Ostrobothnian
Malax
Land & Livelihood
The northwest border of Malax is on the Gulf of Bothnia, which includes many islands and skeeries. People in Malax earned their livelihood primarily in farming, fishing and shipbuilding. 3
This map of the Malax parish from 1938 displays on the HisKi project website, made available by the Genealogical Society of Finland.
Parish History
- In the 1500s, Malax parish was a part of the larger Mussar parish.6
- At that time, Mussar’s boundaries included the areas that became the independent parishes of Korsholm, Kvevlaks, Maxmo, Replot, Solv, Malax, Laihela, Jurva and parts of Lillkyro. 6
- In October, 1607 parish rights were given to Malax; issued in the name of Karl IX. Included in this new parish were the upper Malaxes, the Eastern and Western Soles (Solf) and Bergö.5
- For a few decades in 1800’s Petalax was also part of the Malax parish. This is when the Malax parish was at its largest. 7
Parish Records
Villages and farms of Malax were recorded in T.W. Karsten’s work, Svesk Bygd I Osterbotten: Nu Och Fordom. 2 Malax 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 (pdf), click here.
Historic villages & farms
Historic villages within the 1938 boundaries of Malax were Yttermalaks and Övermalax.
- Tuv
- Bånn
- Köping
- Nordman
- Herrgårds
- Alskogs
- Svens
- Fodge
- Skinnar
- Kull
- Mattlar
- Broman
- Spärring
- Udd
- Kas
- Holm
- Haga
- Malm
- Lång
- Klockars
- Orre
- Bränn
- Brännback
- Berts
- Majors
- Åminne
- Granlund
- Björkas
- Ture
- Röj
- Stolpe
- Fogde
- Ström
- Gästgivar
- Båtman
- Svevar
- Bro*
- Baddar
- Fiskar
- Vias
- Gullman
- Falur
- Jönn
- Knös
- Sten
- Påvs
- Smulter
- Berg
- Halvar
- Erkus
- Udd
- Paksal
- Styris
- Sved
- Kråknäs
- Pilkar
- Nyman
- Stor
- Marsus
- Lågas
- Smeds
- Storm
- Stav
- Minders
- Perjus
- Dala
- Norrgård
- Ahlholm
- Erikslund
- Svarfar
- Åspholm
- Råholm
- Helenlund
Farms not numbered: Björknäs, Björndahl, Rönnholm
Parish Church
In 1602, the people of Malax built a chapel because the distance to the Mussar parish church was about 3 miles away, far for travelling by foot. This little parish chapel served the parishioners for almost 60 years. 4
Between 1659 and 1660 a new church was built. This church likely was built near the place of the chapel. The church was expanded 20 years later to include a balcony. In 1760 the church was renovated, but by 1806 the church was considered to be in poor condition. 4
In 1831 the church building was demolished. One alter and a tall wooden cross were saved from the church and are used in the current Malax church.
Today’s Malax church was designed by Charles Bassi and built under the direction of Heikki Kuorikoski, an experienced church builder from Kaustby. Area farmers and villagers worked three months during the spring and summer of 1829 to build the church. The church was built in the shape of cross; similar to the Maxmo and Korsnäs churches. The bell tower, designed by C.L. Engels, was built in 1832. 7
A number of renovations occurred beginning in the 1920s.7
To see more of the Malax church, click here.
Malax church. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license. Attribute: Cryonic07
Folk Dress
Parish folk dress can be recognized by its style, colors and patterns.
Malax folk dress photo used with permission of the Brage costume agency
References:
- Genealogical Society of Finland, HisKi project, Malax parish, http://hiski.genealogia.fi/hiski/a525pp?en+0316
- Karsten T.W., Svesk Bygd I Osterbotten: Nu Och Fordom; Helingfors, 1923, pages 68 – 76
- Jensen, Alicia, ‘Discovering Swedish-speaking municipalities: Malax’, Helsinki Times; November 21, 2014, , http://www.helsinkitimes.fi/themes/themes/travel/12789-discovering-swedish-speaking-municipalities-malax.html
- Malax Church, https://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=sv&u=https://sv.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malax_kyrka&prev=search
- Malax Church image, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Malax_church.jpg
- Malax Folk Dress image, Brage costume agency, https://draktbyra.brage.fi/brage/folkdrakter/view-47835-81
- Malax Forsamling, https://www.malaxforsamling.fi/kyrka-och-lokaler/malax-kyrka-historik1
- Visit Vaasa – Malax, http://www.visitvaasa.fi/en/search/pages/sites.aspx?paikka=&pakti=30&a1akti=203
