Revised June 2023
The Swedish church records are a wonderful resource. They are far more comprehensive than American records and are far more accurate -- usually, but not always. The past few years have seen a huge growth in the number of indexed records and also in records available online. While this search was challenging in prior years, it would be far simpler in 2023. Records that have been photographed in color are much easier to read than the old black and white microfilm images.
The story begins with two sisters who married two men in the parish of Björsäter, Östergötland. In 1798, Maja Lena Nilsdotter married my ancestor, Peter (Per) Persson. Two years later, in 1800, Catharina Nilsdotter married Nils Persson. Both men had been born in Hannäs parish, which was in Kalmar County until 1971, when it became part of Östergötland County.
The couples moved on to other nearby parishes, never living more than 30 miles away from each other, but also making it harder to keep track of them. I did not know that the men were brothers and could not find birth records for either Peter or Nils in the Hannäs parish records. I followed Peter throughout his life, but lost track of Catherina and Nils, who spent several years in Värna.
Peter returned to Björsäter parish in 1814 and took the surname Fröling between 1819 and 1822. He had very bad luck with wives and children, burying three wives and eight of his fourteen children, one of whom was stillborn. Peter Persson Fröling died on August 12, 1842, leaving a widow and six children. His estate inventory (bouppteckning, Bankekinds Häradsrätt FII:32 page 741) referred to Nils Persson, who was then living in Svinstad parish.
Having located Nils, I followed him forward until his death on March 8, 1858. There was a wonderful surprise. Many death records are only a line or two long, but the record keepers in Svinstad wrote an entire paragraph when a parishioner died.
The Svinstad death record led to the Hannäs birth record, but there is a date discrepancy, which is why I could never locate the right record. Here are the two records.
In both records, Nils' parents are listed as Per/Peter Nilsson and wife Stina Östensdotter of Knappemåla. His birth record gives his date of birth as February 11, 1777, with his christening on the 16th. However, his death record gives his date of birth as March 5, 1777. The March date must have been written on a moving certificate at some point in his life. Interestingly, his original moving certificate must have had a birth year of 1768, but somehow it was apparently corrected about 1812, after which all the records said March 5, 1777.
Having identified Nils' parents, Peter's birth record was now easy to find, based on the same parents. However, there is another date discrepancy.
His birth was originally recorded as September 13, 1768, with christening on the 18th. However, all other records, including his death record, show his date of birth as September 6, 1768.
This ends the puzzling records description. Comments are welcome!
The remainder of this post is for the descendants of Peter Persson Fröling.
Let's start with a map of the area and with Peter's parents -- the source of the happy dance. Click the icon at the top left of the map to see the legend.
Peter Persson was born to Per/Peter Nilsson and wife Stina Östensdotter of Knappemåla, Hannäs parish, Kalmar län. Stina's surname of Östensdotter is unique in my family records. The name Östen has several possible sources and meanings, once of which is Happy. And you know that finding this family after 14 years of searching made me very happy!
His parents married on December 26, 1765. Peter was the second of seven children of the marriage. His older brother died young, but he also had two older half-siblings from his mother's first marriage. The home at Knappemåla appears to have been where Stina lived during her first marriage to Pehr Johansson, in 1759.
The first known record of Peter Persson after his birth is in the Björsäter clerical survey of 1792-1795 (AI:1 page 243), where he was recorded as a laborer entering the parish in 1795, coming from Yxnerum parish. He was living in the household of his future wife and in-laws.
He married Maja Lena Nilsdotter on January 11, 1798, and they moved to Vist parish sometime that year (Vist AI:3 page 28). Daughter Stina was born on December 1, 1798. It appears that Peter took up farming during the three years they lived in Vist.
1801 finds the family moving to Svinstad (Bankekind) parish (BI:1 page 637), where daughter Casja Lena Persdotter was born on September 7, 1801. Baby Peter Persson followed, born on May 28, 1803, and dying a few months later, on January 25, 1804. Baby Anna Maria was born on July 24, 1806, apparently leaving her mother suffering from complications of childbirth. Maja Lena Nilsdotter died a few days later, on August 9, 1806, leaving Peter a widower with three little girls. Anna Maria died in October, at three months old.
Waiting less than a year, Peter married my ancestor, Inga Stina Svensdotter, on February 5, 1807, in the neighboring parish of Landeryd (C:3 page 281). Six children, including a set of twins, were born to Inga and Peter during the next seven years in Svinstad. Four of the six children died before their first birthday. My line is via their eldest son, Sven Peter Persson, born on February 22, 1808, in Svinstad. Their second child, Maria Persdotter Fröling, born on September 27, 1809, also survived to have children.
In 1814, Peter and Inga moved to Björsäter parish (AI:4 page 407), with his occupation recorded as a bricklayer (tegelslagare). His transition from farmer to bricklayer must have occurred while in Svinstad, though not recorded in that parish. Two more daughters, Ulrica and Inga Lisa, were born to the couple before Inga's death on February 2, 1822. Sometime between baby Inga Lisa's 1819 birth and Inga Stina's death, Peter took the surname Fröling.
Peter, in 1822, was the father of two grown daughters, two young teens, and two children under age six. Nine months after Inga's death, he married wife number three, Brita Stina Andersdotter, on November 29, 1822. Brita died only four months later from infection on March 28, 1823. She had given birth to a stillborn infant three weeks prior.
Peter took a break from marriage, probably depending on the older children to care for the younger ones. On November 7, 1826, he married his fourth and last wife, Anna Maja Bergquist. They had one son, Johannes Gustaf Fröling, born on July 14, 1828.
Throughout the rest of his life, Peter's occupation was recorded as a bricklayer. There was no indication that he retired, although one clerical survey noted that he was elderly. He died on August 12, 1842, in Björsäter parish, with the cause recorded as old age. His second daughter had died in 1835, leaving four daughters, two sons and his widow.
I'm happy to have found Peter's family. He was an end-of-line ancestor for many years. The Hannäs records may reveal more generations, but there are no clerical surveys to help track the families. Nor are there any estate inventories for his parents. Even their death records are uncertain. So I rejoice at what's been found, knowing there may be little else to find in the old records of Hannäs.
The story begins with two sisters who married two men in the parish of Björsäter, Östergötland. In 1798, Maja Lena Nilsdotter married my ancestor, Peter (Per) Persson. Two years later, in 1800, Catharina Nilsdotter married Nils Persson. Both men had been born in Hannäs parish, which was in Kalmar County until 1971, when it became part of Östergötland County.
The couples moved on to other nearby parishes, never living more than 30 miles away from each other, but also making it harder to keep track of them. I did not know that the men were brothers and could not find birth records for either Peter or Nils in the Hannäs parish records. I followed Peter throughout his life, but lost track of Catherina and Nils, who spent several years in Värna.
Peter returned to Björsäter parish in 1814 and took the surname Fröling between 1819 and 1822. He had very bad luck with wives and children, burying three wives and eight of his fourteen children, one of whom was stillborn. Peter Persson Fröling died on August 12, 1842, leaving a widow and six children. His estate inventory (bouppteckning, Bankekinds Häradsrätt FII:32 page 741) referred to Nils Persson, who was then living in Svinstad parish.
Having located Nils, I followed him forward until his death on March 8, 1858. There was a wonderful surprise. Many death records are only a line or two long, but the record keepers in Svinstad wrote an entire paragraph when a parishioner died.
The Svinstad death record led to the Hannäs birth record, but there is a date discrepancy, which is why I could never locate the right record. Here are the two records.
 |
| Birth Record, Hannäs CI:2 Page 325 |
 |
| Death Record, Bankekind (Svinstad) BI:1 Page 445 |
Having identified Nils' parents, Peter's birth record was now easy to find, based on the same parents. However, there is another date discrepancy.
 |
| Birth Record, Hannäs CI:2 Page 311 |
 | ||
| Clerical Survey, Björsäter AI:9 Page 278 |
His birth was originally recorded as September 13, 1768, with christening on the 18th. However, all other records, including his death record, show his date of birth as September 6, 1768.
This ends the puzzling records description. Comments are welcome!
The remainder of this post is for the descendants of Peter Persson Fröling.
The Life of Peter Persson Fröling
Let's start with a map of the area and with Peter's parents -- the source of the happy dance. Click the icon at the top left of the map to see the legend.
Peter Persson was born to Per/Peter Nilsson and wife Stina Östensdotter of Knappemåla, Hannäs parish, Kalmar län. Stina's surname of Östensdotter is unique in my family records. The name Östen has several possible sources and meanings, once of which is Happy. And you know that finding this family after 14 years of searching made me very happy!
His parents married on December 26, 1765. Peter was the second of seven children of the marriage. His older brother died young, but he also had two older half-siblings from his mother's first marriage. The home at Knappemåla appears to have been where Stina lived during her first marriage to Pehr Johansson, in 1759.
The first known record of Peter Persson after his birth is in the Björsäter clerical survey of 1792-1795 (AI:1 page 243), where he was recorded as a laborer entering the parish in 1795, coming from Yxnerum parish. He was living in the household of his future wife and in-laws.
He married Maja Lena Nilsdotter on January 11, 1798, and they moved to Vist parish sometime that year (Vist AI:3 page 28). Daughter Stina was born on December 1, 1798. It appears that Peter took up farming during the three years they lived in Vist.
1801 finds the family moving to Svinstad (Bankekind) parish (BI:1 page 637), where daughter Casja Lena Persdotter was born on September 7, 1801. Baby Peter Persson followed, born on May 28, 1803, and dying a few months later, on January 25, 1804. Baby Anna Maria was born on July 24, 1806, apparently leaving her mother suffering from complications of childbirth. Maja Lena Nilsdotter died a few days later, on August 9, 1806, leaving Peter a widower with three little girls. Anna Maria died in October, at three months old.
Waiting less than a year, Peter married my ancestor, Inga Stina Svensdotter, on February 5, 1807, in the neighboring parish of Landeryd (C:3 page 281). Six children, including a set of twins, were born to Inga and Peter during the next seven years in Svinstad. Four of the six children died before their first birthday. My line is via their eldest son, Sven Peter Persson, born on February 22, 1808, in Svinstad. Their second child, Maria Persdotter Fröling, born on September 27, 1809, also survived to have children.
In 1814, Peter and Inga moved to Björsäter parish (AI:4 page 407), with his occupation recorded as a bricklayer (tegelslagare). His transition from farmer to bricklayer must have occurred while in Svinstad, though not recorded in that parish. Two more daughters, Ulrica and Inga Lisa, were born to the couple before Inga's death on February 2, 1822. Sometime between baby Inga Lisa's 1819 birth and Inga Stina's death, Peter took the surname Fröling.
Peter, in 1822, was the father of two grown daughters, two young teens, and two children under age six. Nine months after Inga's death, he married wife number three, Brita Stina Andersdotter, on November 29, 1822. Brita died only four months later from infection on March 28, 1823. She had given birth to a stillborn infant three weeks prior.
Peter took a break from marriage, probably depending on the older children to care for the younger ones. On November 7, 1826, he married his fourth and last wife, Anna Maja Bergquist. They had one son, Johannes Gustaf Fröling, born on July 14, 1828.
Throughout the rest of his life, Peter's occupation was recorded as a bricklayer. There was no indication that he retired, although one clerical survey noted that he was elderly. He died on August 12, 1842, in Björsäter parish, with the cause recorded as old age. His second daughter had died in 1835, leaving four daughters, two sons and his widow.
I'm happy to have found Peter's family. He was an end-of-line ancestor for many years. The Hannäs records may reveal more generations, but there are no clerical surveys to help track the families. Nor are there any estate inventories for his parents. Even their death records are uncertain. So I rejoice at what's been found, knowing there may be little else to find in the old records of Hannäs.
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