Take Me Home – Locating Your Ancestor’s Birthplace

 

Several million people have immigrated to the U.S. over the last couple of centuries, or so. Most came with hopes of improving their lives, some came for the adventure of the unknown, and some came to hide. Once here, many did their best to fit into their new society, including Americanizing their names. As time passed, memories faded, and birthdates, ages, and immigration years might have started to vary in the records. With all these changes over time, how do we trace our ancestors back to their birth family?

In this blog, we will follow Mathilda Nelson, a Swedish immigrant, through the various records that led back to her parents. Initial information stated that Mathilda A. Nelson was born on 14 March 1879 in Sweden, married Carl Gustav Henrik Stabenfeldt on 1 January 1904 in New Jersey, and died on 8 November 1973 in Middlesex, Massachusetts.¹

Name-changes

First, let’s talk about name changes. Immigrants generally didn’t change their names during the travel, nor did immigration personnel change their names. The name they entered into the passenger register was the same name they arrived with in the U.S. However, if they were illiterate, the spelling of their name might vary a bit from the spelling in their birth records. Nevertheless, they could have changed their name before leaving, or, more commonly, they changed their name after arrival to fit in, stand out, or make it easier for Americans.

To fit in: Pronunciation of European names could be difficult for Americans, and many chose English names that were similar to their original names. Anders and Andreas became Andrew, Maria became Mary, Johan and Johannes became John, and so on. This could also affect last names, or patronymics, and, for example, Johannessen became Johnson. Nicknames were also common, for example, Tilly for Mathilda, and were often reflected in census records and baptismal records, but rarely in military and social security records.

To stand out: Due to the patronymic naming system in Scandinavia and the tradition of naming children after their grandparents, Scandinavian records are teeming with names like Ole Hansen, Hans Olsen, Erik Larsen, and Lars Eriksen. To separate themselves from all the other individuals with the same name, some chose to add the name of their farm to their patronymic, or completely replace the patronymic. The change from patronymic to farm name could happen before leaving their birth country or after arriving in the U.S. At times, a farm name was translated into English, and the farm name ‘Skog’ became ‘Forrest.’ If a farm name was very long, they might have cut off the ending to make it more manageable, like Skogvassli becoming Skogwass. Very few took on an occupational last name, but when they did, it was commonly translated into English, such as Smed becoming Smith.

To hide: Although the majority of immigrants came to improve their situation, some came to escape crimes or issues in their home country. To avoid being found or recognized by authorities, they changed their name. Many stuck with a first name similar to their own, while changing their last name. Tracing these individuals back to their birth families can be very difficult, as they purposely didn’t leave too many clues behind from their past.

Mathilda was consistently referred to as Mathilda or Matilda in all records. Her last name varied in spelling between Nelson, Nilson, and Nilsson.

In another family, not related to Mathilda, four siblings emigrated to the United States. They all chose their own variations of last names.

1. Thilda Oline Sivertsdatter was born on Solberg farm, but grew up on Lillehei farm. At the time of her 1906 emigration, she went by Thilde Lillehei. When she married in 1908, she called herself Thilde Oline Solberg. In the census records and on her death certificate, she was referred to as Tillie.
2. Johan Selmer Sivertsen never officially emigrated, but traveled back and forth between Norway and the U.S. He was born on Solberg farm shortly before the family moved to Lillehei farm. In Norway, he went by Johan Selmer Lillehei, while in the U.S., he went by John Solberg.
3. Sofie Sivertsdatter was born on Lillehei farm and used Lillehei as her surname when emigrating to the U.S. in 1910. When she married in 1912, she assumed Solberg as her last name, though she had never lived on Solberg farm.
4. Trygve Severin Sivertsen was born on Lillehei farm. When he emigrated in 1924, he used the dialect version of Lillehei and recorded his name as Trygve Litlehei. He was included in the 1925 North Dakota state census as Trygoe Littlehi (a clear example of the Norwegian accent affecting the spelling of his name). Trygve later returned to an Americanized spelling of his patronymic, Severtson.

 

Research in the U.S.

The first step is to gather as much information as possible from U.S. records. Though many official records are lacking in details, the combination of all the different records adds little snippets here and there, which together can provide enough information to locate a person in their country of origin. The more information one can gather on an immigrant in the U.S., the higher the likelihood of finding their birth and parentage in their country of origin.

Obituaries

Obituaries can contain a wealth of information and be very helpful in adding details to a person’s life and family. The obituary typically includes a person’s full name, including their maiden name, birth and death dates and locations, names of parents, siblings, spouse, children, and grandchildren – possibly even great-grandchildren. For a first-generation immigrant, the obituary can also include siblings still living in their country of origin and immigration information. Additionally, the obituary can include information regarding the deceased’s religious affiliation, as well as clubs or organizations they belonged to – all of which can provide clues about their background and heritage. Though this information may or may not be entirely accurate, depending on how well the author(s) knew the deceased, it can provide details not available in official records.

Mathilda didn’t have a full obituary, but rather a sparsely written death notice. It contained her full name, including her maiden name, her spouse’s name, her children’s names, her date of death, and her service information. No mention of her origin, immigration, parents, or siblings.²

Death Certificates

Death certificates have numerous fields for the informant and the doctor to complete. The information includes a full name, including the maiden name, detailed birth, residency, and death information, as well as the names of the spouse and parents, and the cause of death. Notably, most of this information is only as accurate as the informant’s knowledge. Birth location can be detailed or just a country; parents’ names can be fully or partially missing, or they can be incorrect, as many children, who often serve as informants, didn’t know their overseas grandparents.

Mathilda died in 1973, recent enough that her death certificate wasn’t available online. She lived and died in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, and her death certificate can be ordered from the county clerk. Depending on the knowledge of her children, it might include a detailed birth location and her parents’ names. This would have been on top of the priority list had we not solved the case through other records.

Social Security Information

The commonly used Social Security Death Index (SSDI) provides birth and death dates, a Social Security number, when and where the Social Security card was issued, and the deceased’s last known residence. The person themselves likely provided the birthdate as they applied, and is a firsthand source for the birth date. Other information, like the Social Security Number, is helpful when applying for a copy of the SS-5

The original Social Security Application (SS-5) will likely include details not available online, like the Applicant’s parents. Unfortunately, the application only asks for an immigrant’s country of birth, so the exact birth location will likely not be included. But having the names of parents can allow us to locate the family in a census record in the applicant’s birth country.

The SSDI for Mathilda Stabenfeldt stated that she was born on 14 March 1879.³ This information was likely provided by Mathilda herself and corroborates the known information and the 1900 census. The SS-5 will likely include Mathilda’s parents’ names and would have been an important document to obtain.

Census Records

Anyone involved in genealogy knows how important census records are in the research. Depending on the year of the census, the amount of helpful information for locating a person’s origin can vary. The table below displays which useful information was included in each census record.

Name, age, and birth country are included in every census. The age gives a calculated birth year, which can be compared for consistency with birth information in other records. The 1900 census was the only census to ask for an exact birth month and year, which makes this census especially valuable if available for your ancestor. The 1890 and 1900 census records ask for how many years an immigrant had lived in the U.S., while the 1900, 1910, 1920, and 1930 censuses ask for the exact immigration year. This is very helpful when trying to locate an immigrant’s ship records. Every available census since 1890 asked if the immigrants had naturalized, but only the 1920 census asked which year the naturalization was finalized. As discussed later, the naturalization records can include vital information regarding an immigrant’s origins. One often overlooked piece of information was included in the 1910, 1930, 1940, and 1950 census records – whether the immigrant had participated in any U.S. wars. This will be discussed later.

Information in the census records can vary significantly from one census to another. Inconsistencies could depend on the informant, whether it was a close family member, a visitor, or a neighbor who informed the census taker. Other inconsistencies were due to vanity, wanting to appear younger, or simply forgetting. Another issue could be the language barrier. The census taker could easily misunderstand an immigrant with a strong accent. However, the general consensus is that the earlier a census is in a person’s life, the more likely it is to be accurate.

Mathilda appeared in several U.S. census records. Though there were some inconsistencies in the recordings, the information proved helpful when locating Mathilda’s birth.

• The 1900 birth date of March 1879 matches the known information regarding Mathilda. Her age remains consistent until 1930, when slight variations begin to appear.
• Her birth country is consistent, but unfortunately, none of the censuses provides more than just the country of Sweden.
• Mathilda’s immigration year was unknown to the informant in 1900, indicating that the informant knew her well enough to know her birth month and year, but not when she arrived. Likely, Mathilda didn’t provide the information. In 1910 and 1920, her recorded immigration year was 1894, while in 1940 it was 1892. 1894 seems more likely, both because it was repeated and because it was the earliest recorded year.
• Mathilda’s naturalization status was also unknown to the informant in 1900, while the 1910 census stated that she naturalized in 1903.
• The 1910 census indicated a marriage in 1903, while her marriage age in 1930 indicated a marriage in 1904.

Naturalization Record

To naturalize, an immigrant had to have lived in the U.S. for at least five years. Depending on when the immigrant naturalized, naturalization records can be a gold mine. The Naturalization Act of 1906 required the applicant to provide very detailed information.

• Name, age, and occupation
• Description, like color, complexion, height, weight, color of hair and eyes, and any visible distinctive marks
• Birthplace: most were detailed, though some might choose only to include the country
• Birthdate
• Departure port, ship name, arrival port, and date
• Some applications might include a photo of the applicant.

The applicant would have provided all this information, and it is likely to be very accurate. However, if someone applied for naturalization prior to 1906, the document generally only included the immigrant’s name and their country of origin. Pre-1906 naturalization records are, unfortunately, usually not very helpful.

According to the 1910 census, Mathilda naturalized in 1903, nine to eleven years after arriving in the U.S. (according to the 1910, 1920, and 1930 census records).  Any naturalization records would likely contain very little information regarding Mathilda and probably no new information that could lead us to her birthplace. A quick search for her naturalization using her name, birthdate, and Sweden as her birth country yielded no results in U.S. and Massachusetts State naturalization records.

Marriage Record

Depending on the state and the time period, marriage records might include some key information regarding an immigrant. The officiator might have recorded a full name, including middle names, a birth date, or at least an age, and on rare occasions, the names of the groom’s and bride’s parents.

The census records indicated that Mathilda and Carl married in 1903 or 1904. The client information stated that they married in 1904. Mathilda lived in Boston, Massachusetts, in 1900, while the couple resided in Newton, Massachusetts, in 1910. Although a marriage in Massachusetts seemed logical, that is not where the couple married. A 1904 marriage index for New Jersey included Carl Stabenfeldt and Matilda Nelson.⁴ Carl’s uncommon last name reassures that this is the correct couple despite the unexpected location. The index omitted everything except their first and last names and the year of their marriage. However, the file number (40 321) is a start for locating the original record in the New Jersey State Archives. Since this document is less likely to include the parents’ names, it would be further down on the list of original documents to order to solve this case.

Military Records

A frequently underutilized source for immigration searches is military records. Depending on the war in which someone participated, military records can include the veteran’s full name, birthdate, detailed birth location, and the names of their parents. This information was likely recorded directly from the individual at the time they signed up or were drafted and would generally be very accurate.

Of course, these records generally don’t include women. The only entry for Mathilda was her son, Charles’s WWII draft card, on which Mathilda was listed as the person who would always know his address.⁵

Church Records

Most Scandinavians belonged to the Lutheran Church and would seek out like-minded Scandinavians when they arrived in the United States. Church sermons were often conducted in one of the Scandinavian languages, which helped make the immigrants feel at home. People would marry in the Lutheran Church, have their children christened there as infants, and often arrange their burial services through the church. These records can be rich in genealogical information, including full names, maiden names, ages or birth dates, detailed birth locations, and the names of parents. At a child’s christening, close relatives were often asked to be the witnesses. These could be parents, siblings, aunts, and uncles living nearby. Having the names of other family members can be invaluable when seeking to locate someone in their country of origin.

Mathilda was in Boston, Massachusetts, in 1900 according to the census.⁶ The area was likely to have had one or several Lutheran churches, as Boston was one of the main ports of entry for Europeans. Searching the Swedish-American Church Records for Mathilda Nelson, born 14 March 1879, yielded 618 results; many without a birthdate or just a partial birthdate. Changing the search parameters to Mathilda Nilsson, a common spelling of Mathilda’s last name, brought up 567 hits. However, at the very top of the list was Mathilda Andrietta Nilsson, born on 14 March 1879.⁷ Previous research had indicated that her middle name started with an “A,” although she was also registered in the 1910 census record as Mathilda H.

This church register stated that Mathilda Andrietta Nilsson, born on 14 March 1879 in Warberg Parish in Halland, Sweden, arrived in the U.S. in 1894 and joined the congregation on 7 October 1894.⁸ She left the parish on 31 December 1900. The record didn’t mention where she was going. This lead seemed very promising. The recorded middle name would prove very useful in later research.

Ship Manifests

A ship manifest can include many important details regarding an immigrant. As with naturalization records, older records are generally less detailed than newer ones. All records include the immigrant’s name, age, country of origin, destination, and details about the ship. However, some newer records may include the name and address of the contact person in the U.S., the name and location of a relative in the country of origin, a more detailed birth location, and other interesting details. Knowing the ship’s name can assist in locating emigration records in the country of origin, which might contain more detailed information regarding the emigrant.

The 1910 and 1920 U.S. census records stated that Mathilda had arrived in 1894, while the 1930 census had her arrival in 1892.⁹ Living in Boston in 1900, it seemed likely that Mathilda arrived in Boston, or possibly New York. Starting the search in 1894, Mathilda A. Nilson arrived in New York from Gothenburg, Sweden, on board the Virginia on 24 August 1894.¹⁰ She was 16 years old, giving a calculated birth year of 1878. The age is slightly off compared to the expected age of 15, but not enough to raise concern.

Using the ship name, arrival date, and departure port, the Swedish emigration records were located. Virginia left Gothenburg on 10 August 1894.¹¹ On board was Matilda A. Nilson, age 16, of Warberg. She was listed travelling together with Berta E. Anderson, John E. Anderson, and Anders E. Anderson, all of Warberg. The latter three might be family members or possibly neighbors from the same parish as Matilda.

With a parish, full name, and birthdate, it was time to head back to Sweden to locate Mathilda in the Swedish records.

Mathilda in Sweden

Before tracing Mathilda in the U.S., an initial search in the Swedish household examination at ArkivDigital for Matilda/Mathilda Nelson/Nilson, born 14 March 1879, yielded zero results. Matilda Nilsson had 14 hits, but none with a middle name starting with A or H. The majority of these people were located in Sweden after 1894 and couldn’t be “our” Mathilda. Since most children were listed without a last name or patronymic in the household examination records, this would likely be the case for Mathilda. Searching for just ‘Mathilda’, born 14 March 1879, yielded 283 hits, while changing the name to ‘Matilda’ (without the ‘h’ in the middle) resulted in 595 hits. Clearly, going directly to the Swedish records was not going to solve the case.

With information from the Swedish-American Lutheran church records and the Swedish emigration records, the attention turned to Swedish christening records.

Both the church and the Swedish emigration records stated that Mathilda was born in Warberg parish.¹² The church record also included the county of Halland. The Varberg (slightly different spelling) included Mathilda Andrietta, born on 14 March 1879, to Pet. Nilsson and his wife, Albertina Olivia Hansson.¹³ She was their fifth child. Having Mathilda’s middle name, Andrietta, a rather rare name, helped ensure we had the correct individual.

As a last precaution, the research followed Mathilda and her family through household examination records every year until a note in the 1889-1895 household examination stated that Mathilda, on 20 July 1894, had received a moving certificate from the priest, and she was going to America. ¹⁴ In many countries, the church was responsible for taking care of anyone who couldn’t care for themselves. The priest in a person’s new parish would demand a certificate from the priest in the old parish stating that the person wouldn’t become a burden in their new parish. Though Mathilda was going to America, and not a different Swedish parish, she still needed to receive this certificate from her parish priest.

Over the next month, Mathilda travelled the 48 miles to Gothenburg, where she entered the Virginia heading for her new life in the U.S.

Family, Associates, and Neighbors (FAN)

One research method not used in this case, but that often helps in other cases, is examining neighbors in census records, travel companions in emigration and immigration records, witnesses at marriages and baptisms, etc. People often traveled in groups, either with family members or neighbors from their hometown parish. If one cannot find enough information regarding one’s ancestor to trace them back to their birth location, perhaps there is enough information on another person who was close to the ancestor to follow them back to their hometown, where one might also find the ancestor.

Conclusion

The goal was to locate Mathilda A Nelson’s birth location and her parents. Combining information from many different U.S. records led us in the right direction.

• The death notice verified Mathilda’s name, including her maiden name of Nelson.
• The Social Security Death Index verified her birthdate as 14 March 1879.
• Census records corroborated her birth information and provided her year of immigration as 1894.
• The 1894 ship record stated that Mathilda’s home parish in Sweden was Warberg
• The American-Swedish Lutheran church record corroborated her home parish and provided her middle name as Andrietta.

 

Mathilda Andrietta Nilsson was born on 14 March 1879 in Varberg, Halland, Sweden, to Peter Nilsson and Albertina Olivia Hansson, and left for America in 1894.

1. Client-provided information, unverified.
2. Boston Herald American, (Boston, Massachussetts), 10 November 1973, page 26, column 8, death notice for Stabelfeldt, Matilda A (Nelson), 8 November 1973; online index and image, FamilySearch (Familysearch.org : accessed 13 May 2025); citing Genealogybank, “Newspaper Obituaries, 1815-2013.”
3. U.S., Social Security Death Index, 1935-2014,” entry for Mathilda Stabenfeldt, SSN 019-40-3818, issued in Massachusetts 1965-66; online index, Ancestry (Ancestry.com : accessed 19 May 2025).
4. New Jersey, U.S., Marriage Index, 1901-2016, “Bride Indec 1904-1909,” entry for Nelson, Matilda, and Stabenfeldt, Carl, file 40 321, 1904; online index, Ancestry (Ancestry.com : accessed 16 May 2025); citing New Jersey State Archives, Trenton, New Jersey.
5. U.S. World War II Cards Young Men, 1940-1947, Massachusetts, serial # 3392, order # 2014 for Charles Stabenfeldt, 16 October 1940; online index and image, Ancestry (Ancestry.com : accessed 16 May 2025); citing the National Archives at St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri.
6. 1900 U.S. Census, Boston, Suffolk, Massachusetts, United States, ED 1298, sheet 4A, line 39, 29 Yarmouth, Matilda Nelson, 6 June 1900; index and images, Ancestry (Ancestry.com : accessed 16 May 2025); citing NARA, Washington, D.C.
7. U.S., Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Swedish American Church Records, 1800-1947, Emanuel Lutheran Church, Roxbury, Massachusetts, page 198, # 506, entry for Mathilda Andrietta Nilsson; online index and image, Ancestry (Ancestry.com : accessed 29 May 2025); citing the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America; Elk Grove Village, IL
8. Ibid
9. 1910 U.S. Census, Newton, Middlesex, Massachusetts, United States, ED 788, sheet 9B, line 72, 26 Yorktown, Matilda H [Stabenfeldt], 21 April 1910; index and images, FamilySearch (FamilySearch.org : accessed 16 May 2025); citing NARA, Washington, D.C. AND 1920 U.S. Census, Cambridge, Middlesex, Massachusetts, United States, ED 97, sheet 28A, line 43, 149 Feyerweather Street, Matilda [Stabenfeldt], 9 April 1920; index and images, FamilySearch (FamilySearch.org : accessed 16 May 2025); citing NARA, Washington, D.C. AND1930 U.S. Census, Cambridge, Middlesex, Massachusetts, United States, ED 9-62, sheet 16A, line 37, 1 Malcolm Road, Matilda [Stabenfeldt], 10 April 1930; index and images, FamilySearch (FamilySearch.org : accessed 16 May 2025); citing NARA, Washington, D.C.
10. New York, U.S., Arriving Passenger and Crew Lists (including Castle Garden and Ellis Island), 1820-1957, onboard Virginia, arriving at Ellis Island 24 August 1894, passenger # 399, Matilda A. Nilson; online index and image, Ancestry (Ancestry.com : accessed 19 May 2025); citing the National Archives in Washington, DC.
11. Emigration Registers, 1869-1948, from Gothenburg, 1894, page 135, family # 2433, Matilda A. Nilson; online index and image, Ancestry (Ancestry.com : accessed 19 May 2025); citing ArkivDigital.se, Utvandrarlistor.
12. U.S., Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Swedish American Church Records, 1800-1947, Emanuel Lutheran Church, Roxbury, Massachusetts, page 198, # 506, entry for Mathilda Andrietta Nilsson; online index and image, Ancestry (Ancestry.com : accessed 29 May 2025); citing the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America; Elk Grove Village, IL. AND Emigration Registers, 1869-1948, from Gothenburg, 1894, page 135, family # 2433, Matilda A. Nilson; online index and image, Ancestry (Ancestry.com : accessed 19 May 2025); citing ArkivDigital.se, Utvandrarlistor.
13. Svenska kyrkan, Varbergs stadsförsamling (parish), Halland County, CI:9 1870-1893, page 111, # 22, entry for Mathilda Andrietta, 14 March 1879; online image, Arkivdigital (Arkivdigital.se : accessed 29 May 2025).
14. “Husförhörslängd (Household examinations),” Varbergs stadsförsamling (parish), Halland County, AI:21 1889-1895, p. 289, entry for Mathilda Andrietta; digital images, ArkivDigital (app.arkivdigital.se : accessed 29 May 2025).