52 Weeks of Abundant Genealogy: A Surprise Gift of an Old Ring

Week 6 – Family Heirlooms: For which family heirloom are you most thankful? How did you acquire this treasure and what does it mean to you and your family?

This challenge runs from Sunday, February 5, 2012 through Saturday, February 11, 2012 was created by Amy Coffin.

When I was getting married, my grandmother said to me, do you like "old rings?"  She offered me a couple of old family rings for us to use as our wedding rings.

When I took my ring to a jeweler to resize, he commented, "this isn't an American ring, it is old and the alloy is different, probably European."  Well, my grandmother had told me it came from her grandfather, Eric Helsten (1822 - 1903).  I thought, well, he came from Sweden.  Maybe he was married there.  [Little did I know then that he married another immigrant; but she wasn't from Sweden, she was from Ireland.]

Years later, I was cleaning out my grandmother's house after she died in 1974.  In the back of a desk drawer was a packet of letters tied together in a bundle.  They were written in Swedish.  I didn't read any Swedish, but I saved them.  I have become the "family historian" and so anything that might relate to family history ends up at my house.

Fast forward another 10 years, I am teaching school and one of my colleagues is Swedish.  She was intrigued that I had a bunch of old letters from Sweden.   We started reading the letters -- she read and I scribed.  We translated about half of them.

The letters were interesting.  All of his twelve siblings and his mother had distinct personalities.  When my friend went to Sweden over Christmas, she wrote to the Uppsala office where vital records are kept.  We hoped that we might find a descendant of one of Eric's siblings -- and we did.  [That's another story for another time].

One surprise I discovered reading the letters -- after Eric's mother died in 1863, his siblings write to tell Eric that they are dividing the estate and they want him to have his mother's gold ring!  His parents, Lovisa Charlotta ROBERT and Eric HELLSTEN, were married in 1815.

I wear my GGG'grandmother's ring as my own wedding ring.  I an honored to have my family history with me all the time.

Here is the URL for this blog.

© Erica Dakin Voolich, 2012

Saturday Night Genealogy Fun - Ahnentafel Roulette! Back to Eric HELLSTEN

Randy Seaver challenged us Geneabloggers  with his Saturday Night challenge.  It became a good learning  moment since I usually don't look at Ahnentafel Numbers in relation to my family history since I like a more visual model.

1) So age of my great grandfather (hmmm ... 4 to choose from, but based on my birth name) 2011 - 1836.  My Great Grandfather would be 175 on his next birthday, 3 October, so Edward DAKIN would be 174 now.  Divide it by 4, gives 43.5.

2) Rounded off to 44, I get Eric HELLSTEN.  No my previous posts initially focused on Edward DAKIN,  the postmaster of South Kent CT in 1872.  Then my next group of posts were on Eric Adolf  HELSTEN and his apprentice John CARLSON.  Tombstone Tuesday this week was his father and mother's tombstone:  Eric HELLSTEN and Lovisa Charlotta ROBBERT.  Last Saturday was Surname Saturday and I focused on the HELSTEN/HELLSTEN name.

3)  Eric HELLSTEN, was born 2 March 1786 in Sweden, died 24 March 1839 in Uppsala, Domkyrkoförsamling, Sweden.  On 6 January 1815 in Norrtälje, Stockholm, Sweden he married Lovisa Charlotta ROBBERT.  She was born 21 August 1795 in Norrtälja, Stockholm, Sweden and died 25 November 1863 in Uppsala, Sweden at age 53.  He had thirteen children. When he died, his youngest was 4 months old and the oldest was 24.  I don't have a lot of information on Eric that I haven't already written about.

Death of Eric HELLSTEN, 24 March 1839

in Uppsala, Domkyrkofösamling, Sweden.

4) Three facts about Eric Hellsten:

   i.  Like is father, Jonas, Eric was a tanner.  He had a tannery on the Fyrisån River, maybe the same one his father Jonas HELLSTEN had before him.  

   ii. His oldest son Eric Adolf, was 17 when Eric died.  Eric was apprenticed as a tanner in Sweden before he came to the US.  Could he have been his father's apprentice?

   iii.  I have been unable to find a place of birth for him.  In 1858, his wife Lovisa Charlotta wrote to their son Eric A in Connecticut telling him that another son, Calle, has moved to a place called Stenbro and "they don't live very far from Hellsten's birthplace, but there are no more living relatives of his now."

http://www.maplandia.com/sweden/ostergotlands-lan/norrkoping-kommun/stenbro/
Stenbro on the map

Based on this map, I guess the next time I have access to the Swedish birth records, I should search for Eric's birth record in Norrköping and Nyköping.

Surname Saturday: ROBBERT a.k.a. ROBERT: Uppsala > Film > Ununge > Norrtälje > Uppsala, Sweden

Lovisa Charlotta ROBERT HELLSTEN
(1795 - 1863)

This week, for Tombstone Tuesday, I wrote about the tombstone of Eric HELLSTEN (1786 - 1839) and his wife Lovisa Charlotta ROBBERT (1795 - 1863).  Last Saturday for Surname Saturday, I started with the earliest HELLSTEN that I have found, so today I'm going to start with the earliest ROBBERT I have found.

Most often the name is spelled ROBBERT, but on Lovisa Charlotta's tombstone it is spelled ROBERT.

As you will probably notice, for generations these folks lived in communities built about the forges and worked in the various Uppland ironworks.

Generations:

1.  Martin ROBBERT
born about 1635 in Ullfors, Uppsala, Sweden.  He died 15 January 1693 in Österbybruk, Film, Uppsala, Sweden.  He worked as a wheelwright and then the coal sheriff when he was older and probably unable to do heavy labor.  About 1662 he married (Unknown) BOUVIN.

Child:
a. Claes (abt. October 1671 - 26 August 1750)

death Claes ROBBERT 1750

2.  Claes ROBBERT
born about October 1750.  He died 26 August 1750 in Skebobruk, Ununge, Sweden.  He was a blacksmith.  About 1694 he married Catherine BLANCK.  She was born about 1677 in Österbybruk, Film, Sweden.

Children:
a. Maria (before 29 November 1696 - before 13 March 1698)
b. Henrik (14 March 1699 - before 27 July 1702)
c. Mårten (28 March 1705- 21 April 1707)
d. Claes (16 October 1708 - 18 January 1768)
e. Abraham (about 1717 - 31 October 1786)

death Claes ROBBERT 1768

3. Claes ROBBERT
born 16 October 1708 in Skebobruk, Ununge, Stockholm, Sweden. He died 18 January 1768 in Skebobruk, Ununge, Stockholm, Sweden.  On 1 November 1731 In Skäfthammar, Uppsala, Sweden he married Anna BOIVIE who was born 18 September 1708 in Gimo bruk, Skäfthammar, Uppsala, Sweden and died 12 May 1789 inSkebobruk, Ununge, Stockholm, Sweden. He was a blacksmith.

Children:
a. Katrina (17 January 1733 - 1 February 1738)
b. Claes (21 February 1735 - 18 May 1792)
c. Frans (1739 - 23 October 1813)
d. Mårten (19 October 1740 - ?)
e. Maria (10 February 1743 - 27 August 1816)
f. Abraham (8 June 1745 - 27 May 1819)
g. Anton (10 April 1747 - 9 March 1811)
h. Jacob (25 July 1750 -?)
i. Isak (1 February 1755 - ?)

marriage of Abigail ÖSTERMAN and Frans ROBBERT 1761

4. Frans ROBBERT
born in 1739 (or 1730) in Gimo bruk, Skäfthammar, Uppsala, Sweden.  He died 23 October 1813 in Skekobruk, Ununge, Stockholm, Sweden.  On 24 September 1761 in Ununge, Stockholm, Sweden he married Abigail ÖSTERMAN.  Her family sometimes called themselves VESTERMÄN.  He was a farrier.

Children:
a. Claes (20 July 1762 - 1797)
b. Noach (Noak, Frans) (18 October 1764 - 6 April 1820)
c. Anna Maria (3 May 1767 - 1 July 1769)
d. Frans (8 July 1770 - 1779)
e. Abigael (1 March 1773 - 5 March 1843)
f. Johanna (14 July 1775 - 25 November 1776)
g. Adam (1778 - 27 January 1855)

marriage Lovisa HULTMAN and Noach ROBERT, 1792

6. Noach (Noak, Frans) ROBERT
born 18 October 1764 in Ununge, Stockholm, Sweden and died 6 April 1820 in Norrtälje, Stockholm, Sweden.  On 29 April 1792 in Norrtälje, Stockholm, Sweden he married Lovisa HULTMAN.  Lovisa HULTMAN was born 16 October 1765 in Norrtälje, Stockholm, Sweden and died 23 May 1829 in Uppsala, Domkyrkoförsamling, Sweden.  He was a blacksmith.  On his christening records he's called Frans, all the other records call him Noach (Noak).  He had a younger brother named Frans.

children:
a. Frans Gustaf (11 February 1793 - ?)
b. Lovisa Charlotta (21 August 1795 - 25 November 1863)
c. Per Gustaf (20 January 1798 - 1800)
d. Maria Abigael (25 March 1802 - 1879).
e. Noach Emanuel (10 April 1807 - 1810)

Lovisa Charlotta ROBERT birth, 1795

7. Lovisa Charlotta ROBERT
born 21 August 1795 in Norrtälje, Stockholm, Sweden and died 25 November 1673 in Uppsala, Sweden.  On 6 January 1815 in Norrtälje, Stockholm, Sweden, she married Eric HELLSTEN.
He was born 2 March 1786 and died 24 March 1839 in Uppsala, Domkyrkoförsamling, Sweden.

Children:

a. Lovisa Charlott (15 October 1815 - 7 November 1890)

b. Ingrid (Mari) Maria (11 February 1817 - 23 Jun 1880)

c. Gustava (Lina) Carolina (4 November 1818 -  21 February 1880)

d. Erica Wilhelmina (2 February 1820 - 27 April 1884)

e. Eric Adolf (27 February 1822 - 4 January 1903)

f. Matilda (Tilda) Bernhardina (22 April 1824 - 23 December 1889)

g. Carl Robert (14 June 1826 - 13 December 1909)

h. Ottiljana Josephina (20 March 1828 - 20 May 1910)

i. Edla Cecilia (25 July 1830 - 13 March 1910)

j. Theodor (Manne) Emanual (1 November 1832 - 9 June 1910)

k. Frans Elof (17 October 1833 - 27 December 1880)

l. Knut Alfred ( 27 January 1836 - 21 November 1891)

m. Oskar Eugén (5 November 1838 - 1 July 1900)

8. Eric Adolf HELSTEN,

born 27 February 1822, Uppsala, Domkyrkoförsamling, Sweden, died in Gaylordsville, Litchfield,  Connecticut on 4 January 1903.  On 12 August 1849 in Patterson, New York he married Mary HEARTY.  She was born in March 1823 in Dorsey, Parish Creggan, County Armagh, Ireland and died 17 September 1902 in Gaylordsville, Litchfield, Connecticut.

Children:

a. Mary Louisa (7 June 1850 - 23 May 1942)

b. William Henry (7 September 1852 - 22 June 1917)

c. Caroline Matilda (13 February 1855 - 9 December 1918)

d. Sarah Jane (20 July 1860 - ?)

9. Caroline Matilda HELSTEN,

born 13 February 1855 in New Milford, Connecticut and died in Danbury, Connecticut on 9 December 1918.  She married  Charles Harold EVANS on 26 May 1881 in New Milford, Connecticut.  He was born 23 May 1853 in Sherman, Connecticut and died 18 February 1928 on the train from Florida to NYC (near Savannah, Georgia).

Children:

a. Harold H (8 January 1883 - 8 May 1884)

b. Clarice Theodora (21 April 1884 - 7 July 1953)

c. Marion Elizabeth (11 February 1886 - 4 July 1974)

d. Howard Eric (7 July  1893 - January 1972)

10. Marion Elizabeth EVANS,

born 11 February 1886 in Sherman, Connecticut and died 4 July 1974 in New Milford, Connecticut.

On 13 September 1913 in Gaylordsville, Connecticut, she married Robert Edward DAKIN.  He was born 2 July 1888 in Gaylordsville, Connecticut and died 15 December 1918 in Danbury, Connecticut.

Children:

a. Robert Edward (25 May 1915 - 26 Ma 1915)

b. Theodore Robert (11 November 1916 - 1972)

c. Edward Evans (28 January 1918 - 10 December 1918)

11. Theodore Robert DAKIN,

born 11 November 1916 in New Haven, Connecticut and died 20 November 1972 in Berwyn, Illinois.  On 8 January 1943 he married Alice Josephine RICHARDSON in Albany New York.  She was born 26 January 1917 in Oak Park, Cook, Illinois and died 16 January 2001 in in Oak Park, Cook, Illinois.

Tombstone Tuesday: Eric HELLSTEN, Lovisa C ROBERT

Since I had chosen the HELSTEN/HELLSTEN name for Surname Saturday, I thought it would be appropriate to include the only tombstone picture I have from Sweden.

This is the 1984 photo I took in my trip to Sweden.  It is in Uppsala and it is for Eric HELLSTEN (1786 - 1839) and his wife Lovisa Charlotta ROBBERT/ROBERT (1795 - 1863).  Most often I see Lovisa's last name spelled with 2 b's, here it is just one.  There are 13 gold stars on the top front edge of the stone, these stand for their 13 children.

These are the parents of Eric Adolf HELSTEN who came to the US and was the person who employed John CARLSON who I've written about in recent posts.    When I traveled to Uppsala, I stayed with Alice HELLSTEN, the granddaughter of Theodor (Manne) Emanual HELLSTEN.  She died in 1990.

If any other descendants of Eric and Lovisa read this, I would love to hear from you.  I do not have contact with any other HELLSTEN descendants.  I would love to share family information.

Surname Saturday: HELSTEN a.k.a. HELLSTEN: Stockholm > Uppsala > NY > CT

Olof Household Listing 1767, Canton, Lovö, Stockholm, Sweden.

All week I've been writing about John CARLSON and Eric HELSTEN.  So, I decided for my first post for Surname Saturday, I should choose HELSTEN a.k.a HELLSTEN.

Generations:
1. Olof HELLSTEN,
born 1730 in Vrena, Södermanland, Sweden.  He married Catarina WINQVIST (VINQVIST)
She was born in 1732 or 1737 in Stockholm, Sweden.  She died 31 May 1777 in China, Lövo, Stockholm, Sweden.
Olof was a master tailor.

I have not found birth records for him or marriage records for them.  Whether he was the first HELLSTEN, or not, I do not know.


According to Your Swedish Roots, Per Clememsson & Kjell Andersson, 2004, for many years Swedes used a patronymic naming system.
Example:  Olor Andersson’s son Erik would be Erik Olofsson and his daughter would be Britta Olofsdotter.
Some families chose names.  “Many townspeople and others who didn’t want to be perceived as “common folks” or wanted to distance themselves from the peasants adopted special family names. 
 The name was an important social marker. ... Many of these names are composed of features of nature, and they types of family names are sometimes called called “nature names.”  The names are just combinations of nature features; the combinations don’t necessarily make sense, as with Dalberg, which is composed of “dal” (valley) and “berg” (mountain).”

Hellsten is made up of hell meaning “flat rock” and sten meaning “stone.”
Maybe it doesn’t make sense, maybe it described the landscape where they lived at the time.  I remember riding thru the Sweden countryside, parts were rolling hills with lots of stones.


Children:
a. Johan Peter (13 February 1765 - ?)
b. Jonas (21 September 1767- abt 1820)

2. Jonas HELLSTEN,
born 21 September 1767 in Lövo, Stockholm, Sweden he died about 1820.  I have found no information on his wife.

Jonas was a tanner and represented the Tanners Guild as an alderman in Uppsala, Sweden.


In June 1983, Alice Hellsten read the book Uppsala City  History 1786-1862 and sent me the following information about Jonas:
“In March 1793 the 200 year celebration of Uppsala's church meeting  was celebrated as an unusually democratic addition to the procession from  the castle to the cathedral at the side of the magistrate was the  chairman of the Elders, the tanner Jonas Hellsten and store owner Anders  Yttraeus. ... In the spring of 1794 the falisfication of protocol was debated and  the tanner Jonas Hellsten insisted that Yttraeus had falsified it and  should be brought to court and now the interesting thing happened that no  less than 13 of the Bergers who had participated in the meeting of the  Elders immediately agreed with Hellsten. ... In the year 1808 he is mentioned as a newly elected treasurer. ... Around 1790 a number of upperclass citizens brought a complaint that  the water in Fyrisan River was so badly polluted that it was unusable for  all household use.  One person about who it was complained was Jonas  Hellsten and his tannery and it was requested that the tannery should be  moved but Hellsten protested.  And as he belonged to the leaders of the  Elders, it was with a certain degree of relief of the Elders that they  decided they did not have the power to prescribe such a measure that so  strongly interferred with a single member's professional work. .... In 1810 (after the war against Russia) it was discussed about the  payment and release of the soldiers.  They wanted to entice young farm  hands with high salaries to dress in the uniform of the state.  They  wanted to have special agreements with the people who signed up.  It was  felt that this was a difficult job and it was entrusted to a number of  experienced elders and among them was found yet again alderman Hellsten. ... In May 1816 a general council was held and now the cities were  supposed to regulate the salaries for the city workers.  Dyntation should  study this question and among them was found now the old Elder alderman  Hellsten.”


Child:
a. Eric (2 March 1786 - 24 March 1839)

3. Eric HELLSTEN,
born 2 March 1786 in Sweden, died 24 March 1839 in Uppsala, Domkyrkoförsamling, Sweden.  On 6 January 1815 in Norrtälje, Stockholm, Sweden he married Lovisa Charlotta ROBBERT.  She was born 21 August 1795 in Norrtälja, Stockholm, Sweden and died 25 November 1863 in Uppsala, Sweden.

Death of Eric HELLSTEN, 24 March 1839
in Uppsala, Domkyrkofösamling, Sweden.

Like is father, Eric was a tanner.  He had a tannery on the Fyrisån River, maybe the same one his father had before him.  When he died, his youngest child was 4 months old!

Children:
a. Lovisa Charlott (15 October 1815 - 7 November 1890)
b. Ingrid (Mari) Maria (11 February 1817 - 23 Jun 1880)
c. Gustava (Lina) Carolina (4 November 1818 -  21 February 1880)
d. Erica Wilhelmina (2 February 1820 - 27 April 1884)
e. Eric Adolf (27 February 1822 - 4 January 1903)
f. Matilda (Tilda) Bernhardina (22 April 1824 - 23 December 1889)
g. Carl Robert (14 June 1826 - 13 December 1909)
h. Ottiljana Josephina (20 March 1828 - 20 May 1910)
i. Edla Cecilia (25 July 1830 - 13 March 1910)
j. Theodor (Manne) Emanual (1 November 1832 - 9 June 1910)
k. Frans Elof (17 October 1833 - 27 December 1880)
l. Knut Alfred ( 27 January 1836 - 21 November 1891)
m. Oskar Eugén (5 November 1838 - 1 July 1900)

4. Eric Adolf HELSTEN,
born 27 February 1822, Uppsala, Domkyrkoförsamling, Sweden, died in Gaylordsville, Litchfield,  Connecticut on 4 January 1903.  On 12 August 1849 in Patterson, New York he married Mary HEARTY.  She was born in March 1823 in Dorsey, Parish Creggan, County Armagh, Ireland and died 17 September 1902 in Gaylordsville, Litchfield, Connecticut.

Birth of Eric Adolf HELSTEN in
Uppsala, Domkyrkoförsamling, Sweden.

Children:
a. Mary Louisa (7 June 1850 - 23 May 1942)
b. William Henry (7 September 1852 - 22 June 1917)
c. Caroline Matilda (13 February 1855 - 9 December 1918)
d. Sarah Jane (20 July 1860 - ?)

Eric Adolf was was the Eric HELSTEN who immigrated to the United States, changed the spelling of his last name slightly.  He was trained as a tanner in Uppsala and opened a tannery in Gaylordsville.  He is the person who took in John CARLSON and was later sued by John.

5. Caroline Matilda HELSTEN,
born 13 February 1855 in New Milford, Connecticut and died in Danbury, Connecticut on 9 December 1918.  She married  Charles Harold EVANS on 26 May 1881 in New Milford, Connecticut.  He was born 23 May 1853 in Sherman, Connecticut and died 18 February 1928 on the train from Florida to NYC (near Savannah, Georgia).

Children:
a. Harold H (8 January 1883 - 8 May 1884)
b. Clarice Theodora (21 April 1884 - 7 July 1953)
c. Marion Elizabeth (11 February 1886 - 4 July 1974)
d. Howard Eric (7 July  1893 - January 1972)

6. Marion Elizabeth EVANS,
born 11 February 1886 in Sherman, Connecticut and died 4 July 1974 in New Milford, Connecticut.
On 13 September 1913 in Gaylordsville, Connecticut, she married Robert Edward DAKIN.  He was born 2 July 1888 in Gaylordsville, Connecticut and died 15 December 1918 in Danbury, Connecticut.

Children:
a. Robert Edward (25 May 1915 - 26 Ma 1915)
b. Theodore Robert (11 November 1916 - 1972)
c. Edward Evans (28 January 1918 - 10 December 1918)

7. Theodore Robert DAKIN,
born 11 November 1916 in New Haven, Connecticut and died 20 November 1972 in Berwyn, Illinois.  On 8 January 1943 he married Alice Josephine RICHARDSON in Albany New York.  She was born 26 January 1917 in Oak Park, Cook, Illinois and died 16 January 2001 in in Oak Park, Cook, Illinois.