1905 a law was passed that a copy of the ministers records of birth, death, and marriages should be sent to the bureau, but this information is not available for public use. <br>In 1915 the government established Folkeregistre (Register of Vital Statistics) on a community/city level, but the information there is not available to the public. | |||
====Responsibility of Record Keeping==== | |||
The highest level of ecclesiastical jurisdiction is the bidpedømme (diocese), and the next level down is the prosti (deanery). These are of little importance in regards to genealogical research. The next level is the prestegjeld (clerical district), then the sogn (parish). The clerical district and the parish are the ones we will use in searching the church records for Norway. A clerical district may contain one or more parishes. | |||
Record keeping varies from one clerical district to the next. Thus in some, all parishes within the clerical district were kept in the same book, while in others, the records of the different parishes were kept in separate books. The sogneprest (parish priest) was the head of the clerical district. Sometimes he had a residerende kappelan (curate) serving with him in the annex parish. A klokker (sexton) – literally translated this means “bell ringer” resided in each parish. He was also the gravedigger, and sometimes the record keeper, teacher and general assistant to the minister. From 1814 a second set of books was kept by the sexton. This was discontinued in 1820, but in many clerical districts the duplicate recordkeeping was continued, and then it became compulsory again in 1870. | |||
A set recorded which was recorded by the parish priest, may not have been sent to the archives for filing until 80 years after the last entry was made. If a set of records (usually post 1880) was not sent to the archive, you may contact the parish priest directly. The duplicate set of records, kept by the parish clerk should have been deposited in the archives as soon as they were completed. | |||
===Language of the Records=== | |||
The language used in the early church records was the accepted written Norwegian, which was at that time closer to Danish than many of the different spoken Norwegian dialects. Most ministers were educated in Copenhagen. The German influence on education was strong throughout Europe, and the script used in the church records in many countries was Gothic. This was also the case in Norway, until the middle of the 19th century.<br> | |||
*[https://familysearch.org/wiki/en/Norway_Word_List '''Norwegian Genealogical Word List''']. | |||
Many Latin phrases were used as well. Some of these you will need to become familiar with. | |||
*[[Latin Word List|'''Latin Genealogical Word List''']] | |||
*[[Media:Parish_Register_Headings_for_Norway.pdf|'''Parish Register Headings for Norway''']]: This pdf gives the translation of headings for the records in different time periods. When a record is written with labeled columns it is much easier to search. Much of the material you read in each column will just be names and dates, since the meaning of those names (child, parents, godparents, minister) only has to be read once, in the column heading. | |||
===Dates in the Records=== | |||
Dates, in a great number of parish registers, will be recorded according to the church calendar, with Latin names on Sunday and Feast days. Often the Latin name for a Sunday would indicate to the priest what scripture was to be the topic of his sermon of the day. It will be helpful to learn how to look up the feast days in the calendar that translates these dates to modern dates. <br> | |||
*[[Moveable_Feast_Day_Calendar_for_Norway|Norway Feast Day Calendar]] | |||
===Quality of Records=== | |||
The quality of the records depends on the person who kept them, and the conditions where the records were kept. Some are very good, even early on, some are more difficult to use because of the handwriting, the recording habits of the recorder, or because they were damaged by moisture or heat. | |||
=='''Non-conformists/Dissenters'''== | |||
There was not a legally recognized dissenter church in Norway until 1845. The law simply did not allow anyone to dissent from the Lutheran Church. After dissenter churches were accepted in 1845, these congregations still had to report births and deaths to the local parish priest of the Lutheran Church within one month of the event. Sometimes we find that children of dissenters were not recorded as the law stated. Often a pastor would make this a very difficult visit, trying to persuade or even threaten people to “come back” to the Lutheran Church. If dissenters lived in a city where they could avoid being known by the church personnel, they sometimes did not comply with this law.<br>A new act in 1891 gave some dissenter groups permission to solemnize marriages, and from this time until 1919, the different groups were required to report births, deaths and marriages to the local Lutheran Church once a year. After 1919 they had to report to the local folkeregister (vital statistic office).<br>The law did not require a dissenter church to deposit their records in the state archives unless a congregation was dissolved. The percentage in 1875 was 0.4%, and in 1950 it was 3.76%.<br> | |||
=== Children of other Denominations (Barn fra andre trossamfunn) === | |||
Children of other denominations should be listed in the Lutheran church records up to 1969, but this did not always happen. Children of Jewish descent are usually not listed in the Lutheran church records. They are listed in their own records, which by law should have been reported to the Amtmann and Magistrat (county officials) yearly from 1846-1891. The County official was to bring the records to the State Archive, but unfortunately these lists are not complete. However, children of other denominations are always listed in the fødselsregister (Registers of Vital Statistics). | |||
==References== | |||
[[Category:Norway Church Records]] [[Category:Lutherans]][[Category:Church Records by Country]] | [[Category:Norway Church Records]] [[Category:Lutherans]] [[Category:Church Records by Country]] | ||
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