By parish, Värmland

[Stephanie]

I am looking for information about By parish, Värmland.  I know that it is no longer a parish.  I would like to get a better idea of where it was, what the main cities or towns were, and anything else about what the makeup of the parish was.  Thank you.

[Carl-Johan Ivarsson]

Hi Stephanie:
By parish is the area around the present city of Säffle. It has existed as a parish since the 12th century. By parish had some big farms/manors like Krokstad, Säffle, Sund, Bäck, Norra and Södra Skane and Sjögerås, as well as several hamlets.  
Säffle has always been an important location, because of the bridge over Byälven river. The rapids at the bridge had always been a problem for sailing up the river, and a canal was opened here in 1837.
The canal, and the railroad from Göteborg to Gävle passing through Säffle (opened in 1879) promoted the growth of Säffle. Several industries, including the Billerud papermill started and Säffle was groving rapidly. Säffle became a köping (town) in 1882 and was made a parish in its own right in 1911.
Parts of By parish was incorporated into Säffle. In 1943 all of the old By parish was incorporated.
Säffle became a city in 1951 and is celebrating the 50th anniversary this year.
The old parish church at By was dedicated in 1779 and is still standing. There is also a modern church in Säffle from 1965 (lutheran) and several so called free churches.
The present-day population of Säffle and By is around 11,000.
I live in Kila parish, close to Säffle.

[Stephanie]

Hej Carl-Johan!
 
Tack så mycket!  That's exactly the kind of information I was looking for!
 
Where is the old parish church at By located?  I will be visiting Sweden, and I am looking for places my ancestors would have been.  
 
Is there some place in the area called Wäserud or Wålerud (Väserud or Vålerud) or something that might look like that?  That was written under socken in a church record in the US, but there isn't a socken with that name.  I thought it might be the name of a hamlet or farm or something.  It's not in Väse parish, that is the area I was researching for awhile before being certain it was the wrong parish.
 
I have some more research to do before I am certain I have the right person and parish, but my evidence is pretty strong that By is the correct parish.

[Jöran Johansson]

Valerud is a farm in Säffle municipality. That seems to be the only name which is similar to your names.
Jöran Johansson

[Stephanie]

Hej Jöran!
 
Tack så mycket!  It looks like the pieces may be falling into place.  When I the By parish records come in, hopefully I will find the family on that farm and if the people and dates that I know match up, I think I will have found my family members!
 
Jöran, you have helped me again.  You helped me with Tranebotorp in Kalmar.  Again, TACK SÅ MYCKET!!!

[Carl-Johan Ivarsson]

Well, Stephanie. I don't think that Jöran is right on Valerud. I am certain that there is no farm with that name Valerud in the Säffle area. I have seen your discussions around Väse.
However, there is one Våle in By parish, and another one in Södra Ny.
It has also struck me that it might be [color=0000ff]Ölserud[/color] parish. That parish is on the Värmlandsnäs peninsula, south of By and Botilsäter. There is a chance that the first letters had been misinterpreted in America by people that had no idea of å, ä and ö.
The parish church of By is just 2 km south of Säffle.
If you want to give me some more details on your ancestors I might be able to help you searching in the Säffle area. We have established a network of genealogists in Säffle, to help Americans finding their roots here. You can send me names and dates by e-mail. cj.ivarsson@telia.com

[Jöran Johansson]

I have to be a little obstinate.  
 
According to Svenska ortnamn (Swedish Place names) there is just one Valerud in Sweden and it's a farm located about 3.8 km WNW of Säffle. There is no Väserud/Wäserud in Sweden.  
 
In Säffle municipality there are 171 place names ending with -rud and no similar to the names you mentioned except Valerud. Valdersrud is the second best suggestion if we stay within Säffle borders. But that's how it is today and it doesn't exclude an other situation in the 1800's.

[Carl-Johan Ivarsson]

It's OK, Jöran. Your term farm confused me. I never thought of that Valerud as a possible farm. Valerud exists, but it is just a soldier's cottage (soldattorp) for the hamlet of Valnäs in Tveta parish. I never thought that Svenska ortnamn would be so detailed... It is still standing as a summer-home. I have been there. But the name Valerud is never mentioned in the older records - the name of the soldier at Valnäs was Val or Wahl and his home was therefore called Valerud after the local tradition.
But - I don't think that the name Valerud that Stephanie is looking for would refer to Valerud at Valnäs in Tveta parish, near Säffle. But we need to check Tveta church records before we can be totally sure.

[Gunnar Jonsson]

About Valerud.
That is a soldier cottage in Tveta parish, and have probably never been mentioned with that name in the churchrecords.
 
But there is a cottage named Vålerud in S Ny parish. And sometime it would be difficult to separate the names By and Ny in the records. Vålerud belonged to the farm Grorud in S Ny, but have now been bought to the farm Rördalen.

[Stephanie]

Thank you Carl-Johan, Jöran, and Gunnar.  All of the information is welcomed, the more the merrier.
 
The lead I am following came from By parish records.  The information I have from the US is sketchy and some of it is conflicting, so I have followed leads to a couple of different parishes looking for my greatgrandfather.
 
The Wålerud (or something like that) came from a church record book in Minnesota, and Wålerud, Wermland under Socken och län.  It is not a socken, so I am not sure exactly what it is or where it is.  Ny looks like another good place to search.
 
Any other information or suggestion would be greatly appreciated.
 
Stephanie

[Tami]

Hello, I'm looking for help trying trace origins of family of Holmstroms. They are suppose to come from Ragvaldtjarn, Grasmark prish, Varmland, Sweden. What this mean? Can I find this place on a present day map of Sweden?

[Carl-Johan Ivarsson]

Hi Tami!
The place you are looking for would be the village of Ragvaldstjärn of Gräsmark parish in Värmland. Gräsmark is situated about 100 km north of Karlstad, quite close to the Norway border.  
The province of Värmland is north of Lake Vänern. I guess that you would be able to find places like Karlstad on a decent map, as well as Sunne. Gräsmark is quite close to Sunne.

[Stephanie Carson Feldman]

Hej Tami!
Go to this site:  http://www.lantmateriet.se/ksindex_eng.htm  and type in Ragvaldstjärn under search.  When the map changes hit display.  You have to get a little more close up to see your village.