Ostrobothnian
Terjärv
Land & Livelihood
“Terjärv is long and narrow in shape. The Kronoby River flows through the parish’s whole length and meanders in hundreds of curves around hills. It flows through and by dozens of lakes. The quantity of water from the river and lakes is not significant, however the water itself is of high value to the residents because of the power it gives to the many flour mills, sawmills and electrical installations located at the rapids of the river. Farms cluster on either side of the river and the landscape undulates noticeably.” 2
Terjärv has barren, rocky soil. Tall stone walls border many of the fields. While about 80% of the land is not arable (unable to be tilled and used for growing crops), much of the land can be used as pasture land. 2
This map of the Terjarv Parish from 1938 displays on the HisKi project website,
made available by the Genealogical Society of Finland.
Parish History
- From about 1490, Terjarv was part of the Karleby parish
- In 1607 it was a part of the Kronoby parish
- Terjärv was granted official permission to build a chapel in 1661. In 1669, the chapel was built and Terjärv become a chapel parish under Kronoby
- In 1868 the congregation became an independent parish 2, 9, 13
Parish Records
Because parish Communion records are listed by farm name and because farm names often were used as a part of a person’s name, it is interesting to note the following farms. Many of these farms are labelled on the parish map displayed to the left.
The villages and farms of Terijärv were recorded in T.W. Karsten’s work, Svesk Bygd I Osterbotten: Nu Och Fordom. 5 Terijärv Parish Communion records were not used to confirm these findings.
To open a printable list of villages and farms, click here.
Villages & Farms
The historical villages and farms in Terjärv
The oldest Land Register for Terjärv is dated 1549 and mentions eleven farms, of which three were abandoned. 1
In 1587 – there were 14 farms
In 1700 – 39 farms
In 1830, Terjärv divided into three villages with a total of 212 farms:
- Hästbacka – 61 farms
- Kyrkoby – 82 farms
- Kortjärvi – 69 farms
In 1910 – there were 276 independent farms.
The map attached shows locations of historic villages and farms in Terjärv.
Map is used with permission from Joelle Steele.
Historic farms
- Granö
- Granbacka
- Granholm
- Skullbacka
- Sandkulla
- Timmerbacka
- Långsjö
- Storrank
- Häsjebacka
- Häggmans
- Fagernäs
- Lytts
- Fors
- Byskata
- Björkbacka
- Kaitajärvi
- Lillrank
- Bredbacka
- Sågslampi
- Sågfors
- Särs
- Backmans
- Zittra
- Sunabacka
- Hästbacka
- Ravall
- Smedjabacka
- Varg
- Forsbacka
- Vuojärvi
- Knutar
- Kolam
- Bäxar
- Aspfors
- Emmet
- Åsbacka
- Åsvik
- Drycksbäck
- Djupsjö
- Näse
- Dövnäs
- Gistö
- Kortjärvi
- Alsved
- Sandvik
- Grannabba
- Skytte
- Högnabba
- Dalvik
- Granvik
- Svartsjö
- Fura
- Storbacka
- Widjeskog
- Vistbacka
- Manderbacka
- Långbacka
Of Interest
Emigration 1870 – 1920
“Terjärv did not have any natural qualities to be a large agricultural district, and the splitting of homesteads had a negative effect on the means of support.” 4
- After the famine years of the 1860s, Terjärv residents moved to cities in southern Finland and to Russia
- Emigration from Terjärv to America began in the 1870s; twelve Terjärv residents went to America in 1872
- Between 1890 and 1901, 650 Terjärv residents left the country
- Early research revealed that 1,467 people from Terjärv emigrated between 1870 to 1914
- Later research shows that 1,800 Terjärv residents moved to the US, Canada and Australia during 1860 to 1960 4
Many of the emigrants were young men seeking to avoid a summons to the military service (conscription by the Russian military). Many of the people who left returned to Finland passing on stories of ‘Amerika’ which enticed other to leave.
Image: The Kronoby River flowing through Terjärv.
Parish Church
The first chapel was completed in 1669 in the village of Kyrkoby. It was built by the peasants without the help of an outside builder. The work was led by brothers Anders, Daniel and Mårten Olofsson from Kolam. It was inaugurated on January 31, 1669 by the vicar of Kruunupy, the priest Jacobus Brennerus and named The Church of Our Savior. In the first few years, ministers from Kronoby held services in their chapel.
A few years later, in 1671, the chapel was given the right to salary a parson of their own. The first pastor was Carolus Verander and he remained Terjärv’s pastor up to his death in 1699.
By 1701 more room was needed for the growing congregation. The chapel was expanded by adding on to one end and adding a bell tower. The congregation continued to grow and by the mid 1770’s it was clear that the chapel had far too little space. It was decided to build a completely new church.
The chapel was demolished in 1774. The bell tower from the chapel was torn from its place and rolled to the position south of where the current church stands. The new church was constructed under the direction of builder Matts Honga from the Lillhonga farm of Gamlakarleby. The first Sunday service was held in May, 1775. On July 2, 1775, the church was dedicated by the vicar of Gamlakarleby, Anders Chydenius. According to the congregations’ wish, the church was given the name The Church of Our Savior Jesus Christ.
In 1877 the church was rebuilt under the direction of Jaakko Kuorikoski from Kaustby. The church walls were raised, the roof made flatter, one side extended and a porch added. An eight ‘ostagonal attika’ was built above the central part and a new lantern added to the top. This church took the cruciform shape, very similar to the church in Kronoby. 9, 13
To view the inside of the Terjärv church, click here. 11
Image: The church of Our Savior Jesus Christ, Terjarv. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license. Attribution: Santeri Viinamäki
Folk Dress
Each parish has a unique folk dress. Parish folk dress can be recognized by its style, colors and patterns.
Terjärv folk dress photo used with permission of the Brage costume agency.
Resources:
- Backman, Nils F., Excerpts from “Slaktantechningar”, translated by June Pelo, http://sydaby.eget.net/swe/jp_tnam.htm
- Forss, Alfred, The Östrobothian Village: A Collection of Remembered Images, Association of Swedish-speaking Östrobothnians now living in Helsingfor [Helsinki], 1947, translated by Syrene Forsman and Norm Westerburg
- Genealogical Society of Finland, HisKi project, Terjärv parish, http://hiski.genealogia.fi/hiski/a0mqwo?en+0550
- Granholm, Ole, ‘Terjarv Immigration’, Österbottningen newspaper, February 2, 2003, translated by June Pelo
- Karsten T.W., Svesk Bygd I Osterbotten: Nu Och Fordom; Helingfors, 1923, pages 216 – 219
- Smedjebacka, Helge, Hästabackaby Från 1500-tal till nutid, Hästbacka Byahemsförening r.f., 1995, pages 208 – 209
- Steele, Joelle, An Illustrated History of the Steel, Furu and Forström Families in Finland and America, Third Edition, 2013, page 14
- Terjarv; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terj%C3%A4rv
- Terjarv Church: https://sv.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terj%C3%A4rv_kyrka
- Terjarv Church image: Author: Santeri Viinamäki, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=60517058
- Terjarv Church video, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ma2LbnHHOTU&feature=youtu.be
- Terjarv Folk Dress image, Brage costume agency, https://www.brage.fi/sve/draktbyra/draktbyran/folkdrakter/view-163648-102
- Terjärv Församling; http://www.terjarvforsamling.fi/kirkko-ja-tilat/terjarv-kyrka
