Swedish American Genealogist Volume 36 Number 4 Article 3 12-1-2016 The French Huguenot Connection Russel Chalberg Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.augustana.edu/swensonsag Part of the Genealogy Commons, and the Scandinavian Studies Commons Recommended Citation Chalberg, Russel (2016) "The French Huguenot Connection," Swedish American Genealogist: Vol. 36 : No. 4 , Article 3. Available at: https://digitalcommons.augustana.edu/swensonsag/vol36/iss4/3 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Swenson Swedish Immigration Research Center at Augustana Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Swedish American Genealogist by an authorized editor of Augustana Digital Commons. For more information, please contact
[email protected]. The French Huguenot Connection A Swenson Family Legend BY RUSSEL CHALBERG <
[email protected]> For at least the last two generations, the In a tape recording, made many years Swenson family has circulated an oral story ago, Ruth Swenson (b. 2 Mar. 1885) states that this family was not 100% Swedish; it very clearly, “that one of her ancestors was is said to have a bit of French blood. A re- a Huguenot who had escaped the per- cent DNA test seems to confirm this fact secution in France.” as the test indicated approximately 2% to Ellen Ruth Swenson was the youngest be Western European. of nine children born to Frans August Sven- As this family legend goes, one of their son (b. 10 Mar. 1838) and Johanna Johans- ancestors was a Huguenot who came to dotter (b. 9 Feb. 1840). This family lived Sweden in order to escape religious per- in Ljuder parish (Kron.), until the father, secution in France.