Ala Parish, Gotland, Sweden Genealogy

Europe Sweden Gotland County  Ala parish, Sweden

Guide to Ala parish, Gotland, Sweden ancestry, family history, and genealogy: birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, and military records.

History
(write information such as: how old the parish is, interesting facts about the parish, what alternate names it has, or any boundary changes.)

Place Names
To see what kind of place it is you will need a Swedish Gazetteer. These place names of farms, villages, and any jurisdictions smaller than a parish can be very important. First, records for a parish are frequently organized by farm name. Second, farm names help to identify people within the parish with similar patronymic names. They might take the farm name as a surname. Noting which farm they are born or married or had children at can help sort them out. Annexen,

Bjärges Gård, Björges Grund, Botwatte, Botwattegård, Grund,

Gurfyles Gård (Gurfiles Gård), Gurfyles Grund (Gurfiles Grund), Gyle Gård, Gyle Grund,

Lauritze Gård, Lauritze Grund,

Ollajvs, Orleips Grund, Orleips Gård,

Stenstuge Grund, Stenstugu Grund,

Census Records

 * Sweden Household Examination Records (Husförhörslängder)--explanation of this church record which is functionally the census of Sweden.
 * Sweden Household Examination Books, 1880 - 1920, ($), index and images. Also on Ancestry.com, ($), Arkiv Digital ($), and SVAR ($).

Online Database Church Records
The easiest way to access the Swedish Church Records is through the internet, using these five sites (see links to specific collections below). Four of these sites require a subscription for access. (ArkivDigital, Ancestry.com, and MyHeritage.com  are available at a FamilyHistory Center near you free of charge.)
 * FamilySearch Historical Records.
 * MyHeritage.com ($),
 * Ancestry.com ($),
 * Arkiv Digital ($), and
 * SVAR ($).

Help Using ArkivDigital: Online Databases for Sweden

 * These lessons will teach you how to use ArkivDigital:
 * Sweden: An Introduction to ArkivDigital
 * Use the Full Scope of Arkiv Digital for Swedish Genealogy

Family History Library Records
Click Sweden, Gotland Records for a full listing of microfilmed records (some digitized online) at the Family History Library, that may be viewed on loan at a Family History Center near you. Click on "Places within Sweden, Gotland" and then select your parish.

Military Records

 * Sweden Military Records
 * Central Soldiers Register InstructionsSearch Engine

Help Reading Swedish Records

 * You do not have to be fluent in Swedish to read these records! The have a limited vocabulary: mother, father, born, bride, groom, married, etc. The rest of the content will be names, dates, and places, which do not need translation.
 * This Swedish Word List covers typical terms found in the records.
 * Swedish Historical Dictionary Database, SHDD: This interactive dictionary allows you to enter a word in the search box and receive the translation.
 * Feast Day Calendar (Moveable) and Feast Day Lists (Fixed and Moveable) will help you translate dates written in feast day form.
 * Denmark surnames are patronymic and change every generation, so carefully study Sweden Names, Personal.

Help Reading Old Handwriting

 * Reading Scandinavian Gothic Handwritten Records: (free, online lessons at FamilySearch):
 * Lesson 1: Scandinavian Gothic Letters,
 * Lesson 2: Names, Words, and Dates, and
 * Lesson 3: Handwritten Records

Help With Research Objectives and Strategies
Sweden Research Strategies