Johan Johansson

   Other names for Johan were Johan Johansson Bork and Johan Johansson Porkka.

  Research Notes:

Summary: 2 Johan Johanssons, one born in 1730 and the other in 1731
Written by Rueben D Grue, 3 Mar 2020. Copywrite 2020. All Rights Reserved.


There are two people named Johan Johansson who are related to my family. They were 1st cousins and their mothers were sisters. Their mothers were the daughters of my 7th great grandfather who was a direct line ancestor of my grandmother, Avey Rangborg Grue (nee Skaret), 1890-1960.

The first Johan Johansson was born 7 Nov 1730 at Runnsjön and his parents were Johan Johansson and Karin Andersdotter. The second Johan Johansson was born 29 Jun 1731 at Arnsjön and his parents were Johan Danielsson and Annika Andersdotter. Both Runnsjön and Arnsjön are farms or small villages in Fryksände parish in Värmland county in Sweden and less than 20 kms apart. Note that the early Sweden Church records for this area was located in Fryksände parish until about 1765 when Östmark parish was formed. On my Legacy database I have source citations for many births, marriages, and deaths. In addition, I have many detailed research notes relating to the 2 families.

Family Tree Researchers

I have spent many hours going through the Fryksände and Östmark parish church books trying to verify the families of the two Johan Johanssons. I often make use of other Family Tree researchers and their Family Trees (FT) and then try to verify their information with the most original records that are available, that is, the Swedish Church Records or books. The Sweden Church Records contain a tremendous amount of information, although in the earlier books the handwriting is very difficult to read and in some cases do not contain enough information establish family relationships.

Most Family Tree researchers record that Johan Johansson b 1731 was married to Britta Staffansdotter b 1738 at South Röjdåsen (S. Röjdåsen). But a problem that I encountered was that this marriage information doesn't correspond with the Household Records for Fryksände or Östmark parish. The person who married to Britta Staffansdotter b 1738 at S. Röjdåsen was Johan Johansson, but the Household records throughout the years report that his birth was 1730. However, reviewing all the information it is clear that the parish priest (around 1758) had incorrectly recorded Britta's husband as Johan Johansson born 1730 when in fact this Johan Johansson was was born in 1731. I have noted this mistake below and also on my research notes for Johan Johansson b 29 June 1731 at Arnsjön and was the son of Johan Danielsson (b 1704) and Annika Andersdotter.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


1. Household records:

Fryksände (S) AI:6a (1752-1757) Image 250 / Page 254, Runnsjön
Johan Johansson b 1705, wife Karin born 1719 [this is Karin Andersdotter b abt 1697 but died 1748]
- his son Johan b 1730 and daughter Karin born 16 Jan 1736 are recorded but with names crossed off
- son Matthes born 1748 - this is the son of Johan Johansson (b 1705) and is second wife, Karin Matsdotter
(drang Hindrick) b 1740

What I think likely happened was that Johan Johansson b 1730 likely left his parents home and went the farm at Arnsjön to work with on his aunt's farm (Annika Andersdotter, b abt 1697, and her third husband, Bartil Olofsson). At Arnsjön (page 201, AI:6a, 1752-1757) since there is a person named Johan (b 1730) and recorded as a drang . This Johan, b 1730, has an "exam tick" date of 11 Jan 1757).

Likely in 1757 or 1758 he left Arnsjön to work at the farm of Henrik Michelsson at S Röjdåsen. Sometime after Henrik Michelsson died in 1758 (as noted in the household record on page 99), Johan Johansson b 1731 married his widow. Johan and Karin had a daughter Karin, who was born on 25 May 1760 at South Röjdåsen


BUT NOTE: there are two people named Johan on page 201 at Arnsjön: (1) son Johan b 1731 (3rd person) with name crossed off, but then the 8th person is again, son Johan b 1731); his actual birth was 29 Jun 1731. This Johan is the son of Annika Andersdotter and her second husband, Johan Danielsson. (2) drang Johan b 1730 (9th person); This is most likely Johan [Johansson] b 7 Nov 1730 and who was the son of Johan Johansson and Karin Andersdotter.

AND Note: It seems that both Johan (b 1731) and Johan (b 1730) left the farm at Arnsjön and went to work the farm at South Röjdåsen that was 'owned' by two brothers, Staffan and Henrik Michelsson. Johan actual b 1731 went to work with Staffan Michelsson (b 1712) and Johan (actual b 1730) went to work with Henrik Michelsson b 1711.

AND another important Note! After following the household records, it seems clear that around 1757, the parish Priest at Fryskände started to record the wrong birthdates. It seems that he confused the 2 Johan Johansson and recorded their wrong birthdates. This Johan Johansson with FFN of Porkka, was born 7 Nov 1730, but starting with vol AI:7 (page 99 and 254) is birth year is incorrectly recorded as 1731


Fryksände (S) AI:6a (1752-1757) Image 177 / Page 181, S Röjdåsen

Staffan Michelsson b 1712 and wife Marit 1711
then, son Carl, b 1748
Maria, b 1735 [name crossed off]
Britta b 1738
Anna b 1743 [name crossed off]
son Hindrich b 1751 died 1754
then drang, Johan b 1730 [ efternamn not recorded, nor where he came from; BUT after reviewing the next volumes of the household records, this Johan's birth (with a recorded birth of 1730) should have been recorded as 1731, not 1730. This Johan is the son of Johan Danielsson and Annika Andersdotter from Arnsjön - see page 201 of the same volume and from above
on the next line, dottern Marit b 1755 (but name is crossed off ?? and a comment that I can't make out.)

NOTE: on page 180 the household of Henrik Michelsson b 1711 is recorded


Fryksände (S) AI:7 (1757-1765) Image 105 / Page 99, S Röjdåsen ]
on the top of this page is Hinrick Michelsson b 1711 and died 1758
- the 18th person is "gifta drång, Johan b 1731" - But, this Johan's birth is actually in 1730 since he was the son of Johan Johansson and Karin Andersdotter from Runnsjön. The parish priest (as noted above) had confused the 2 Johan Johansson, and thus recorded the wrong birthdate.

The proof of this is based on my three comments below:

(i) then the 26th person is "dottern Karin Bork b 1760. What I think likely happened was that Johan Johansson b 1730 left Arnsjön likely in 1757 or 1758 to work at the farm of Henrik Michelsson at S Röjdåsen. Sometime after Henrik Michelsson died in 1758 (as noted in the household record on page 99), Johan Johansson b 1730 married his widow, Karin. Johan and Karin (Staffansdotter) had a daughter Karin, who was born on 25 May 1760 at South Röjdåsen (Karin's birth record names her parents but does not give any further clues about their birth

(ii) NOTE: to the left of this first grouping of the people (top of page Hinrick Michelsson b 1711) is a reference "vid pag 253, 254". On page 254 is another grouping of people from S. Röjdåsen with top of the page, Michel Henricksson (b 1737) - this must be the son of Henrik Michelsson from page 99; Michel is the 3rd person mentioned on page 99.
On page 254 (bottom) is a grouping people starting with:
Johan Johansson Bork ( b 1731; but his birth actually is 1730 )
wife Karin b 1730
dottern Karin b 1760
son Pär b 1756 [ he is the son of Hinrick Michelsson b 1711 and recorded and the top of page 99 and Karin Staffansdotter with her name recorded in Pär's birth record)

(iii) Finnish Family Name: Bork The use of the Finnish Family Name (FFN) is in fact the main clue that led me to realise that the parish priest confused the birth dates of the 2 Johans. The FFN name of "Bork" is another name for the FFN of "Porkka". And in the some sources the two FFN's are interchangeable. It appears that in Finnish, there is no letter "B" and so the family name became "Porkka". Some family members used Bork and others used Porkka. For the most part, I have used the FFN of Porkka in my database, but often I have noted the FNN "Bork" as an alternative name of 'aka'.


2. In addition to the use of the FFN of Bork on page 254 of volume AI:7, there is another important note written to the left of the Johan Johansson Bork's family grouping.

Johan Johansson's family is crossed off and to the left there is handwriting that is difficult to read. It appears that they moved somewhere else, likely Norway. On 20 Dec 2019, I requested assistance in reading the comments from a Facebook group, "Swedish American Genealogy". Leif Olofsson (who often translates difficult writing in the above noted Facebook group) responded that the comment is: "Flyttat till Norks- sidan" - moved to the Norwegian side", and this most likely correct.



3. Marriage; between 1758 and 1760 in Norway

Unfortunately I have not been able to find a marriage record for Johan Johansson (b 1730) and Karin Staffansdotter (b 1730) in Fryksände or Östmark parish records. The most likely reason is that they were married in Norway and likely in Brandval parish, but this is not proven. They also likely moved to Brandval parish in Norway, sometime after the birth of their daughter, Annika who was born 15 Jan 1764 at S. Röjdåsen. Also I have not found a death/burial record for Johan Johansson (b 1730) in either Fryksände or Östmark parish. But since it is most likely he moved to Norway, he likely died in Norway before and likely before 1794 (as discussed below).

Karin Staffansdotter was likely born or raised in Norway. Using the Fryksände transcribed marriage records, there is a record for a marriage on 2 Dec 1753 Henrik Michelsson from S. Röjdåsen and Karin Staffansdotter from Vålberget (Norge) - this is in Brandval parish (and only about 10-15 kms east of Röjdåsen. So it was very likely that Johan Johansson (b 1730) and Karin Staffansdotter were married in her home parish.

And because of this is it also likely that the area around Vålberget is where the family moved to after Jan 1764, perhaps even to Karin's parents' farm.


4. daughter Karin , b 1760


There are 2 other clues that I found that support Johan Johansson's family move to Norway (Johan's actual b 1730). On Ancestry.com I found a FT (family tree) with owner, "Richard FT" and he records that Johan Johansson b 1731 [incorrect birth year] was married to Karen Stefansdotter b 1730. And that they had a daughter Karin, born 1760 at South Röjdåsen in Östmark parish. Karin Johansdotter had married Olof Henriksson born in Östmark and they lived in Gransjön. This FT records their marriage as 1792 at Gransjön in Östmark parish. However, their actual marriage was 24 Jun 1793, and in the marriage book (Östmark, EI:1) the record states "Hinrik Olofsson from Gåstkarn and pige, Karin Johansdotter from Norge." Karin Johansdotter's (b 1760) mother, Karin Staffansdotter, came to live with her at Gåskarn around 1794. Karin Stefansdotter is recorded in the household records for Gåstkarn as a mother in law to Olof Henriksson (b 1770) and it is noted that she died on 5 Jan 1800 [Östmark deaths/burials (S) CI:1 (1765-1818) Image 201 / Page 409, no 1 (AID: v9161.b201.s409). Her actual death/burial record notes that she was a widow and the she died at age 70, and therefore, her birth would have been 1730. There is no other identifying information in this death/burial record.

Note: There are no death/burial records at this time in the Norway parish records (the only Norway records for this time frame are "chronological" or a listing of people within the parish; unfortunately there is no index and so there are hundreds of pages to review, and so I will leave this to later. However, it is reasonable to conclude that Karin Johansdotter (b 1760) moved to her daughter's place at Gåstkarn shortly after the death of her husband, Johan Johansson b 1730 (Porkka) and so he likely died sometime after 1790 but likely before 1794. It is also possible that Johan Johansson b 1730 (Porkka) daughter, Annika (b 1764) either died in Brandval parish or she had moved to someother place.

Johan married Karin Staffansdotter between 1758 and 1760 in Norway. (Karin Staffansdotter was born in 1730 in Brandval Parish, Hedmark, Norway and died on 5 Jan 1800 in Östmark, Värmland län, Sweden ⁸⁷¹⁰.)