Struggling to find info on Swedish relative

[kelseymartin19]

Hi there,

For months now I have been completely struggling to find any information for my Swedish great great granfather, Charles Nilsson. I know that he married Catherine Fellows in Sheffield in 1887 and they had several children and eventually moved to Gateshead. Shes with him on the 1991 and 1901 census but is absent on the 1911 census but I cant find a death record for her.

Charles was born in Sweden, I'm not sure when he came to the UK as I can't find any record. I cant find a birth certificate or a death certificate for him either but going by the census' I think he was born around 1858 and he was a 'machine fitter/repairer'. His fathers name was John according to the marriage record.

I've been stuck at this for almost a year now and I am slowly going mad, I'm desperate to find out more about my Swedish roots but I just can't get any further.

PLEASE if anyone is looking for a challenge please please feel free to take this one on. I have tried everything and nothing has worked. I've even tried looking up swedish records under the name Carl (Swedish for Charles) and Johannes (Swedish for John) but I just can't get a match.

[garstonite]

Hi Kelsey and a warm welcome to Rootschat
do you know if Charles was previously married when he married Catherine ?
www.geneanet.org
nilsson
Charles
search
Charles Nilsson married Thomasina Watson - Bishop-Wearmouth,Durham,England 1871
results for Charles Nilsson on geneanet = 163 from all countries - 139 of those are b Sweden - so I would think his name WAS Charles - it seems a common enough name in Sweden .
did you notice Catherine in 1891 census was born in Warwickshire 1867 ??....
Charles is b 1858 Sweden - British subject ...
I would look for Charles Neilson / Nelson in previous census 1871 - 1881 as he may have Anglicised his name before he married .
ie
Name     Charles Nelson   
 Event Type     Census   
 Event Date     1871   
 Event Place     West Ham, Essex, England   
 Enumeration District     15   
 Gender     Male   
 Age     40   
 Marital Status     Married   
 Occupation     Marine Store Dealer   
 Relationship to Head of Household     Head   
 Birth Year (Estimated)     1831   
 Birthplace     Sweden   
 
this man is Charles Nelson b Sweden - probably born Nilsson / Neilsson but now Nelson

[ShaunJ]

Charles Nilsson married Thomasina Watson - Bishop-Wearmouth,Durham,England 1871

A different Charles Nilsson. He and Thomasina are together in South Shields in the 1901 census.

[jamcat95]

Here is Charles in 1901:
https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XS9F-12F

He was from Malmö, Sweden..

Ian

[garstonite]

Charles Nilsson married Thomasina Watson - Bishop-Wearmouth,Durham,England 1871

A different Charles Nilsson. He and Thomasina are together in South Shields in the 1901 census.

Thanks Shaun
good find Ian - big bonus knowing he was from Malmo

[jamcat95]

Cheers
In 1911 it looks as though he was living with a Catherine Winspear in Byker, Newcastle.

Ian

[jamcat95]

and in 1891:
https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:H9T7-X6Z

He is recorded as a British Subject, but nothing comes up on Ancestry or National Archives that relates to this Charles.

Ian

[jamcat95]

I think he may well have been a seaman and may have jumped ship. This was very common back then.
To have any chance of finding him in Sweden I will need more info. Malmö unfortunately can mean anywhere in Skåne.
Is there any other info on the marriage certificate, his father's occupation, dob etc, even a Parish maybe.

Ian

[kelseymartin19]

Thank you all for your help. I had seen that he was living with catherine winspear in 1911, shes recorded as a housekeeper. Is it possible his wife had died? I cant find a death record for her. I have ordered a copy of the marriage certificate so i will let you know exactly what is on it when it arrives.

I find it strange that I cant even find a death record for him - if i could find that it would at least be a start but its all just dead ends.

Kelsey