FMTSO: Handwriting

Walking across a cemetery near where I live this week, I happened to notice a gravestone where the names had been copied from the handwriting of the ones buried there:

The two resting in this grave are unknown to me; but seeing their signatures engraved on the stone like that led my thoughts to my own ancestors.

This the handwriting of my great-grandfather Samuel:

… found in this book …

… which is not a Bible but a selection of sermons by Martin Luther, printed in 1861.

The book was given to (or possibly bought by) my great-grandfather Samuel (born 1837) and his first wife Anna Sophia, in connection with their marriage in 1866.

Translated into English, the inscription to the left reads:

 

Belongs to
S. Emanuelsson & Anna Sophia Emanuelsson
Lord, Lead Us in Thy Truth for Thy Name’s Sake

In 1866 on 27th January we were united as husband and wife here on Earth. Oh faithful Jesus, keep us always in Thy love, that in the end we may celebrate the eternal Wedding with Thee in Heaven .

 

Samuel was 31 years old when they got married, and his wife 28. They got nine children together – the nine first names on the list to the right. Two of the girls died when they were only about 8-9 years old.

Anna Sophia died in 1894, aged 57 (only a few months after the death of her youngest daughter). Four years later, in 1898, Samuel got remarried to a young widow, Selma – my great-grandmother.

Selma also had one daughter from her first marriage (not included in the list in the Book).

Together, they had two more children. Their first, Sally, born 1900, was my paternal grandmother.

From my childhood, I remember (from my grandparents’ home) the portrait of the stern-looking man holding the note in his hand:

“LORD INCREASE OUR FAITH”

It always seemed a little odd to me, and I never knew the background, until after the death of my own father a few years ago. Among his notes on family history, I found an article written about Samuel by another relative. It seems that in 1884, Samuel was involved in the founding of a free mission covenant church (and was vice-chairman for a while). My guess is that the photo was taken in this context, and that the prayer on the note was their motto. (As far as I know, it’s the only photograph that exists of Samuel. If my assumptions about the occasion are correct, it would be showing him at age 47 or so, which seems about right.)

Samuel died in 1907. My grandmother grew up on the farm where she was born, together with her mother, her younger brother, and two or three of her older half-siblings (in a village not far from the town where I live).

 

[These photos – except the first one - have previously been shown in my family history blog Greetings from the Past.]

Linking to Friday My Town Shoot Out: Handwriting

Friday My Town: “I Remember When…”

I remember when “my town” meant a different town than the one where I live now… During my twenties I lived in Karlstad on the northern shore of Lake Vänern. The willow tree leaning out over the river Klarälven was my landmark for where to turn into my street from the walk along the river. The tree is no longer there, I discovered on a visit years after I’d moved away. In my memory it will always be, though!

 

Neither are they floating timber down the river any more.
(Didn’t I post this photo just recently?!)

 

Me (to the left) and a friend back in the mid 1980s, also in the neighbourhood where I lived. Not my house in the background but one very similar.

Photos taken with my old Olympus XA2…

… Oh, now I remember… I did post that middle photo just recently! For the FMTSO theme “me and my cameras”.
(In the early 2000’s, I had a half-random choice of about 250 negatives from between 1984-2000 transferred to a “memory” CD – some kind of special offer, I think. Also copied into an easy-access folder on my computer…)

So what camera am I holding then, in that photo above? Deduction: It must belong to the invisible other friend who was using mine…

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To see what photos and things other members remember… Check out Friday My Town Shoot Out

Oldest Building – Hedared Stave Church

Friday My Town Shoot Out

On our way to Nääs Castle last summer (see FMTSO posts Frozen in Time and Windows and Doors) , we also passed a candidate for the FMTSO theme “oldest building”. It is in fact the oldest surviving building of its kind in Sweden: Hedared Stave Church from 1506.

Landscape photo from the neighbourhood of Hedared.

Windows and Doors – Nääs Castle II

Friday My Town Shoot Out

Another FTMSO topic that gives me a reason to show some more photos from a visit to Nääs Castle last summer.

In case you missed the previous post about Nääs, or wish to refresh your memory, you can find it here: Frozen in Time 

Nääs Castle

 

One of the wings in front of the castle

 

 

Close-up of entrance to the wing, and an open window

 

The barn (now stables)

 

A kitchen window in the basement of the castle

 

House built for the director of Nääs Craft School in 1878.

 

▲ Lots and lots of windows in this building… ▼

I’ve been to crafts exhibitions here in the past. There was nothing going on in that room just now – BUT…

… there was an outdoors exhibition to do with building techniques and doors and windows…

Frozen in Time–Nääs Castle

Friday My Town Shoot Out

Back in July 2012, my brother and I went on a couple of outings to historical buildings in the area. The FMTSO theme this week reminded me that one of those I had still left unblogged… How very convenient. So I’ll be focusing on the Time aspect rather than the Frozen. But in the metaphorical sense you’ll get the latter as well.

Nääs Castle is a 17th century mansion at lake Sävelången in the province of Västergötland in Sweden, not very far from Göteborg.

 

Nääs estate, now a cultural heritage site, is renowned for its Crafts education during the late 19th and early 20th century. Beside several nature and walking trails, Nääs estate also provides Bed & Breakfast as well as conference accommodations.

The Castle is out on the little island, the Crafts College buildings are facing it from across the water.

The old Crafts College

During the summer craft courses are still held at ’Slöjdseminariet’, the old crafts college. I’ve been to crafts exhibitions there in the past, but there was nothing of that kind going on when we were visiting now.

 

In the old barn there are now stables and a riding school

… but the horses weren’t at home when we looked in:

In the buildings between the stables and the Castle there is a restaurant and café and a little shop.

The main building, Nääs Castle, is open to the public between May–September; but guided tours only.

The earliest castle on the estate was built in the 16th century. The last private owner of the present mansion and associated land was August Abrahamson, wholesaler from Gothenburg. He founded the Crafts College and after his death (1897) donated the entire property to the State in order to secure continuity for the educational programme.

We went on a guided tour inside the main building, which has indeed been “frozen in time”, as the last owner’s instructions were to keep it preserved exactly as it was when he lived there. Unfortunately, the only room where photography is allowed is the kitchen and servants’ hall:

The kitchen was also used for giving cooking classes; which is why there is a blackboard.

Servants’ stairs, and food-lift

The pantry

▼ Below, for comparison ▼
Photo from Wikimedia Commons of the men’s lounge upstairs

For a few more peeks upstairs, visit the Nääs website