Historical Dates for Swedish Österbotten

From “Den Österbottniska Byn” by K. V. Åkerblom
Translated by June Pelo  

1303, 1 June

      • Lappfjärd, Tjöck, and Sastmola mentioned for the first time. Landowners there were granted permission from King Birger to continue to cultivate the wooded ground in Tavastland.

1348, 13 Feb

      • Settlers in Närpes, Mustasaari and Pedersöre received a royal authorization granting freedom among themselves to buy and sell “all sorts of things.”

1357, 7 Sep

      • Erik XII certified in Åbo commercial freedom for people of Österbotten.

1384, 10 Apr

      • Korsholm manor house mentioned under the name Crysseborgh when Bo Jönsson Grip commissioned 10 noblemen to manage fief until son Knut became of age.

1434, summer

      • Erik Puke gathered people of Österbotten and sent them under Joen Folkesson to Åland, where Kastelholm was conquered by the Danish.

1440, 17 Aug

      • The present boundary between Kvevlax and Korsholm was established.

1491, 8 Aug

      • The parish boundary between Malax and Petalax was merged.

1533, 18 Nov

      • Gustav Vasa restricted commercial freedom for people of Österbotten so they hereafter could only “barter food for food.”

1556, 4 Apr

      • Gustav Vasa ordered the bailiff of Korsholm to establish a breeding farm at Korsholm. At the same time, he ordered the same at Pinnonäs in Pedersöre.

1597, 24 Feb

      • The men of Klubb suffered defeat by Clas Fleming’s horsemen at Santavuori in Ilmola.

1602, 18 Feb

      • Duke Karl was at Vörå parsonage to deal with petitions of the country people.

1606, 2 Oct

      • Karl IX issued a letter of foundation for the city of Vasa.

1607, 22 Aug

      • Karl IX gave his consent to a request from Kronoby that Påras chapel become an independent parish.

1608, 28 Jul

      • Governor Isak Behm received authority to perform land reform and tax review in Österbotten.

1608, 14 Dec

      • Jakob de la Gardie received Pedersöre and Nykarleby parish as fiefs.

1613, 13 Mar

      • Gustav II Adolf was at Korsholm, on his way south, and met with a great many petitioners and gave 14 decisions.

1620, 7 Sep

      • Nykarleby and Gamlakarleby received city charters.

1628, 19 Aug

      • Bishop Isak Rothovius given permission to hold divine services in the chapel that was built in Solv.

1641, 3 Feb

      • Common school opened in Nykarleby.

1642, 25 Feb

      • Vasa province was separated from Uleåborg province and given a separate governor, Hans Kyle, who received a letter of administration for the first time.

1643, 29 Dec

      • Mail began to go from Stockholm, across Torneå, Uleåborg, Gamlakarleby and Vasa to Åbo.

1649, 5 Dec

      • Per Brahe, at Åbo castle, issued a letter of foundation for Kristinestad.

1650, 19 Jun

      • Jakob de la Gardie received Pedersöre parish (218 homes) as a fief.

1651, 26 Mar

      • Gabriel Bengtsson Oxenstierna received counties of Korsholm and Vasa as fiefs.

1652, 20 Mar

      • Klas Åkesson Tott received Nykarleby, Lappo, Ilmola and north Vörå as fiefs; the earldom Carleborg was established.

1652, 27 Oct

      • Fru Ebba Brahe commanded Sheriff Henrik Tavast to establish Jakobstad and granted a city charter.

1669, 31 Jan

      • The first church in Terjärv was dedicated.

1674, 10 Dec

      • Karl XI reclaimed fiefs in Österbotten for the crown.  

1676, 1 Mar

      • Bishop John Gezelius, on a visit to Vörå, allowed Oravais residents to have their own pastor.

1683, 11 Jan

      • Karl XI ordered the common school in Nykarleby to be moved to Vasa.  

1684, 2 Feb

      • Residents in Korsnäs established a contract of stipend for their pastor.  

1686, 5 Aug

      • Juryman Jakob Knutsson (Puss) from Munsala was elected as a member of parliament.

1692, 28 Dec

      • Kvevlax church consecrated.

1696, 7 Aug

      • hard night frost

1696, 23 Aug

      • hard night frost caused “great famine.”

1702, 20 Jul

      • Residents in Portom established a contract of stipend for their pastor. 

1706, 25 Jan

      • Residents of Maxmo received permission to build their own church  

1714, 19 Feb

      • Finnish army was defeated at Napo village in Storkyro, whereby entire Österbotten was devastated by the Russians.

1732, 6 Jun

      • Fredrik I gave permission for the chapel in Esse to be consecrated to the church.  

1733, 14 Aug

      • Representatives for the country people in southern Österbotten signed in Vasa a contract whereby permanent soldiers were brought in.  

1742, 1 Oct

      • General Kinderman opened in Vasa an agricultural day which procured upkeep for the Russian soldiers.  

1743, 28 Sep

      • Johan David Cneiff appointed as consulate for sheep farming in Österbotten. He was the first agricultural consulate in our part of the country; lived in Kaskö, active over 20 years.  

1749, 25 Aug

      • The king imposed the method by which the new tax levy in Österbotten would be carried out. 

1752, 14 Jul

      • The king agreed to a request from farmers in Nedervetil to build their own church.  

1752, 18 Jul

      • King Adolf Fredrik was in Vörå on a trip around northern Österbotten to Stockholm.

  1757, 5 Apr

      • The king decreed an amalgamation of small holdings, an order that had great significance for Österbotten  

1765, 10 Oct

      • Permission received from the king to establish a hospital in Österbotten. It was opened in Nov 1768 and became Vasa county hospital.  

1765, 12 Oct

      • A highway from Taby-Närpes was authorized by the king; it was finished 1777.  

1765, 3 Dec

      • Uleåborg, Gamlakarleby and Vasa received complete commodity freedom.  

1766, 20 Apr

      • Jakob Påhlsson Heikus of Vörå, most valued member of parliament during Swedish times, died on the weak ice on Oravais fjörd on the way to church.  

1766, 20 Nov

      • Farmers in Österbotten received full sailing freedom.  

1775, 28 Jun

      • Gustav III issued a new decree concerning the amalgamation of small holdings into large production units in Finland by which an upper limit was reached for the acreage each mantal shall receive any surplus ground delivered to the Crown for new construction. The ordinance had greatest importance for settlement and the extension of culture in Österbotten.  

1776, 28 Jun

Gustav III issued a decree instituting the Vasa court of appeals.  

1776, 26 Sep

      • A printing works, the first in Österbotten, was transferred on Alderman Töhlberg’s vessel to Vasa.  

1782, 24 Mar

      • Replot, Vallgrund, and Björko villagemen united and built their own church at Replot  

1785, 14 Jul

      • Gustaf III decreed that Sideby become a separate congregation.  

1785, 30 Jul

      • Kaskö received a city charter.  

1786, 1 Nov

      • Vasa dedicated the newly built court of appeals.  

1803, 1 Feb

      • Pastor Anders Chydenius of Karleby died.  

1804, 5 Feb

      • Johan Ludvig Runeberg born in Jakobstad.  

1808, 23 Jun

      • Colonel Johan Bergenstråle, with 1090 men, landed in Österhankmo and marched to Vasa.  

1808, 24 Jun

      • Battle in Vasa. The Swedes retreated and the Russians plundered the city.  

1808, 20 Jul

      • Battle at Finby bridge in Närpes.  

1808, 13 Sep

      • Fight at Jutas.  

1809, 5 Feb

      • Senior Juryman and member of parliament Hans Mickels from Finby, Närpes died.  

1814, 23 Jan

      • Peter Klockars of Nykarleby and speaker for peasants at Borgå agricultural day 1809, died.  

1816, 1 Mar

      • Peter Johan Bladh, Kaskö city creator, died at his estate Benvik.  

1816, 31 Mar

      • Erik Cainberg from Nedervetil, the first known sculptor of Finland, died in Åbo.  

1818, 14 Jan

      • Zachris Topelius born in Nykarleby.  

1821, 31 Aug

      • After a severe northern storm, the frost took the entire harvest.  

1821, 13 Dec

      • The Czar ordered that the fairs held in the countryside in Finland shall be done away with.  

1839, 1 Jan

      • The first edition of Vasa Tidning, Swedish Österbotten’s first newspaper, came out.  

1841, 8 Jan

      • The Växel branch of Finland’s bank opened in Vasa.  

1847, 2 Jan

      • Vasa savings bank, the first savings bank in Österbotten, opened.  

1849, 10 Oct

      • Technical secondary school, later industrial school, open in Vasa.  

1852, 3 Aug

      • Vasa city devastated by a fire.  

1856, 27 May

      • Österbotten’s steamship company built and began with a paddle boat of iron to supply traffic between Österbotten coastal cities and Petersburg.  

1857, 1 Sep

      • Vasa women’s school (now Vasa Swedish girl’s school) opened.  

1858, 13 Jan

      • Large part of city of Nykarleby burned.  

1859, 1 Nov

      • The first students entered Korsholm’s agricultural school.  

1859, 1 Dec

      • A telegraph office opened in Vasa.  

1860, 7 Jun

      • The government agreed that a 4-grade higher elementary school could be established in Gamlakarleby (later Gamlakarleby Swedish middle school).  

1862, 26 Jun

      • Vasa province agricultural society appointed its executive committee meeting in Vasa.  

1862, 1 Aug

      • First day for Vasa as a new city.  

1867, 4 Sep

      • A hard night frost caused the greatest “poor year” of the 1800’s in our country.  

1870, 21 Apr

      • Poet Lars Stenbäck died in Storkyro.  

1873, 1 Sep

      • Nykarleby elementary school teachers training college opened.  

1875, 15 Feb

      • The first elementary school in Korsholm and Veikars village opened.  

1875, 6 Jul

      • Agricultural meeting and display in Vörå, where a hay mower was seen in use for the first time in our country.  

1879, 23 Jan

      • Surgeon Johan Jakob Bäck from Nykarleby parish died in Vasa.  

1883, 5 Aug

      • The first national holiday in Swedish Österbotten held in Vörå.  

1883, 29 Sep

      • Vasa highway opened for traffic.  

1886, 29 Oct

      • Östermyra-Uleåborg road opened for traffic.  

1887, 10 Jul

      • Telephone circuit between Kristinestad and Vasa opened for use  

1888, 24 Mar

      • Malax youth league, the first in Swedish Österbotten, built at the initiative of student Johan Klockars.  

1889, 25 Jan

      • Anders Svedberg of Munsala died.  

1891, 3 Nov

      • High school in Kronoby, first in Österbotten, dedicated.  

1894, 17-20 Jun

      • The first singing and music festival in Österbotten held in Vasa together with a big agricultural exhibition.  

1897, 24 Jan

      • Vasa province northern temperance organization established at a meeting in Kronoby.  

Note from June Pelo: I personally found this calendar informative. See following dates:

1652, 27 Oct

      • Henrik Tavast who established Jakobstad was my 10th great grandfather on my mother’s mother’s side.

1803, 1 Feb

      • Anders Chydenius’ nephew Gabriel Andersson Chydenius married my 3rd cousin four times removed Brita Magdalena Pettersdotter Pelander.

1804, 5 Feb

      • Johan Ludvig Runeberg was my father’s 5th cousin twice removed; he was also my mother’s 5th cousin twice removed, and my 5th cousin 3 times removed.