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"Elsborg" Sweden?

I am in need of some help! I have been researching my GGG grandparents Carl Johan Carlson and Anna Karina Bjorgum for several years now. I have been able to find information on my grandmother from Norway, but have struggled with tracing my grandfather from Sweden. Every record I have or find for him seems to have a different date or place!

I was able to come across a marriage record for them from the Norway Digital Archives in the Church books of St. Jorgens hospital parish 1897-1886. This record listed Carl's birthplace as "Flaskum i Elfsborg Lehn". I also found an emigration record from Bergen 1874-1930 listing his birthplace as "Elfsborgs Laen i Sverige". I've tried to find this place on a map, and the closest thing that I could find was "Alvsborg, Sweden." So, I joined this group in the hopes that someone could maybe help me know where this place is? Was there a mistake in the spelling by the clerks and "Alvsborg" is the correct spelling or is there a place called "Elfsborg" in Sweden? (I apologize that I don't know how to write with the Swedish alphabet!)

I am looking for a Carl Johan Carlson who was born in Sweden. I've found two records with his birthplace listed as Elfsborg and I have a personal narrative from their daughter that says he was born in Stockholm, Sweden. His birthdate is listed as approx. 1853-55. I have one record listing a his father as Carl Andersen. (I know patronymics was used in Sweden, which makes it harder for me to trace because of my lack of understanding!) He was listed as an "Arbeider" on his emigration record and a stone mason in the family narrative. At some point he traveled to Norway and met my GGG grandmother. (When I look at a map of Sweden, I think that traveling to Bjorgan, Norway would have been more likely from Alvsborg than Stockholm, another reason I joined this group.) He married Anna Karina Andersdatter in 1884 in Bergen, Norway and traveled to the United States in 1887 from Bergen.

If anyone could help me with ANY bit of information to fill in my lack of knowledge, I would sincerely appreciate it!

Thanks!

~Sarah Bell

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Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Lynne Benson Polansky on July 23, 2015 at 9:19am

Sarah, Alvsborg county used to be called Elfsborg, now it's called Vastra Gotaland. It's all the same. I understand your frustration. I also have a relative named Carl Carlson from Holm, Alvsborg who immigrated to America but trying to find him is like trying to find a needle in a haystack ! There are a million Carlsons. Good luck. Lynne

Permalink Reply by Yvonne Henriksson on July 23, 2015 at 9:32am

Hi Lynne,

What birthdate have your ancestor Carl Carlson?

Do you know about when he emigrated?

// Yvonne

Permalink Reply by Lynne Benson Polansky on July 23, 2015 at 11:11am

Hi Yvonne, My gggrandfather and several of his brothers emmigrated to Duluth Minnesota between 1881 and 1888. Carl Fredrik Carlsson b. 14 Sept 1869, emmigrated 13 Apr 1888, August b. 3 Apr 1857 emmigrated 1881, Gustaf b. 10 Dec 1864, emmigrated 1887 and I think married Wilhelmina Johnson and they lived in Evansville, Minn. and my gggrandfather was Jan Jakob b. 1 Oct 1844 and I cannot find any records of him after he emmigrated in 1881. They were all from Nordkarr, Holm, Alvsborg. Thanks for any help you can give me. Lynne

Permalink Reply by Yvonne Henriksson on July 24, 2015 at 3:28am

Lynne!

If you would like to give me your email address, I could send you more info, it is easier that way.

Permalink Reply by Lynne Benson Polansky on July 24, 2015 at 6:26am

Yvonne, my email is lpolansky1@optonline.net. thanks!

Permalink Reply by Sarah Bell on July 23, 2015 at 1:46pm

Lynne,

Thank you for the clarification on Alvsborg/Elfsborg! I've been working on this line for years it seems like and haven't had any luck. Every Carl Carlson that I stumble upon has a different birth year or place, etc. And there are millions of them out there! :)

~Sarah

Permalink Reply by Yvonne Henriksson on July 23, 2015 at 9:28am

Hi Sarah,

What are the two records you found, that list his birthplace as Elfsborg?
Were did they live in USA?

Have you seen his death certificate, maybe there are some info..?

He is called Carlson, so it can be very reasonable that his father`s name was : "Carl" = Carl`s son = Carlson.

I found one person: Karl Johan Karsson, (Carl Johan Carlsson) born april 10, 1853

in Frändefors, Älvsborgs län (Dalsland)

Emigrated 3/30/1876
from Säter, Ör, Älvsborgs län (Dalsland)
to Drammen, Buskerud fylke, Norge

Country of destination: Norge

Could this be your ancestor...?

// Yvonne

Permalink Reply by Sarah Bell on July 23, 2015 at 1:42pm

Thank you for your help Yvonne!

I have a marriage record and an emigration from Bergen, Norway that list Carl's birthplace as Elfsborg. His birth year is listed as 1855 on the emigration record. His birth year isn't listed on his marriage record. (The family narrative I have from his daughter says that he was 10 years older than his wife, Anna Karine and her birth year is listed on the marriage record as 1863.)

His father's name, Carl Andersen, is listed only on the marriage record that I found.

In the US they lived in Elgin, Nebraska. He is buried in the West Cedar Valley Cemetery in Elgin and the birthdate on his headstone is June 24, 1854. They did have family in Iowa from what I've read/researched.

Permalink Reply by Yvonne Henriksson on July 24, 2015 at 3:27am

Sarah!

If you would like to give me your email address, so I could send you more info, it is easier that way.

Permalink Reply by Sarah Bell on July 24, 2015 at 7:17am

Thanks! My email is bensarahbell@Hotmail.com.

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