Help Identifying Family Members of Jan Hansson in his Probate Record

[Ryan Holmstrom]

   Hello all! I recently came across a probate record my ancestor, Jan Hansson, who died in a place called Nederhassla in the parish of Häggeby in Uppsala on 26 April 1766. I have had great difficulty finding any relatives of his but recently came across his estate inventory! As I have little knowledge of the language and handwriting, would anyone be willing to look over the probate record and see if any clues concerning Jan's birthplace, family, etc. are present within the probate record? Thank you so much!

Here's the link to the estate inventory: http://www.arkivdigital.se/aid/show/v149130a.b2900.s63b

[Staffan Bergh]

Den 8 November år 1766 hölls laga bo=upteckning
efter afl: bonden Jan Hansson i Neder=Hassla och
Hæggeby sochn, och befants uti boet, som följer, neml:

/.../

Wid detta tilälle uppgaf äfwen enkan
den skuld, som befants uti boet efter des af[-]
lidne man, såsom 1º skyldig tl Ekholm=
(??) ........................................ 60 (daler)
Til drängen Jan Jansson i Hæggeby ............36
Til Anders Andersson i (Måttan?) .............36

/.../

Äfwen skyldig en tunn råg ....................48
äfwen en tunna korn ..........................48
wärderingsmännen ............................. 9

/.../

Såsom wid wärderingen närvarande
Carl Gust: Hessling och Johan Larsson
                            i (Værsta?)
På de omyndiga barnens wägnar war
Eric Andersson i Öfver-Hassla tillstädes.

He has a widow, and kids, but they all remain unnamed. Erik Andersson (that is there on behalf of the minor children) in Överhassle may be a relative, but how is not obvious.

The estate inventory ends up with a positive balance of almost 600 daler, a not inconsequential sum.

The tax records show that Jan Hansson comes to Neder-Hassle around 1749^[1]. It doesn't look like the property has been directly inherited -- the year before it's registered to Jan Janssons widow, and Jan Jansson himself only comes there in 1747, before which it is farmed by the neighbor Mats Ersson. But ...

In Åkerby, in the tax records for 1746 (signed 1745-11-07) there's a Hans Hermansson with a grown son^[2]. In 1747^[3], a son Jan Hansson, unmarried, is listed as having taken over. In 1748^[4], the father is not listed, Jan is still unmarried, and his mother is listed, Stina. And in 1749^[5], the farm in Åkerby has been taken over by Hans Hermansson, again.

If there are ownership change records (in the court records) they may give some clues. Haven't been photographed yet, though.

--

[1] Länsstyrelsen i Uppsala län. Landskontoret I 1634-1900 (C) EIc:65 (1749) Bild 320 / Sida 49 (AID: v402199.b320.s49, NAD: SE/ULA/11035)
[2] Länsstyrelsen i Uppsala län. Landskontoret I 1634-1900 (C) EIc:62 (1746) Bild 310 / Sida 43 (AID: v402196.b310.s44)
[3] Länsstyrelsen i Uppsala län. Landskontoret I 1634-1900 (C) EIc:63 (1747) Bild 300 / Sida 42 (AID: v402197a.b300.s42)
[4] Länsstyrelsen i Uppsala län. Landskontoret I 1634-1900 (C) EIc:64 (1748) Bild 270 / Sida 39 (AID: v402198.b270.s40)
[5] Länsstyrelsen i Uppsala län. Landskontoret I 1634-1900 (C) EIc:65 (1749) Bild 320 / Sida 48 (AID: v402199.b320.s49)

[Ryan Holmstrom]

   Thank you for your help Mr. Bergh! I have taken noted of Hans Hermansson in the past, but I haven't had Arkiv Digital until recently, so thank you for alerting me to that compelling evidence that Hans Hermansson is, indeed, the father of Jan Hansson. I know Jan Hansson was born sometime around 1718, according to a household examination and his death record and that he was married to his wife, Margareta Matsdotter, sometime before 1749, as they had their first child then. What made me hesitant to confirm Jan Hansson's father as Hans Hermansson would be the fact that Jan Hansson would have been about 31 years old by the time he married, which, if I'm not mistake, is a bit irregular.
   Nevertheless, additional evidence has come to light; specifically, I have been able to trace Hans Hermansson back to 1721, to the parish of Skokloster, in which is he is listed as married in the mantals tax record.^[1]. Moreover, in the 1732 tax record^[2], a note is made stating that he moved to Häggeby, confirming that the Hans Hermansson of Skokloster is also the Hans Hermansson of Häggeby. Because, in 1721, Hans Hermansson was married and according to the evidence you've presented, I'm almost certain that Jan Hansson is the son of Hans Hermansson.
   I don't wish to get ahead of myself, but the name Hermansson intrigued me as I've never encountered such a name before. Are you familiar with that name? Is it common in Uppsala? If not, do you know where I should begin searching to learn more about Hans Hermansson? Thank you so much for help, again; you've just helped me break down a brick wall that has been plaguing my family for generations!


[1] Länsstyrelsen i Uppsala län. Landskontoret I 1634-1900 (C) EIII:16 (1716-1723) Image 13380 / Page 1328 (AID: v402091a.b13380.s1328, NAD: SE/ULA/11035)
[2] Länsstyrelsen i Uppsala län. Landskontoret I 1634-1900 (C) EIII:18 (1730-1735) Image 5840 / Page 573 (AID: v402093.b5840.s573, NAD: SE/ULA/11035)

[Klas Wallén]

Hi!

In most parts of Sweden Herman wouldn't be one of the 15-20 most common names during the 18th Century, or any other Century that's for sure, though it probably became more common during the 19th and 20th Century. Certain names were more popular in some regions than in others. So if you do research in Uppland and other regions, you can note the Herman's you see. I would be surprised if it was totally absent in the Parishes around Skokloster and Häggeby. The owner of the Castle/Mansion Skokloster during the early 1600's was called Herman so perhaps it became popular in the Parish because of that? Hans Hermanssons father Herman must have been born in the 1600's. It is originally a German name and it means aprox. army man. First known in Sweden in 1250, according the Historical Museum in Stockholm. I think it was more common among the middle and upper classes and not that common among the peasants before the 19th Century. In my own and my wife's research I can find only one Herman born before the 1800's, which makes it more rare than Rahl, Didrik and Amund for example (uncommon names for most researchers I guess), so it is for sure extremely uncommon in my own research.

Good luck with your research

Klas

[Klas Wallén]

Hi!

You also had some thoughts about a man marrying at the age of 31 was a bit irregular. As a matter of fact it wasn't, at least not during the 18th Century. In the whole of Western Europe people married late then, women often around 24-28 years old while men were some years older. So I would not see 31 years old as irregular but pretty normal.
 
Regards

Klas

[Ryan Holmstrom]

UPDATE:
   After an immense amount of searching around the parishes of Skokloster and Häggeby in the mantals tax records for anyone named Herman, I found someone I believe may be Hans Hermansson's father. First appearing in the mantals tax records in Häggeby in 1745^[1] and disappearing in 1747^[2], Herman Hindriksson is a single man living in a place called Skrik??? (I'm not sure what that means. If anyone would transcribe that word, it would be very appreciated.)
   Although more research is required to confirm their relationship, after an exhaustive search of the parishes where Hans Hermansson resided during his lifetime around his birth year of approximately 1700, which yielded no one named Herman, I suspect that Herman Hindriksson is the elderly father of Hans Hermansson in these mantals tax records.
   Also, would anyone be wishing to translate the note next Herman Hindriksson in the 1747 mantals tax record? Perhaps such will yield useful information. Thank you!

[1] Länsstyrelsen i Uppsala län. Landskontoret I 1634-1900 (C) EIc:60 (1745) Image 390 / Page 58 (AID: v402194.b390.s58, NAD: SE/ULA/11035)
[2] Länsstyrelsen i Uppsala län. Landskontoret I 1634-1900 (C) EIc:63 (1747) Image 300 / Page 42 (AID: v402197a.b300.s42, NAD: SE/ULA/11035)