The oldest Finnish records of baptisms, marriages, and burials date back to 1648. More comprehensive record-keeping began only in 1686 due to the first Swedish Church Law, but many parishes did not start keeping these records until the 1720s. The older the records, the scarcer the information. For example, baptism records from the late 1600s may not include the mother's name.[1]
Due to data protection regulations, only baptism and marriage records older than 100 years are publicly available. For burial records, the corresponding time is 50 years. More recent records can be accessed on-site at the National Archives, but often parishes still hold them. It's also important to note that the National Archives' digitized materials often end in the 1880s. For more information on abbreviations used in these documents, you can visit the Finnish Genealogy Society website.
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Baptism records
Children born within the parish were recorded chronologically in birth and baptism registers. These registers could contain detailed information, such as:
- Child's name
- Date and place of birth
- Date and place of baptism
- Parents' names and professions
- Godparents' names and professions
- Mother's age
- Name of the person performing the baptism
- References to confirmation and children's books
- Possible information about illegitimate birth
- Possible information about the child's death
The exact amount of information could vary depending on the time period and parish.
The official language of priests was Swedish until 1863. They wrote Finnish names in Swedish. Therefore, it's important to distinguish between two different names: the name recorded in the documents and the nickname used by contemporaries for that person. In the aforementioned year, a 20-year transition period began, during which Finland was to switch to using the Finnish language in Finnish parishes.
In Finland, four different periods can be distinguished regarding first names. From the Middle Ages to the beginning of church records in the late 1600s, names derived from saints' names and Scandinavian names dominated the name pool. German-origin names were also in use. The Swedish-language period of church records lasted from the late 1600s to the 1880s. The same Finnish name could be recorded in many different ways in Swedish: Lisa, Elisabeth, Eliisa, or Helena, Lena, Elin. After the Finnish language was adopted in church records, until the 1940s, very dialectal versions of different names are found. The fourth period in Finnish first names began in 1946 when the first Names Act was enacted.
In genealogy, special attention should be paid to godparents. There had to be at least two, and often the godparents were close relatives of the child. In difficult situations, clues about the parents' ancestry can be found by examining the background of the child's godparents.
Marriage records
Church weddings became mandatory in Finland only in 1734 with the new legislation of the Swedish Realm. Before that, marriage legally began with engagement. After 1734, marriage officially began only with a church wedding. Civil marriage became possible only in 1917.
Weddings usually took place in the bride's home parish. According to the 1734 law, the bride had to be at least 15 years old and the groom 21 years old. With special permission from the king, one could marry even younger. Marriage to a close relative was prohibited, as it is today, but one could marry a cousin by obtaining permission from the king. During the autonomy period from 1809 onwards, the permission was granted by the Senate of the Grand Duchy of Finland. According to Chapter 7, Section 2 of the 1734 Marriage Code, the marriage still had to be announced on three Sundays in the parish where the bride lived. If the man was at war or sent away from the kingdom for another reason, the marriage could be announced on only one Sunday or holiday.
When entering into marriage, the woman retained her own surname if she had one. In 1930, a new marriage law was introduced in Finland, which required the woman to take her husband's surname. The 1986 law, in turn, allowed both parties to freely decide on their surname. The couple could each keep their own surname or adopt a combined surname. The man could also choose to use his wife's surname.
Before entering into a new marriage, a widow had to prove that the deceased spouse's estate inventory had been properly conducted and the rights of other potential heirs were secured. This was usually done by providing a certified copy of the estate inventory to the judicial authority. This is why estate inventories can also be found in parish archives as attachments to marriage announcements.
Engagement was originally a very binding agreement, involving the bride, groom, and the bride's guardian. This was usually the bride's father. This was known as the "guardian's power," which was removed from marriage legislation only in 1930. The guardian, according to the marriage codes in the laws of King Magnus Eriksson (1347) and King Christopher (1442), was primarily the bride's father. If he was no longer alive, the next in line were the oldest brother, half-brother on the father's side, half-brother on the mother's side, paternal grandfather, etc. If the bride got engaged and married without the guardian's consent, he could disinherit her. This is why marriage licenses can be found in parish archives. They can either be specific to a certain person, meaning the bride's father or widowed mother has given permission to marry a specific person, or they can simply state that the daughter is free to marry whomever she wants.
Burial records
The recording of deaths and burials began simply by noting the deceased's name and burial date in chronological order. Over time, however, the records became more detailed, and the date of death and other information, such as the deceased's residence, burial place, age, and profession, were also recorded. In some cases, the records might also mention the cause of death and a reference to the page in the parish register where the deceased's family was listed. The instructions for recording causes of death were not uniform, and from today's perspective, the terminology used was often imprecise and open to interpretation. The cause of death was generally not determined by a doctor before the 1930s, so the causes listed often reflect the symptoms the deceased experienced rather than the actual cause of death.
From 1749 onwards, a table system was introduced in the Swedish Realm. Clergymen received a ready-made list of causes of death from which they had to choose the most appropriate one for the situation. Quite often, the cause of death listed in the burial register is "unknown." The burial place for wealthier individuals was often under the church floor. Burying under the church floor was prohibited throughout Finland by an imperial decree in 1822. The ban was circumvented by building families' own burial chapels in the cemetery. Sometimes, burial records may contain information about fees related to the burial. The burial plot itself cost a certain amount, and additional fees could be charged for the ringing of the so-called death bells. More detailed information about these fees can be found in the parish's financial records.
See also
Explore more about Finnish vital records
- Finland - Birth, Marriage & Death collection catalog at MyHeritage
- I Never Gave Up Until I Found My Father on the MyHeritage blog
- She Found a Cousin Presumed Dead for 30 Years — Alive on the MyHeritage blog
- Research Finns – Finnish not required; Internet is! webinar at Legacy Family Tree Webinars
- Finding Your Nordic Parish of Birth webinar at Legacy Family Tree Webinars
- Have Nordic Ancestors? Count Yourself Lucky – Nordic Records are Amazing webinar at Legacy Family Tree Webinars
- National Archive of Finland (in Finnish and Swedish)
References
- ↑ Sirkka Paikkala: Etunimet sukututkimuksessa, Sukutieto 1997:1, s. 19-24