Carl and Charlotta Schöldberg Family Overview Page

Carl and Charlotta Schöldberg/Sköldberg Family

Overview Page

Overview Genealogy

Carl Johan Sköldberg born 14 May 1802 in Kvenneberga, Kronobergs län, Sweden; married Charlotta Soderberg 19 May 1826 at Kristianopel, Blekinge län, Sweden, died 17 September 1852 in Jämshög, Blekinge län, Sweden

Charlotta Söderberg born 11 July 1799 in Kristianopel, Blekinge län, Sweden, married Carl Johan Scholdberg 19 May 1826 at Kristianopel, Blekinge län, Sweden; died 16 March 1864 in Jämshög, Blekinge län, Sweden

Carl Eduard Schöldberg born 12 February 1827 in Jämshög, Blekinge län, Sweden; died 30 Jan 1842 in Jämshög, Blekinge län, Sweden
Marie Charlotta Schöldberg born 12 January 1830 in Jämshög, Blekinge län, Sweden; never married, no children, died 19 Jul 1874 in Wexjö Lands, Kronoberg, Sweden
Sven Schöldberg born 4 November 1831 in Jämshög, Blekinge län, Sweden; died 21 Nov 1831, Jämshög, Blekinge län
Johanna Schöldberg born 23 April 1833 in Jämshög, Blekinge län, Sweden; married Sigfrid Vilhelm Schroder on 4 Aug 1853 in Jämshög, Blekinge län, Sweden; died 24 Dec 1857 Jämshög, Blekinge län, Sweden
1. Sigfrid Eberhard Schroder born 8 Nov 1853 at No. 20 Holje, Jämshög, Blekinge, Sweden; died 20 Jul 1854 at Holje, Jämshög, Blekinge, Sweden
2. Carl August Schroder born 9 Aug 1855 at No. 20 Holje, Jämshög, Blekinge, Sweden; died 25 Mar 1856 at Holje, Jämshög, Blekinge, Sweden
Knut Oscar Schöldberg born 13 January 1837 in Jämshög, Blekinge län, Sweden; married Elizabeth Priscilla Holloway Steward on 24 May 1867 at St. Mary's Stratford Bow in Bow, England; died 15 November 1875 in Alexandria, Egypt
Amalia Antoinette Schöldberg born 18 March 1839 in Jämshög, Blekinge län, Sweden; died 31 Jan 1852, Jämshög, Blekinge län, Sweden

Notes

In June 2014, I was contacted by Amir Sherif of Sweden who had researched the Schöldberg and Söderberg line extensively in Sweden and he has taken Carl Johan Schöldberg and Charlotta Söderberg back several generations more than shown above. Amir has placed much of the information he has about the Schöldberg and Söderberg lines on the Swedish America Heritage Online website (SWEAME). By mutual agreement, we have agreed to cross-link to each others websites. Thus the links above for Carl Johan Schöldberg and Charlotta Söderberg will transfer to the Swedish America Heritage Online website for the same individuals. From there, the reader can move further back in time or explore other related families. We have tried to keep the information for the Carl Johan Schöldberg and Charlotta Söderberg family above synchronized on this site and the Swedish America Heritage Online site.
Of interest is some history of the spelling of the name Schöldberg vs. Sköldberg. In the English records such as Knut Oscar Scholdberg's 1871 Census Record, his Merchant Seaman Records and Marriage Record, the spelling is always shown as Scholdberg, and usually without the double dots over the ö. When I found the Schöldberg Christening Records for Jämshög, the spelling for each of the children was still Schöldberg and the father's name as Schöldberg. However, Carl Johan's marriage record to Charlotta was shown as Sköldberg though at first I did not pick-up on this variant. When Amir contacted me in June 2014, he informed me that the ancestral name was actually Sköldberg and records before the family's arrival in Jämshög use that spelling. He states that: Sköld means Shield and Berg is hill or mountain, and the name itself is a Soldier's name. He goes on to state: "When the enlisted private Soldiers entered Service, they got new surnames. There was an abundance of Svenssons, Andersson and Peterssons, and that made commanding a unit. an impossible task - so by tradition they got a new surname. The persons who enlisted in the cavalry usually got some more "fancy" names, like Falk (Falcon) or Örn (Eagle)."
Thus it appears the Schöldberg spelling used on the Christening Records in Jämshög was a local variant and not a very common spelling of the name. However, this uniqueness of the spelling as Schöldberg has had its pluses as our Knut Oscar Schöldberg used it on all records going forward in his life in England and on his voyages. Thus the unusual spelling has helped tie our Knut Oscar Scholdberg of Bromley and Poplar of the London Borough of Tower Hamlets England to the same named individual on the 1837 Christening Record for Jämshög, Sweden. See below for further information on tying Knut Oscar Scholdberg of England with his Swedish birth and christening record.
län is Swedish for County.

Schöldberg Family Genealogy Research

Because our Knut Oscar Schöldberg was born in Sweden but married and had his children in Poplar, England, it has been difficult to establish where in Sweden he was born. The major problem is that records of the time in England which request “where born” indicate “Country Only” instead of town if foreign born. However, through a bit of luck, it is believed the family has been found in Jämshög, Blekinge, Sweden.

Following are two approaches that were used to determine our Knut Oscar Schöldberg place of birth in Sweden. The first approach is to search for every possible Enlish record hoping Knut's birth town might be shown, or that the record might provide other information to narrow the search in Sweden. The second approach is to search Swedish birth/christening records for a Schöldberg family in Sweden that matches genealogy data established in the first approach.

Genealogy Established By Working Backwards

This first genealogy was established using James Oscar Jordan’s, Elizabeth Priscilla Holloway Steward’s and Knut Oscar Schöldberg’s records. Knut Oscar Schöldberg's age and country of birth were identified from the 1871 English Census and his Merchant Seaman records. And his father's name and occupation were established from Knut's marriage to Elizabeth Priscilla Holloway Steward.

Carl Johan Schöldberg from English records it was assume Carl Johan was born between 1790-1810 probably in Sweden; marriage datebunknown, but probably in Sweden, occupation tanner, no other information known

Unknown Wife from English records there was no information about Carl Johan Scholdberg's wife

Knut Oscar Schöldberg born about 1837 in Sweden; married Elizabeth Priscilla Holloway Steward on 24 May 1867 at St. Mary's Stratford Bow in Bow, England; died 15 November 1875 in Alexandria, Egypt

Genealogy Established by Finding a Matching Family in Sweden

Sometime around the mid-2000's decade, a lucky break occured while using the LDS Family Search site and a Schöldberg family was found in Sweden which appears to be the family of our Knut Oscar Schöldberg. This Schöldberg family lived in Jämshög, Blekinge, Sweden.

Vital Records Extract for the Schöldberg Family

As follows are Christening and Birth extracts found using the LDS Family Search site. The Birth Records are from the Vital Records Index for the town of Jämshög, Blekinge, Sweden; Batch C402324, Film 86202. Jämshög has now been incorporated into Olofstrom. The location is in southeastern Sweden about 10 miles inland.

Carl J. Scholdberg married Charlotta Soderberg 19 May 1826 at Kristianopel, Blekinge, Sweden (note data from IGI for the marriage info)

Carl Eduard Carlsson Schöldberg born 12 February 1827 in Jämshög, Blekinge, Sweden; christened 16 February 1827 in Jämshög, Blekinge, Sweden
Marie Charlotte Carlsdotter Schöldberg born 12 January 1830 in Jämshög, Blekinge, Sweden; christened 24 January 1830 in Jämshög, Blekinge, Sweden
Johanna Carlsdotter Schöldberg born 23 April 1833 in Jämshög, Blekinge, Sweden; christened 25 April 1833 in Jämshög, Blekinge, Sweden
Knut Oscar Carlsson Schöldberg born 13 January 1837 in Jämshög, Blekinge, Sweden; christened 17 January 1837 in Jämshög, Blekinge, Sweden
Amalia Antoinette Schöldberg born 18 March 1839 in Jämshög, Blekinge, Sweden; christened 19 March 1839 in Jämshög, Blekinge, Sweden

Conclusions

The Schöldberg family of Jämshög, Sweden was an excellent match to our Knut Oscar Scholdberg line from England. And while one can't be 100% certain, the evidence indicates with high certainty that they are one and the same and in fact there are no discrepancies.

The Evidence

Items that match with what was known or guessed from English Records are:
1. A full name and surname spelling match as Knut Oscar Scholdberg,
2. Knut Oscar Scholdberg's birth year of about 1837 (various English records confirm a birth year around 1837 plus or minus a few, but this is not uncommon)
3. Knut Oscar Scholdberg's expected father's name as Carl Johan Schöldberg.
4. Carl Johan Schöldberg's occupation as tanner
5. A Scholdberg Household Record for Jämshög that indicates Knut Oscar Schöldberg left for the sea in 1852. This matches nicely with his occupation as a merchant seaman.
Also confirming the match is the spelling of Schöldberg. The Schöldberg spelling in Sweden is unusual and is normally spelled Sköldberg. The records show the spelling for Carl Johan Sköldberg before he moved to Jämshög as Sköldberg. But once there, the records for the birth of his children show the spelling of his surname as Schöldberg. This Schöldberg spelling (usually without the double dots over the "o") was what is found on almost all of Knut Oscar Scholdberg's English records, including marriage, children's birth and christening records, census and seaman records). The consistent use of the "offspelling" of the surname is another link back to an origin in Jämshög.
In February 2019 after completing an Ancestry DNA test, I found a match with AF of Sweden indicating that we shared a common set of gggg-grandparents. These were Peter/Petter Sköldberg (b. 1766) and Johanna Andersdotter Kempff (1768) who in my case were the parents of Carl Johan Schöldberg (b. 1802) and in AF's case the parents of Ander Daniel Sköldberg (b. 1794). The connection makes us 5th cousins and does seem to confirm that Knut Oscar Carlsson Schöldberg born 13 January 1837 in Jämshög, Blekinge, Sweden is the link between our Scholdberg/Jordan lineage of England and America and our historic origins in Sweden.
Efforts will continue on tracing Knut Oscar Scholdberg's Merchant Seaman Records for further information on his life and origins.

Acknowledgements

Special thanks are due to Maj-Britt Sundin creator of the Genealogy and Local history of Jämshög and Kyrkhult parish in Blekinge, Sweden web site.
Information from Maj-Britt Sundin on 27 October 2007: "Knut Oscar Schöldberg, which is an unusual Swedish name, went to sea in 1852 and was never heard of again. His father had died recently, in 1852 September 17 in Jämshög, but his mother and one sibling, his sister Johanna Schöldberg, were still living in Jämshög parish in a village called Holje nr 20. His four other siblings were dead."
Information from Maj-Britt Sundin in 30 January 2008: "Her parents were a tanner called Bengt Söderberg born around 1760 and his wife Helena Maria Tilosius born November 23, 1765 in the city of Karlskrona in Blekinge (Karlkrona Amiralitetsfšrsamling is the name of the parish). They both died September 9, 1808 when they drowned when the ship they were on sank in hard weather outside of Kristianopel when they were on their way to …land (an island upwards from Kristianopel). Charlotte had 6 siblings."
Information from Maj-Britt Sundin in 6 August 2008: Maj-Britt Sundin sent me a several hundred word document in Swedish about Carl Johan Sköldberg. In July 2014, Amir Sherif identified the document as a set of Letters of Recommendation. A key find was that Carl Johan was a apprentice tanner, a direct match with his expected occupation.
Special thanks are due to Amir Sherif and his extensive research on the Sköldberg and Söderberg lines in Sweden. Our communications in June and July 2014 re-ignited interest in my Schöldberg and Söderberg lines and helped me confirm that I had the correct Knut Oscar Schöldberg in Sweden. He provided information that the Schöldberg ancestral surname was actually Sköldberg, along with the various domestic and military history he had discovered for our Sköldbergs in Sweden. The following will link to his research placed on the Swedish America Heritage Online website (SWEAME) for Carl Johan Sköldberg and from there to our deeper Schöldberg origins in Sweden.
Special thanks to AF of Sweden for her research on the Söderberg and Schöldberg lines as made available via her Friberg/Nilsson Ancestry Family Tree. As a result valuable additions to the genealogy data above have been added. AF also explained how I connect to her Sköldberg line as a result of our separate Ancestry DNA tests. My DNA connection to AF is through Peter/Petter Sköldberg and his wife Johanna Andersdotter Kempf and two of their children: Carl Johan Sköldberg for me and Ander Daniel Sköldberg for AF. Peter/Petter Sköldberg and his wife Johanna Andersdotter Kempf are our respective 4x-Great Grandparents, making us 5th cousins.
Special thanks to Anna Herbst of Sweden and Australia for her research on the Söderberg and Schöldberg lines as made available via her Anna Söderströms Släktträd Ancestry Family Tree. As a result valuable additions to the genealogy data above include Marie Charlotta Schöldberg death date and Johanna Schöldberg's marriage and death dates along with the birth and death dates for her infant children. The same information has been added to the Carl and Charlotta Schöldberg/Sköldberg Family Chart along with information Anna Herbst extracted on the causes of death for the entire family. My connection to Anna Herbst is through Bengt Söderberg and his wife Helena Maria Tilosius and two of their children: Charlotta Söderberg for me and Dorothea Söderberg for Anna Herbst. Bengt Söderberg and his wife Helena Maria Tilosius are our respective 4x-Great Grandparents making us 5th cousins.
Given the cumulative information provided via Maj-Britt Sundin, Amir Sherif, AF and Anna Herbst above, the only child of the Carl Johan Schöldberg/Sköldberg and Charlotta Söderberg Family to have offspring is Knut Oscar Schöldberg, the 15 year old boy who left Jämshög, Blekinge län, Swede for sea in 1852. His son, Joseph Canute Oscar Schöldberg who changed his name to James Oscar Jordan went on to have 4 sons and a daughter in Chicago between 1898 and 1904, all who in turn had many offspring. Given that only Knut Oscar Schöldberg survived from the Carl Johan Schöldberg/Sköldberg and Charlotta Söderberg Family, the only DNA link to Sweden on the Schöldberg line is through the offspring of Peter/Petter Sköldberg and his wife Johanna Andersdotter Kempf or offpring of their ancestors. Equivalently there are also potential DNA links to the Söderberg line through the offspring of Bengt Söderberg and his wife Helena Maria Tilosius or offpring of their ancestors. The DNA connection is important due to the lack of records directly connecting Knut Oscar Schöldberg in England to the Schöldberg family of Jämshög, Blekinge län, Sweden. Although the record evidence above is fairly strong (see above), DNA connections to either the Schöldberg/Sköldberg and/or the Söderbergs would solidify the connection. Currently the only identified DNA connection is to AF of Sweden. See item above. In fact, it is important to establish a DNA connection to both the Sköldbergs and the Söderbergs to be sure all us James Oscar Jordan descendants are connected to the Carl Johan Schöldberg/Sköldberg and Charlotta Söderberg Family.