Tiny Tales
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William Delmer Weaver, 1900-1960 ~ Jennet Esther May Galloway, 1903-1990 (United States & Canada)"When we moved to Sturgeon Valley [Saskatchewan, in the middle of the 20s], we lived with Delmer's parents, Mary and Scott Weaver. Delmer and I farmed a quarter section. Our main source of machinery was the good old horse power, but we happened to have a small Ford tractor and a Ford car, also did a lot of walking as means of transportation. Entertainment was easy to come by and very cheap. There were a lot of dances and house parties. The biggest attraction was the three act plays, which Delmer and I often acted in. Everyone enjoyed themselves and always came back for more." - May Galloway in "Our Harvest Our Memories"
Delmer was 5' 8'" tall. He had hazel eyes and gray brown hair (Canadian Army Discharge Certificate) |
Lars Peter Julius Nielsen, 1881-1934 (Sjælland, Denmark)
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Translation:
Accident at Maglemølle Carpenter Lars Nielsen, Præstestrædet, killed. Næstved. At approximately 7:30 am this morning, there was a serious accident at Magle Mølle where one of the factory workers, the 53-year-old carpenter Lars Nielsen, Præstestræde, Lille Næstved, lost his life. The factory has recently received a large, new machine from England, a "Kalander" used for glazed paper, and it was being unloaded from railroad cars this morning. The work crew, where Lars Nielsen was Baksemester [maneuvering specialist], had positioned one of the Kalander pieces, weighing 3 1/2 tonnes, in the crane's grip; however, as the heavy machinery was being swung away from the railroad car, the rope strap holding up the Kalander piece broke and the massive piece of steel plunged towards the ground, landing with the heavy end on the ground and the rest on the railroad car. Lars Nielsen was hit in the head and fell onto the cement floor. The violent blow to Lars Nielsen's head was lethal. The machinery fell beside Lars Nielsen so he co-workers were able to immediately help him. He was brought by Falck's ambulance to Amtssygehuset but he died immediately after. All work ceased immediately at Magle Mølle and the tradesmen took the rest of the day off while the remaining staff resumed work after lunch. Police assistant Tscherning and constable Damgaard arrived immediately after the accident and they investigated and took statements at the scene. The accident was deemed accidental and charges will not be laid against anyone. The strange thing about this case is the fact that the strong rope strap was able to break; however, it is likely that the sharp edges of the machinery cut part of the rope and when the heavy piece of steel was hanging freely, the weight of it caused the remaining part of the rope to break. Lars Nielsen and his 5 co-workers are used to maneuvering heavy equipment and they are not deemed responsible for any wrong doing during the unloading. Carpenter Lars Nielsen, who was 53-years-old, had worked at Magle Mølle for 16 years and was well liked by both his superiors and his co-workers. The unfortunate accident made a huge impression on everyone at the factory and the flags were immediately lowered to half mast. Before Lars Nielsen was hired at Magle Mølle, he worked in the city of Næstved as a carpenter's apprentice and there he was once in serious danger. While working, he fell from a building and suffered a serious concussion. |
Næstved Tidende, Tuesday Evening, December 11th, 1934, p. 3
Results of the investigation.
It is ascertained that the rope strap was originally positioned in a way that would not have allowed the sharp edges of the machinery to cut the rope; however, during the maneuvering, the strap apparently moved into a position where it partially did cut the strap. |
Nils Daniel Andersson, 1890-1931 ~ Anna Lindstrom a.k.a. Annie Johnson, 1899-1974 (Sweden & Canada)
Nils emigrated from Sweden to Canada to the town of Kinistino in Saskatchewan in 1910. He made the voyage with his uncle, Erik Michael Nilsson (also known as Erik Michael Nordin), his uncle's wife, Anna M. Nordin, and their children (Nils' cousins): Magreta, Nils, Ester, Frida, Oluf, Johan, and Agda. Kinistino was settled back in 1880 when 13 settlers from Ontario traveled West and staked out their homesteads. The settlement was named The Carrot Creek Settlement and it was later renamed Kinistino. When Nils arrived in 1910, it was still just a small village with no electricity. The railroad had arrived in 1905 and with it settlers from the East. They came by the thousands from the provinces of Manitoba and Ontario, from the United States, and from abroad - many from England, France and Scandinavia. It is estimated that around 1.3 million Swedes emigrated to North America between 1860 and 1930. The population in Saskatchewan was 91.279 in 1901. By 1911, around the time Nils arrived, it was 492.432 and by 1921, it had reached 757.510.
Nils lived in Kinistino for eight years before he married Anna Lindstrom in 1918. Seven years later they decided to move:
"Nels Anderson family moved to Deer Ridge in 1925 from Kinistino with a Model T Ford and horses and wagons. They herded the 80 head of cattle they had. They had two boys at that time, Alex and Fred. Alex who was the oldest, about eigth years old walked behind and chased the cattle all the way. Each day they would travel so far, then camp overnight and continue the next day." - Vasti Sjögren in "A Homesteader's Dream"
Nils lived in Kinistino for eight years before he married Anna Lindstrom in 1918. Seven years later they decided to move:
"Nels Anderson family moved to Deer Ridge in 1925 from Kinistino with a Model T Ford and horses and wagons. They herded the 80 head of cattle they had. They had two boys at that time, Alex and Fred. Alex who was the oldest, about eigth years old walked behind and chased the cattle all the way. Each day they would travel so far, then camp overnight and continue the next day." - Vasti Sjögren in "A Homesteader's Dream"
The mother-in-laws, Jensine Christine Jensen, 1877-1953, and Vilhelmine Dorthea Rasmussen, 1856-1934, and Vilhelmine's daughter Anna Jensine Pedersen, 1887-1970 (Copenhagen, Denmark)
These three women are great examples of how the poor lived in the bridge quarters in Copenhagen between 1893 and 1910. In that period, independently of each other, they moved around an awful lot. Between the three of them, they moved a total of 30 times, that we know of! However, as crazy as it sounds, there seems to have been a perfectly good explanation:
"Poverty, unemployment, diseases, hunger, and death were something everyone experienced and even though the residents had their daily quarrels, they pulled together and helped each other when it was needed. This allowed for the kind of solidarity that many are looking for today. It was not unusual to move three to four times per year because rent money was scarce. Another reason that many families also moved from apartment to apartment is found in several memoirs written by seniors between 1890 and around 1910. It appears that there was a surplus of apartments in the bridge quarters [Nørrebro, Vesterbro, and Østerbro] where whole streets in periods were left empty. To rent out the apartments, most of the owners offered free rent to new renters for up to three months. When a move was taking place, the father of the house arrived with a pushcart that could contain most of the possessions and since many others were in the same situation there were usually helping hands." - translated from Dagligliv i Istedgade by Hanne Fabricius, Skalk, October 2013, p. 21
These three women are great examples of how the poor lived in the bridge quarters in Copenhagen between 1893 and 1910. In that period, independently of each other, they moved around an awful lot. Between the three of them, they moved a total of 30 times, that we know of! However, as crazy as it sounds, there seems to have been a perfectly good explanation:
"Poverty, unemployment, diseases, hunger, and death were something everyone experienced and even though the residents had their daily quarrels, they pulled together and helped each other when it was needed. This allowed for the kind of solidarity that many are looking for today. It was not unusual to move three to four times per year because rent money was scarce. Another reason that many families also moved from apartment to apartment is found in several memoirs written by seniors between 1890 and around 1910. It appears that there was a surplus of apartments in the bridge quarters [Nørrebro, Vesterbro, and Østerbro] where whole streets in periods were left empty. To rent out the apartments, most of the owners offered free rent to new renters for up to three months. When a move was taking place, the father of the house arrived with a pushcart that could contain most of the possessions and since many others were in the same situation there were usually helping hands." - translated from Dagligliv i Istedgade by Hanne Fabricius, Skalk, October 2013, p. 21
 Hekla 2  Ellemine and Delmer Weaver |
Ellemine Marie Jacobsdatter Kopstad, 1878-1961 (Norway, United States & Canada)Ellemine Marie is our Norwegian ancestor. She immigrated with her family in 1892 to the United States - they left Sweden four days after her confirmation; she was 14 years old. Ellemine's dad, Jakob Hansen, was a farmer and a carpenter. He loved to play the violin; however, according to family rumours, he also liked his liquor a bit too much and he and his family were sent to America. Irregardless of the reason, the family spent 1,280 Norwegian crowns for 9 tickets on the ocean liner Hekla 2 which left Kristiania (today's Olso) on August 4th. They sailed to Christiansand and continued to New York where they arrived 13 days later - on August 17th. It was common in Norway at the end of the 19th century to have 2 surnames: a patronym, in Ellemine's case Jacobsdatter along with the name of the farm you were living on, in this case Kopstad. The "farm name" changed every time you moved; however, the patronym was permanent. All rules are forgotten in Ellemine's family's emigration papers. The family is only registered under Kopstad (the farm name) which would become their permanent family name in the United States. Upon arrival their first names were changed as well, due to pronunciation difficulties in an English speaking population. Ellemine Marie Jacobsdatter became Mary Kopstad. When she married Delmer Scott Weaver in North Dakota in 1897, her name was registered as Mary Kopsted - a small error on Delmer's part when he filled out the application for the marriage license. Following the marriage she, according to tradition, became known as Mary Weaver. The family immigrated to Saskatchewan, Canada in 1904 where Ellemine was a midwife in Sturgeon Valley - she died there in 1961. On her grave at the Holy Trinity Anglican cemetery in Sturgeon Valley, Saskatchewan her name has been changed one last time. The inscription reads:
In Loving Memory Alvina Maria Weaver 1878-1961 Rest in Peace |
Anna Johanna Michaelsdotter a.k.a. Johnson's Swedish palt recipe creates family traditions in Canada, 1865-1962 (Sweden & Canada)
Palt, or rather pitepalt, is a recipe from Piteå in the county of Norrbotten in Sweden. There are almost as many different recipes for the dish as there are houses in the town. The Andersons in Canada today still makes palt the way great granny made it and when Jeannette invites, Anna Johanna's great great grandchildren arrive from far and wide. It's a much loved tradition. "Granny [Anna Lindstrom, 1899-1974] and Great Granny [Anna Johanna Johnson, 1865-1963] gave us the palt recipe; however, when granny made it, she never added meat - maybe because they only had potatoes in those days. Potatoes were filling and they didn't cost much more than hard labour. They called it Depression food." - Jeannette Anderson
The Anderson's palt recipe
grated potatoes and enough flour to make a dough that can be shaped into balls
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
crispy fried bacon - in small pieces
Piteå Paltakademien's gourmet palt recipe (serves 10)
2 liter grated winter potatoes
1 liter flour
3 Tbsp salt
1 kg cubed, fried bacon
Grate the potatoes and let them drain. Mix all ingredients, except the meat. Sprinkle hands with flour and make balls the size of tennis balls. Make a hole with 2 fingers in the middle of each ball and place 1 Tbsp fried bacon in it. Cover the hole well and place the balls carefully in a large pot of boiling, salted water, letting them cook until they float (approximately 50 min). Stir carefully once in a while so they don't get stuck to the bottom of the pot. When they're ready, cut them into pieces and eat with salted butter. The Paltakademien suggest also serving them with cranberry jam, cottage cheese, raw and/or fried onions. Leftovers can be re-heated in water or sliced up and fried.
Anna Johanna smuggled one of her twin girls across the border when she immigrated to Canada from the States.
The Anderson's palt recipe
grated potatoes and enough flour to make a dough that can be shaped into balls
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
crispy fried bacon - in small pieces
Piteå Paltakademien's gourmet palt recipe (serves 10)
2 liter grated winter potatoes
1 liter flour
3 Tbsp salt
1 kg cubed, fried bacon
Grate the potatoes and let them drain. Mix all ingredients, except the meat. Sprinkle hands with flour and make balls the size of tennis balls. Make a hole with 2 fingers in the middle of each ball and place 1 Tbsp fried bacon in it. Cover the hole well and place the balls carefully in a large pot of boiling, salted water, letting them cook until they float (approximately 50 min). Stir carefully once in a while so they don't get stuck to the bottom of the pot. When they're ready, cut them into pieces and eat with salted butter. The Paltakademien suggest also serving them with cranberry jam, cottage cheese, raw and/or fried onions. Leftovers can be re-heated in water or sliced up and fried.
Anna Johanna smuggled one of her twin girls across the border when she immigrated to Canada from the States.
Anna Johanna Michaelsdotter a.k.a. Johnson makes the newspapers in 1958 (Saskatchewan, Canada)
The following story was published in both the Winnipeg Free Press and the Lethbridge Herald on Saturday, December 6th under the titles No Helpless Granny is Anna Johanna and A Bundle Of Energy at 93, respectively.
Erik Danielsson, 1858-1880 (Västerbotten, Sweden)
Erik drowned on the way home from church. He was 22 years old.
Joseph Beaumont, cir 1844-1915 ~ Esther Adams, 1847-1913 (Cambridgeshire, England & Ontario, Canada)
Ullswater Anglican Church Cemetery - Bent River
Joseph and Esther had 6 children in England before emigrating to Canada in 1875. Another 3 children were born before tragedy struck in the summer of 1882. Within a month and a half 5 of the 9 children were dead: Walter (15 years old), Joseph (10 years old), Laura Jane (9 years old), Fannie Eliza (6 years old), and Annie (3 years old).
Esther gave birth to an additional 3 children the following years; however, illness struck again in September of 1913. Esther died that year at the age of 66, followed the following year by her daughter Matilda (44 years old) and her husband William Galloway (51 years old). Joseph died the year after (69 years old). They all died of influenza. Matilda and William left behind 9 children - all were underage...
Esther gave birth to an additional 3 children the following years; however, illness struck again in September of 1913. Esther died that year at the age of 66, followed the following year by her daughter Matilda (44 years old) and her husband William Galloway (51 years old). Joseph died the year after (69 years old). They all died of influenza. Matilda and William left behind 9 children - all were underage...
Søren Rasmussen, 1833-1900 (Holbæk, Denmark)
Horse used by wooden shoe maker.
Søren was a træskomand, meaning he made wooden shoes for a living. Træskomænd (plural of træskomand) usually bought the trees where they were standing and it was up to the men to cut them down and transport the wood home. Often several træskomænd would pool their resources and help each other out, as the tree trunks were heavy and the carriages frail. Transportation during winter frost was preferred. Safely home with the wood, the men would have a "wood" party (trægilde) with coffee and toddies...
Another option was to have the wood delivered by the landowner and sell the shoes back to him afterwards. The deal could be that the træskomand got to keep half of the shoes and the landowner got the rest.
To make wooden shoes you need wood that's not dried out, so the chopped wood were kept outside under some branches in the shade. A træskomand could make at least 5 pairs of shoes per day. The shoes were then sold to the landowners, to travelling salesmen or at the local market. Many træskomænd would walk to the village when he had made 30-40 pairs of shoes. At the market, the buyer would usually buy 12 pairs tied together in a variety of sizes - that way there'd be new shoes for the whole family.
Museet på Gl. Rye Mølle and Håndværk - da det var håndens værk by Jørgen Duus (published by Forlaget Ny Havn)
Another option was to have the wood delivered by the landowner and sell the shoes back to him afterwards. The deal could be that the træskomand got to keep half of the shoes and the landowner got the rest.
To make wooden shoes you need wood that's not dried out, so the chopped wood were kept outside under some branches in the shade. A træskomand could make at least 5 pairs of shoes per day. The shoes were then sold to the landowners, to travelling salesmen or at the local market. Many træskomænd would walk to the village when he had made 30-40 pairs of shoes. At the market, the buyer would usually buy 12 pairs tied together in a variety of sizes - that way there'd be new shoes for the whole family.
Museet på Gl. Rye Mølle and Håndværk - da det var håndens værk by Jørgen Duus (published by Forlaget Ny Havn)
Stillef Herlufsen, 1828-1871 ~ Elen Maria Kristensdatter, 1834-1868 (Vestfold, Norway)
Stillef and Elen had a hard life... In 1852 18-year-old Elen from the Eker farm in Nedre Eiker parish, Buskerud married the 24-year-old farmer Stillef Herlufsen from the Tuft farm in Sande, Vestfold. Their daughter, Anne Dorthea, was born the same year. The following years, Elen gave birth to 9 children - all of them were either stillborn or died of "poisoned breast milk" before their 1st birthday. In 1867 Stillef and Elen finally had another daughter, Constance Elvine, who survived infancy; however, happiness was short lived. Ellen died the year after Constance's birth.
Stillef became a father again. He had a daughter, Elise Marie, with Tilla Gunelia Olsdatter the year after Elen's death. Stillef and Tilla had yet another daughter, Stina Olette, 2 years later; however, Stillef was unhappy and he committed suicide the day after Stina was born. - Norwegian parish records and Det norske utvandrersenteret
In 1865 Stillef and Elen had 1 horse, 7 cattle, 4 sheep, and 2 pigs.
Stillef became a father again. He had a daughter, Elise Marie, with Tilla Gunelia Olsdatter the year after Elen's death. Stillef and Tilla had yet another daughter, Stina Olette, 2 years later; however, Stillef was unhappy and he committed suicide the day after Stina was born. - Norwegian parish records and Det norske utvandrersenteret
In 1865 Stillef and Elen had 1 horse, 7 cattle, 4 sheep, and 2 pigs.
Märta Birgitta Mickaelsdotter Paulin (Pål Andersson's granddaughter), 1824-1889 (Västerbotten, Sweden)Märta married well when she married churchwarden Per Theodor Winnberg. Per was a descendant of the Swedish king, Gustav Wasa Eriksson (1496-1560) and King Gustav Wasa's ancestors included numerous Earls and Counts from France, Germany, Austria and Russia, just to mention a few, and the ancestry can be traced even further back to several of the European royal families. Some of the more famous are mentioned below:
From the Danish monarchy: Gorm the Elder (-948) and his wife Thyra, Harald Blue Tooth (-987), Svend the Dane, also known as Svend Tveskæg (-1014), Canute IV, the Saint (-1086), Valdemar I, the Great (1131-1182), Valdemar II, the Victorious (1170-1241) From the Norwegian monarchy: Olav II, also known as Saint Olav (995-1030) and his son Magnus I, also known as the Good or the Noble (ca.1024-1047) From the English monarchy: Alfred the Great (849-899) and his son Edward the Elder (ca. -924), both kings of Wessex - Släkten Winnbergs Krönika by Lars Eric Winnberg. [Enebyberg], 1983. "July 15th 1867 was a hot summer day. A thunder and lightning storm blew in around 6 pm and the rectory where the Winnberg family lived was hit by ligtning 3 times. Windows and doors flew open and Märta and the children were knocked unconscious. Per was hit in the head by a piece of wood. Luckily he wasn't seriously hurt and with the help of the neighbours, he managed to rescue his wife and children by getting them out of the house through a window. Within an hour the rectory had burned down to the stone foundation and the family had lost all their possessions. The only thing that survived was the book containing the parish records." - Carl-Oskar Lundström (from Pehr Theodor Winnberg's letter to Svenska missionssällskapets direktion, 20 July 1867) |
 Märta Birgitta Mickaelsdotter Paulin  Per Theodor Winnberg |
Anna Cajsa Danielsdotter, 1823- (Västerbotten, Sweden)
Anna was "crazy" and epileptic. She spent a long time in the hospital at Härnösand.
Niels Olsen, 1821-1897 (Maribo, Denmark)
Niels Olsen fought in the wars of 1848-1850 - he was a private in the 2. Reserve Battallion. He was wounded in the Battle of Isted on July 25th 1850 and sent to the military guards' infirmary [Fodgarderinfirmeri] in Copenhagen. 27 years later commemorative medals were awarded (by application) to the soldiers who fought in the war. The medals were approx. 30 mm in diameter and made in Paris.
Niels Olsen fought in the wars of 1848-1850 - he was a private in the 2. Reserve Battallion. He was wounded in the Battle of Isted on July 25th 1850 and sent to the military guards' infirmary [Fodgarderinfirmeri] in Copenhagen. 27 years later commemorative medals were awarded (by application) to the soldiers who fought in the war. The medals were approx. 30 mm in diameter and made in Paris.
Zachris Persson, 1806-1869 & Marta Johansdotter, 1810-1896 (Kronoberg, Sweden)
It seems Zachris and Marta were connected before they were even born. Zachris' grandparents and Marta's great-grandparents were both married in the parish of Urshult on September 21st, 1750. It was a small community and the families must have known each other.
Zachris was the son of Ingrid Nilsdotter and Pär Gummesson, while Marta was the daughter of Johan Jonasson and Catharina Carlsdotter. Marta's mother died when Marta was 10, while Zachris' father died when Zachris was 17 years old. Their surviving parents married in 1824 and the two families moved in together. Five years later, in 1829, Zachris and Marta married and later on they had three children, Johanna (1829-1900), Johannes (1832-1834), and Catrina (1835-).
However, all was not well. Zachris had problems with alcohol and over the last 25 years of his life, the household records kept by the church indicate that he got numerous citations for intoxication.
By 1868, typhoid fever had broken out in the area and a quarter of the deaths in the last three months of that year were contributed to typhoid fever. The following year, 32 more died of the disease - Zachris was one of them. Another 6 died before the outbreak was over in 1870. Marta had survived and lived until 1896. She was 86 years old.
It seems Zachris and Marta were connected before they were even born. Zachris' grandparents and Marta's great-grandparents were both married in the parish of Urshult on September 21st, 1750. It was a small community and the families must have known each other.
Zachris was the son of Ingrid Nilsdotter and Pär Gummesson, while Marta was the daughter of Johan Jonasson and Catharina Carlsdotter. Marta's mother died when Marta was 10, while Zachris' father died when Zachris was 17 years old. Their surviving parents married in 1824 and the two families moved in together. Five years later, in 1829, Zachris and Marta married and later on they had three children, Johanna (1829-1900), Johannes (1832-1834), and Catrina (1835-).
However, all was not well. Zachris had problems with alcohol and over the last 25 years of his life, the household records kept by the church indicate that he got numerous citations for intoxication.
By 1868, typhoid fever had broken out in the area and a quarter of the deaths in the last three months of that year were contributed to typhoid fever. The following year, 32 more died of the disease - Zachris was one of them. Another 6 died before the outbreak was over in 1870. Marta had survived and lived until 1896. She was 86 years old.
James Gallaway, ca. 1795-1838 ~ Ann Pinkerton, 1802-1861 (Northern Ireland & Ontario, Canada)
Old Mill on the Humber
James Gallaway, along with the Yonges, Hoggs, and Pinkertons arrived in Canada in the early 18th hundreds. James and his wife Ann arrived in Quebec around 1820 and by 1821 they were living in Hallowell in Upper Canada where James was working as a miller. In 1830, James petitioned for land in King's township - north of Muddy York at Hogg's Hollow, afterwards called York Mills. He petitioned for land again in 1837 at what was then called Pinkerton's Corners, four miles south and two miles east of the village of Cookstown. According to the family records, James and Ann had thirteen children.
"James Gallaway was at one time the miller of the Old Mill on the Humber river. Having learned milling in Ireland before coming to Canada he applied for and got the position of operator of this stone mill. It was at this work that he was killed in the spring of 1838 [more likely 1843] by the bursting of a millstone. He was buried in the old cemetery at the church on top of the hill at York Mills where many of his pioneer friends are also buried.
Now jumping ahead to 1903 the story goes on. Samuel Galloway, who was then living in Creemore, decided to visit his daughter in Toronto. He started from Creemore on the morning train and landed at his daughter's home, safe and sound. He was then 81 years of age. After he had eaten his dinner he asked his daughter to take him to the Old Mill on the Humber. While there he described to her how he and his mother had driven a yoke of oxen and a sleigh with five bags of wheat on it all the way from the farm near Cookstown to this mill [where his father worked] to be ground into flour."- The Bridges of Creemore Mills 1832-1871 by Helen Emmett Blackburn (c1999) and Canadian Illustrated News, October 5, 1878
"As soon as Ontario's pioneer settlers began using Yonge Street, a thoroughfare that had been slashed through the forests by Governor Simcoe's Rangers, they faced problems negotiating the hill into and out of the ravine cut through the landscape by the west branch of the Don River. We now call this ravine Hogg's Hollow. It was on this fork of the Don that some of the area's earliest mills were erected, and it was because of these mills, located several miles north of the Town of York (Toronto's name from 1793 until 1834) in York township, that the nearby community was first named York Mills." - Toronto Sketches 6: The Way We Were, p. 237 by Mike Filey (2000)
"James Gallaway was at one time the miller of the Old Mill on the Humber river. Having learned milling in Ireland before coming to Canada he applied for and got the position of operator of this stone mill. It was at this work that he was killed in the spring of 1838 [more likely 1843] by the bursting of a millstone. He was buried in the old cemetery at the church on top of the hill at York Mills where many of his pioneer friends are also buried.
Now jumping ahead to 1903 the story goes on. Samuel Galloway, who was then living in Creemore, decided to visit his daughter in Toronto. He started from Creemore on the morning train and landed at his daughter's home, safe and sound. He was then 81 years of age. After he had eaten his dinner he asked his daughter to take him to the Old Mill on the Humber. While there he described to her how he and his mother had driven a yoke of oxen and a sleigh with five bags of wheat on it all the way from the farm near Cookstown to this mill [where his father worked] to be ground into flour."- The Bridges of Creemore Mills 1832-1871 by Helen Emmett Blackburn (c1999) and Canadian Illustrated News, October 5, 1878
"As soon as Ontario's pioneer settlers began using Yonge Street, a thoroughfare that had been slashed through the forests by Governor Simcoe's Rangers, they faced problems negotiating the hill into and out of the ravine cut through the landscape by the west branch of the Don River. We now call this ravine Hogg's Hollow. It was on this fork of the Don that some of the area's earliest mills were erected, and it was because of these mills, located several miles north of the Town of York (Toronto's name from 1793 until 1834) in York township, that the nearby community was first named York Mills." - Toronto Sketches 6: The Way We Were, p. 237 by Mike Filey (2000)
Catharina Iwarsdotter, 1793-1890 (Västerbotten, Sweden)
Catharina lived on a hill in the town of Granliden. Her nickname was Krokigfarsmora (hunchback grandma). - Ormsjöboken by Erik Jonsson; and Astrid Larsson
Olof Pålsson, 1792-1865 (Västerbotten, Sweden)
Olof's punishment for stealing was a whipping. The second time he stole, he went to jail.
Christiane Lovise Kjøbenhavn, 1788-1840 ~ Frederich Christian, ca. 1789-1849 (Præstø, Denmark)
Christiane Lovise and Frederich Christian never had proper surnames as their parents identity were never disclosed. She was born in Fødselsstiftelsen in Copenhagen in 1788 and was registered in the church records by first name only, like most of the children born there.
"Fødselsstiftelsen opened in 1750 as a place where women could give birth anonymously and have access to free medical care. The purpose was to avoid infanticide, and the women were promised permanent anonymity. This rule [about anonymity]; however, was changed in 2007." - translated from Arkivalieronline
Frederich Christian was likely also been born in Fødselsstiftelsen; however, the names Frederich and Christian were popular names as they were the names of Danish kings. Many children born in Fødselsstiftelsen in 1789 were named Frederich Christian; therefore, it's impossible to trace his ancestry without an exact date of birth or baptism.
Christiane and Frederich arrived in Herlufmagle in Præstø before their son, Christian Frederichsen, was born on 28 Feb 1825 and they were both recorded in the church records by first names only. In the census of 1834, they suddenly appear with the surname Kiøbenhavn - the Danish word for Copenhagen, indicating where they came from. Kiøbenhavn, and the variation, Kjøbenhavn, stuck and Christiane was recorded in both the 1840 census and her death record with the last name Kjøbenhavn. Frederich's last name, on the other hand, was recorded as Christiansen, a variation of his proper middle name Christian, in the 1840 census, in Christiane's death record in 1840 and in his own in 1849; however, in the 1845 census he was again recorded without a surname...
"Fødselsstiftelsen opened in 1750 as a place where women could give birth anonymously and have access to free medical care. The purpose was to avoid infanticide, and the women were promised permanent anonymity. This rule [about anonymity]; however, was changed in 2007." - translated from Arkivalieronline
Frederich Christian was likely also been born in Fødselsstiftelsen; however, the names Frederich and Christian were popular names as they were the names of Danish kings. Many children born in Fødselsstiftelsen in 1789 were named Frederich Christian; therefore, it's impossible to trace his ancestry without an exact date of birth or baptism.
Christiane and Frederich arrived in Herlufmagle in Præstø before their son, Christian Frederichsen, was born on 28 Feb 1825 and they were both recorded in the church records by first names only. In the census of 1834, they suddenly appear with the surname Kiøbenhavn - the Danish word for Copenhagen, indicating where they came from. Kiøbenhavn, and the variation, Kjøbenhavn, stuck and Christiane was recorded in both the 1840 census and her death record with the last name Kjøbenhavn. Frederich's last name, on the other hand, was recorded as Christiansen, a variation of his proper middle name Christian, in the 1840 census, in Christiane's death record in 1840 and in his own in 1849; however, in the 1845 census he was again recorded without a surname...
Grels Andersson Gröner, 1762-1850 ~ Malin Johansdotter, 1756-1848 (Västerbotten, Sweden)
The first settlers in Granliden were kronobåtsman Grels Andersson and his wife Malin. Their application to settle the land was dated 1794. A kronobåtsman was a marine - Grels' soldier name was Gröner [the word krono in his title refers to the tax schedule of the military rank].
Grels and Malin built a fäbod at Blaikfjället. A fäbod is a log cabin built in an area suitable for grazing of livestock. - Ormsjöboken
Grels and Malin built a fäbod at Blaikfjället. A fäbod is a log cabin built in an area suitable for grazing of livestock. - Ormsjöboken
Pär Gummesson, 1757-1823 (Kronoberg, Sweden)
Pär had the unfortunate and extremely unpopular job of being a salpetersjudare for 7 years, from around 1785 to 1792.
"A salpetersjudare collected urine soaked earth to assist with the production of saltpeter. Saltpeter was a key ingredient of black powder (the first gunpowder) that the army required after the invention of firearms. Since a high concentration of saltpeter was contained in the earth under the barns, this earth was declared to be royal property. All farmers (the priests made sure that no one was forgotten) had to supply its quota imposed to the nearest salpetersjudare - it was called the saltpeter tax.
In order to streamline and better control that all the manure soil was obtained during the war years of the "Stormaktstid", special salpetersjudare traveled around among the farming villages. They had the right to even break the stall floor if needed. Moreover, they were to be furnished with food and lodging by the farmer as long as the work was in progress. When they were finished, the farmers had to fill in the new earth themselves and make new floors in the barns. The farmers did not like this forceful practice which was repeated every five years." - FamilySearch.org
Pär had the unfortunate and extremely unpopular job of being a salpetersjudare for 7 years, from around 1785 to 1792.
"A salpetersjudare collected urine soaked earth to assist with the production of saltpeter. Saltpeter was a key ingredient of black powder (the first gunpowder) that the army required after the invention of firearms. Since a high concentration of saltpeter was contained in the earth under the barns, this earth was declared to be royal property. All farmers (the priests made sure that no one was forgotten) had to supply its quota imposed to the nearest salpetersjudare - it was called the saltpeter tax.
In order to streamline and better control that all the manure soil was obtained during the war years of the "Stormaktstid", special salpetersjudare traveled around among the farming villages. They had the right to even break the stall floor if needed. Moreover, they were to be furnished with food and lodging by the farmer as long as the work was in progress. When they were finished, the farmers had to fill in the new earth themselves and make new floors in the barns. The farmers did not like this forceful practice which was repeated every five years." - FamilySearch.org
John Paulle, ca. 1752-1832 ~ Lydia Blacktop, ca. 1752-1820 (Cambridgeshire, England)
John and Lydia was married November 28th 1775. Their signatures (marks) in the Comberton parish records.
Pär Ersson, 1700-1758 (Västerbotten, Sweden)
Pär was depressed and committed suicide around midsummer 1758. The following was recorded in the court records of 1759:
"Police officer Johan Edin explains that the settler Pär Ersson of Svanabyn, approximately 60 years old, had been depressed for more than a year and a half. It started with a bad headache that got worse. Once in a while his family had to keep an eye on him until he recovered. The son, juror Erik Pärsson says that they walked to Lafsjön a bit before Midsummer day. His dad became tired and slowly fell behind. When Erik reached the village, he noticed his dad was gone. He went back to look for him but was unable to find him. After searching for him for several days, Erik and his brother found him on Pärsmässodagen [July 27th] 1/2 mile from Svanabyn. He was lying with a noose around his neck between a birch tree and a large rock. It was concluded that he had jumped off the rock with the noose around his neck; however, the rope broke and he fell to the ground. The knife found at his side likely indicates that he had tried to cut himself loose. The sons placed him in a homemade coffin that they temporarily buried until the court could decide what to do. Everyone that was asked how Pär's life had been, said he had lived a quiet life with his wife, children and neighbours. Nobody said that he in any way had lived any different than what was expected of a Christian."
The court had a hard time deciding what to do with Pär Eriksson's body. Should he not to be buried in the cemetery because he had taken his own life or should he? After deliberation the district court decided to recover Pär's body and bury him in the cemetery - although quietly. The court also decided that Hendrik Andersson and Daniel Salomonsson of Eden, along with the mother (Pär's wife), would be the guardians of Pär's underage children.
Pär's sons had temporarily buried Pär on Storholmen in Tjusjön, and not in the woods where he was found. This islet is today known as "dead man's islet". - Dorotea sockens historia, p. 19-21
"Police officer Johan Edin explains that the settler Pär Ersson of Svanabyn, approximately 60 years old, had been depressed for more than a year and a half. It started with a bad headache that got worse. Once in a while his family had to keep an eye on him until he recovered. The son, juror Erik Pärsson says that they walked to Lafsjön a bit before Midsummer day. His dad became tired and slowly fell behind. When Erik reached the village, he noticed his dad was gone. He went back to look for him but was unable to find him. After searching for him for several days, Erik and his brother found him on Pärsmässodagen [July 27th] 1/2 mile from Svanabyn. He was lying with a noose around his neck between a birch tree and a large rock. It was concluded that he had jumped off the rock with the noose around his neck; however, the rope broke and he fell to the ground. The knife found at his side likely indicates that he had tried to cut himself loose. The sons placed him in a homemade coffin that they temporarily buried until the court could decide what to do. Everyone that was asked how Pär's life had been, said he had lived a quiet life with his wife, children and neighbours. Nobody said that he in any way had lived any different than what was expected of a Christian."
The court had a hard time deciding what to do with Pär Eriksson's body. Should he not to be buried in the cemetery because he had taken his own life or should he? After deliberation the district court decided to recover Pär's body and bury him in the cemetery - although quietly. The court also decided that Hendrik Andersson and Daniel Salomonsson of Eden, along with the mother (Pär's wife), would be the guardians of Pär's underage children.
Pär's sons had temporarily buried Pär on Storholmen in Tjusjön, and not in the woods where he was found. This islet is today known as "dead man's islet". - Dorotea sockens historia, p. 19-21
Johan Olofsson Nyberg, 1688- ~ Anna Jönsdatter, 1690- (Jämtland & Västerbotten, Sweden)
Johan Olofsson was a soldier in Jämtland's cavalry - his soldier name was Nyberg. In 1728 he requested a discharge from the military. He had a hard time marching, as a previous leg fracture had left him with a limp. In 1732 Johan and his family settled on a lapskatteland, a piece of land owned by a laplander - in this case, Mårten Olofsson's land. They chose a piece of land by Gamgårdsviken where the river Ormbäcken falls into Ormsjön. Johan started cultivating the land and when he and the original land owner Mårten quarreled about the situation the case was brought before the court in 1733. At that time Johan was already in the process of building four houses so the court accepted him as a settler in Ormsjö and let him stay, ignoring the fact that Mårten already owned the property. So Johan and Anna became the first settlers in the area. They were likely granted 10 tax-free years which was common in those days. It wasn't until 1745 that the churchwarden requested that Johan pay tiendeafgift (tax) for the year 1743 and onwards. The tax owed was as follows:
3 daler and 17 skillinger copper [old obsolete copper coins], a pound of fresh fish, half a pound of dried pike and the costs associated with the court case
Johan was of Finnish descent and he seems to have had a hard time getting along with the laplanders. He was arrested a couple of times. First for being drunk at the market in Åsele and again when he threw a laplander out of his house.
- Ormsjödalens Ekonomiska Förening (Byns historia, Nybyggarna)
3 daler and 17 skillinger copper [old obsolete copper coins], a pound of fresh fish, half a pound of dried pike and the costs associated with the court case
Johan was of Finnish descent and he seems to have had a hard time getting along with the laplanders. He was arrested a couple of times. First for being drunk at the market in Åsele and again when he threw a laplander out of his house.
- Ormsjödalens Ekonomiska Förening (Byns historia, Nybyggarna)
Sara Nilsdotter, 1624-1709 (Västernorrland, Sweden)
Sara died a couple of weeks after her 85th birthday - she had been an honest woman. She was buried in the cemetery in her dead husband's grave.
Per Olofsson, 1565 (Västernorrland, Sweden)
Per was a rich churchwarden.
Anders, 1400-tallet (Västernorrland, Sweden)
The first Anders we've been able to trace - surname unknown. Anders was a farmer in 1450 on the farm Nedansjö 2 in Stöde parish in Västernorrland. He named his son Anders Andersson.
Anders puts us at 15 generations!
Anders puts us at 15 generations!
