Historical Sources from the High North (Pre-1750):
Welcome to an ever-growing treasure trove of historical source material from the northernmost reaches of Fenno-Scandinavia, all dating back to before 1750! โ๏ธ๐ Whether youโre a researcher, a student, or simply curious, I hope these documents ignite new insights into this fascinating region. If you discover missing sources or have suggestions, please reach out and help this archive thrive. ๐โจ
The project began with a focus on Finnmark, but it quickly became clear that restricting it to a single region was too narrow. People in the North have always been remarkably mobile. As a result, the scope expanded to include neighboring areas. This repository may be especially useful if youโre studying Sรกmi populations, given that their records are scattered across multiple national archives, making any research a profound hazzle.
Area of interest:
Contributors/ Contact
Vetle Lars Wislรธff Sandring: https://uit.no/ansatte/person?p_document_id=731704
How to Use ๐
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Grab the Goods
Download the CSV files from these pages or view them directly in your browser for a quick overview. -
Look at the sources
Most entries have a link to the digitized document. If not, use the archival reference code to find it yourself. -
Mind the Updates
This repository is constantly evolving as new records are found. If youโre using these sources for research, note the date you accessed them. -
Incomplete by Nature
Thereโs no way to guarantee every possible record is included here. I also find errors every time I look for them. Consider this a perpetual work in progress!
Progress โณ
The aim is to assemble all available source material related to the northernmost parts of Scandinavia before 1750. The progress bars below illustrate our current status, but keep in mind this collection is a work in progress!
๐ณ๐ด Norwegian Archives ๐ณ๐ด
Tax Records & Censuses
- Finnmark: Complete until 1718 (awaiting further digitization)
- Troms: Complete until 1718 (awaiting further digitization)
- Nordland: Only Sami-related records included so far
Court Records
- Finnmark: All known records collected, cataloging incomplete
- Troms: All known records collected, cataloging incomplete
- Nordland: All known records collected, cataloging incomplete
Annual Financial Accounts
- Finnmark: All located accounts gathered
- Troms: All located accounts gathered
- Nordland: All located accounts gathered
Church Records
- Occasional church records discovered
Maps & Drawings
- Occasional maps uncovered
Probate Records
- Not started
Descriptions
- Occasional written accounts discovered
Assorted Records
- Various miscellaneous documents added
Stay tuned as we continue to find, label, and upload new materials!
๐ธ๐ช Swedish Archives ๐ธ๐ช
Tax records and censuses
- Most tax records before 1620 found, but not catalogued
- Sami tax records until 1600 catalogued
Court records
- Not started
Annual financial accounts
- Found, but not catalogued until 1620
Church records
- Not started
Maps and drawings
- Not started
Probate records
- Not started
Descriptions
- Not started
Assorted records
- Not started
Stay tuned as we continue to find, label, and upload new materials!
๐ซ๐ฎ Finnish Archives ๐ซ๐ฎ
Tax records and censuses
- Some records concerning the Sami population have been found
Court records
- Not started
Annual financial accounts
- Not started
Church records
- Not started
Maps and drawings
- Not started
Probate records
- Not started
Descriptions
- Not started
Assorted records
- Not started
Stay tuned as we continue to find, label, and upload new materials!
๐ท๐บ Russian Archives ๐ท๐บ
Tax records and censuses
- Some records concerning the Sami population have been found
Court records
- Not started
Annual financial accounts
- Not started
Church records
- Not started
Maps and drawings
- Not started
Probate records
- Not started
Descriptions
- Not started
Assorted records
- Not started
Stay tuned as we continue to find, label, and upload new materials!
Other archives
๐ฉ๐ฐ Danish Archives:
- Not started
๐ณ๐ฑ Dutch archives:
- Not started
๐ฉ๐ช Hansa / German archives:
- Not started
๐ฌ๐ง British archives:
- Not started
๐ช๐ธ Spanish archives:
- Not started
๐ฎ๐น Italian archives:
- Not started
Stay tuned as we continue to find, label, and upload new materials!