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Hi,

I have posted extensively and received a great deal of help over the years.

I am now turning my attention to Sweden. I believe my great, great grandfather could have been Swedish. I have very little information to go on.

Previous threads refer to him and help has been given to try and trace him in Wales so I now want to look at Swedish records but have no idea where to start so any advice would be very welcomed.

To summerise the information on previous threads:
Name: Andrew Nelson
Wife: Unknown
In 1895 his daughters marriage certificate states he was deceased and a master mariner.
Record was found for him associated with the Shanghai freemasons in 1870's and listed as a pilot (ships pilot we believe)
Daughter Minnie born in Shanghai 1873 (lots of help provided for her on previous threads) - she provides the link to Sweden by listing her nationality as Swedish in the 1911 census.

PLEASE NOTE: I do not wish to waste people's time and have them repeat searches already done - this request is to find out how to search Swedish records (I suspect though that I will be asked for the above information hence me providing it).

Thanks

Googling brings up the following sites where you might find some helpful information re Swedish records

https://www.familysearch.org/wiki/en/How_to_Find_Birth,_Marriage,_and_Death_Records_in_Sweden_Online

https://www.familysearch.org/wiki/en/Sweden_Online_Genealogy_Records

https://www.cyndislist.com/sweden/bmd/

https://www.arkivdigital.net/swedish-genealogy

https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/61363/

this says event place wales

Andrew Nelson
England and Wales Census, 1891

Name:
Andrew Nelson
Event Type:
Census
Event Date:
1891
Event Place:
Wales, United Kingdom
Event Place (Original):
ST MARY WHITECHAPEL
County:
London
Parish:
St Mary Whitechapel
Ecclesiastical Parish:
ST PAULS DOCK STREET
Enumeration District:
7
Registration District:
Whitechapel
Gender:
Male
Age:
39
Marital Status:
Single
Occupation:
Ab Seaman
Institution:
The Sailors Home
Birth Year (Estimated):
1852
Birthplace:
Sweden
Relationship to Head of Household:
Boarder
Page Number:
7
Registration Number:
RG12
Piece/Folio:
283/ 130
Affiliate Record Type:
Household
Affiliate Image Identifier:
GBC/1891/0283/0262&parentid=GBC/1891/0002488469

Thanks greyghost, great starting place.

@malyon - many thanks, I’m not sure that is my Andrew Nelson as in 1891 his 17 yr old daughter is in Wales and the census for this Andrew Nelson lists him as single, not nastier or widowed

he could have left his family when daughter was young

Hi Malyon, this is true. I know he was deceased by 1895 when his daughter married so I will see if I can find anything further out about this man - thank you

Could you help clarify the census you found for him please - I am a bit confused why it says event place as Wales
Event Place:
Wales, United Kingdom
Event Place (Original):
ST MARY WHITECHAPEL
County:
London
Parish:
St Mary Whitechapel
Ecclesiastical Parish:
ST PAULS DOCK STREET

Thanks

Ancestry's transcription of 1891 - there's absolutely no mention of Wales on the image. It's a mistake in whatever transcription Malyon posted.

Andrew Nelson
in the 1891 England Census
Name: Andrew Nelson
Gender: Male
Age: 39
Relationship: Boarder
Birth Year: 1852
Birth Place: Sweden
Civil Parish: Whitechapel St Mary
Ecclesiastical parish: St Pauls Dock Street
Residence Place: London, Whitechapel St Mary, London, England
Registration District: Whitechapel
Sub registration district: Aldgate
ED, Institution or Vessel: The Sailors Home
Neighbors:
Piece: 283
Folio: 130

Also listed at the same address, though not next to Andrew on the list, is August Nelson, 1859 Sweden.
Related, or just coincidence?

Just because his daughter said he was deceased doesn’t prove that he was

Ignore the reference to Wales on 1891 posted by malyon (probably from familysearch FREE) - it’s nonsense.

Look at it logically - the man was in WHITECHAPEL, which is an area of LONDON

Thank you!

It might be worth looking for his Masters certificate.

Here is another link to advice on Swedish research:
https://walkmypast.com/an-introduction-to-swedish-genealogy/

Thank you - his masters certificate would be great. I’ve had great success with those for my Welsh mariners in the family.

It is a bit of a tenuous link to Sweden but my Great grandmother’s parents and line has been a brick wall for me for many years.

Have you thought of doing a DNA test - at least that help you see if you have much Swedish ancestry?

Yes, I have asked my mum to do the DNA test as she is the Grandaughter of Minnie, Andrew Nelson’s daughter.

With my Welsh ancestors I have had great success at finding information from the maritime records. I need to see if there are similar maritime records for Sweden.

Re research into Swedish Merchant fleet -

maybe helpful??

http://www.sjomanshusmuseum.se/arkiveng.html

ArgyllGran - that’s fantastic, thank you so much

As far as I can make out from your various threads, unless I've missed something, you have no proof that Andrew was ever in the UK . Nor do you know his age, except a very rough guess based on Minnie's YOB.

Just in case the info on Minnie's marriage cert is at least partially correct, I'll throw this into the mix of speculation:

Andrew Nelsen
in the Great Britain, Select Deaths and Burials, 1778-1988
Name: Andrew Nelsen
Gender: Male
Age: 34
Birth Date: 1847
Death Date: 30 Jan 1881
Death Place: Merchant Marine, At Sea, Great Britain
FHL Film Number: 1483315
Reference ID: Pt2,Sh670,Pg192,Ln1

There's no corresponding UK death cert, so this man may not have been British

ADDED:

Andrew Nelsen
in the UK, Registers of Births, Marriages and Deaths at Sea, 1844-1890
Name: Andrew Nelsen
Gender: Male
Birth Date: abt 1847
Death Date: 30 Jan 1881
Death Age: 34
Residence Place: 24 Thrift Street South Shields
Ship: Severn

Carpenter & AB.
Drowned.
Nationality: Christiana [ is that Norway ?? If so, not your Andrew.]

ArgyllGran - you are correct in your assumptions, my only clues to Minnie’s father are from her marriage certificate - his name, profession (master mariner), and deceased at time of marriage, and Minnie stating her nationality as Swedish on the 1911 census.

Minnie’s son (my maternal grandfather), and daughter (my maternal great aunt) didn’t speak much of their mother, she died when they were young (8 and 11 yrs old-ish). They recalled many adventures on board their father’s ship and their mother educating them on board but when she died, a widowed cousin of their fathers who had been a friend of Minnie’s in Shanghai, moved in with her young family to look after all the children whilst their father (Minnie’s widowed husband) was away at sea. The only other clue was when my brother was born and named Andrew, my grandfather apparently said it was a family name but didn’t elaborate.

I don't think the 1891 in London is in any way relevant.

That man is an AB - therefore RN.
Master Mariner is a Merchant Navy term

Look into Swedish/Norwegian history. There is a strong connection and if Andrew was Born in Norway he might well have considered himself Swedish.