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?
Carl Broberg was my fourth great grandfather.
Me→Melvin Kallman→Lydia Abrahamson→Robert Albin Abrahamson
→Charlotta Majholm→Brita Christina Broberg→Carl Broberg
Carl was a skomakare or shoemaker. His occupation was noted as early as his first marriage in 1766. Born and baptized Carl Carlsson, he dropped his patronymic and took the surname Broberg on establishing himself in a trade. He had been born in the parish of Bro so that most likely is where he took the first part of his name from.
The training to become a skilled shoemaker began with working with a Master Shoemaker and from there Carl would have gone from apprentice to journeyman to Master Shoemaker. Skilled craftsmen were only allowed to work in towns, under the eyes of the guild with three exceptions; blacksmiths, shoemakers and tailors. Therefore those working in the countryside (as Carl did, Arboga landförsamling) may not have been of the same quality as those in town (Arboga stadförsamling). Carl however, worked in Jädersbruk which was a large community and he was not the only shoemaker noted in the household examinations. On his death record Carl is noted as a "Master Shoemaker".
Now do NOT however refer to my fourth great grandfather as a "cobbler", another old trade name we often hear in family history research. A cobbler would repair shoes or repurpose the cast off shoes of the rich to resell to the working folk. A shoemaker was an artisan. He made shoes.
The guild system of old Sweden is better explained and in more detail here ↓ check it out.
I owe a big thank you to some of the members of the facebook group SWEDISH AMERICAN GENEALOGY GROUP who passed on their extensive knowledge of old Sweden to me.
my fourth great grandfather
Carl Broberg
the Master Shoemaker
b. 27 September 1737 Bro, Uppsala, Sweden
d. 10 December 1787 Jädersbruk,
Arboga landsförsamling, Västmanland, Sweden
