Many of the old Swedish parish records list an ancestors title or occupation.
The words are often confusing, antiquated and make little sense to me.
Now and again I like to investigate, do some research.
What is the meaning of my ancestors title or occupation?
How did he support and feed his family in his time?
Anders Breberg is my sixth great grandfather...
Anders Breberg→Brita Andersdotter→Margretha Pehrsdotter→Maja Nilsdotter
→Carl Abrahamson→Edvard Julius Abrahamsson→Robert Albin Abrahamsson
→Lydia Abrahamson→Melvin Kallman→ME!
Anders was a "soldat", a soldier.
He was born long long ago (1695). So long ago that the Swedish church does not have records covering his early life. When the first household examination was recorded in Snavlunda 1769-1776 Anders was already 74 years old. He is referred to as a pensioned/retired soldier. As soldiers generally did, Anders did not keep his very common patronymic of Anderson (his father was Anders Jonsson) but took on the name Breberg which was the name of the croft he was living on.
By the end of the 1600's Sweden had a military allotment system which was in place until 1901 when Sweden went to a drafted army. In the allotment systems a group of farms within a given area was called a "rote" and each rote was responsible for a soldier. The rote recruited the soldier from the surrounding farm men. The soldier signed a contract agreeing to getting a place to live for him and his family called a soldattorp, some form of payment and or benefits. He could be called to war and when at war the rote would be responsible for his family and help them with their farming in his absence. When the country was not at war he would have to go to exercises with his regiment and perform other duties. Soldiers often served as teachers being people who were required to read and write. A soldier could also be a person of an additional trade such as a carpenter, baker, tailor etc. that would be of use in the military as well as an additional source of income for the soldier in peacetime. If the soldier died his wife and children had to leave the soldattorp so the next soldier could move in with his family, if he had one. Often the next soldier would just marry the widow as part of the deal. Often sons of soldiers also became soldiers. There is another soldier named Breberg living on Breberg and although he would be the appropriate age to be Ander's son the records to prove that he is are all but non existent or impossible to read (for me anyway).
Sweden is noted for being neutral but I initially was not aware that during the 17th and 18th century Sweden was a major world power throughout Europe. Guess who was their downfall? Russia of course. Sweden's army was well trained and well equipped but the Russians just kept coming and coming and coming and ........ Sweden was not the first nor was it the last to feel the might of the Russians. A country and people whose name alone still brings fear to the world. As it should.
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| a 19th century soldier and his family outside their soldattorp |
Sweden is noted for being neutral but I initially was not aware that during the 17th and 18th century Sweden was a major world power throughout Europe. Guess who was their downfall? Russia of course. Sweden's army was well trained and well equipped but the Russians just kept coming and coming and coming and ........ Sweden was not the first nor was it the last to feel the might of the Russians. A country and people whose name alone still brings fear to the world. As it should.
Read all about it here → Sweden was a Military Giant - until it invaded Russia
my sixth great grandfather
the soldier
the soldier
Anders Breberg
b. 22 Sep 1695 Snavlunda, Örebro, Sweden
d. 28 Feb 1783 Breberg, Snavlunda, Örebro, Sweden
