Ostrobothnian
Munsala
Land & Livelihood
Munsala includes islands, skerries and coastline on the Gulf of Bothnia. ‘Besides beautiful skerries, there are abundant shoreline meadows and good pasturage alongside productive fishing waters.’ 3
This map of the Munsala parish from 1938 displays on the HisKi project website, made available by the Genealogical Society of Finland.
Parish History
- In the early 1500’s, Munsala was at the northernmost part of the Mustasaari (Korsholm) parish 4
- In 1730 Munsala became a chapel parish
- In 1857 it became an independent parish
Parish Records
Villages and farms of Munsala were recorded in T.W. Karsten’s work, Svesk Bygd I Osterbotten: Nu Och Fordom. 2 Munsala Parish Communion records were not used to confirm these findings.
Because parish Communion records are listed by village and farm names and because farm names often were used as a part of a person’s name, it is interesting to note the following farms.
To open a printable list of villages and farms, click here.
Villages & Farms
The historic villages of Munsala
The historic villages of Munsala parish include:
- Kyrkoby – the church village
- Harjuks
- Hirvlaks
- Jussila
- Kantlaks
- Mono
- Monäs
- Pensala
- Veksala
Many of the villages and farms listed here are documented on the Munsala parish map attached.
Historic farms
- Gästgivars
- Flen
- Loilax
- Ollant
- Damsakata
- Sund
- Hagas
- Back
- Jåvs
- Ols
- Vik
- Trött
- Svarvar
- Adams
- Bröms
- Storsved
- Edesbacka
- Flakabacka
- Harjuks
- Stenbacka
- Mickelsbacka
- Pet
- Träsk
- Mågas
- Kock
- Fågel
- Dalkari
- Stubb
- Jussila
- Kiv
- Björkbacka
- Sandås
- Rank
- Nyby
- Knuts
- Laggar
- Räv
- Spåra
- Back
- Skytt
- Vit
- Gästgivars
- Pelat
- Back
- Knuts
- Ryss
- Nygård
- Jaakkola
- Väst
- Klockars
- Rank
- Sik
- Suni
- Näs
- Strömming
- Knuts
- Flygar
- Kock
- Laggnäs
- Pesonen
- Karv
- Patt
- Prast
- Aspnas
- Sodersved
- Kengo
- Bertula
- Skrivars
- Stenbacka
- Fågel
- Domarbacka
- Svartnäs
- Marieda
- Fattig
- Smeds
- Hälsing
- Holm
- Rutas
- Nissas
Parish Church
The Munsala gray-stone church designed by CF Adelcrantz was completed in 1792. 4 David Ölander was the head brick mason and Thomas Rijf, well known church builder, completed the wooden portions. The surrounding stone walls were built in the 1830s. 9
To watch a video of the Munsala church, click here.
Emigranthuset i Vexala
The house is home to the Vexala byaforskare r.f. (Vexala Village Research Association) and can also be rented as lodging.
Monå byaforskare
Monå Village Researchers Association
Munsala Church. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported license. Attribution: Hotarju
Folk Dress
Each parish has a unique folk dress. Parish folk dress can be recognized by its style, colors and patterns.
Munsala folk dress photo used with permission of the Brage costume agency.
References:
- Genealogical Society of Finland, HisKi project, Munsala parish, http://hiski.genealogia.fi/hiski/a5pth8?en+0338
- Karsten T.W., Svesk Bygd I Osterbotten: Nu Och Fordom; Helingfors, 1923, Munsala, pages 183 – 189
- Korsholm, https://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=sv&u=https://uppslagsverket.fi/sv/view-103684-Korsholm&prev=search
- Munsala, https://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=sv&u=https://sv.wikipedia.org/wiki/Munsala&prev=search
- Munsala Church image,
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/93/The_church_of_Munsala.JPG - Munsala Church video, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=anVlgf188A4
- Munsala Folk Dress image, Brage costume agency, https://www.brage.fi/sve/draktbyra/draktbyran/folkdrakter/view-163648-86
- Munsala parish area map, printed in the Swedish Finn Historical Society Quarterly, Volume 8, issue 2, April 1999, Holm Manor Farm in Vexala, page 44
- Munsala stone church and vicarage, Genius Loci website, https://geniusloci.chydenius.fi/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=290&Itemid=424&lang=en
