Information on this analysis was given by Viktor Peltokangas, Rurik Åkerholm, Ines Kass, and Paul Andersson.
By Paul Andersson—Article published in Järviseudun 1973.
Translated by June Pelo 1994.
Only a few families from Savo Village in Lappajärvi are mentioned in this article. It is hoped that this gives some information of the migration from the inland village to the Pedersöre area during the 1600’s and 1700’s.
Some of the people from the inland village of Savo decided to move to another place where they could earn a living. A great many of them moved toward the coast to the Pedersöre area, where they found a better chance of work necessary for a secure life.
The migrating farmer’s sons came to the greater Pedersöre area which at that time consisted of Pedersöre, Esse, Purmo, and Larsmo, generally as farmers of some deserted homestead or as a son-in-law to such places that lacked sons. This migration can be studied with the help of court records, estate inventories and church books.
In the 1600’s the migration from the inland village was on a small scale but increased after Stora Ofreden (The Great Wrath) when it was difficult to make a living in the home area. At the same time there were many empty houses in the Pedersöre area which needed new inhabitants. To seek in this article to describe the entire migration from Lappajärvi to greater Pedersöre would be too extensive. Therefore, only some families from Savo village who settled in Pedersöre will be described.
Migration from Karvala homestead
Farmer Jöran Bertilsson Karvala and his wife Margareta Olofsdotter Söffring moved from the Karvala home during Stora Ofreden to the Finne house in Ytterpurmo village. Three adult children, two sons and a daughter, followed. According to court records in Pedersöre, at the end 1709 Jöran’s son Mårten took over the Crown house of 3/4 mantal which was deserted five years earlier when the resident died during the war. Records certify that Mårten Jöransson was “a capable and hard-working fellow and well obliged with Booskap and other homeowners.”
Mårten Jöransson, born 11 Nov 1696 in Savo village was, as a juror, affirmed as a capable fellow. The same goes for many of his descendants who with great success made use of the homestead which was inherited from father to son up to the present time. The present farmer in the house is farmer Per-Erik Finne. Other descendants of Mårten are the Jakobstad city manager Hans Finne and teacher of Swedish Anton Finne. In the female line there are Bror Lillqvist, member of parliament, Hugo Kall, farmer, and municipal chairman in Pedersöre, Ines Kass, teacher, and Rurik Åkerholm, farmer. The latter two are ardent genealogists in the Genealogy Society in Jakobstad.
Mårten’s sister Margareta Jöransdotter was born 1706 and married son-in-law Johan Danielsson, born 1693 in Kauhava. The property was divided in 1750 and she received half of Finne. Many of their descendants have been around the village. Present living descendants are Verner Mattsson, transportation officer at Strengbergs, and the writer of this article.
A cousin to Mårten was Johan Johansson Karvala, born 1698. He also moved to Pedersöre and became a son-in-law at Lillmåns home in Ytterpurmo. He married Anna Eriksdotter Lillmåns, born 1699. Among descendants who moved out of the home was Sven Dahlfors, church financial officer in Pedersöre and Jakobstad, and Melker Storå, sales manager in Jakobstad. Since the start of the genealogy society in 1952 Storå has been a member and is now deputy chairman.
Migration from the Tarvonen Home
Sigfrid Påhlsson and wife Lisa Zackrisdotter moved from Lilltarvonen 1661 to Lappfors in Esse where he bought a homestead of 1 mantal on 22 Feb 1661. The homestead received the name Tarvonen from him. His children Anders, Påhl and Beata continued to use the home after his death. In 1701 the property was divided between son Påhl and his wife Brita Hansdotter, and sister Beata who was married to Johan Mickelsson. Among their numerous living descendants in Jakobstad are writers Valter and Börje Åhlö, also schoolteacher Gösta Storbacka.
Matts Påhlsson Lilltarvonen, born 1683, moved 1719 with his wife and children to the Pellinen house in Ytterpurmo. When farmer Henrik Andersson Pellinen returned to his home after the war, Matts Påhlsson moved to the Kass house in Katternö, which he bought in 1725 for 150 dollars copper coins. His son Matts and grandson Johan used the home until 1786 when it was sold to Crown constable F. Grottelin. Johan then moved to the Klubb house in Lepplax which he bought in 1789. There are no male descendants left in Pedersöre.
Anders Eriksson Stortarvonen, born ca 1620 in Savo village, died in Pedersöre ca 1690. Together with his wife Kerstin Månsdotter he moved to Pedersöre in 1665 and took over the empty 1 mantal property of Jakob Hansson Haraskiäggs in Dalabäck in Kållby. He used the house for ten years. Anders Eriksson was a land farmer from 1675 for constable Sven Månsson Brochius at Östensö farm. In 1678 his sons Carl and Johan used another house in Östensö that was empty during the famine years of 1696-97. The Tarvonen name was still used for the house. Anders Tarvonen and his sons also gave their name to two houses they used at the time: Tarvonen in Dalabäck and Tarvonen in Östensö. Anders and Johan Eriksson Stortarvonen, who descended from a brother of the above Anders Eriksson, also moved to Pedersöre. During Stora Ofreden Anders Stortarvonen, born 1694, took over Herman’s empty house at Ytterpurmo. He was sickly and could not use the house when it became empty in 1734. He then became a tenant farmer of his son-in-law Anders Mårtensson at Storkjäld in Ytterpurmo where he died 1760. His wife Margareta died at Storkjäld 1778.
Brother Johan Eriksson Stortarvonen, born ca 1700, became a son-in-law at Storgård house in Edsevö, married 1724 Beata Mattsdotter Storgård who was born 1702. None of their children settled at Storgård. Johan later went to Karlskrona where he worked as a ships carpenter.
Migration from Örns Home
Farmer Erik Henriksson Örn of Savo village, married 1681 to Malin Johansdotter Höök from Alajärvi. Of their children, four moved to Pedersöre and settled there. Daughter Lisa, born 1687, is noted as being at the Isakas home in Östensö with her daughter Sara. Lisa probably was married twice.
Son Mårten Eriksson, born 1693, married 1 Nov 1716 to Vendela Johansdotter Karvala. They received freedom from taxes at the fall court 1721 for Barkar, the 1 mantal Crown home in Ytterpurmo which it received 1719. The house was used jointly with brother Jakob Eriksson and wife Margareta Andersdotter, who had no children. Mårten Eriksson’s descendants became residents of the house and use it today.
The third son Matts Eriksson, born 1705, lived at Barkar with his brother until 1732, then he moved to the Nix house in Katternö. From Crown administrator Anders Zephrin he received the right to own and use a part of the Nix Crown house in 1732 and became a farmer there as well. He married 1728 to Sofia Johansdotter Karvala. They had two sons who were farmers at the place.
Migration from the Kärnä Home
A son and two nephews moved from there to Church Warden Johan Simonsson Kärnä. Son Henrik Johansson Kärnä was born ca 1676 and died in Esse 1723. He moved from Kärnä in 1712 when he took over 3/4 mantal Kupila in Evijärvi. During Stora Ofreden he moved to the empty Hattar house and became a farmer there. He married in Lappajärvi 14 Jan 1700 to Sofia Thomasdotter Kiljunen, born 1678 at Kaukajärvi. Five of their nine children were born at Kärnä. We’ll follow the next youngest son Simon, born 1718 in Esse, who married 1742 Brita Hansdotter Lassfolk, Ytteresse. Simon first became a son-in-law at Lassfolk but didn’t stay and then became a new settler at Brännbacka in Esse. In 1755 the house became taxable and was used for 200 years until 1955 when the last farmer moved away, and the house was bought by the state. It is used as a summer residence.
Johan Simonsson’s brother’s son who moved from Kärnä was Mårten Johansson, born 1698. He married in Lappajärvi 30 Apr 1721 to Maria Eriksdotter Söffring, born 31 Oct 1699.
They moved to Storkåll in Kållby 1729 and ten years later to Storkassnäs in Sundby. Mårten Johansson purchased half of a house and became farmer of half the place.
The second brother’s son is Jakob Johansson Kärnä, born 1699; he moved as son-in-law to Öst home in Ytteresse. He married in Pedersöre 1731 to Carin Mattsdotter Öst, born 1709. She was daughter of Matts Påhlsson Kankkonen who had taken over the empty Öst house in 1702.
