From The Bulletin of the

Gloucester County Historical Society

Vol. 25, No. 4 June, 1996

A Revisit to Hans Månsson

The Swedish Trooper in 1641

By William D. Steelman

In June 1991, Rev. Robert B. Steelman and James F. Steelman co-wrote an article in the Bulletin of the Gloucester County Historical Society entitled A Riddle Resolved --- Hans Månsson Was The Swedish Trooper in 1641. A few years after the article was published, I was tracing the genealogy of my family and came across the piece on Hans Månsson. I wrote to James F. Steelman, and he did an excellent job of filling in the blanks for me all the way back to Hans Månsson. I also learned that he was my sixth cousin once removed and seventh half cousin.

I had an opportunity to visit Sweden in May 1995, and tried to further trace the history of Hans Månsson. Before relating my trip, I would like to provide a little background information. Hans Månsson was a Swedish trooper who entered the Crown’s garden at the monastery of Varnhem and there ruined six of the best apple trees and two of the best cherry trees which were found in the garden. The Royal regency declaration and resolution (regency because of Queen Christina’s youth), dated 13th April 1641, stated that Hans Månsson i Hanaskede should decide whether he was willing with wife and children, to sail upon the Crown’s ship from Gothenburg to New Sweden or else to hang. He chose the voyage and was consequently imprisoned in order to be taken to Gothenburg.

This may seem like a very harsh sentence, but Sweden was actively trying to populate New Sweden. This is illustrated by the fact that on August 8, 1639, the Regency Council wrote a letter to the Governor of the district of Älvsborg, Johan Henriksson Rytter, ordering him to capture "married soldiers who have either run away from their service or misbehaved in some other way and to send them there (i.e. to New Sweden) with their wives and children". It was necessary to use force since "nobody would set out on a voyage like that of his own accord".

Hans Månsson did come to New Sweden on the ship Charitas, arriving at Fort Christina, now Wilmington, Delaware, on November 7, 1641. Hans married Ella Stille. Following the death of Hans, Ella and her six sons chose the name Stillman, combining her maiden name Stille and Hans’ name Månsson. The name Stillman was soon changed again to Steelman in the English phonetic spelling.

James Steelman sent me a map of the area in Sweden where Han Månsson lived and told me Hans was from a manor called Hanaskede. I was fortunate to have a colleague (Catharina Swanstrom) that is Swedish and still has family in Sweden. Her uncle, Axel Swanstrom, was able to contact the Minister at the Parish Office in the area. Catharina Swanstrom wrote to the Parish in Sweden requesting information on the Manor Hanaskede in Norra Ving Forsamling in Skaraborg Län (County).

I was pleasantly surprised to receive a letter in August 1993 from newly retired Colonel Mac Catoni, his wife Anette Catoni being the present owner of Hanaskede. He sent me several facts concerning the history of Hanaskede. During my recent trip to Sweden in May 1995, he was very helpful in showing me the area including Abbey Varnhem and his home Hanaskede.

The following is a brief history of Hanaskede, the home of Hans Månsson. The derivation of Hanaskede is the combination of two words. Hana means cock, and skede means border. This is interpreted to mean the farthest distance you can hear the cock crow from the center of the village (normally the church).

The Hanaskede Manor was a homestead for horses in 1500 under Västgöta Rythare Regiment equipping Gudhems Company no. 3. Hans Månsson was a trooper in the Swedish Cavalry stationed at Hanaskede, Valle hundred Norra Ving parish, Skaraborg län. It is believed that Hans Månsson was assigned to the Västgöta Rythare Regiment and was a Rider of Gudems Company No. 3.

The Swedish Military system goes back to the time of the Vikings. Sweden at that time consisted of a lot of small kingdoms. The King had a bodyguard of hired men on horses. The villages defended their homes by choosing their own leaders, and together with neighboring villages, they appointed a law-learned highborn (of noble birth) man to speak for them to the King and keep the justice. This "Lawman" had to lead the farmers when they were attacked and had the right to require 5 to 10 men from each village to defend his district. The main purpose of this people’s army was defense.

As a King gained more power and ruled more districts, they were put together in counties (Län). The King put one of his own men, normally a nobleman, as chief. As the King needed soldiers to maintain his claims against other Kings, King Magnus Ladulås in 1280 persuaded his people to give the nobleman the right to ride for the King and put up troopers. The payment was freedom from taxes for his property.

King Gustaf Vasa created the first real Sweden using the farmer’s army, led by noblemen and hired mercenaries from all over Europe. These mercenary soldiers were expensive and badly disciplined. He asked the parliament in 1544 to give "every free man the right to ride for the King keeping horse, arms, and other equipment instead of paying tax for his farm." The free man also got the right to equip his own servants with horses, arms, etc. The King kept the county (Län) and district organization and recruited the troopers locally. Every district (härad) had to put up a company and the county (Län) put up a regiment.

Depending on how big the farm was, the farmer was to contribute a soldier/trooper. Hanaskede was big enough to keep a trooper (cavalryman). It was an honor for the trooper to ride for the farm. At the time Hans Månsson was a trooper, he might have been a member of the Hanaskede farmer’s family or at least a relative. In the years 1639 and 1640, the farming was bad, and there was a great deal of starvation. Troopers were paid a salary; therefore, during this time, only the best youngsters or those with extraordinary connections were chosen.

In the early days, Hanaskede was owned by the Crown and leased to one or more farmers. The earliest known records of private ownership of the farm are from 1790. The current area of the farm is 117 hectares or 289 acres. The following are some excerpts from a booklet called "HANASKEDE THROUGH THE TIMES":

The current manor at Hanaskede was built in early 1800 and then remodeled and renovated in 1875. Earlier there was a two-wing building. The stable was built in 1850-1860. Eight horses, and forty cows and pigs were used by the manor inhabitants.

The current Manor is a farm and horse ranch. Retired Colonel Mac Catoni is currently researching the Royal War archives in order to find out as much as possible about Hans Månsson.