Treaty of Kiel

Reprint of the part of the Treaty of Kiel which is concerned with Norway. Fahlun : P.O. Axmar, 1814. Image available from National Library of Norway and Wikimedia Commons.

The Treaty of Kiel, or Peace of Kiel, was signed on 14 January 1814. The United Kingdom and the Kingdom of Sweden concluded the treaty with the Kingdoms of Denmark and Norway. Most of Norway was ceded to Sweden. Denmark kept Greenland, Iceland, and the Faroe Islands. Swedish Pomerania was ceded to Denmark.

Norway did not accept the terms of the treaty, and declared independence. Crown Prince Carl Johan invaded Norway, and Norway surrendered. A peace treaty between Sweden and Norway was signed on 14 August 1814, and Norway and Sweden entered a personal union.

References
King Carl Johan (1763-1844)
The Peace Treaty of Kiel
Treaty of Kiel

Scandinavian Christmas Traditions

In the Scandinavian countries, Christmas is called Jul. The main celebration and the exchange of gifts take place on Christmas Eve. When I was growing up, I always spent Christmas Eve with my father's side of the family, and I spent Christmas Day with my mother's side of the family. My paternal grandmother was 3/4 Swedish and 1/4 Norwegian, and she maintained Swedish traditions.

The Yule goat (Julbock), a straw goat, is a traditional Christmas symbol. In the 19th century, it was considered the bearer of Christmas gifts. It is now typically a Christmas decoration. In Gävle, Sweden, a large Julbock (the Gävle Goat) is erected every year, and is often burned by arsonists before Christmas. Straw Christmas ornaments are also traditional.

Small gnomes called tomte in Sweden and nisse in Denmark and Norway are also associated with Christmas. They were thought to reside on farms. They demanded porridge on Christmas Eve; if they did not receive it, they would leave or make mischief. In the 1840s, the Julnisse became the bearer of Christmas presents, and this tradition spread to Norway and Sweden.

Collectible Christmas plates are produced annually in Denmark. The first collectible Christmas plate was produced by Bing & Grøndahl in 1895. Royal Copenhagen began producing Christmas plates in 1908. My paternal grandparents had a collection of Royal Copenhagen Christmas plates. My parents also have Royal Copenhagen Christmas plates.

In Sweden, a julbord (Christmas table) includes bread, butter, cheese, herring, ham, sausages, meatballs, potatoes, and casseroles. It is eaten in three courses. Pork ribs (ribbe) are popular in Norway.  Rice pudding is also a tratidional Christmas food. Lutefisk (codfish preserved in lye) is traditional in Norway and Sweden. More lutefisk is now eaten in the United States (mostly by Scandinavian-Americans) than in Scandinavia.

References
Christmas in Scandinavia
Danish Christmas plates
Jul (Denmark)
Jul (Norway)
Jul (Sweden) 
Legend of the Nisse and Tomte
Lutefisk
Norwegian Christmas traditions
Scandinavian Traditions
Scandinavians’ Strange Holiday Lutefisk Tradition
Smörgåsbord
Tomte
Yule Goat

Saint Lucia Day

Saint Lucia Day procession, Sweden, 13 December 2007. Photo by Fredrik Magnusson (Lucia) [CC-BY-2.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)]. Available from Wikimedia Commons.

Lussebullar. Photo by Per Ola Wiberg [CC-BY-2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)]. Available from Wikimedia Commons.

December 13 is Saint Lucia Day. It is a major feast day in the Scandinavian countries. The day has been observed in the Nordic countries since the Middle Ages, and continued after the Protestant Reformation. The modern Saint Lucia Day celebration began about 200 years ago. Until the eighteenth century, the night of Lucia Day was believed to be the longest night of the year, the winter solstice. It would have been the longest night of the year under the Julian calendar in the 14th century. Now that the Gregorian calendar is in use, it is no longer the longest night of the year.

In Sweden, there is a candlelit procession. In 1927, a newspaper in Stockholm elected an official Lucia for Stockholm, and the tradition of public processions began. An official Lucia is appointed in cities. Schools elect a Lucia, and a national Lucia is elected on television. The girl portraying Lucia wears a white gown with a red sash. She also wears a crown of candles on her head, because Lucia traditionally wears light in her hair. Lucia is accompanied by her maids. Boys also participate in the procession. They may be "star boys" (stjärngossar) dressed in white robes and a cone-shaped hat decorated with golden stars, gingerbread men, or tomtenissar with lanterns. When celebrated at home, the oldest daughter dresses as Lucia and serves the family coffee and saffron buns (lussekatter or lussebullar), which are traditionally eaten on this day. Traditional Lucia carols are sung; they are about overcoming the darkness with light. You can hear a Lucia song and read the lyrics in Swedish and English at Mama Lisa's World.

In Finland, Saint Lucia Day has traditionally been observed by Swedish-speaking Finns. Lucias are elected in Swedish-speaking areas. The Finnish-speaking population has begun to participate in the celebrations as well. Schools and day care centers may have processions. The national Lucia of Finland is crowned in Helsinki Cathedral.

In Norway, the night of December 13, Lussinatten, was considered the longest night of the year. No work was to be done on this night, because the enchantress Lussi punished anyone who worked; farms might be vandalized, or people might be abducted. After World War II, Norway adopted the traditional Swedish celebration. It has recently been incorporated into the Advent liturgy of the Church of Norway.

Denmark also adopted the traditional Swedish celebration. Franz Wend, secretary of  Föreningen Norden, initiated the adoption of the Lucia celebration. On 13 December 1944, the Day of Lucia was celebrated for the first time in Denmark. The Danish celebration is centered on Christianity.

References
Christmas in Sweden
Lucia and Christmas concerts
Lucia in Sweden 
Saint Lucia Day - My Little Norway
St. Lucia Day in Scandinavia
St. Lucia’s Day light conquers winter's darkness
St Lucy's Day

52 Ancestors: #29 Ola Peter Troedson

Ola Petter Troedsson, the brother of my great-great-grandfather Andreas Troedsson, was born on 11 December 1841 in Grevie, Skåne, Sweden, and was baptized on 14 December 1841. He was the first child of Troed Andersson and Christina Jacobsdotter. Household examination records list him as Sjöman (seaman) Ola Petter Troedsson.

On 12 April 1871, Ola Petter boarded the ship Friedeburg in Hamburg, Germany, headed for Australia. The passenger list showed that his previous residence was Copenhagen, Denmark (which is near Skåne, Sweden). He arrived at Moreton Bay, Queensland, Australia on 12 August 1871. The 15 August 1871 issue of the Brisbane Courier contains an account of the voyage. The text is faded and difficult to read, but additional information about the voyage can be found on a Web page about Jørgen Berthelsen's voyage to Australia. He traveled at the same time as Ola Petter.

After immigrating to Australia, he modified his name slightly and was known as Ola Peter Troedson. He married Rosina Catharine Louise Walter on 20 August 1878. Rosina was an immigrant from Pfedelbach, Württemberg, Germany. She had come to Australia with her family in 1865, when she was eight years old. The couple lived in Brisbane and had nine children: Theodore Christopher (born 17 October 1879), John Frederick (born 17 July 1881), Annie Christina (born 25 January 1883), Alfred William (born 3 August 1884), Ellen Louisa (born 26 July 1886), Peter Henry (born 4 August 1888), George Arthur (born 12 April 1890), Matilda (born 1 August 1891), and Otto Edward, later known as Edward Otto (born 20 January 1893).

Ola Peter took an oath of allegiance on 18 July 1901. Three years later, he lost two members of his family almost at the same time: his son John Henry died on 5 June 1904, and his wife Rosina died on 11 June 1904. Two of his other children also predeceased him: his daughter Annie Christina (Troedson) McDonald died on 20 January 1916, and his son Peter Henry died on 16 May 1923.

Ola Peter died at his home in Fortitude Valley, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia on 12 May 1926. He was buried in Toowong Cemetery.

Birth/christening record for Ola Petter, 1841. Grevie CI-5 (1837-1861), image 27.

Birth/christening record for Ola Petter, 1841. Grevie births, 1829-1874. Page 47.

Household examination. Grevie AI-13 (1864-1869), image 80.

 Household examination. Grevie AI-14 (1870-1876), image 80.

Brisbane Courier, 5 June 1926

Photo by Terry McMahon

Talented Tuesday: Juliet Dahlquist

My great-grandmother's sister Juliet Dahlquist was a member of the Swedish Choral Club of Chicago, Illinois. In 1920, she traveled to Norway, Sweden, and Denmark with the club for a concert tour. She left from New York on 15 May 1920 on the Drottingholm. She sailed home on 18 August 1920 from Liverpool, England on the Baltic, and arrived in New York on 27 August 1920.

Juliet Dahlquist passport application. Passport issued 29 April 1920. National Archives and Records Administration (NARA); Washington D.C.; Passport Applications, January 2, 1906 - March 31, 1925; Collection Number: ARC Identifier 583830 / MLR Number A1 534; NARA Series: M1490; Roll #: 1183. Available from Ancestry.com. U.S. Passport Applications, 1795-1925 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2007.

Juliet Dahlquist passport application. Passport issued 29 April 1920. National Archives and Records Administration (NARA); Washington D.C.; Passport Applications, January 2, 1906 - March 31, 1925; Collection Number: ARC Identifier 583830 / MLR Number A1 534; NARA Series: M1490; Roll #: 1183. Available from Ancestry.com. U.S. Passport Applications, 1795-1925 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2007.

52 Ancestors: #17 Christian Christophersen Roch, Sorenskriver (Magistrate) of Øvre Telemark, Norway

My 8th- and 9th-great-grandfather Christian Christophersen Roch was born about 1631 in Jutland, Denmark. In 1662 he was appointed sorenskriver (magistrate) of Øvre Telemark, Norway.

Rian, Øystein. Da embetsmenn og kjøpmenn gjorde revolusjon i Telemark. Samfunn og mennesker på 1600-tallet. Skrifter Telemark distriktshøgskole nr. 122. Bø: Telemark distriktshøgskole, 1987. Page 20. Available from https://telemarkskilder1.hit.no/handle/123456789/2626.

On 24 February 1664, Christian married. According to a short biographical article on lokalhistoriewiki.no, Christian married Ædel (Adele) Tykesdatter in 1664. The entry for Christian on the Ættesoga - familieband til Kviteseid Web site states that his wife was Adele (or Ædel) Tykjesdotter. However, according to the Seljord, Telemark parish register, Christian's wife was Dorothea Taargiulsdatter.

Telemark county, Seljord, Parish register (official) nr. I 1 (1654-1686), Chronological list 1664, page 43. http://www.arkivverket.no/URN:NBN:no-a1450-kb20061212340044.jpg

I have not found another marriage record for Christian. I found his wife Adele's death/burial record in the Seljord parish registers; she died on 29 May 1707.

I recently ordered the book "Rokkerova" : ei ættesogu fraa Telemarki, by Kjetil A. Flatin and Tov Flatin (Skien: Norig, 1917) from antikvariat.net. This book contains information on Christian Christophersen Roch and his family. Hopefully when the book arrives, there will be more information that will help me to figure out how many times he was married and who the mothers of his children were (especially his youngest daughter Hilleborg, my 7th- and 8th-great-grandmother). The article on lokalhistoriewiki.no states that he had fifteen children and that three of them were illegitimate.

The lokalhistoriewiki.no article also states that Christian had a reputation for being a difficult man who exploited his position and held several farms; he lived in Øverland, but also held Øvre Klomset, Aase, and Bjørge. Øystein Rian writes about a 1683 law that allowed the military to help collect unpaid taxes.

Rian, Øystein. Da embetsmenn og kjøpmenn gjorde revolusjon i Telemark. Samfunn og mennesker på 1600-tallet. Skrifter Telemark distriktshøgskole nr. 122. Bø: Telemark distriktshøgskole, 1987. Page 35. Available from https://telemarkskilder1.hit.no/handle/123456789/2626.

According to lokalhistoriewiki.no, Christian was deposed in 1683, and Ættesoga - familieband til Kviteseid states that he was sorenskriver from 1662 to 1683. Rian states that he was deposed in 1688.

 

Rian, Øystein. Da embetsmenn og kjøpmenn gjorde revolusjon i Telemark. Samfunn og mennesker på 1600-tallet. Skrifter Telemark distriktshøgskole nr. 122. Bø: Telemark distriktshøgskole, 1987. Page 21. Available from https://telemarkskilder1.hit.no/handle/123456789/2626.

Christian died in Seljord, Telemark, Norway on 23 January 1708.

Telemark county, Seljord, Parish register (official) nr. I 2 (1689-1713), Death and burial records 1708, page 326. http://www.arkivverket.no/URN:NBN:no-a1450-kb20061212340294.jpg