Whaling Ships from Sweden 1890-1900

[Rosalie Enstrom]

I would appreciate any information on whether there were whaling ships which operated from Sweden during these years.    If so what was the name of the shipping companies.
Many thanks
Rose

[Monica Svedberg]

Hi Rosalie,
Sweden had no whaling ships. Norway, with its Atlantic coast, was the whale nation of Scandinavia.  
Kind regards,
Monica

[Rosalie Enstrom]

Monica thank you very much for your information.  I have been trying to work out our grandfather's sailing history.   Our father always told us that Harry worked on the whaling ships but we have not been able to establish this.  According to the 1890 and 1900 Census he was classified as a sailor so we were wondering whether it could have been on a whaling vessel.  Pity we cannot ask him ourselves.  Once again, thank you
Rose

[Åke Bjurström]

Rosalie
 
Sailors worked on ships from different countries.
I guess that a swede on a whaling ship from Norway was not unusual.
 
Kind regards
Åke

[Åke Bjurström]

PS
Norway was in union with Sweden between 1814- 1905.
 
Åke

[Anna-Carin Betzén]

According to various internet sources, Swedish whaling did exist, though not nearly at the same scale as in Norway, Iceland or Great Britain. This Swedish page says that Swedish companies had been whaling in the Arctic from the mid 17th century. In the 18th century there were a number of Swedish whaling companies, often operating from Gothenburg (Swedish West coast), and that they were whaling between Spitsbergen and Northern Greenland.
 
Through a Swedish polar bibliography supplement on the same site, I found a lecture by Lisbeth Lewander: Svunna visioner - svensk valfångst (Disappeared visions - Swedish whaling). There, she mentions that AB Ishafvet, a company in Gothenburg, was whaling between Spitsbergen and Northern Greenland with the ships Vega and Capella. So, there's at least one company name. But as you've mentioned South African roots, I guess it's the Antarctic area you're interested in?
 
Lisbeth Lewander also says that in 1900 Swedish scientist Otto Nordenskjöld suggested an expedition to the Antarctic to explore the possibilities of whaling there too. The expedition took place in 1901-1903, they were shipwrecked and nearly perished. After that expedition, Norway and other countries started whaling in the Antarctic. She says that from 1904 until WWI a dramatic increase from practically no whaling in the Antarctic seas to a veritable mass extinction that would continue into the mid 1960s.
 
In short, it seems that the Antarctic whaling had barely started in the time frame you're asking about, and that when it started Sweden wasn't involved.

[Monica Svedberg]

Anna-Carin, thank you for very interesting information about Swedish whaling. I had missed that.  
But, Rosalie, as Åke says, many Swedish sailors worked on ships belonging to other countries. So did my grandfather.  
Good luck with your search.
 
Monica

[Rosalie Enstrom]

Thank you all for the very interesting information which you have taken the time to give me.   All this is so exciting and some day I may find out which ship our Grandfather Bror Emil Enstrom (also known as Harry) worked on.  Every little bit of information is most welcomed.
Sincerely,
Rose

[Jan Jutefors]

Rosalie,
 
Is it possibly this man?
 
Sveriges befolkning 1890
SVAR & DIGDATA 2003.
Name ; Born ; Parish of Birth ; Occupation ; Civil Status ; Parish of Living
Enström, Jonas Peter ; 1843 ; Målilla (Kalmar län, Småland) ; Bevakn.befälhaf. ; Gift man, far i familjen ; Landskrona (Malmöhus län, Skåne)/Slottsstaten
Lervonii, Emilia ; 1849 ; Gift kvinna, mor i familjen ; Landskrona (Malmöhus län, Skåne)/Slottsstaten  
Edith Esther Elisabeth ; 1872 ; Maria Magdalena (Stockholms stad, Uppland) ; Ogift kvinna, barn i familjen ; Landskrona (Malmöhus län, Skåne)/Slottsstaten
Bror Emil Hjalmar ; 1873 ; Maria Magdalena (Stockholms stad, Uppland) ; Sjöman ; Ogift man, barn i familjen ; Landskrona (Malmöhus län, Skåne)/Slottsstaten
Erik Leonard ; 1875 ; Maria Magdalena (Stockholms stad, Uppland) ; Ogift man, barn i familjen ; Landskrona (Malmöhus län, Skåne)/Slottsstaten
Signe Emilie ; 1879 ; Varberg (Hallands län, Halland) ; Flicka, barn i familjen ; Landskrona (Malmöhus län, Skåne)/Slottsstaten
Herta Alfhild ; 1884 ; Landskrona (Malmöhus län, Skåne) ; Flicka, barn i familjen ; Landskrona (Malmöhus län, Skåne)/Slottsstaten
 
They live at the same place at the year 1900.

[Jan Jutefors]

Rosalie,
 
I think the originally spelling for the surname of Emilia is Lewoni, and I think she was born or her parents was born in Poland.

[Rosalie Enstrom]

Jan,
Thank you for this information.  Have you any idea how I could find out about the birth and family of Emilia.   I have done no research of Polish genealogy.   The information was received with much interest.
Sincerely
Rose

[Jan Jutefors]

Rosalie,
 
I've found her birth in Stockholm, Sweden and I gave the information here