My great grandfather was named Anders Gustaf Andersson, but his name changed to Anders Ekstrand when he was about 32 years old. My grandfather had told us the name change was because his father had worked as a coachman for the King of Sweden, who changed his name because there were so many Anderssons in his employ. My aunt has a glass cane, or scepter, about 42 inches long, that my grandfather said his father had used when he was a royal coachman. I have found through church records that Anders was a kusk for about a year in the parish of Övergran in 1883. At that time his name did change to Ekstrand. Before and after he was listed as a drang and lived in other parishes. He left for America in 1891.
My questions are: 1. Does anyone know if there was a palace or any royal household in Övergran at that time?
2. Is anyone familiar with such glass canes, or scepters? I know they were used by men as accessories during Victorian times, but this one is very long and not crook-necked.
3. Is there anywhere I can look to find any other reason for my g/grandfather's name change?