Hidden in Plain Sight:
A 17th-Century Swedish Household Examination Record
Discovered Inside Old Book Cover Binding
Every archivist dreams of finding a lost treasure, but few expect to find it tucked secretly inside the binding of an entirely different stack of books. That is precisely what happened in April when Olof Holm, working on behalf of the National Archives (Riksarkivet) in Östersund, stepped into Revsund Church in southeastern Jämtland. What started as a routine inventory assignment turned into one of the most remarkable genealogical finds in the region’s recent history: the discovery of a long-lost 1697 household examination book (husförhörsbok).
Recycled History: How a 17th-Century Record Disappeared
For decades, genealogists searching the parish archive of Revsund hit a hard brick wall at the year 1729—the start date of the parish’s oldest surviving household examination book stored at the regional archive. Older records were presumed destroyed or lost to time. So, how did a 1697 parish register survive unnoticed inside Revsund Church for centuries? The answer lies in historical recycling. Sometime after 1776, an unknown church official decided to clear out old “outdated” records from the parish chest. The 17th-century household examination book was selected to be dismantled and repurposed. During the 18th century, parishes routinely bound printed royal decrees into thick reference volumes. These covers needed sturdy internal carding or backing paper to reinforce their spine and boards. Because these 17th-century parish record pages happened to match the exact size of the printed decrees when folded in half, they were repurposed as spine reinforcements. Because printed decrees were not legally required to be delivered to regional archives, these volumes remained tucked away inside Revsund Church, completely escaping the notice of visiting archivists for over 250 years.
Unlocking 30 Years of Forgotten Ancestors
When Holm examined the old bound volumes of printed statutes—bearing spine markings like “II. Thom.” through “VIII. Thom.”—he spotted handwritten paper leaves peeking out. Fortunately, whoever recycled the records back in the late 1700s didn’t use heavy glue. The old pages were simply bound with thin threads. Working carefully in consultation with the parish, archivists successfully detached the leaves without damaging the fragile paper. The recovered pages cover a period spanning nearly 30 years (1697–1726). Scholars estimate that roughly one-quarter of the original record book has been pieced back together:
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The Earliest Records (1697–1699): This is the most complete section of the discovery. Kept by the pastor of Revsund, it records nearly all the local villages from the period. It lists adult parishioners alongside their family relationships, ages, and detailed tallies of their household religious examinations and Holy Communion attendance.
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The Partially Later Record (1726): The youngest surviving section preserves details right up to the period just before the previously known 1729 records begin.
What’s Next for Revsund A I: 1a?
The newly cataloged pages have been given a permanent place in the parish archive: Revsund A I: 1a. The leaves are currently scheduled for expert conservation treatment to stabilize the paper. Following preservation, the National Archives will scan the document to make high-resolution digital images accessible via the standard online Riksarkivet portal. For researchers who can’t wait to see if their ancestors appear in the newly recovered pages, preliminary scans have already been made available online by the Jämtland County Ancient Texts Society, see Jämtlands läns fornskriftsällskap. The hunt isn’t entirely over. Archivists suspect that four additional leaves from the 1697 register are still waiting to be found inside a missing volume labeled “I. Thom.” Local organist Michael Eriksson and the team in Revsund are continuing to search church storerooms in hopes of completing this historical puzzle.
