Lovisa Charlotta Majholm (1850-1931) born in the poorhouse, died in the poorhouse

This is a 1910 photo of the Arboga, Sweden fattiggård or poorhouse. Looks lovely and peaceful from a distance doesn't it? I seriously doubt it.

Through the earliest times in Sweden the church provided benefit relief . Local governments later provided assistance to the indigent: for the young, the old and the infirm. Poverty among the able-bodied had come to be viewed as a moral failing. Those who could work were expected to. Destitute able bodied adults AND children were auctioned for work. They were offered to townsfolk who took the lowest amount of money from the poor relief for a year of room and board in exchange for the indigents work.  In 1847 Poor Laws were enacted that eliminated the auctions of children to work. The old, very young and infirm were provided for in the local poorhouse. Even those people however were required to contribute what they could. Work could be hard and provisions were bare minimum.

My grandmother's cousin, Lovisa Charlotta Majholm had more than one strike against her. She was born illegitimate, a stigma that remained with you for life. She was poor, her mother delivering her alone in the poorhouse. She was a woman in a time when women had few rights, choices or future.  She had no siblings and never married. She was also noted in the following census as crippled and insane. Perhaps for a short time her  health improved as she lived off the poor house for a short time in her late 20's. Maybe it was one of those contract deals. I don't know. I do know that my great great grandfather, Edvard Julius, was concerned about her welfare.  In 1886 he wrote to the welfare board concerning her upkeep. Unfortunately he died shortly after. Did she ever receive help from our family? Again, I don't know. 

•Arboga stadförsamling census 1926-1928. 
•Residing at "Fattiggården" (poorhouse),
•Majholm, Lovisa Charlotta
•work: "sinnessjuk" (insane)
•born: November 20, 1850 in Arboga
•has been vaccinated for smallpox
•Notes: "ofärdig" (crippled)

my grandmother Lydia's cousin

Lovisa Charlotta Majholm

b: 11 February 1850 Arboga, Västmanland, Sweden

d: 10 Oct 1931 Arboga, Västmanland, Sweden

She was born in and died in the Arboga "fattiggärden" (poorhouse)

Friday's Faces from the Past - Lovisa Charlotta Majholm

Lovisa Charlotta Majholm 1850-1931
photo from personal collection of Ingemar Majholm

My great great grandmother Charlotta Majholm had an older sister, Anna Stina Majholm. In this Household examination below from Arboga, Västmanland, Sweden 1846-1855, we see the sisters living together with a group of other women in similar circumstances. Charlotta and Anna Stina were both the mothers of illegitimate children, living in poverty. Charlotta bore a son labeled in his parish birth record as öakta or illegitimate. Carl Wilhelm was born in Arboga 25 May 1849. Anna Stina bore a daughter, also öakta, 11 Feb 1850. That child, Charlotta's niece, was Lovisa Charlotta Majholm.

ArkivDigital Hüsförhor Arboga, Sweden 1846-1855

Charlotta's son Carl Wilhelm died at one year of age. When Charlotta found herself in similar circumstances 10 years later and pregnant with my great grandfather Robert Albin she married my great great grandfather Edvard Julius Abrahamsson. Charlotta's lot in life improved immensely with her marriage but it would seem the story may have been quite different for Anna Stina and her daughter Lovisa Charlotta. 11 June 1886 Anna Stina died. We find that Edvard Julius wrote a letter to the Arboga Public Assistance  Committee in July of that same year offering and asking for assistance on Lovisa's behalf. I can only guess the reason.  It possibly could have been Lovisa's poor health or poverty?

Frölunda July 21, 1886

Mr. Chairman of The Arboga Public Assistance Committee,

As an answer to the honoured writ of the 14^th of this month, I want to inform you that I'm satisfied with the presented agreement of 25 kronor per year for mentioned Lovisa Charlotta Mayholm because I through my wife am related to her.

Concerning the cost of her journey here from the nearest railway station, situated 20 km from here, I will, as there are horses of my own, fetch her without the expense of the Committee.

A lifetime contract I don't want to sign. We know, of course, not about our time here. But if the Committee fear loss by letting her come here without this condition, then it's possible to wait with the payment of the first year until one year has passed from her arrival and I can even in part pay the cost for her journey to Svenljunga, if that be the wish. If things don't get worse for me henceforth than hitherto, her stay here will probably be for lifetime. Even my decease is no hinder.

However, if Lovisa by time through lengthy disease is to be in greater need for care, I declare my right to notify the Public Assistance Committee in Arboga in order to come in enjoyment of a slightly higher contribution through the confirmation of this Committee.

Any real use for Lovisa I can in our conditions of work not have. The cause for me to offer you to send her here for such a limited compensation I need not inform you about you since you know it so well.

Am now requesting answer by return in order to know whether I have to send her money for the journey if you don't want to pay the journey until a year has passed or perhaps you not at all want to concern yourselves with anything since I haven't signed the contract. If that's the case, I will anyway let her come here for some time in order for her to amuse herself and even see where we live.

Faithfully yours  Edvard Julius Abrahamsson**

**the original letter of Edvard Julius Abrahamsson to the Arboga Public Assistance Committee 

is in the possession of and translated into English by cousin Ingemar Majholm.

I do not know what assistance if any Lovisa received because three days after writing this letter Edvard Julius died of acute appendicitis. Lovisa did not come to Stommen and I have not yet found any documentation concerning her life except the Arboga death record that stated she was unmarried and died 10 October 1931 in Arboga stadförsamling, Västmanland, Sweden.

my first cousin three times removed

Lovisa Charlotta Majholm

b. 11 February 1850

d. 10 October 1931

(click on documents and photos to enlarge for easier viewing)

Sunday's Story - Lovisa Charlotta Majholm

The story of Lovisa Charlotte posed many questions for me. Some of those questions my genealogical sleuthing has answered but others remain. In cousin Ingemar Majholm's work "Albin and Anna Abrahamsson - a family history", he writes that letters our great great grandfather Edvard Julius wrote to the council indicate that he was a devout Christian man who felt it his duty to work on behalf of the poor and needy.

The following excerpt from "Albin and Anna Abrahamsson - a family history" includes the letter Edvard Julius wrote on behalf of Lovisa Charlotta.

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"Frölunda July 21, 1886

Mr Chairman of The Arboga Public Assistance Committee,

    As an answer to the honoured writ of the 14th of this month, I want to inform you that I'm satisfied with the presented agreement of 25 kronor per year for mentioned Lovisa Charlotta Mayholm because I through my wife am related to her.
    Concerning the cost of her journey here from the nearest railway station, situated 20km from here, I will, as there are horses of my own, fetch her with the expense of the Committee.
    A lifetime contract I don't want to sign. We know, of course, not about our time here. But if the Committee fear loss by letting her come here without this condition, then it's possible to wait with the payment of the first year until one year has passed from her arrival and I can even in part pay the cost for her journey to Svenljunga, if that be the wish. If things don't get worse for me henceforth the hitherto, her stay here will probably be for lifetime. Even my decease is no hinder.
    However, if Lovisa by time through lengthy disease is to be in greater need for care, I declare my right to notify the Public Assistance Committee in Arboga in order to come in enjoyment of a slightly higher contribution through the confirmation of this Committee.
   Any real use for Lovisa I can in our conditions of work not have. The cause for me to offer you to send her here for such a limited compensation I need not inform you about you since you know it so well.
    Am now requesting answer by return in order to know whether I have to send her money for the journey if you don't want to pay the journey until a year has passed or perhaps you not at all want to concern yourselves with anything since I haven't signed the contract. If that's the case, I will anyway let her come here for some time in order for her to amuse herself and even see where we live.
    Faithfully yours,

The proposed stay of Lovisa for the rest of her life was never realized, though. Even if he was very humble in the letter when looking into the future, Edvard Julius apparently had no presentiment of how few his remaining days were. He died in appendicitis in Östra Frölunda 7/24/1886, just three days after writing the letter!"*

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Who exactly was Lovisa Charlotta Majholm? Why was she in need of assistance? Why, after Edvard died, did not Charlotta and her son Albin follow through with Edvard's work on her behalf? What then became of Lovisa Charlotta?

Charlotta Majholm, if you remember from my post of 28 Sep 2015 "Charlotta's Secret",  bore another child out of wedlock in Arboga a decade before Albins birth. Carl Wilhelm Majholm was born 25 May 1849 and died 6 Jun 1850. Charlottas older sister, Anna Christina Majholm, also had an illegitimate child about the same time. Lovisa Charlotta Majholm was born 11 Feb 1850. Both Charlotta and her sister Anna Christina lived in the poorhouse together with their "öakta" children.

Sweden Church Records, 1500-1941 Arboga stadsförsamling, Västmanland,

husförhör, 1846-1855 GID 2374.41.4700 Volume A1:10B Roll #UP-14 pg 136

After her sons death Charlotta's life took a better turn. She got employment with the major of Arboga. Considering the times, I would think it unlikely that anyone involved with her employment knew of her past. When she became pregnant for the second time she married Edvard Julius.

Anna Christina Majholm never married, nor did I find she had any other children. She died from a lung inflammation 11 Jun 1886. Her daughter Lovisa Charlotta also never married so now she was alone. One month later is when Edvard Julius wrote to ask about Lovisa Charlotta coming to Östra Frölunda. It seems from the letter that at this time she was ill and receiving assistance from Arboga.

Sweden selected Death Records, Arboga standsförsamling, Västmanland

GID 100019.92.28300 Roll #CL0933 year 1886 pg 6

As we know, Edvard died just a few days after writing the letter. I now know who she was but my question again is why did not Charlotta or Albin intervene on her behalf? Charlotta, stated she never cared for Östra Frölunda and spent the last year of her life in Arboga. Did she leave to stay with Lovisa Charlotta or did she have any contact with her niece at all? Charlotta died in 1904 and I do not believe the remaining family had any contact with Lovisa Charlotta after. Perhaps they did not even know she existed? They could have easily afforded to have her come to their home. And this is an awful thought that I had. Did Lovisa Charlotta perhaps know her aunt's history and Charlotta did not want to risk her niece possible divulging to the family her "secret"? Questions we will never know the answer to.

Lovisa's health must have improved as she worked as a maid until she was no longer able. Her remaining years were spent in "Försörjningshuset" or poorhouse where she died 10 Oct 1931 of "ålderdomsavtyning" (which literally means that she faded away due to old age). She was still alone.

Sweden Selected Death records, Arboga stadsförsamling, Västmanland

GID 100019.92.28300 Roll #CL0933 year 1931 pg 6

Lovisa Charlotta Majholm, my first cousin three times removed

11 Feb 1850 - 10 Oct 1931

She was born in and she died in the poorhouse.

- Ranae

**taken in part from"Albin and Anna Abrahamsson-a family history"

by Ingemar Majholm (with his permission)**   

(clicking on documents will enlarge them for easier viewing)