By request, resources for studying people and places in New Sweden. These are some nice resources I have found for those who research Old Swedes (and Finns and Dutch, etc) who settled in Delaware and surrounding areas. I've also included some little hints for improving online searches. This is a short list of my favorites. My best hint of the day: I google the "name of the history book" + (surname) which works better than using 'edit/find in my browser; saves time. Here are some good links: 1. First, a quickie: fast facts with many links: "Factbites" (I can't guarantee the content of what's linked in here) http://www.factbites.com/topics/New-Sweden ....... 2. Swedish Colonial Society, title page and links. Try this excellent organization. http://www.colonialswedes.org/ -- History of New Sweden here: http://www.colonialswedes.org/History/History.html -- the churches in the four state area (DE, NJ, PA, and MD): http://www.colonialswedes.org/History/History.html ....... 3. Have a look at the files found under the directoy of Index of US Genweb for Delaware: There are the counties plus an index for "statewide" --these open into sub-directories. Take your pick. http://ftp.rootsweb.com/pub/usgenweb/de/ ....... 4. Swedes and Finns were here together very early in the colonies. Ironically, it seems that Sweden must have invited some Finlanders to settle in their lands, but later declared the Finns a nuisance. But that was perhaps by convenience: Sweden was looking for people to populate and hold and to work at the new colony; the "foreigners" were good candidates --already proved very good at clearing land and at hard work. But many Swedish citizens soon also wished to make a new life in the colony, so they came also. Here is a very fine study of the New Sweden colony: E. A. Louhi: The Delaware Finns or The First Permanent Settlements in Pennsylvania, Delaware, West New Jersey, and Eastern Part of Maryland. New York, The Humanity Press Publishers. 1925 Contains names of many early colonists in DE. All online; Contents here: http://www.genealogia.fi/emi/art/article298ae.htm#Alku The earlier chapters mention the names of many people who came on the ships Kalmar Nykel and the Griffin (1641), or on the ships Fama and Swan in 1642. These were not the first, but the fourth and fifth voyages I believe. There were several more voyages in succeeding years. ....... 5. Little-known but very helpful for discovering Delaware names and relationships, and where lands or properties might have been, are the Pennsylvania Archives. --Especially, see Philadelphia wills abstracts for names of many who lived in DE, MD, NJ and PA, as well as farther north and overseas. Before 1700, Philadelphia was an administrative center for a broad region encompassing much of the Delaware River and Bay area. Remember Gloria Dei in Philadelphia was established very early in Colonial history through funding from some prominent Delaware landowners. So records of some residents of DE (and other places) can be found in PA archives and in chuch archives in Phila. Check not only the index of testarors but also the wills abstracts themselves. They contain many names of in-laws and surnames of wives --and can show family relationhips and alliances. Especially take note of those who are called "Mariner." These guys especially were very mobile, with connections in a lot of places. -- Start here (2/3 down for indexes) but look at each abstract for the set of years, if you can stand so much reading. Very informative if a bit dull and tedious. http://ftp.rootsweb.com/pub/usgenweb/pa/philadelphia/wills/ this is the 'A' to 'B' surnames index: http://ftp.rootsweb.com/pub/usgenweb/pa/philadelphia/wills/willsurab.txt Check also regiments for the French and Indian War and for the war of the Revolution. Records of units serving for Pennsylvania had many officers and recruits from Delaware. (appears in another place in the archives --go up a few levels to find it. ....... 6. Not least --Don't forget this all-star, Scharf! -- J. Thomas Scharf, A.M., LL.D., History of Delaware 1609 – 1888. In Two Volumes pub. L.J. Richards & Co., Philadelphia, 1888. Title page and contents here: http://www.accessible.com/amcnty/DE/Delaware/titlepage.htm -- Select from places in New Castle Co. here; 2/3 down begins histories of the individual Hundreds. Read it in toto or google it as above. I google: Scahrf + "history of delaware" + SURNAME --works very well for finding the ref in Scharf and also finds websites of other serearchers for that name. http://www.accessible.com/amcnty/DE/Delaware/contents.htm#NewcastleCounty In various chapters, Scharf gives information about landowners and taxpayers. In several places in these chapters, the rosters of names he ha collected almost appear as a census. IT's very valuable in understanding who was where in the early years. Many old names from New Sweden appear in these, along with English, Huguenot, Dutch, Scots-Irish, Welsh, and those of diverse ethnic backgrounds. ....... For now... more than enough. As always, caution when surfing the --net. These sites mostly look very clean. But always: Keep your AV software updated. Have fun, Liz J