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Swedish language / Household Records Questions

« skrivet: 2014-11-19, 16:27 »

The backstuga concept is unclear.  I have these questions based on Västra Husby parish Household records book  AI:14 page 93
 
The farm is Torpet Måsen, and the main tenant is Johannes Anderson and his wife Carolina Larsdotter.  At the bottom of the page, under Backstuga Bjorksätter, is Enk. Anna Kat. Sjolund.  She is the mother of Johannes Anderson.  She dies in 1855.  In 1856 Enk. Nils Nilsson moves into Backstuga Bjorksätter, and he is joined there in 1857 by his daughter Carolina.  Carolina has an oäkta daughter, and later an oäkta son.  The common element to all this is that Johannes Anderson is the God-Father of Carolina Nilsdotters's children.  She lives there until 1872 when she leaves for America.
 
Is this just a random coincidence?  Or is Johannes Anderson providing housing first for his widowed mother, and later for his god-children?
 
Johannes Anderson moves to Norrkoping in 1862, and dies there in 1867.  In 1872  Carolina Nilsdotter and her children emigrate to America, but the name of her son is appended to “Anderson”  see Västra Husby AI:16 page 61 lines 17, 18 and 19, and her daughter's name is appended to “Ericsdotter” see page 196 line 17 then page 191 line 15.  Why were these names appended only here?  Was a valid surname required for travel documents to America?
 
In the 1880 US census, Carolina is living with her married daughter and is using Anderson as her family name.
 
I am trying to make sense of the reason for using the name Anderson.  Reason #1; Johannes Anderson was actually the father of Carl Alfred.  Or reason #2; Johannes was a kind, generous friend/cousin, so if I need some kind of a last name, why not take his.
 
What were the social and legal responsibilities of a father for his illegitimate children?

2

Swedish language / Household Records Questions

« skrivet: 2014-11-18, 17:55 »

In reading through Household records, I have several questions about some of the abbreviations and words, and what they mean exactly.
1.  I can't decipher if it is “Tiuhus” or “Tillhus”, what is it?  a building? an occupation?  something else?
2.  What and where are “socknen” doing?  Are they people who are not attached to a certain farm?  Would they be working as Day Laborers?
3.  Is a “backstuga” part of a farm?  Do its occupants work for the farm?  Do they pay rent?
4.  In the remarks column is the annotation “absv 1859 9/10”.  I have interpreted this to mean “absoved; 9 October 1859”  What is the significance of this note.  I thought that confession was done at regular times.  Could this be a special confession?  The person absolved was an oakata who had given birth to her second child 6 weeks earlier, her father had died one week earlier, and I think that she may have felt like she was in a deep pit, with no way out.