Genealogy research in Helsinki?
Jun 14th, 2004, 06:02 PM
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Genealogy research in Helsinki?
My great-grandparents were ethnic Swedes who emigrated from Finland (maybe Helsinki) in the 1890s. I'm researching as much as I can from the U.S. but I was wondering if there are some sort of archives in Helsinki I can check when I visit, especially if I don't know Finnish. Has anyone here done any genealogy research in Finland? Any tips?
Jun 15th, 2004, 07:46 AM
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I don't know about archives in Helsinki. Each parish keeps its own books. But you could do some web search, for example here: http://www.migrationinstitute.fi/index_e.php
You mention that your grandparents were ethnic Swedes, but I doubt that. There were not so many ethnic Swedes in Finland, but many Finns have Swedish names and have Swedish as their native language. Particularly on the western coast. But they are as Finnish as the Finnish-speaking Finns. Finland still is officially bi-lingual, and that was particularly true 100 years ago when Swedish was the language of government and higher education, not Finnish. That was a relic from those hundreds of years when Finland was under Swedish rule. Finnish did not get an official status before the end of 1800s, when Russia ordered Finnish as a secon official language of Finland. At the same time there was a surge of nationalism and thousands of Swedish-speaking families abandoned their Swedish names and took Finnish family names. They also changed their home language into Finnish. Actually those happenings and newly found nationalism were the things that gave Finns enough confidence to become independent in 1917.
Like I said, most Swedish-speaking Finns live on the central/western coast. On that link I gave you will find "Regional Centre of Ostrobothnia" on the left hand side. That is a link to the part of Finland where most immigrants to US left.
Remember also writing and Swedish letters ä, ö and å. For example an American named Nordstroem will not find his ancestors by writing the name like that. In Swedish it is Nordström.
You mention that your grandparents were ethnic Swedes, but I doubt that. There were not so many ethnic Swedes in Finland, but many Finns have Swedish names and have Swedish as their native language. Particularly on the western coast. But they are as Finnish as the Finnish-speaking Finns. Finland still is officially bi-lingual, and that was particularly true 100 years ago when Swedish was the language of government and higher education, not Finnish. That was a relic from those hundreds of years when Finland was under Swedish rule. Finnish did not get an official status before the end of 1800s, when Russia ordered Finnish as a secon official language of Finland. At the same time there was a surge of nationalism and thousands of Swedish-speaking families abandoned their Swedish names and took Finnish family names. They also changed their home language into Finnish. Actually those happenings and newly found nationalism were the things that gave Finns enough confidence to become independent in 1917.
Like I said, most Swedish-speaking Finns live on the central/western coast. On that link I gave you will find "Regional Centre of Ostrobothnia" on the left hand side. That is a link to the part of Finland where most immigrants to US left.
Remember also writing and Swedish letters ä, ö and å. For example an American named Nordstroem will not find his ancestors by writing the name like that. In Swedish it is Nordström.
Jun 15th, 2004, 11:16 AM
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Elina, thanks so much for all the helpful information. I had been having a hard time getting a grasp on how the whole Swedish/Finnish relationship worked, and I understand much better now. I will be checking out the many genealogy sites for Finland and hope I can visit the home of my great-grandparents, assuming they didn't change their names when they came to America (all the American documentation says Johnson--no problem there 
(By the way, I forgot my password so I had to re-register with a new screen name)
(By the way, I forgot my password so I had to re-register with a new screen name)
Jun 16th, 2004, 03:26 AM
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Susan, that name thing is not so certain, they may well have "Angligized" it since Johnson sounds very English in my ears. The most common "Johnson" in Finland is Jonsson or Johansson or Johanssen. John is not a Finnish (or Swedish) name, Johan is, and a more rare Jon. I put my bet on Johansson (= Johan's son).
It would help a lot if you knew where they came from, or their first names or even occupations.
The time when your great-grandparents left was hard in Finland. Russia had treated Finland well (way better than Sweden did) and given it an autonomous position as a grand dutchy. But then came a new czar who started to rip off all the privilegies and a heavy Russification period begun. That caused a wave of immigration. The other reason was uneven share of wealth which didn't change before independence and a civil war (war was between the well-to-do and landless people/workers).
The rich people did not immigrate, so you may find your ancestors from among fishermen/landless/younger sons/small farmers and so on. It really would help a lot to know more. And if you knew the more specific time of their arrival you could also go and search the Ellis Island archives.
It would help a lot if you knew where they came from, or their first names or even occupations.
The time when your great-grandparents left was hard in Finland. Russia had treated Finland well (way better than Sweden did) and given it an autonomous position as a grand dutchy. But then came a new czar who started to rip off all the privilegies and a heavy Russification period begun. That caused a wave of immigration. The other reason was uneven share of wealth which didn't change before independence and a civil war (war was between the well-to-do and landless people/workers).
The rich people did not immigrate, so you may find your ancestors from among fishermen/landless/younger sons/small farmers and so on. It really would help a lot to know more. And if you knew the more specific time of their arrival you could also go and search the Ellis Island archives.
Jun 16th, 2004, 06:51 AM
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Elina, thanks once again! I didn't put too much info on my great-grandparents because I know this is a travel board and not for genealogy, but your answers may help others in the future who have the same purpose for travel as I do, so I'm going to see if I can pick your brains a little bit more (whew!).
My g-grandfather's naturalization petition in 1918 says his name was Christian Johnson, born November 13, 1871, and that he emigrated from Finland on March 15, 1894, via the ship Augusta into Charleston, South Carolina (that is the very confusing part--hardly anyone emigrated via Charleston that year, and why didn't he come through Ellis Island?)? His death certificate in 1929 lists his parents as Aaron and Christina Johnson; this information was supplied by his Finnish wife, but who knows how accurate it is or how anglicized?
At any rate, by 1901, he was in Brooklyn, New York and married to my g-grandmother Sofia/Sophia, whose maiden name is listed on their children's birth certificates as Handrickson or Hendrickson, and that her birthplace was Finland. She was born about 1869. She came to the U.S. in 1897, so I think she probably met and married my g-grandfather after she arrived here. Her death certificate states her parents were Christian (coincidentally the same name as her husband) and Kristina Mathison (probably Mattson?). I don't know how knowledgeable the people who supplied this information were. I also have no idea what the naming practices were then, and if my g-grandmother would have taken her father's name.
All the censuses I have found them on stated my g-grandfather was a carpenter, and that both g-grandparents spoke Swedish. They had six children, but there are no family records anywhere of Christian's and Sofia's personal backgrounds--what kind of people they were or what specifically brought them to America, or the villages/towns they came from.
That is about everything I know of my Finnish relatives. Today I will go to the library to find books about Finnish culture and history around the time of their emigration (and you have already given me a wonderful head start). I'd love your thoughts on any of this, and if you wish to reply to me privately, feel free to do so at [email protected] (crossing my fingers I don't get spammed to death.
Thanks, Elina. You have me highly motivated to do some serious research.
My g-grandfather's naturalization petition in 1918 says his name was Christian Johnson, born November 13, 1871, and that he emigrated from Finland on March 15, 1894, via the ship Augusta into Charleston, South Carolina (that is the very confusing part--hardly anyone emigrated via Charleston that year, and why didn't he come through Ellis Island?)? His death certificate in 1929 lists his parents as Aaron and Christina Johnson; this information was supplied by his Finnish wife, but who knows how accurate it is or how anglicized?
At any rate, by 1901, he was in Brooklyn, New York and married to my g-grandmother Sofia/Sophia, whose maiden name is listed on their children's birth certificates as Handrickson or Hendrickson, and that her birthplace was Finland. She was born about 1869. She came to the U.S. in 1897, so I think she probably met and married my g-grandfather after she arrived here. Her death certificate states her parents were Christian (coincidentally the same name as her husband) and Kristina Mathison (probably Mattson?). I don't know how knowledgeable the people who supplied this information were. I also have no idea what the naming practices were then, and if my g-grandmother would have taken her father's name.
All the censuses I have found them on stated my g-grandfather was a carpenter, and that both g-grandparents spoke Swedish. They had six children, but there are no family records anywhere of Christian's and Sofia's personal backgrounds--what kind of people they were or what specifically brought them to America, or the villages/towns they came from.
That is about everything I know of my Finnish relatives. Today I will go to the library to find books about Finnish culture and history around the time of their emigration (and you have already given me a wonderful head start). I'd love your thoughts on any of this, and if you wish to reply to me privately, feel free to do so at [email protected] (crossing my fingers I don't get spammed to death
.Thanks, Elina. You have me highly motivated to do some serious research.
Jun 16th, 2004, 07:13 AM
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I've spent precisely 90 minutes in Finland, so my knowledge of the country is zero.
But the Mormons are always helpful in circumstances like this. For about a couple of dollars, they produce booklets on practically everywhere in Europe, explaining what genealogical resources are available in the country, how to use them, and usually guides to relevant resources in the country's diaspora.
You can get - well certainly the more popular ones, like Ireland or Germany - at any Mormon Family History Centre. But you can also get them all online at http://www.ldscatalog.com/webapp/wcs...bcatlist100095
Incidentally, for some countries, the database on the main LDS site (http://www.familysearch.org/Eng/Sear...set_search.asp) can provide a surprising amount of information. With some branches of our family, it got us back to the 1700's - and we're landless peasants pretty much all the way back.
Good luck
But the Mormons are always helpful in circumstances like this. For about a couple of dollars, they produce booklets on practically everywhere in Europe, explaining what genealogical resources are available in the country, how to use them, and usually guides to relevant resources in the country's diaspora.
You can get - well certainly the more popular ones, like Ireland or Germany - at any Mormon Family History Centre. But you can also get them all online at http://www.ldscatalog.com/webapp/wcs...bcatlist100095
Incidentally, for some countries, the database on the main LDS site (http://www.familysearch.org/Eng/Sear...set_search.asp) can provide a surprising amount of information. With some branches of our family, it got us back to the 1700's - and we're landless peasants pretty much all the way back.
Good luck
