Tysvær Parish, Rogaland, Norway Genealogy

Norway &gt; Rogaland  County &gt; Tysvær

Church Records
Records begin in 1743. Skjold clerical district included the parishes Skjold, Tysvær and Vats with Vårenes chapel. Tysvær parish became its own clerical district in 1848. Earlier records were burned on 14 Oct. 1786.

An extract of the church records of Skjold with Vats and Tysvær in Rogaland county, 1786-1815.

Digital images of the church books are available at Digitalarkivet.


 * Skjold / Skjold, Tysvær, Vats: 1743-1802


 * Skjold: 1758, 1786-1815


 * Skjold / Skjold: 1815-1941


 * Skjold / Tysvær: 1815-1830


 * Skjold / Vats: 1815-1925

Census Records

 * 1664-1666 This census was taken by the local parish priests. It lists the name of the farms, names of farm owners (including widows), the sons of the farm owners, male farm hands, cottagers and their sons, and the ages of each person. A database of this census is available at Digitalarkivet.


 * 1701: The census of 1701 was taken for military purposes. It lists only the males living in rural districts who were over the age of one year. It includes the farm name, name and age of the owner, names and ages of sons and servants. Also includes the residence of all unmarried males living away from home when the census was taken.Mantallet (Census) 1701 for Stavanger Amt (Rogaland County)

Probate Records
Probate records for the years 1666-1795 are in the combined Ryfylke and Karmsund judicial districts in Rogaland county.

For 1793-1901 the records are in the Karmsund judicial district.

The clerical probates are found in Karmsund deanery in Rogaland county, Norway. They are for the years 1692-1812.

Farm Books
A genealogy and history of the people and their farms in Tysvær.

Dybdal-Holthe, Nils and others, "Tysvær,"Tysvær: Tysvær kommune, c1990-. 948.31/T3 D2d 9 Vols. FHL INTL Book

Contents: vol. 1. Gard og ætt, nr. 1-32 -- vol. 2. nr. 33-59 -- vol. 3. Førdes fjorden, nr. 60-80 / Nils Dybdal-Holthe og Arnvid Lillehammer -- vol. 4. Skjoldastraumen, nr. 81-90, 200, 114-132 / Nils Olav Østrem -- vol. 5. Grinde, nr. 91-113 / Nils Olav Østrem -- vol. 6. Nedstrand I (nr. 133-167) / Hans Eyvind Næss -- vol. 7. Nedstrand II (nr. 168-199) / Hans Eyvind Næss -- b. vol. Slik levde dei, fram til 1820 / Svein Ivar Langhelle -- vol. 9. Slik levde dei, frå 1820 til 1920 / Svein Ivar Langhelle.

Norwegian emigration to America seems to have in some ways started in Tysvær. Half of those on the "Restauration" were from here. Many were Quakers converted earlier and who had experienced persecution.

Bjørlo, Egil-Henrik, "Vestover!: Gløtt frå utvandringa frå Tysvær til Amerika," Tysvær : Tysvær historielag, 1993. 948.31/T3 W2b FHL INTL Book

Farm Book on the Internet
Karmøy Genealogy Club is creating an internet accessable listing of the families who have lived on Karmøy. The sources for this website are "Bygdebok for Karmøy," Norges Bybyggelse, notes of Johannes Mjølhus, the church books, probate records, census records, and private family information.

The family listings are by the farm which they lived on. The explanation of the website is in English but the family information is in Norwegian.

You will find a list of all the farms which are found in the modern Karmøy kommune and some farms in Tysvær. As the information comes available there will be a link from the table to the information on a specific farm. On the internet you will only find information of those inhabitants who had registered descendants. A more complete listing is found in the office in Skudeneshavn. You can E-mail inquires to Slektsforum.karmoy@c2i.net.