A highly anticipated portion of our trip (and one which I'll write much more about in subsequent posts) was visiting the factory-turned-museum Göteborgs Remfabriks. I had exchanged several e-mails with one of the very knowledgeable docent/volunteers prior to our trip. Katrin had provided me with very helpful and insightful information.
During my actual visit with Katrin I briefly discussed the plight of one of my Swedish great-grandmothers who was placed in an orphanage miles from home following the death of her father. As an adult, the records appeared to show that while my great-grandmother was hospitalized she had to relinquish her rights to her own illegitimate daughter whom she had cared for since birth. Unfortunately, as Katrin told me, this was not the worst thing that could happen to orphaned or semi-orphaned Swedish children. Orphaned children were routinely auctioned off by state authorities to the lowest bidder. In other words, whoever was willing to take the least amount of public money in exchange for housing, feeding, clothing, and educating the child in question would become the child's foster parent. A simple Google search confirmed this horrifying practice which continued in Sweden until 1918.
As if the auction itself wasn't humiliating enough, a "fosterbarn" or foster child (also "fosterson" or "fosterdotter") was often used (exploited might be a more accurate description) as child labor. In fact, the terms "slave labor" and "indentured servitude" have been used to describe some children's experiences. It was reported that a common saying among crofters and smallholders (farmers) in southeastern Sweden was, "A couple of cows, a few acres of land, and two foster children are enough to support a family." (More here.) Against the odds, sometimes a genuine attachment would develop between the foster parents and the foster child.
Why do I bring this up now? As sickening as it was to imagine already grieving and vulnerable children being subjected to this type of indifference and abuse, imagine the overwhelming emotions I experienced when I uncovered evidence that it probably happened within my own family.
As we continue down the Hallman family line, my 3rd great-grandfather was Magnus, the youngest child of Magnus Hallman and his first wife Anna Pehrsdotter. If you remember, his mother died 4 days after he was born. His father died in 1812 when young Magnus was only eight yrs-old. He had lost one step-mother in the interim, but his father had married a third time. Thankfully there was a mother figure in the home at the time of his father's death.
The natural assumption would be that the step mother would continue to care for Magnus and his older sister, Brita. At least, that is what we would want to believe. The documentary evidence, however, tells a different story.
After the death of Magnus's father, the third wife just kind of disappears. The priest was transitioning to a new record book between 1812 and 1813 and there are no moving in-out records available. I have no idea what happened to her. I found Magnus' 13 yr-old sister, Brita Catharina, living on a different farm in her home parish of Helgarö with either another family or possibly with a large group of farm workers. (It's a little difficult to decipher exactly.) She is listed as a "Flicken" or young girl. Perhaps, as a young teen, she had completed her compulsory education and was capable enough to be self-sufficiently employed. Brita remained in the Helgarö parish until she was 21 yrs-old.
I found 8 yr-old Magnus living with Carl Ericsson and his wife Stina Persson in his home parish of Helgarö. They lived in Knutsburg Ågor, aka Carlberg. Carl was 44 and Stina was 48 when Magnus came to live with them. Carl was the parish shoemaker, which will explain a lot in subsequent posts discussing the Hallmans. Because there were no children listed with them I briefly searched previous records to see if they had children who were grown and on their own, but I was unable to find any. It appears that up until this point they were childless. Only 3 farm hands and 2 widows were fellow residents. (By the way, widows with no family to support them were "farmed out" in much the same way as orphans.) And then there's Magnus, listed as "Fosterson".
Before I leave you hanging and assuming the worst, subsequent research convinced me that there's a good chance Magnus beat the odds. As I followed his life forward it seems he stayed with Carl and Stina into his twenties. And he repeatedly returned to Carlberg for extended periods of time after having a family of his own. That doesn't appear to me to involve an abusive situation. This seems to be how a loving, supportive family behaves.
So breathe a little sign of relief.
More details to follow.
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