Late 1700’s Birth Record Example

Below is a birth record from the year 1789 in the parish of Farhult in the county of Malmöhus County. Below the image you will find a transcription and a translation. In this record, the baptismal date is noted in the left side and the birth date is embedded in the text. The baptismal date is the 25th of February and the birth date is the 21st of the same month. In some of the early birth records, only the baptismal date is noted. The child’s name, Swen, is noted in two places: left side and underlined in text.

Farhult CI:2 (1784-1823) Bild 17 / sid 11 (AID: v109944.b17.s11, NAD: SE/LLA/13079)

1789

d:25 Februarii   Swen 30	döptes husmannen Gunnar Nilssons och des hustru Toren Pehrs doters pilte barn i Gategårdshus, som föddes d:21 huius och kallades Swen. Susept: Bengt Gudmundson hust: Boel Sånas doter i Döinge, Test: dräng Pehr Jeppson i Gummestorp, drängen Jöns Jönsson i Gatugården, pigan Tören Bengts doter i Gummestorp, pigan Ingar Nils doter i Wiakiöp.
25 February (Baptism Date)   Swen (Child's Name) 30 (Mother's Age)	Christened - Crofter Gunnar Nilsson and his wife Toren Pehrsdoter’s male child from Gategårdshus who was born on the 21st of the same month and named, Swen, Godparents: Bengt Gudmansson, Wife Boel Sånasdoter from Döinge; witnesses: farmhand Pehr Jeppson from Gummestorp, farmhand Jöns Jönson in Gatugården, young maid Tören Bengtsdoter from Gummestorp, young maid Ingar Nilsdoter from Wiakiöp.

This minister’s style for recording births was to note the baptismal date, child’s name and mother’s age on the left side. The content order within the text is father’s name, mother’s name, residence, birth date, child’s name, godparents and baptismal witnesses. The godparents and witnesses titles and residences were recorded. It is recommended to look at the names of the godparents and witnesses because many times they are related to the family and these can be helpful in your research.

Below is a table of Swedish and Latin words found in this birth record.

BARN	CHILD
Des (dess)	His
Dräng	Farmhand
Döptes	Christened
Föddes	Born
Husman	Head of household
Hust. (Hustru)	Wife
i	at
Kallades	Named
och	and
Piga	Maid
som	Who, which, that
Susept:	Godparents - abbreviation for susceptors (Latin)
Test. (Testes)	Witness at baptism - testes is Latin