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There are multiple challenges with this particular document: mainly the language, the handwriting, and the calendar date. With the major advancements in AI supported handwriting recognition and translation, particularly from Google's Gemini 3, the challenge changes from the basic transcription and translation to evaluating the results of Gemini's analysis. Here is the initial report after downloading a PDF copy of the document and then asking Gemini, with simple prompt, to transcribe and translate this document.
Based on the layout, handwriting style (German/Neo-Gothic cursive), and vocabulary, this is a Swedish Church Register (Kyrkoböcker), specifically a Birth and Baptism record (Födelse- och dopbok) from the late 17th or early 18th century.
Because the handwriting is dense and archaic, transcribing the entire page word-for-word is prone to error without knowing the specific parish geography. However, I have transcribed and translated several representative entries to help you understand the structure and content.
Document Structure
The page is organized into columns. From left to right for each entry:
Date: Usually a liturgical feast day (Latin), not a numeric calendar date.
Father & Place: The father's name, the word barn (child), and the farm/village name.
Witnesses: Under the heading Testes (Latin), the godparents are listed.
Number: A sequential entry number (24, 25, etc.).
Child's Name: The name given to the infant.
Sample Transcriptions & Translations
Left Page, Entry #24
Transcription:
Date: Domin: 8 p. Trin: [8th Sunday after Trinity]
Text: Olof Mårtenssons barn i Kiettstorp [?].
Testes: Carl Gustaufsson, Hans Hansson och Olof Staffansson, hust: Gustru i Kiettstorp.
Child: Anders
Translation:
Olof Mårtensson's child in Kiettstorp [farm name].
Witnesses: Carl Gustafsson, Hans Hansson and Olof Staffansson, wife Gustru in Kiettstorp.
Name: Anders
Left Page, Entry #25
Transcription:
Date: Dito [Same date as above]
Text: Olof Larssons barn i Kiärrby [?].
Testes: Bengt Jönsson, Olof Andersson...
Child: Mårten
Translation:
Olof Larsson's child in Kiärrby.
Witnesses: Bengt Jönsson, Olof Andersson...
Name: Mårten
Right Page, Entry #36 (A Notable Entry)
Note: This entry appears to be for a person of higher status, likely the Priest or Pastor, indicated by the title.
Transcription:
Date: Festo S. Michael [Feast of St. Michael / Michaelmas]
Text: Pastoris Jacob Michaëlsons barn i Mosiö [?].
Testes: Johan Oluffsson, ... Jungfru [Maiden] Agneta på Ström, Malin Elisabeth.
Child: Agneta
Translation:
The Pastor Jacob Michaëlson's child in Mosiö.
Witnesses: Johan Olofsson... Maiden Agneta at Ström, [and] Malin Elisabeth.
Name: Agneta
Right Page, Entry #40
Transcription:
Date: Dnica 23 post Trinit. [23rd Sunday after Trinity]
Text: Pehr Erichssons barn i Måsiö.
Testes: Jöns Nichilsson i Måsiö... Hustru ... i Måsiö.
Child: Lars
Translation:
Pehr Eriksson's child in Måsiö.
Witnesses: Jöns Nilsson in Måsiö... Wife [name] in Måsiö.
Name: Lars
Genealogy Glossary for this Document
To help you read more of the page, here are the key words used repeatedly:
| Word (Script) | Modern Swedish | English Meaning |
| Barn | Barn | Child |
| Dito | Dito | Ditto / The same (date) |
| Domin / Dnica | Söndag (Latin: Dominica) | Sunday |
| Hust / Hustru | Hustru | Wife (usually identifying a female witness) |
| i / på | i / på | in / at (preceding a location/farm) |
| p. Trin / post Trinit | efter Trefaldighet | After Trinity (used for dates) |
| Testes | Vittnen | Witnesses (Godparents) |
| Dop (implied) | Dop | Baptism |
Contextual Clues
Patronymics: Note the naming convention "-sson" (son of) and occasionally "-dotter" (daughter of).
Religion: The dates are based on the Lutheran liturgical calendar (e.g., Dominica 8 post Trinitatis). To find the exact calendar date, you would need to know the specific year of this book to correlate the feast days.
Would you like me to attempt a full transcription of a specific numbered entry, or help you determine the exact Gregorian dates if you know the year this was written?
There was still an issue with the date in the document so I asked "can you give me the Gregorian calendar date from the one given?
Here is that response,
Based on the year 1711, the date for Entry 34 is October 8, 1711.
Here is the breakdown of how this date is calculated, as it falls during a unique period in Swedish history known as the "Swedish Calendar" anomaly.
The Calculation
In 1711, Sweden was using its own specific calendar (distinct from both the Julian and Gregorian calendars used in the rest of Europe) which was one day ahead of the Old Style (Julian) calendar.
Easter 1711 (Swedish Style): March 26
Trinity Sunday (8 weeks after Easter): May 21
20th Sunday after Trinity (20 weeks after Trinity): October 8
The Modern Equivalent
If you were to place this event on a modern (Gregorian) timeline, the date would be October 18, 1711.
Why this is tricky (The "Swedish Calendar")
Between 1700 and 1712, Sweden attempted to switch from the Old Style (Julian) to the New Style (Gregorian) gradually by dropping leap days. However, the plan failed halfway through due to the Great Northern War.
By 1711, Sweden was in a unique "limbo" calendar that was 10 days behind the modern Gregorian calendar (instead of the usual 11 days for that century).
Note on the Document: You may notice Entry 36 refers to Michaelmas (Sept 29), which technically occurred before October 8. It is common in these registers for priests to record entries out of order if a baptism was performed elsewhere or recorded late.
Double Dating: Julian Calendar or Gregorian Calendar | Ancestry
This video is relevant because it explains the "Double Dating" and calendar shifts (Julian vs. Gregorian) that create these confusing timeline issues in genealogical research.
I then asked for the sources with this prompt: give me the sources for this
The results were surprising.
The date October 8, 1711 (Swedish Style) was derived using the following primary sources and calculations regarding the unique Swedish Calendar used during that year.
1. Primary Source: Liturgical Calendar Tables (1711)
The most direct source for this specific date is the FamilySearch Research Wiki, which maintains tables for Sweden's "Moveable Feast Days" for the anomalous years 1700–1712.
Data Point: This table confirms that in 1711, Easter fell on March 26.
2. Supporting Source: The "Swedish Calendar" Anomaly
To understand why the date is October 8 (and not the standard Julian or Gregorian date), we look to historical records regarding Sweden's failed calendar reform.
Source: Utrecht University, Institute for History and Foundations of Science (Robert Harry van Gent).
Document: "Anomalous Easter Sunday Dates in Sweden and Finland."
Key Detail: This scientific dataset confirms that between 1700 and 1711, Sweden observed a calendar that was 1 day ahead of the Julian calendar and 10 days behind the Gregorian calendar.
3. The Calculation (Verification)
You can verify this manually using the standard Lutheran liturgical rubric:
Easter 1711 (Swedish Style): March 26 (Source 1).
Trinity Sunday: Occurs 8 weeks (56 days) after Easter.
Calculation: March 26 + 56 days = May 21.
20th Sunday after Trinity: Occurs 20 weeks (140 days) after Trinity Sunday.
Calculation: May 21 + 140 days = October 8.
Summary of the Date in Different Calendars (for 1711)
If you enter this date into family tree software, you may need to specify which calendar system it uses to avoid errors.
Swedish Style (Actual Record): October 8, 1711
Julian (Old Style - used in England): October 7, 1711
Gregorian (New Style - used in modern times): October 18, 1711
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