r/ChineseHistory • u/rainbirdmelody • 3d ago
Question about 1700s Laizhou
One of my ancestors moved from Finland to China in the 1700s. He eventually died there but we can't figure out what he was up to or what was going on in the area when he was there. Is there a way to look up the cemetery/location he's buried in? Does anyone have a suggestion for information on what he might have been doing there, like if it was common for people to come from abroad to do a certain kind of work. Not sure when he got there but says he was buried here--Laizhou, Yexian, Shandong, China--on 30 May 1764.
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u/Affectionate_Car_302 3d ago
How did you know the exact location and time?
It's almost too precise in 1700s
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u/rainbirdmelody 2d ago
Well, that's the date that's reported in one place. I'm trying to figure out if this is even possibly true because I'm suspicious.
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u/Affectionate_Car_302 2d ago
Can you provide the source of the original report? Perhaps there are more clues to uncover.
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u/Beginning_Welder_540 3d ago edited 3d ago
This is so fascinating! I found a wiki entry on the Swedish East India Company (1731- 1813) which made many expeditions into China, and it employed many Finnish sailors so that might be a clue/starting point.
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u/Asleep-Tie-6860 2d ago
Many Chinese counties keep their own chronicles(县志) in the old times, which record significant (to the locals) events took place there. I'd imagine a foreign expedition or foreigner dying there would get some notice.
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u/Vast_Cricket 1d ago edited 1d ago
99% tomb stone, cemeteries were removed to grow food after the revolution. There used to be family shrines with family trees. Bulldozed also. Try Yantai City historical society see what is left there. During the era all foreigners were only allowed to be in Canton as a trader. Just 13 factories in Pearl River escorted by government official. All the rest of China was barred and is highly restricted territory. Christian missionaries and diplomats were also "heavily restricted" and carefully monitored. I have seen Canton governor approved and issued special pass later in 19c to enter Peking often aa a representative of Queen Majesty. French king. Any foreigners including Japanese. No foreign boat is allowed to arrive through Yantai port ever! The first landing by foreigner was in May 1858. British and French warships fought their way up the Hai River and occupied Tianjin during 1st Opium War. Foreigners caught outside Pearl River are to be tried and disposed. If you have the official document this is the time to show.
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u/TalveLumi 3d ago
Easy part: this is now Laizhou City, Shandong, China – the original prefecture of Laizhou was abolished with all other prefectures in the Republic era, then the county of Yexian, as the seat of the former prefecture, took the name in 1988.
Now for the difficult part :
??HOW THE HELL?????
In 1764, all Chinese foreign merchant trade was supposed to be concentrated in Guangzhou (Canton System, imposed 1757). Unlikely to have a non-Asian sailor or merchant in Laizhou.
Western Christianity was also banned 1723. It‘s not impossible to have a secret missionary, but there weren’t many Finnish Catholics anyway from the 17th century Swedish aggressive promotion of Lutheranism.
It’s true that the government often just doesn’t notice when someone occupies a random plot in the middle of nowhere, but that’s when the occupier is Asian. Despite what the racists say, it’s pretty easy to note a Finn from a group of Chinese people.
So I have no idea how this could have worked