Engstrom, Kristian Isidor Efraim

[Lainie Engstrom]

I am hoping that someone can assist with some information on our great-grandfather, who was born in Uppsala 24 September 1887.  He jumped ship in South Australia somewhere in the early 1900's and became a naturalised Australian 1 February 1912. There appear to be very few Engstroms in Australia, and we are hoping to trace the family tree in Sweden.
 
Thanking you,
 
Lainie Engstrom
Brisbane, Australia

[Lena Thelin]

Hello Lainie,
 
Regarding the census 1890
 
Homeparish: Wiksta
Homestead: Källtorp (under Jällsta)
Kontrakt: Norunda
County: Uppsala
Johan Engström b. 1837 in Tegelsmora parish, Statdräng
wife Johanna Maria Gustafsson b. 1867 in Tierp parish
children
Hildur Emma Eugenia b. 1884 in Uppsala parish
Kristian Isidor Efraim b. 1887 in Lena parish
Märta Ebba Emerentia b. 1889 in Börje parish
Elna Elvira Ingeborg b. 1890 in Wiksta parish

[Lena Thelin]

Hello again Lainie,
 
I found more in the census 1900
 
Hildur Emma Eugenia Engstrom born 1884 was living in parish Vänge Läby in Uppsala counta at Stora Almby working as a maid.
 
Elna Elvira Ingeborg Engström born 1890 was living in parish Jumkil in Uppsala county. She was fosterchild living with Anders Petter Andersson and his wife Edla Gustava Åberg.
 
The census for 1900 and Uppsala county is not complete.
 
Hildur Emma Eugenia born 10.7.1884 married to one Jansson who died 6.2.1957 and she died 25.10.1984 in Uppsala domkyrko parish according the deathbook for 1950-1999
 
Elna Elvira Ingeborg born 1.6.1890 married to one Eriksson who died 17.8.1940 and she died 12.10.1972 in Uppsala domkyrko parish according the deathbook for 1950-1999

[Lainie Engstrom]

Hello Lena,
 
Thank you very much for your help - our father was very excited as he did not realise that his grandfather had any sisters.
 
Was there any information regarding Johan and Johanna Engstrom on the 1900 census, as it would appear that something may have happened with the youngest Elna being fostered out.
 
Also was there any emigration records on Marta - did she end up in Australia also.
 
I know this must be taking up some of your time, so if you know of anyone else or an organisation who could assist in tracing our family in more detail, it would be greatly appreciated.
 
Thanking you once again for shedding some light on our mysterious family!!!!
 
Regards
 
Lainie Engstrom

[Lena Thelin]

Hello Lainie,
 
I could not find any more about the family in the 1900 census, sorry, and I can't help you with any more information.
 
Lena

[Anders Andersson]

As I have just reported to Lainie by e-mail, Johanna Maria Gustafsson turns up in a DISBYT submission made by Stig Geber. Kristian and two of his sisters are included as well.
 
Appearantly, Johanna Maria remarried with Johan Olof Bom and had four more children, so I assume Johan Engström died around 1891-1893, but I will look into this when I get to visit Uppsala landsarkiv next week.
 
I wouldn't be too surprised if Lainie has living third cousins in Uppsala today.

[Anders Andersson]

Interesting coincidence: I looked up the Engström family in the Viksta household examination records to verify Lena's findings and get more exact dates.
 
I first looked at Viksta AI:19 (1891-1895) p123 (Källtorp), assuming the Engströms would still be there, but they weren't. Therefore I looked at Viksta AI:18 (1886-1890) p104 (Källtorp), and there they were:
 
Statdr. Johan Engström, b. 1837 3/7 in Tegelsmora
Hu. Johanna Maria Gustafsson, b. 1867 26/1 in Tierp
d. Hildur Emma Eugenia, b. 1884 10/7 in Uppsala
s. Kristian Isidor Efraim, b. 1887 24/9 in Lena
d. Märta Ebba Emerentia, b. 1889 26/3 in Börje
d. Elna Elvira Ingeborg, b. 1890 1/6 in Viksta
 
They had moved within Viksta parish from Norrtorp to Källtorp on 4 December 1890, but there was no note about them also moving away from Källtorp. I found that strange, and had another look at Viksta AI:19 p123, the only page for Källtorp in 1891-1895 (according to the index). No, the Engström family simply wasn't there. To make sure, I began reading the names I saw instead:
 
Statdräng Nils Jakob Larsson
Hu. Hulda Lovisa Salling
...
s. Nils Elias, b. 1893 15/4
 
I was stunned. This definitely wasn't the Engström family. Nils Elias Larsson was supposedly a fianc? of my grandmother, but he died in the 1920's before they married! I had found him elsewhere earlier, but here I accidentally found him in Viksta as well due to an unrelated inquiry from Australia. Thank you, I have copied those notes for later use...  
 
Anyway, I suppose the Engströms moved out before the Larssons moved in, and the parish clerk simply forgot to write it down.  Since we have later whereabouts of the Engström family, this is not a big problem.

[Anders Andersson]

Thanks to Lena A Löfström we now know that Märta Ebba Emerentia lived in Stockholm in 1923, but we don't know what happened then.
 
Contrary to what I first thought, Johan Engström didn't die in the 1890's. Instead, he and Johanna Maria divorced on 21 February 1900 (Uppsala AIIaa:18 p01687) after Johanna Maria had met Johan Olof Bohm, whom she married 8 September 1900. Johanna Maria and Johan Olof had in total four children, i.e. half-siblings of Kristian:
 
Ada Fanny Maria, b. 1895 14/4 in Uppsala
Antonia Maria Aurelia, b. 1897 10/8 in Uppsala
Nanna Torborg Linnea, b. 1900 28/3 in Uppsala
Bengt Olof Henry, b. 1902 21/9 in Uppsala
 
Johan Engström died 15 January 1911 in Uppsala, and was buried 22 January (Uppsala F:12 p51). Before his marriage to Johanna Maria, he was married 26/12 1861 to Karolina Katarina Vester (or Vesterlund), b. 1835 15/6 in Tolfta, and they had the following children (thus elder half-siblings of Kristian):
 
Maria Karolina, b. 1863 30/5 in Vendel
Kristina Charlotta, b. 1863 30/5 in Vendel (yes, they were twins)
Elisabet, b. 1866 17/5 in Vendel
Johan Edvard, b. 1868 3/10 in Vendel
Johanna Vilhelmina, b. 1874 5/12 in Tensta
 
Johanna Vilhelmina died already on 9 November 1889 in Viksta (Viksta AI:18 p110). Johan Edvard Engström participated as a witness to the christening of his half-brother Kristian Isidor Efraim on 23 October 1887 (Lena C:10 1887:41); Johan Edvard was at that time working as a farmhand in Rasbo parish. I don't yet know what happened to the other children from this marriage.
 
Thus, if you are interested in what became of the name Engström in Sweden, I'd suggest following Johan Edvard first, then perhaps Johan Engström's brothers (if he had any). Engström is a fairly common name; I suppose it has been adopted by several people independently of each other over time.
 
In total, Kristian thus seems to have had two brothers and ten sisters, if we take all the marriages of both of his parents into account.

[Anders Andersson]

I accidentally gave the wrong source reference above for the 1900 21/2 divorce note; I found it in Uppsala AIIaa:4 p1024 (record of Engström, Johan).
 
Also Johan Olof Bohm had a divorce from his previous wife at about the same time, with three children in that marriage (i.e. step-siblings of Kristian), but I think they are beyond the scope of immediate interest here...

[Robert Engstrom]

I am trying to help my Daughter-in-Law, Lainie (messages above), to trace my Grandfather's (Kristian Efriam Isidor Engstrom) family and more importantly information on when, where and how my grandfather left Sweden.  I would like to thank Lena Thelin and Anders Anderson for the information (above) that they have provided to us as it is things that we did not know about him and his family in Sweden.  
 
From information that we have been able to obtain from family and relatives, my Grandfather was a sailor who arrived in Renmark, South Australia in 1909 aboard the Ship Bardowie.  We found that he also served on the RMS Mauratania in 1909 when it won the Blue Riband for the fastest Atlantic crossing.  When did he become a sailor and how did he serve his apprenticeship?  
 
We are also looking for information on my Aunt Marta (Marta Ebbe Emerentia Engstrom b. 1889 in Börje parish - Grandfathers sister).  According to an email received from Anders, Aunt Marta was still in Sweden in 1923 but left sometime after this, journeyed to Australia and joined her brother in Red Cliffs, near Mildura, Victoria, married an Englishman by the name of John Youd sometime between 1923 and 1931 when their son Eric was born,  They settled in Red Cliffs also.  We have been unable to find when Aunt Marta left Sweden, how she journeyed to Australia and when she arrived here.

[Chris Bingefors]

 I looked at the seaman´s registers, they are not complete on-line, but there are a few of them. He sailed in 1904:
 
Name:   K.J.E. Engström
DOB   1887
Parish   Lena
Home parish:   Uppsala
civil status:   unmarried
Number in roll:   80
Pay:   22 Kr
Position:   Deck hand
Emplyed:   19040514 in Söderhamn
 
Ship:     
Name:   Carl XV  
Home harbour:   Vätö
Destination:   England
Register tonnes:   384
Owner:   A.F. Andersson
Captain:   C.A. Carlsson
Merchant Marine Office:   Söderhamn
 
In the 1900 census Kristian is listed as living alne in Uppsala in what seems to be an orphanage, lots of young people living alone.
 
Record 4081011
 
Engström, Kristian Isidor Efraim
 
b. 1887 in Lena (Uppsala län, Uppland)
 
Boy
 
Ginnar N:o 2-5
Uppsala (Uppsala län, Uppland)
 
Place of birth (original source): Lena Uppsala län
 
 
(Meddelandet ändrat av izla 2010-10-05 08:10)

[Chris Bingefors]

Kristian has his first communion April 26, 1902 (Communion Book Uppsala Cathedral Parish). After that he would have been considered grown up enough to have a job. He is living at the protection home for young (delinquent) boys at Odensgatan 16 (which is the building next to where I live today, but the house has been torn down a long time ago) (Source: Fastighetslängden (Property lists) SE/ULA/11632/A II bc, volume 4, page 156).
 
Later there is a faint note at his entry with the family saying that he has joined a merchant marine office. Further, Kristian and Märta are found in the property book for Uppsala at page 01687, she moves to Johannes in Stockholm Oct 31, 1906, Kristian is listed as untraceable Dec 31, 1919. (Source: Uppsala församlingsbok SE/ULA/11632/A II aa/17 (1904-1922) page 855, Parish book Uppsala SE/ULA/11632/A II aa/18 (1904-1922)). Unfortunately, the book of untraceables is not filmed, there may be more information there.
 
Johanna Maria Bohm (Engström) was buried in Uppsala Nov 10, 1945. The grave is still there according to the Graves in Sweden CD, I can go and have a look in the weekend. Her estate inventory could give more information - if they knew where Kristian was for example. This document should list all descendants. Her second husband Johan Olf was buried Feb 26, 1944.
 
 
 
(Meddelandet ändrat av izla 2010-10-05 12:49)

[Chris Bingefors]

A picture of the house where the home for boys was:
http://www.digitaltmuseum.se/things/uppsala-hemsysterskola-odensga/S-UM/DIG00055 5?pos=1

[Robert Engstrom]

Chris, Thank you for the information above, each time we learn a little bit more about my Grandfather.  I am trying to send a photo of my Grandfather, he is on the right and is aged 16 so it may have been taken at the home that you mentioned above. If it is successful I will send some other photos of my Great-Grandmother, Johanna Gustafsson and Johan Olof Bohm (Bom).

[Chris Bingefors]

Robert,
 
It was interesting to see him, it puts a personal touch to the dry notes in the archives. I read his military papers at the National Archives of Australia. One cannot imagine, from the photo of a young boy, the adventurous (and sad, apparently he suffered from shell chock) life he would have. Sweden not being in any war for almost 200 years, we have no connection to the tragic effects on individuals.  
I am trying to find out if there are any records from the boy´s home. Being delinquent in those days was probably not very serious from a modern perspective.

[Robert Engstrom]

 
Chris,
Hope you enjoy these photos.  My Grandfather did have an adventurous life, and the things that we know about him here in Australia are:
. From a note written on one of the photos that we have, he jumped ship when it arrived in Australia.
. Worked on the locks locks are used to raise and lower the water levels along the Murray River in Victoria.
. Worked on the paddle boats on the Murray River, in what capacity I am still trying to find out.
. Joined the Army during World War 1, and as you say was shell shocked in France.
. Was allocated Block 262 in a Soldiers Settlement in Red Cliffs, near Mildura, Victoria after he returned home from the war.  Grew grapes and citrus fruits.
. Worked on various houses for friends.
. Moved to Queensland in 1937, bought and run The Downs Hotel in Drayton, which is near Toowoomba in Queendsland.
. Worked as a civilian employee Rigger for the American Army in the Phillipines During World War 2 from 1942 to 1945. Trying to find out more information about this part of his life.
I did not get to know my Grandfather all that well as he passed away in 1954 and I was only ten years old, so I am trying to make up for it this way.

[Robert Engstrom]

Chris,
Hope you enjoy these photos.  My Grandfather did have an adventurous life, and the things that we know about him here in Australia are:
. From a note written on one of the photos that we have, he jumped ship when it arrived in Australia.
. Worked on the locks (locks are used to raise and lower the water levels) along the Murray River in Victoria.
. Worked on the paddle boats on the Murray River, in what capacity I am still trying to find out.
. Joined the Army during World War 1, and as you say was shell shocked in France.
. Was allocated Block 262 in a Soldiers Settlement in Red Cliffs, near Mildura, Victoria after he returned home from the war.  Grew grapes and citrus fruits.
. Worked on various houses for friends.
. Moved to Queensland in 1937, bought and run The Downs Hotel in Drayton, which is near Toowoomba in Queensland.
. Worked as a civilian employee (Rigger) for the American Army in the Phillipines During World War 2 (from 1942 to 1945). Trying to find out more information about this part of his life.
I did not get to know my Grandfather all that well as he passed away in 1954 and I was only ten years old, so I am trying to make up for it this way.
 
Would you be able to interpret the message for me, please.

[Chris Bingefors]

Robert,
Thanks for the photos! The studio one from Sweden is taken by a well-known photographer in Uppsala, Larsson. The message says:
 
This is outside the (can´t make one word out Löst?) porch stairs where we live. Can you see how old I look?
 
The city archives in Uppsala tell me that they are unable to find any records from the boy´s home, but that there may be more in the social committées minutes, the question is when to look. The boy´s home was founded by two teachers in 1877. I will have to penetrate the difficult records in Uppsala Cathedral parish to find out more. He should have been attending school somewhere and those records would be interesting.
 
A remarkable life for a boy born in Lena, a tiny parish just north of Uppsala.
There is a picture of the street where he lived in the boy´s home at http://www.digitaltmuseum.se/things/odensgatan-borjegatan-luthagen/S-UM/AD448?po s=15
 
http://www.digitaltmuseum.se/things/odensgatan-fran-borjegatan-lut/S-UM/AD466?po s=17

[Robert Engstrom]

 
Chris,
From what I have read, Birth Certificates are not issued in Sweden.  If this is so how am I able to confirm my Grandfather's name, as there are a number of documents that I have come across, here in Australia, that have had his name spelt incorrectly.
. Kristian Efrain Tsidor
. Kristian Efraim Isidor
. Kristian Isidor Efraim
. Kristian Efrain Isidor
. Kushan Efrain Isidor
I have attached a form that appears to be a Parish Registration dated 27th September 1909 and has his birth date of 24th September 1887.  Would this be the official recognition of his name and would I be able to use it to have the documents in Australia corrected.
The attached photo is of Uncle Jack (John Youd), Eric Youd (21st Birthday-1952) and Aunty Marta. Uncle Jack and Aunty Marta had Block 260 near my Grandfathers, and after Uncle Jack passed away in 1953, Aunty Marta took over the Block until she sold it in 1959 and moved to Brighton, a suburb of Melbourne, Victoria. She passed away in 1976 at the age of 86.

[Chris Bingefors]

The birth certificate is replaced by the entry in the birth and christening book of the parish. In Lena parish this says Christian Isidor Efraim (first child), son of farm labourer Engström, Johan (50 years of age) and  Gustafsson, Johanna Maria, wife (20 years of age) in Knifsta. Married 2 years.
 
When a person had several christian names the order was sometimes changed, particularly when emigrating. But that would be his official name. The Ch was spelled K later, probably when spelling was modernized. Most people had patronymics (son of... ie his would have been Johansson), not surnames. But Kristian had a surname, which would have been used from about the age of 15. Surnames and patronymics were freely exchangeable, you could take any name you wanted, before 1901.  
 
I will send you a copy of the original record later, by mail.
 
Tha certificate you have is a certificate of character (fräjd (frejd in modern spelling)). It would have been used for obtaining employment for example. It says the Sailor (matrosen) Kristian Isidor Efraim Engström born Sept 24 in the year 1887. Has citizen´s trust ie he had not been sentenced to loose citizen´s rights, for example by committing a crime. No other notes denoting any other trouble. In those days it would serve as his official ID.
 
His own way of writing his name on the naturalization papers is Kristian Efrain Isidor, for some reason.  
 
(Meddelandet ändrat av izla 2010-10-08 10:22)

[Chris Bingefors]

Märta Engström was also in a corresponding home for girls, as were two of Johan Olof Bohm´s daughters. I believe there are archives available for this home.
After first communion she was sent to work as a maid for PG Haeger, barber-surgeon who had his practice in this house, picture with visible sign for the practice taken just a couple of years before Märta worked there;
http://www.digitaltmuseum.se/things/kungsgatan-61-i-korsningen-med/S-UM/DIG000111?pos=3
 
The boy´s home was run by a school teacher, August Gustafsson (b 1846) and his wife, for 30 years. The main building was at Odensgatan 4 (Oden Street) and then apparently there was an annex at no 16. Kristian started at no 4. The home was very religious and not a temporary home, the boys kept in touch after leaving. They did not get many funds from the city, only dog tax money. So they ran the home on donations and on money made by the boys working as tin can makers.
 
I wonder if the man sitting on the left on the first photo could be August Gustafsson?
 
(Meddelandet ändrat av izla 2010-10-08 11:42)

[Robert Engstrom]

Chris,
I have been going through some emails, from 2003, that my Daughter-in-Law received from Anders Anderson, that were not posted on Anbytarforum, and he has indicated that there was a young lad of my Grandfather's age, Per Johan Nordin, who was at the boys home at the same time and they became friends.  He apparently was a sailor too.  If members of this family are alive would they be able to shed some light on the persons in the photo.
Also Anders suggested that she make contact with a person by the name of Stig Gerber - email: stig.gerber@telia.com as he may have had further information on my Grandmother, Johanna Maria Gustafsson.  I haven't tried the email address as it was in 2003 and may have changed by now.
Kind regards
Robert

[Chris Bingefors]

Robert,
 
I found Per Johan Nordin in the boy´s home. He was born to unmarried maid Johanna Sofia Nordin in Wik castle, Balingsta parish (just outside Uppsala) on Oct 28, 1887. He was a sailor, according to the available books in Uppsala. I cannot find him after 1908 (he is regsitered in the books up to 1924 but apparently sailing), I have not found him in the Deaths in Sweden 1901-2009, but about 30% are missing there. We have no censuses available online after 1900. I think he went AWOL and ended up in another country.
Interestingly, there is a Per John Nordin, sailor, in the US drafts for WWI. Swedish citizen. He gives his birth date as Oct 28, 1886. But that may be the right person anyway.
 
The name is not very unusual, but there is a Per Johan Nordin who registers as an alien in Brisbane 1918, papers are in the National Archives of Australia, unfortunately not scanned online.
Nordin, Per Johan - Nationality: Swedish - Alien Registration Certificate No 1269 issued 24 January 1918 at Brisbane, Item barcode 9068745.  
 
 
I will send you the mail address to Stig Geber, he has updated the ancestry of Johan Olov Bohm in July 2010 in the Disbyt database of ancestries.
 
I went for a walk last Sunday and found the grave of your great grandmother, it is in a bit of a sorry state. I am sending pictures.

[Chris Bingefors]

Per Johan was abonded by his mother in the parish of Tensta when he was 2 years old. She left in 1889 to move to Uppsala where she later married a 19 years older farm worker and had 3 children. Per Johan did not appear in Uppsala until 1897, when he entered the boy´s home. I am sure his mother did not tell her family about him. Some of his half siblings seem to have had rather miserable lives.
 
I think the photo from the boy´s home is taken around their first communion, when they left to work. Probably, the boys kept in touch later, but they were the same age so they should have had their communion at the same time.
 
(Meddelandet ändrat av izla 2010-10-16 11:35)