Berry U.S. surname - Swedish origen?

[Joy McMullen]

I have begun to look for information on our Swedish born ancestors. I was told that Berry is not a Swedish surname.  However on passenger immigration lists, there are quite a few Berry surnames with origin listed as Sweden. Is there some Swedish surname that would seem easy to rewrite as Berry?
I know from a U.S. census and other records,  that Christina Berry was born Oct. 15, 1838 in Sweden, married  Charles Berry in Sweden, and had a son August born in Stockholm about 1863.  The next child was born in U.S. about 1867, so emigration took place between 1863-1867.
 
The birth of August Berry in Stockholm seems to be my only link to a location in Sweden.
 
Any suggestions on how to research this family will be very much appreciated.

[Judy Olson Baouab]

Joy,
 
I think that Berg might sound like Berry. Charles was probably Carl or Karl.
 
What was the maiden name of Christina?
 
Check out the Swenson Swedish Immigration Research Center at Augustana College in Rock Island, Illinois. They have a website but records aren't online.
 
http://www.augustana.edu/swenson/
 
Judy

[Joy McMullen]

I am beginning to research Charles Berry, wife Christina, son August, who immigrated from Sweden to U.S. between 1863 and 1867. (based on census info)  I have been told that Berry is not a Swedish surname.  Yet I have seen several Berry surnames on census and passenger lists for Swedish born persons.  Can anyone suggest what the Swedish name for a Berry family might be?
 
The 1880 U.S. Illinois census lists oldest son August as born in Stockholm. He was seventeen at that census, making his birth about 1863.  Is there any way to find this Stockholm birth with the little information that I have found?
 
I have a little more information on the family in the U.S.  However, the father seems to have died between 1873 (birth of last child) and 1880 (Christina listed as widow in census)  I have no information on him except the first name of Charles obtained from directories of cities in which the widow lived.
 
Any suggestions would be very welcome.
 
This question and the one above consists partly of the same information (they were originally made in two different threads), but I have leaved them both on the board, because there might be some information that differs. Yvonne Carlsson, Anbytarvärd

[Judy Olson Baouab]

Hi Joy,
 
You posted this a few days ago. I know it is quite easy to lose track of where our posts are on this huge board. The way to easily find posts from the most recent day is to click on Nytt senaste dygn on the left side of the page. To find posts from the last week, click on Nytt senaste vecka on the left side of the page.
 
Judy

[Anna-Carin Betzén]

Joy, I think you should look for the name Carl Berg, like Judy suggested when you first asked *see note below. Berg is a fairly common Swedish surname (used by 0.2 % of the population today). Remember that the passenger lists were probably written by non-Swedes, who were told the names and spelled them as best they could. It's not uncommon for names to be misspelt in the passenger lists.
 
There's a CD with a database containing most Swedish emigrants, excerpted from the various parishes' moving out lists. Searching that database is usually the easiest way to narrow down your search. Several people on this forum have the database and can do the search for you. That lookup would yield the name of the parish they lived in at the time they emigrated, and knowing what parish to look in should get you right on track.  
 
So, I suggest you ask for an emigrant database lookup, for possible candidates. This is a good place to post such a request. If you give all the names and dates you have, along with the suggestion that his Swedish name perhaps could've been Carl Berg, I'm sure you'll get the help you need to get started.
 
*see note above: Link deleted, since two discussions about the same subject has been merged. Yvonne Carlsson, Anbytarvärd

[Judy Olson Baouab]

This Stina was born on the right date (which you mentioned as October 15, 1838 in your first message) and Stina is a name used for Christina. This girl, however, emigrated with her family and didn't marry in Sweden.
 
Post 597103
 
Bengtsson, Johannes
Hemmansägare (married man)
 
b. 10/20/1803 in Stora Mellby, Älvsborgs län (Västergötland)
 
Emigrated 4/5/1852
from Loo Gunnarsgården, Långared, Älvsborgs län (Västergötland)
to Amerika
 
Source: Household Examination Roll, p. 161
 
Emibas migration file ID: Långared P 1852 001
 
Un-normalized versions:
 
Parish of birth: Mellby
 
Post 597104
 
Jonasdotter, Catharina
Hemmansägarhustru (married woman)
 
b. 11/11/1815 in Stora Mellby, Älvsborgs län (Västergötland)
 
Emigrated 4/5/1852
from Loo Gunnarsgården, Långared, Älvsborgs län (Västergötland)
to Amerika
 
Source: Household Examination Roll, p. 161
 
Emibas migration file ID: Långared P 1852 002
 
Un-normalized versions:
 
Parish of birth: Mellby
 
Post 597105
 
Johannesson Bengtsson, Anders
Hemmansägarson (unmarried man)
 
b. 3/19/1837 in Stora Mellby, Älvsborgs län (Västergötland)
 
Emigrated 4/5/1852
from Loo Gunnarsgården, Långared, Älvsborgs län (Västergötland)
to Amerika
 
Source: Household Examination Roll, p. 161
 
Emibas migration file ID: Långared P 1852 003
 
Un-normalized versions:
 
Parish of birth: Mellby
 
Post 597106
 
Johannesdotter Bengtsson, Stina
Hemmansägardotter (unmarried woman)
 
b. 10/15/1838 in Stora Mellby, Älvsborgs län (Västergötland)
 
Emigrated 4/5/1852
from Loo Gunnarsgården, Långared, Älvsborgs län (Västergötland)
to Amerika
 
Source: Household Examination Roll, p. 161
 
Emibas migration file ID: Långared P 1852 004
 
Un-normalized versions:
 
Parish of birth: Mellby
 
Post 597107
 
Johannesson Bengtsson, Sven
Hemmansägarson (unmarried man)
 
b. 4/5/1851 in Långared, Älvsborgs län (Västergötland)
 
Emigrated 4/5/1852
from Loo Gunnarsgården, Långared, Älvsborgs län (Västergötland)
to Amerika
 
Source: Household Examination Roll, p. 161
 
Emibas migration file ID: Långared P 1852 005
 
Post 597108
 
Johannesson Bengtsson, Lars
Hemmansägarson (unmarried man)
 
b. 5/16/1843 in Långared, Älvsborgs län (Västergötland)
 
Emigrated 4/5/1852
from Loo Gunnarsgården, Långared, Älvsborgs län (Västergötland)
to Amerika
 
Source: Household Examination Roll, p. 161
 
Emibas migration file ID: Långared P 1852 006
 
Post 597109
 
Johannesson Bengtsson, Johannes
Hemmansägarson (unmarried man)
 
b. 9/15/1845 in Långared, Älvsborgs län (Västergötland)
 
Emigrated 4/5/1852
from Loo Gunnarsgården, Långared, Älvsborgs län (Västergötland)
to Amerika
 
Source: Household Examination Roll, p. 161
 
Emibas migration file ID: Långared P 1852 007
 
Post 597110
 
Johannesdotter Bengtsson, Maja
Hemmansägardotter (unmarried woman)
 
b. 8/8/1848 in Långared, Älvsborgs län (Västergötland)
 
Emigrated 4/5/1852
from Loo Gunnarsgården, Långared, Älvsborgs län (Västergötland)
to Amerika
 
Source: Household Examination Roll, p. 161
 
Emibas migration file ID: Långared P 1852 008
 
Post 597111
 
Johannesson Bengtsson, Andreas
Hemmansägarson (unmarried man)
 
b. 4/17/1851 in Långared, Älvsborgs län (Västergötland)
 
Emigrated 4/5/1852
from Loo Gunnarsgården, Långared, Älvsborgs län (Västergötland)
to Amerika
 
Source: Household Examination Roll, p. 161
 
Emibas migration file ID: Långared P 1852 009
 
I have no idea if Stina is yours.
 
Judy

[Joy McMullen]

Thanks for the helpful suggestions.  A first try looking for a Carl or Karl Berg with matching data did not give results.
 
To Judy, Christina Berry's father's name is written on her 1903 Colorado death certificate.  The first name is written Charles.  The surname is not clear to me.  It could be Lockholm.  The ck is uncertain. Actually the holm is a guess since I have seen swedish names ending in holm.  I do not know enough about swedish names to be able to guess intelligently.  If anyone would be willing to try to decipher it, I could E-mail you with an jpeg attachment that copies the name from the death certificate.

[Margareta Gerlach]

Hello Joy!
 
I have looked into in www.familysearch.com and found August Berry born in Stockholm 1863 living in Springfield Sangamon Illinois. He is 17 and Coal Miner and living with his mother Christinie Berry born 1835 in Sweden. She is a widow.
 
Is this your Berry family?
 
Regards from Margareta

[Joy McMullen]

Yes, Margareta, that is the Berry family I am looking at.  That data is contained in the 1880 census, taken in Springfield, Sangamon,IL.  That is the only reference to  this child of Charles and Christina Berry that I have. (The spelling Christinie is a copy error on the part of the enumerator or transcriber.)   Family lore says August went west to seek his fortune and was never heard from again. Letters to various places in Springfield netted me the name of the coal company he worked for, but so far have not found anything else.
Thank you for responding to my query.

[Margareta Gerlach]

Hello again Joy!
 
I have searched in the new emigrantCD with no success at all. Looked for Karl, Carl, Stina, Christina, Kristina with a child August in the years 1863-1867.  
 
I tried the old emigrantCD and found carl bergman - 26 years - emigrated 18650415 to New York and carl bergqvist 1866 age unknown emigrated 18650615. The lived both in Gothenburg and they first went to Hamburg and then to New York.
 
I will try to look them up for you in Genline.
 
Regards Margareta

[Margareta Gerlach]

My mailadress is margareta@gerlach.pp.se and my alias is marger. Just for the records!
 
Margareta

[Joy McMullen]

Hi Matt (discussion transferred here from the Emigranten CD Lookup board)
Yes, the family listed in the El Paso, Colorado 1900 census is the one I am researching.
 
The birth date I have written for Christina in my queries was taken from the death certificate for Christina Berry, information provided by her son Charles. Admittedly, this could be incorrect. The 1880 census listing for her (spelled Christinie Berry) in Springfield Illinois, gives an age that is somewhat unclear, but, magnified, appears to read 45 years. (would be approx. 1835 birth year)
 
Death certificate for son Albert gives birth as Aug.2,1869. (1900 census gives Aug. 187_.)
 
Death certificate for son Charles gives birth as Feb. 17,1872.  (1900 census gives Sept. 1873)
 
Immigration year of 1866 in 1900 census would cause questions when comparing to information about oldest son August, born in Stockholm, age 17. (1880 census entry) 1880 is the only census entry ever found for him - and I have really searched.
 
All four children of this couple are listed in 1880 census under Christinie Berry (Ancestry on line records) in Springfield, Sangamon, Illinois.  
 
Many thanks for help.
Joy

[Mats Ahlgren]

Joy
Do you have any idea of when or where the man in the family died?
Seems like the two youngest were born in Missouri, any idea of where?
 
Mats

[Joy McMullen]

Matt,
I do know that both Albert Berry and Charles Berry were born in Sedalia Missouri, according to their death records. (Also, Albert is my husband's grandfather, and all family knowledge confirms the Sedalia birth for him.)
 
Christina was listed as a widow in 1880 census and in Springfield city directories, which is where I found her late husband's name-Charles.  The last child, Charles, was born in 1872.  It seems reasonable that the father died between 1871/72 and 1880. I made a preliminary assumption that the father died in Sedalia, or at least in Pettis County, Missouri.
 
I have done some inquiry in Sedalia, looking for the father, or for birth records for the boys, but have had no luck. I tried to find city directories, but there were none for Sedalia during that time period.
 
I have recently started exploring Lutheran church records to see whether I can find them in those sources.  I have not received answers to my letters yet. I don't have anything in writing to verifiy that they were Lutheran, but perhaps they were.
 
If only I could find them in the 1870 census! But I have tried every trick I know, and also searched microfilm line by line through all of Sedalia city and postal area with no success.
 
Some time ago, someone suggested that Berry might be the English translation of the Swedish word for berry. It might have been Baer.  I had to leave the search at that time for some months and did not completely check that out.  Would the Swedish word for berry be a recognizeable  surname?
 
Thank you for your help.  Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

[Judy Olson Baouab]

You mentioned that you couldn't find this family in the 1870 census. I have a cd which is called Heritage Quest Scandinavians in the 1870 Federal Census. I think it only includes heads of households and it doesn't show the family together. The cd is probably just an index. However, these Charles Berrys are listed. (He might have Americanized his name by then.)
 
Berry Charles, 38, M(ale), W(hite), born in Sweden, Cook County, 6th ward Chicago, M593, roll 201, page 422, IL (Illinois)
 
Berry Charles, 31, M(ale), W(hite), born in Sweden, Escambia County, Pollard P.O. (post office), M593, roll 15, page 216, AL (Alabama)
 
Berry Charles, 27, M(ale), W(hite), born in Sweden, Suffolk County, Huntington, M593, roll 1100, page 503, NY (New York)
 
Berry Charles, 24, M(ale), W(hite), born in Sweden, Essex County, Gloucester, M593, roll 608, page 505, MA (Massachusetts, I think)
 
Here are the findings for Charles Berg. (Perhaps he had only Americanized his first name by this time period.)
 
Berg Charles, 34, M(ale), W(hite), born in Sweden, Goodhue County, Red Wing, M593, series T132, roll 5, page 359, MN (Minnesota)
 
Berg Charles, 27, M(ale), W(hite), born in Sweden, Mendocino County, Casper and Big River, M593, roll 74, page 163, CA (California)
 
Berg Charles, 25, M(ale), W(hite), born in Sweden, Plumas County, Washington Township, M593, roll 77, page 54, CA (California)
 
Berg Charles, 23, M(ale), W(hite), born in Sweden, New York County, 13th Ward, 1st ED (enumeration district), M593, roll 991, page 9, NY (New York)
 
Berg Charles, 23, M(ale), W(hite), born in Sweden, Winnebago County, 2nd Ward, Rockford, M593, roll 294, page 57, IL (Illinois)
 
Berg Charles, 21, M(ale), W(hite), born in Sweden, Chautauqua County, Ellicott, M593, roll 912, page 311, NY (New York)
 
This information assumes you will be using microfilm but it still might help you (or someone else) looking at online censuses. I don't have online access to the censuses, however.
 
Judy

[Gunilla Hansson]

Hi
Just jumping in with no knoeledge at all on the subject. I only thought. Perhaps they translated their name. There is a Swedish name Bär you know. In the swedish/finnish context names are often translated to be more suitalble.
mvh
Gunilla

[Mats Ahlgren]

Hi
 
I looked through all August born 1862-64 born in Sweden that I could find in 1870 census. Seems like the family isn't registrered , perhaps being moving at the census time.
 
Mats