Lindgren, Madame Margarita Carlotta

[Johni Levene]

I have hit upon 2 ancestors who's names have me very perplexed. They were on the very earliest registers for Fuegelsta (Town??) in Marieby Parish in Jämtland around 1750. Since the registers do not presently go back further on Genline for me to look into their parentage, I was wondering if anyone can share their knowledge of these odd names.  
 
Why she would be called Madame?? I also do not understand Lindgren vs -dotter as I have always seen before.  
 
Her husband's name was Hustmäster Olof Westin. If I am correct Westin would have indicated he was in the military but I cannot find the translation for Hustmäster, closest as I can guess is head of house?? He also has Rustm. in front of his name on several of the registers. I cannot find the meaning of that.  
 
There are also some very odd names as witnesses to the children's baptisms: Adjunctus M.S.H. Lindholm, rustmästare Olof Lundblat, Christ. Örborn, Corporal Eric Tallquist, the minister Feltström (odd to have a minister as a witness?) and also maid in front of several of the women's names.  
 
Anyone have any ideas for me on what was the background on them?? Thanks for any and all information and input. Johni

[Judy Olson Baouab]

Rustm. might be rustmästare which is a military rank.
 
From the SweGGate site:
 
http://www.rootsweb.com/~swewgw/
 
Look on the home page and find the link for Dictionaries & Encyclopedias. Click on that link and you will find one glossary developed by the webmaster plus links to more of his glossaries and links to glossaries developed by others.
 
rustmästare O military rank. See underbefäl.  
 
underbefäl O = non-commissioned officer. Group included all ranks below the group underofficer: vicekorpral, korpral (konstapel in the artillery), furir (distinktionskorpral before 1915), överfurir (högbåtsman in the navy) and rustmästare (förste högbåtsman in the navy)
 
Some of the 'higher' status females were called Madame. From the SweGGate site:
 
Themes --> Church Records --> How to Use --> Titles
 
Mad. Madam Madam. Exclusively upper class persons.  
 
SweGGate has several articles on Swedish naming customs.
 
Facts --> Names and Naming Practices
 
Judy

[Johni Levene]

Hi Judy,
Nice to see you here! You have always been so helpful with my Swedish questions on Rootsweb also. I visit SweGGate often, its usually one of my first stops when I don't understand something. Certainly a great site for greenhorns like me. Any ideas on what a Hustmäster is, I have been unable to find that anywhere?  
 
I have done a lot of research on the ancestors of this couple but most became farmers within 2-3 generation. I am at a total loss since there are no earlier parish registers. Since they were upper class do you think there is another place I may find out more about them? How common was it to be upper class

[Bo Johansson]

Rustmästare (if that is what Hustmäster is supposed to be) was a non-commissioned officer rank, something between a US army Sergeant and Staff Sergeant.
 
I recommend Hans Högman's pages for information on Swedish military matters. http://www.algonet.se/~hogman/slaekt.htm
 
The reason for using Lindgren instead of X-dotter is that Lindgern was a family name, that was inherited unchanged, not a patronymivc. There is also a page about Swedish naming customs on Hans Högman's site.
 
// Bo Johansson

[Jeff Benson]

Johni,
 
Bo and Judy are correct. Hans Högman has probably the best website for genealogists looking for information regarding the Swedish military.
 
Here is the direct link to Hans' page of military terms. Therein you will find a nice desciption of rustmästare (in English): http://www.algonet.se/~hogman/militaria_dict.htm
 
As mentioned above, rustmästare corresponds to a non-commissioned officer of sergeant rank. Based on his duties of handling the ammunition and ensuring the company's rifles are in working order, you can translate the term as equivalent to the English word, armorer. Crudely transliterated, 'Rust[-ning]' + 'mästare' = 'armor master'.
 
Jeff

[Jeff Benson]

A small correction to the previous entry. I should have said 'muskets' instead of 'rifles'. In 1750, smoothbore muskets would have been the standard firearm carried by soldiers, not rifles.
 
Jeff

[Ingela Martenius]

The title madam (also with French spelling, madame) was a title for married women of high rank only until the very early years of the 18th century. Already in 1731 the title is used for common market hawkers (cf. SAOB - http://g3.spraakdata.gu.se/saob/ ).
 
The Swedish titles fru (married woman) and fröken (unmarried woman) were initially reserved for noblewomen; indeed until the first half of the 17th century it was even reserved for royals: queens (whether reigning or consorts) were called fru and princesses were called fröken. High-ranking but not noble married women were called madam, but madam lost its respectability very quickly and fru began being used as a substitute for upper middle-class women (wives of clergymen, rich merchants/craftsmen, officers etc). For a while madam was used concurrently for these middle rank women and for lower-class women, but very soon madam was used only for wives of simpler shop-keepers and craftsmen (wives of farmers and of the urban poor were just called hustru (wife)).
 
Women, whether married or not, were called madam also if they had an unfeminine occupation; hawking or selling from a market stall, ferrying (by rowing) mail or passengers, assist brick-layers etc. Madam Flod (protagonist of the well-known book Hemsöborna by famous author August Strindberg) was called madam since she, as a widow, ran her own unfeminine business (her dead husband's farm).
 
Women, whether married or not, in feminine occupations like shop assistant in a more genteel shop (e.g. a milliner, a confectioners etc.), governess, companion or housekeeper in a large establishment were called mamsell (from the French mademoiselle). However, mamsell kept its respectability and was used for unmarried daughters of both the upper and lower middle-class (as well as for women in feminine occupations) until the 1860's (frökenreformen).
 
In 1790 you can thus find a vicar with his fru and his two daughters, mamsellerna Ekberg.
And madam for the wife of a sergeant in the 1750's sounds just about right.  
 
Ingela