Which Rasmus Gudmundsson is ours? Separating Identity using Swedish Tax and Church Records

In part one of this four-part series on Scandinavian research, we discussed patronymics and naming traditions common in Scandinavian genealogy. We also identified two research objectives as we are trying to uniquely identify Rasmus Gudmundsson, born in Malmöhus, Sweden, around 1719. In part two, we did locality research for Kågeröd and Norra Vram parishes and had a brief introduction to household examinations, church, probate, tax, and moving records. We also looked at repositories for Swedish records. In this section, we finally get to plan and carry out the research to answer the first of our two objectives.

1. Did Gudmund Rasmusson marry twice – first to Elsa Thuesdotter and then to Karna Larsdotter, or are these two separate families? Gudmund could have had a son, Rasmus, with Elsa. If both Rasmus and Elsa died and Gudmund married Karna, their oldest son could have been renamed for his deceased half-brother, Rasmus.
2. If these are two separate families, which of the two Rasmus married the two Hannas and died in Kågeröd in 1773?

 

Research Planning and Research

Previous research had identified Rasmus Gudmundsson, who died in Kågeröd, Malmöhus, Sweden, on 7 February 1773.¹ According to his death record, he was born around 1719 in Norra Vram, Malmöhus. This was also where he married his first wife. After his wife’s death, he moved to Kågeröd, where he married again before passing away in 1773. The death notice had no exact date for Rasmus’ birth, and research had identified two potential candidates.

The first candidate was Rasmus Gudmundsson, son of Gudmund Rasmusson and Elsa Thuesdotter, born on 23 March 1718 in Kågeröd.² The other was Rasmus Gudmundsson, son of Gudmund Rasmusson and Karna Larsdotter, born on 6 March 1720 in Norra Vram.³

Considering both fathers had the same name, could it be that Gudmund had married twice? As stated in naming tradition in part 1, if a child died, it was common to pass their name on to the next child of the same gender. Death rates were high for both infants and mothers. In this case, it’s possible that Elsa and her son, Rasmus, passed away in 1718 or early 1719 and that Gudmund remarried Karna, who gave birth to Rasmus in 1720.

Separating two families:

The first go-to source for Swedish research is usually the household examinations. These census-like records were recorded every year and would usually include the farm the family lived on, names of the entire family, birthdate (or just year in the older records), birthplace, relationships, vital events like marriage and death, and when someone moved in or out of the parish. They are an easy way to follow a family for decades. However, household examinations didn’t start until 1773 in Kågeröd and 1806 in Norra Vram.⁴ This was after Rasmus’ death, and the household examinations would be useless to us. A substitute for household examinations is tax records, which became our next source to explore.

Since the “beginning of time,” men have paid taxes. The tax records, though not nearly as complete in information, can be used in lieu of household examinations to establish the location of a head of household. Tax records for both Kågeröd and Norra Vram are available from 1642 and were commonly recorded every year.⁵ Starting around the time of Rasmus’ birth, we consistently found a Gudmund Rasmusson on Bensige farm in Kågeröd and another Gudmund Rasmusson on Södra Vram farm in Vram.

Unfortunately, there was a gap from 1728 to 1736, so the records couldn’t confirm whether Gudmund was still on Södra Vram farm when Gudmund died on Bensige farm around 1730. It was time to turn to church records.

The church records recorded birth and/or christening, marriage, and death and/or burial for everyone in a parish and are solid proof of vital information. In addition to proving the 1718 and 1720 births of the two Rasmus, church records also showed that Gudmund of Bensige farm died on 19 October 1730.⁶

Gudmund of Södra Vram farm had several children born after Rasmus’ birth in 1720, including the birth of Pär in 1732.⁷

By now, the family had moved to Böketofta farm in Kågeröd. This is also where Gudmund died on 27 February 1771.⁸

Before moving from one parish to another, Rasmus Gudmundson of Norra Vram parish would have met with his parish priest to receive a moving certificate. This certificate would testify that the family was of good standing with the church, had no criminal record, and could provide for themselves or had someone in their new parish who could provide for them. It was essential to prove that they wouldn’t be a burden on their new parish. These certificates often included detailed information about each member of the family. However, no such certificate was found for Gudmund Rasmusson’s family of Södra Vram.

With the information from tax and church records in hand, it’s time to create a timeline to see how the information fits together.

Viewing the different events in both Gudmund’s lives, it seems clear that we are indeed talking about two different families with a head of household named Gudmund Rasmusson and a son named Rasmus Gudmundsson. One family lived on Bensige farm in Kågeröd, while the other family started out on Södra Vram farm in Vram before moving to Böketofta farm in Kågeröd.

In part four, we will continue our research of Rasmus and answer the second question: Which of the two Rasmus married the two Hannas and died in Kågeröd in 1773?

 

To receive 15% off a Scandinavian research project, by our Scandinavian research expert, contact us here and mention coupon code SCNBLOG23.

1. Svenska kyrkan, “Kågeröd parish, (M) CI:3 1773-1790,” page 2, Rasmus Gudmundsson, 27 February 1773; digital images, ArkivDigital (app.arkivdigital.se : accessed 27 April 2023).
2. Svenska kyrkan, “Kågeröd (M) Cl:1 1689-1726,” p. 126, Rasmus, 23 March 1718, ArkivDigital (app.arkivdigital.se : accessed 28 January 2022).
3. Svenska kyrkan, “Norra Vram (L, M) Cl:1 1690-1748,” p. 22, Rasmus, 6 March 1720, ArkivDigital (app.arkivdigital.se : accessed 28 January 2022).
4. ”Kågeröd parish, Malmöhus, Sweden Genealogy,” guide to Kågeröd Parish; webpage, FamilySearch Wiki (FamilySearch.org : accessed 26 September 2023). Also, ”Norra Vram parish, Malmöhus, Sweden Genealogy,” guide to Norra Vram Parish; webpage, FamilySearch Wiki (FamilySearch.org : accessed 26 September 2023).
5. ”Kågeröd parish, Malmöhus, Sweden Genealogy,” guide to Kågeröd Parish; webpage, FamilySearch Wiki (FamilySearch.org : accessed 26 September 2023). Also, ”Norra Vram parish, Malmöhus, Sweden Genealogy,” guide to Norra Vram Parish; webpage, FamilySearch Wiki (FamilySearch.org : accessed 26 September 2023).
6. Svenska kyrkan, “Kågeröd (M) Cl:2 1726-1772,” p. 12, Gudmund Rasmuson, 19 October 1730, ArkivDigital (app.arkivdigital.se : accessed 4 February 2022).
7. Svenska kyrkan, “Kågeröd (M) Cl:2 1726-1772,” p. 17, Pär, 20 November 1732, ArkivDigital (app.arkivdigital.se : accessed 28 January 2022).
8. Svenska kyrkan, “Kågeröd (M) Cl:2 1726-1772,” p. 174, Gudmund, 27 February 1771, ArkivDigital (app.arkivdigital.se : accessed 28 January 2022).