The Bible
of Ellen and Lewis N. Johnson
Ellen and Lewis N. Johnson had a Swedish Bible which was printed in Stockholm in 1854. There is some handwritten information about their family in this Bible.
Text on page 1, written before emigration from Sweden:
"Denna Bok tillh.
Elna Nils dotter. No. 1 Vålsjö den 23/12 54" Translated
into English:
"This
book belongs to Elna, Nils' daughter. No. 1 Vaalsjoe on Dec. 23,
54")
Analyzing the text on page 1
The handwritten text says that Elna Nilsdotter was the owner of the Bible, followed by the location name "No. 1 Vålsjö" and the date Dec 23 1854. Elna is a Swedish and Danish name that has its origin from names as Elin, Ellen, Eleonora and Helena (ref.: a book of Swedish names with the title "Namneboken"). Elna Nilsdotter had to be the daughter of at man with the first name Nils. On basis of the above I came to the conclusion that the originally owner of this Bible was Ellen N. Johnson and that her Swedish name before emigration was Elna Nilsdotter, that Elna lived in Area No. 1 in Vålsjö, and that she got the Bible on her nine year birthday. In regard of an old document found on Internet I figured out that Vålsjö is an old spelling of today's Vollsjö, more about this here...
At page 1 there is also written about 6 barely legible words which looks somewhat like:
"Miss Emmely Johnsen, Svid grove meppls"
The meaning of this sentence was probably:
"Miss Emmely Johnson, Swede Grove, Minneapolis"
Today we know that Ellen N. Johnson's parents had their American home in Swede Grove west of Minneapolis, and that she had a eight years younger sister with the anglicized name Emily. It seems to be her that wrote this text, yet with poor English and writing skills in Swede Grove.
Text on front cover's inside, written in America:
"J Lewis
Johnson 1842 –14 juli
Ellen
Johnson 1845 – 23
december
Henry 1871 – 1/8
Annie
1874 – 5/3
Alfred
1876 – 18/2
Joseph 1878 – 9/7
Edward 1880 – 23/8"
We do not know why there is written a J in front of Lewis.
The five following names are children Ellen and Lewis had. Note that Henry's and Edward's date of births are incorrect on this page, but corrected on the Bible's last page but one. Somebody has put an "x" after the dates to indicate the incorrectnesses.
Text on last page but one, written in America:
"Lewis Johnson
1842 14 juli
Henry 1871 – 1 September
Annie 1874 – 5 Mars
Alfred 1876 – 18 februa
Joseph 1878 – 9 juli
Edward 1880 – 23 September
Ellen
Johnson 1845 23 december"
Nya Testamentet och Psaltaren. Stockholm, tryckt med stående stilar på Brittiska och Utländska Bibel-Sällskapets bekostnad hos Samuel Rumstedt, 1854.
Book seller's name
imbossed on back
inside cover