Anyone have the issue of leaving Sweden with one name and then showing up on the US census with another. Family history says this ancester thought he had to change his name at Ellis Island. I can't find ship manefest or Visas in either name -- arrival 1888 acording to the 1900 census fom Malmo Sweden. Destination Wisconsin.
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Hello!
Not very uncommon at all, but it wasn't that they had to change name, it was more often the case that they got the last name of their father, i.e. later the family name. This was in 1888 and the autorities did not seem to like when someone entered as Johan Nilsson, and his father's name was Nils Johnson and mother's Sissa Henriksdotter....that was way too confusing, so Johan became John Johnson. That very common name could also have triggered a name change later in his life. You can immagine how many John Johnsons there were in WI in the 1900 census for ex. Just as an example. But you don't give any details of your ancestor. Was his last name Jeppson as he left? And he later changed to what? First name? Year and date of birth if you have it? Also, are you referring to him as being abscent in the 1900 census of Sweden with a note that he'd left or was missing since 1888? Anything could help finding him in the ship manifest. Also, don't forget that transcription errors are very common as well, a Pehrsen could be a Hehresen etc. There are many ways to look for a person so if you give us some more I'm sure we'll find him.
Susanna
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Ok, again, this is family oral history. Nels Jepson left from Melmo, Sweden and Came to Milwaukee, WI. Born 11-21-1869 in Melmo. The 1900 Census says that John Nels Wolf arrived in 1888. All of the other records I have found match known information about John. He married Harda Gunhilde Petterson from Norway in Milwaukee,Wisconsin 10-28-1893.I would like to go back over the "pond" and see who this person was and the people he came from. My husband's family really does not know anything more about him. We do have a Swedish bible that was translated and that is where the dates came from for arrival.
Thank you so much for any help. Oh--I have tried searching under Jepson, Jeppson, Jebson and Wolf.
Suzann
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Hi Suzann!
I will try and see if I can get a good match in Sweden. So you're referring to the name change from Jeppson to Wolf. That is quite a step, but it may have been part of his heritage, old soldiers name or similar, that he may have revived as he came over. We'll see what we can find. There are a few matching ones leaving that area of Sweden in 1888 and one of them may be him. But in order to determine that one has to go backwards and look into church records and possibly move out records, combined with emigration records. He may have left without permission at that age (age of getting drafted for the military service), many young men did. Back later!
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Oh, one more thing. Do you have a dc for him, that is kind of the basics, and if so, did it mention his parents? Names, anything?
Susanna
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Hi!
He is found, he left as Jöns Nilsson, born Nov 21 in 1869 in Västra Hoby. He left Västra Hoby, Malmöhus län (Skåne, in June 1888. And as I thought, he changed to Jeppsson which was his father's last name. Father's name Nils Jeppson, mother's Elna Inglesdotter. And later to Wolf. John (Jöns) N (Nilsson) Wolf.
Please write to me and I will send copies of originals - bc and household exams from the time left (includes his parents and brother)
Susanna
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Thanks so much! I'll send you my email to forward the info to.
Suzann
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Re: Jepson, Jeppson, Jebson and Wolf immigration information?
re: name and Naturalization issues I haven't read through this entire thread, but did you find a Naturalization document for your Jepson, Jeppson, Jebson and Wolf ancestor? If not, and you're still doing research in Milwaukee, they may be found at the Milwaukee County Historical Society. For purposes of my own research, I like to search for a record showing an actual signature of an ancestor. Depending on the era, a "Declaration of Intent" may have been filled out by a court clerk, or may have an original signature, but the Naturalization certificate will have a signature. Those documents are found filed together when the process is completed, but there are many examples of the Declaration of Intent document being filed, but not completed from that location. So if separate collections are available in an archive, both collections should be searched.
Gary Rebholz Milwaukee WI 7th generation, 100% German-American Milwaukeean
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