Stina Split
Stina Split. I remember the name clearly. I was a very young, inexperienced searcher eager with anticipation as a library assistant helped me find the microfilm index and I ordered a film of Swedish Clerical Survey Records.
Researching my maternal line, I found the surname APPLEQUIST to be very interesting. It was easy to read in original Swedish records and thanks to the book Cradled in Sweden by Carl-Erik Johanson, I found Swedish research to be “very rewarding.” Beginners luck.
I knew my immigrant Great Great Grandfather to be Johan Peter Herman Applequist. He was born in 1860 at Visby, Sweden. From the microfilm I learned that his father Nils Peter had a wife named Christina Magdalena ‘Charlotta’ Stenberg who had a father named Jacob Stenberg. I followed them page by page from the 1860’s back to a Clerical Survey Record listing for Stina Split born 1775.
I was in awe finding the first member of my family with a birthdate BEFORE 1800. I marveled that I had connected to ancestors, in foreign countries, living during the 18th century. This forever changed history class for me as I am now inserting my own family names into the history of the world.
Today I sit in my recliner and look at the Clerical Surveys from my laptop and much more! I doubt there will ever be a book with Stina Split’s name in it (until I write it). But I can easily picture what farm life was like in rural Sweden, thanks to information found online.
The village Stina Split lived in was Romakloster, even now it has only 936 inhabitants. Featuring good land, fertile in pasture and grain, abounding in timber. It is located on the island of Gotland, the largest island in Sweden, centrally located in the Baltic Sea about 90 miles from the mainland. Today there are about 58,000 inhabitants on the entire island.
Just think in 1775 when Stina was born the Revolutionary War was breaking out in US. Captain Cook hadn’t even discovered Hawaii. Handel’s Messiah was brand new and the Waltz was becoming fashionable in Vienna. Sweden was ruled by King Gustav III. The population of the country of Sweden was 2,020,847 and there were 71,641 live births.
Recent research reveals Stina Split was born as Christina Stephansdotter. Parents: Stephan Pehrsson (1739-1823) & Ingrid Larsdotter (1746-1791). She married Jacob Jacobsson Dansare Split on 25 Apr 1805 at Roma. He was son of Jacob Jacobsson Bander (1746-1810) & Sophia Persdotter (1750-) It appears the family had lived in Roma since before 1695. Sweden was established in 1164.
Stina Split died at age 70 on 15 Mar 1846 at Roma. Amazing when you think of all the maladies and disease of the time: fevers, smallpox, dysentery (called rödsot or blodsot in the Clerical Record). Life Expectancy for women at that time was 37-54 years old.
Stina Split’s children include son Jacob Stenberg (04 Dec 1804-11 Feb 1872) *my line and daughter Anna Sophia Engstrom (23 Apr 1807-). Jacob was a Torpare (small farmer).
While I am still waiting to connect my lines to the “Adams Genealogy Chart” that my Oma gave me for my 16th birthday, I am on my way.
Who is your oldest ancestor?
Gotland Island Sweden
Sweden Household Examination Books 1806-1834 Ejmuns Inhyses, Roma, Gotlands, Gotland, Sweden. Stina Split born May 23, 1775
Geneographer 