John Benson in Swedish Census 1890 and 1900

I find Jöns, his wife Thilda and son Julius in the census for Sweden in 1890 and 1900. This may mean he didn't come to the United States until after 1900. He married Selma Antonsson on Dec. 20, 1904.

Jöns is listed in both censuses as a farmhand (jordkruksarbetare). Before I was looking for John not Jöns so I couldn't find him. The images from the 1900 census are below. The family lives in Boarp. The images from the 1890 census look the same except the family lives in Svenstad.

John Benson's First Wife

From the household examination record I see John Benson moved to page 1030 in 85 (1885). Bringing up that record shows his wife Thilda Svensson and son Julius Teodor.

There are some notes to the right. I joined the SWEDEN mailing list where many wonderful people help you with translations and other things that pertain to Swedish genealogy. The response I get back about the notes is:

Lodger Jöns Beter Bengtsson's remark: belongs to year 1887 7th class of

conscripts. Certificate to America the 26th Mar(?) 1888(?).



It looks like this was written over some other remark.

This makes sense to me that he came to America in 1888 because I can't find him in the 1890 Swedish census.

I had to know if this was really his child and wife. So I look up the records and find he is the father of Julius and the husband of Thilda.

Click on the images to make them bigger.

Next I look for his wife and child in the census for the United States and Sweden.

John Benson Birth

I found John Benson's birth record at Genline.

I looked in Västra Karup, Kristianstad for the date of June 10, 1860. And there it was. His mother is listed as Ingrid Johansdotter born in 1832. This matches the same mother as his two brothers.

Here is the actual record (click on image to view full size):


Here is a video about using Genline to find the birth record:

John Benson and Selma Antonson Marriage Record

I start to wonder if John Benson and Selma Antonson were married in Massachusetts. So I write a letter to the Massachusetts archives requesting their marriage certificate.

And it arrived in the mail! My aunt knew they were married in the United States. I had assumed they were married in Sweden and came to the United States together.

By the way, now all the Massachusetts records are online up to 1910. I belong to New England Historic Genealogical Society and from their website www.newenglandancestors.org I can search the records.

They filed two marriage certificates. This first one was filed December 23, 1904 in Worcester, Massachusetts. Date of marriage is December 20, 1904. John Peter Benson is 45, birthplace Sweden, father is Peter Benson, and mother is Ingre Uhanson.

The bride is Selma Anthransen, 34, born in Sweden, father is Anton Svenson, and mother is Laura Larson.

The second marriage certificate is filed in Holden, Massachusetts on January 4, 1905. Most of the information is the same except for John’s mother is listed as Engre Uhanson and Selma’s father is Anton Swenson.

Do you think John’s mother’s name is Ingrid Johansson?

Getting John Benson's Death Certificate

As a beginning genealogist I begin by sending for birth, marriage, and death certificates. I know Bertha’s father, John Peter Benson, was a painter and fell from scaffolding. He also lived in Worcester, Massachusetts.

I send a letter to the Massachusetts archives to obtain his death certificate. I had been told he died in 1915. On the death certificate lists his birthplace as Sweden, father is John Benson born in Sweden, and his mother is unknown but born in Sweden.