Swedish Colonial News Volume 2, Number 5 Fall 2001 Preserving the legacy of the New Sweden Colony in America N EW SWEDEN: New Sweden Conference THE STATE OF at the Museum On Saturday November 17, Society: From New Sweden to ‘Old Swedes’ - The What 2001 the Society will present a Colonial Experience of the Swedes on the conference entitled, New Sweden: Delaware; Lorraine E. Williams, New Jersey We The State of What We Know. The State Museum: New Sweden and its Native- conference will be held at the American Neighbors; Charles T. Gehring, New American Swedish Historical Netherland Project: Swedish and Dutch Know Museum in Philadelphia beginning Competition for Control of the Delaware; Evan at 9:00 a.m. and concluding in the Haefeli, Princeton University: New Sweden, the late afternoon. It is co-sponsored English and the ‘Dark Time’ of Swedish by the ASHM and the McNeil Colonialism; Michael Mackintosh, Temple Center for Early American Studies at University: New Sweden, Native Americans and the University of Pennsylvania. the Natural World; John Fea, Valparaiso This conference will summarize University: Swedish Lutheranism and Protestant our present state of knowledge about Diversity in the 18th Century Delaware Valley; the New Sweden Colony, its and Kim-Eric Williams, Editor and Translator, European background, and the lives Swedish Colonial Society: Toward a New of New Sweden’s settlers and their Sweden Project - Needs and Resources for Further descendants under Dutch and English Studies. rule. Also to be considered will be the Ample time for discussion will be provided relationship between the colonists and at both morning and afternoon sessions. The Saturday, November 17, 2001 the Native Americans and the religious cost of the conference is $20 per person ($15 competition among the settlers. for students and seniors). The fee includes cof- This will be the first in an annual fee and doughnuts at registration, a box lunch series that will launch a larger New and an information packet. Registrations are Sweden Project enabling the editing and due by Monday, November 12. Send your reg- publishing of scholarly research and istration to: New Sweden Conference, ASHM, records. It is hoped that a broad community of 1900 Pattison Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19145- interest will be developed among historians, 5901. Phone (215) 389-1776, fax (215) 389- genealogists, teachers and the general public. 7701 or email <www.americanswedish.org>. Speakers and their topics include Peter S. Richard Waldron Craig, Historian of the Swedish Colonial In this Issue... NEW DISCOVERIES CHRONOLOGY LUNCHEON of colonial Swedes FOREFATHERS Christina Stalcop PHOTOS 4 rediscovered 1638-1713 Johan Grelsson and 12 through internet Chief Justice 2 his descendants 10 guest of honor Darby Township in 1717 of tuberculosis. (See FOREFATHERS Dr. Peter S. Craig Urian family below) Johan Grelsson, his wife Helena and their 2. Anna Johansdotter, born in Sweden c. three children arrived in New Sweden on the 1652, married Johan Van Cöln c. 1672 and ship Mercurius in 1656. He was described as a died in Ammansland before 1697. (See Culin Finn from Fryksdalen, the valley of the Fryken family below). Lakes in Värmland, Sweden. Otherwise, little is 3. Anders Johansson, born in Sweden c. known about Johan Grelsson’s life in Sweden. 1654, inherited his father’s half-interest in the Johan His patronymic, Grelsson, indicates that he was 829-acre plantation in Ammansland. After the son of Gregor. moving to New Castle County, he sold most of Grelsson In America, Dutch and English scribes had this land to his stepfather Mårten Mårtensson difficulty spelling Johan’s patronymic. The and the remainder to his brother John Archer. and his Dutch scribe Ephraim Herrman called him Jan As a member of the Swedish congregation at Cornelissen. In 1671, the English census taker Crane Hook and Christina, he was known as Archer, Walter Wharton called him John Gilsaw. Anders Grelsson Mink. He died after 1713, Piecing together the evidence, however, we apparently unmarried. Urian and find that Johan Grelsson settled in the Finnish 4. Arian Johansson, later known as John community known as Ammansland and shared Archer, born in America c. 1656, married Culin a large tract of land along Mill (now Darby) Gertrude Bärtilsdotter (daughter of Bärtil Creek in what later became Ridley Township, Eskilsson by his first marriage) c. 1679, and Chester (now Delaware) County, PA. Here the died in Ammansland in 1740. (See Archer fam- Descendants family of Johan Grelsson joined the family of ily below) Matthias Matthiasson (also a Mercurius passen- 5. Eric Johansson, born in America c. ger from Fryksdalen) and the family of Mårten 1660, became insane. On petition of his father, Mårtensson (who had arrived on the Örn in who “being poor, could not contain him,” the 1654). Upland Court ordered that a blockhouse be The Matthias Matthiasson family aban- built for “the madman” in September 1678. doned its interest in this tract in late 1671 Eric probably died shortly thereafter. when it moved across the Delaware to The Urian Family Boughttown (present Penns Grove in Salem Bärtil Eskilsson, the first husband of County, NJ). But both Johan Grelsson and Elisabeth Johansdotter, was a Finn from Mårten Mårtensson remained at Ammansland Värmland who had been sent to New Sweden until their deaths. A contemporary survey in 1641 as punishment for forest-burning. By placed the cabin of Mårten Mårtensson on the his first wife, he had children Margareta (who site now occupied by the Morton Homestead. married Mårten Mårtensson, Jr., in 1674), Grelsson’s cabin was a stone’s throw to the Anders Bärtilsson (who moved to Penns Neck west, on a small creek called Stony (now by 1685), Gertrude Bärtilsdotter (who married Amosland) Creek. John Archer) and Johan Bärtilsson (who never Johan Grelsson led a quiet and unassuming married). When he married Elisabeth, Bärtil life. He last appeared in public records on 27 Eskilsson was living on the west side of Stony June 1683, when (as “John Cornelius”) he Run, opposite the cabin of Johan Grelsson. served on the new Chester County court’s After his eldest daughter married Mårten grand jury. He died shortly thereafter and his Mårtensson, Jr., however, Bärtil joined the widow Helena married, by 1685, the widower young couple at Calcon Hook. He died there Mårten Mårtensson. She also survived her sec- about 1677 and his widow then married Hans ond husband and was buried on 8 February Geörgen. 1713 at Gloria Dei Church at the reported age Hans Geörgen from Brandenburg, of 97 (probably somewhat exaggerated). Germany, came to the Delaware under Dutch Map detail from the author’s Five children have been identified, three of rule, in 1662-1663. In 1674 he acquired a book The 1693 Census of the whom left many descendants: quarter interest in Calcon Hook and in 1678 Swedes on the Delaware (1993) 1. Elisabeth Johansdotter, born in married Bärtil’s widow Elisabeth. He lived at which shows Ammansland on the west side of the Delaware Sweden, c. 1650, married [1] the widower Calcon Hook the balance of his life and was River between Mill (now Darby) Bärtil Eskilsson c. 1670, and [2] Hans Geörg- buried at Gloria Dei Church on 24 April 1713. Creek and Crum Creek. en c. 1678. She died at Calcon Hook, Lower continued on page 3 2 The g’s in his surname were soft g’s so that his FOREFATHERS surname was pronounced “Urian” and, under the influence of English scribes, this became 1679 and lived at that location until his death from page 2 the family surname. c. 1711. His wife Anna died before 1697. In By her two marriages, Elisabeth Johans- 1687, John van Culin complained to the dotter had eight verified children: Provincial Council of Pennsylvania against the > Lars Bärtilsson, who later adopted the sheriff’s seizure of his only two milk cows, name of Lawrence Parker, born c. 1671, died which was all his wife and seven small children in 1705, devising his 200-acre farm in had to live on, he being 66 years old and Gloucester County, NJ to his nephew Jacob unable to work. His children, as they became Archer and his cow to his mother. old enough, generally found employment in > Johan Urian, born 1679, moved to other households. Gloucester County, where he married Elisabeth The seven known children of Johan van Guarron in 1715. He died in 1747, survived by Cöln and Anna Johansdotter are listed below. his wife and nine children. Each of the sons, except Jacob, later dropped > Anna Maria Urian, born 1680, became the “van” from their surnames and became the second wife of Andrew Wheeler of known simply as Culin. Moyamensing in 1704. She died in 1720, the > Jacob van Culin, born c. 1671, became same year as her husband, survived by three the second husband of Brigitta Swanson children. (widow of Peter Justis) c. 1699. He died in > Helena Urian, born 1685, married her early 1747 in Upper Penn’s Neck, Salem first cousin Gunnar Archer c. 1710. (See County, NJ. He had four children who lived to below) adulthood. > Fredric Urian, born 1687, married > Reigner van Culin, born c. 1673, mar- Elisabeth Lycan c. 1718. He died in Gloucester ried [1] Ingrid (father unknown) c. 1705, [2] County in 1722, survived by one child (Hans). the widow Anna Tussey Stidham Scoggin in His widow then married Måns Keen. 1728. He died in the winter of 1731-1732 in > Elisabeth Urian, born 1689, was New Castle County, DE survived by his wife unmarried as of 1713; not further traced. and three children. > Andrew Urian, born 1690, married [1] > Gregor van Culin, later known as Maria Longacre in 1717, and [2] Margareta George Culin, was born c.