Sweden
The Shult family emigrated from Sweden in the 1850s. Prior to emigration, the family name was Skold.
Little is known about the family in Sweden, but we do know that they appear to have been farmers, and that their name bears a military reference (it means shield) that was typically given to soldiers in the middle ages and later centuries. The following regions are mentioned extensively in the records:
- Skepperstad congregation, Jonkeopings len Province -- Samuel Skold and Lisa Stina Heason lived in this village with their children, and their names and assorted information appears in parish records. I have not been able to locate this village in current maps of Sweden but a Jonkoping province is located near the southern tip of Sweden, close to the lake that is shown in the map above. This may be the correct area.
- Hultsjo, Jonkoping province -- Samuel Skold was born here.
- Hjertlanda, Jonkoping province -- Lisa Stina Heason was born here.
For a more detailed map that shows Jonkoping, click this link.
Another great map: Map of Sweden
A Few Facts About Swedish Emigration
The original Swedish colonists came to the United states in 1638, shortly after the original landing of the Mayflower. These settlers were not religious dissenters but an organized group of colonists sent to Delaware to establish a colony. The main surge of Swedish emigrants (of which the Skolds were a part) began in 1840 and continued to 1930. Nearly a fifth of Sweden's total population emigrated to the US during this time period!
A few things which led to the massive emigration included:
- An agricultural crisis brought about by poor soil andthe fragmentation of farms.
- A growing population brought about by the first sustained period of piece in some time, and increased vaccination. Both of these combined to allow the population in some areas to triple.
- Increased movement to the cities, where the poor often found themselves unprepared for the new jobs brought about by increased industrialization.