Emigrated to South Africa
Johan Gustafsson & Hedda Zachrisdotter + Anna Brita Månsdotter
Andreas ”Anders” Johan Gustafsson/Gustafzon (28/7 1799 – after 1844)
Branch G3 [1.1.4.4.1]
Son of Gustaf Fredricson & Märta Törne
Tokarp, Säby, Småland
Juryman, farmer (Nämndeman, hemmansbrukare, förpantningsägare, torpare)
Emigrated to South Africa 1844
1. Hedvig ”Hedda” Zachrisdotter (11/8 1796 – after 1844) (m. 19/10 1821 in Säby)
Snällebo, Säby, Småland
No known children
2. Anna Brita Månsdotter (5/9 1810 – 14/7 1905)
Stocksmålen, Tranberga, Torpa, Östergötland
1 child (see below) – Founded Branch G3a: Krogman in South Africa
Primary sources + living sources
29-07-2023
Also mentioned in chapter 6 of the chronicle
Anders Johan Gustafsson. Photo kindly provided by Chris-Marié Wessels.
Johan grows up at the farm Tokarp in Säby parish as the eldest son of the church warden and juryman Gustaf Fredricsson. 1820-1821 he serves at his father’s other farm Bredstorp Norrgård. In the latter year he marries Hedda Zachrisdotter whose brother works at the farm. Their parents are Zacharias Persson and Annika Jonsdotter. For some reason the couple is married at Varvestorp.
Hedvig Zachrisdotter. Photo kindly provided by Chris-Marié Wessels.
Anders Johan and Hedda’s marriage 1821. Säby parish.
Johan is described at the time of his wedding as ”acceding farmer at Bredstorp” (tillträdande hemmansbrukare i Bredstorp), whither they move 1825. His wife seems to have been a maid there too. The farm seems to have been promised to him, but something must have happened, because in 1827 they move to the cottage Ängen on the grounds of Tokarp, where they live as crofters.
A piece of Johan’s hair, which could be used for DNA confirmation. Photo kindly provided by Chris-Marié Wessels.
In November 1830, they take on a new maid, a 20 years old girl by the name of Anna Brita Månsdotter from Torpa. She leaves the place a year later, pregnant and with a clerical warning for her unacceptable behaviour.
In 1833 Johan and Hedvig move to remote Tällekullen in the forests of Ödeshög parish, where he is elected juryman just as his father before him. Eventually, he also acquires the title of förpantningsägare.
They do not have any children together, but while in Ödeshög they take on their previous maid Anna Brita Månsdotter’s illegitimate child Anna Charlotta Johansdotter as a foster daughter. She was born on the 14th of June 1832 in Torpa, where her father is registered as unknown. Foster children were often related to their foster parents in some way, and indeed it is not impossible that the father may have been Johan Gustafsson himself. He was of course a respectable man who was both a church warden and a juryman, and that may be the reason that she was sent off to another parish where the father was unknown. Unfortunately, the sources are inconclusive as to the child’s parentage (see below), and they may also simply have done a good deed and taken on their maid’s child. Since they never have any children of their own, it is of course possible that Hedvig could not have children and perhaps was glad to have one in this alternative way.
- 1. Anna Charlotta/Charlotte Johansdotter Gustafson (14/6 1832 – 15/6 1916)
- Adolph Andreas Krogman G3a-grenen
In 1837 they move on to the estate Diseved Rusthåll in Heda parish, where they are described as lodgers; their foster daughter comes with them. They stay at Diseved until 1843, and the next year they spend as lodgers at Tjugby Västergård.
On the 11th of October 1844 they emigrate to South Africa! The voyage to Cape Town takes 6 months, and the 12 year old girl Anna Charlotta remembers it for the rest of her long and highly eventful life. She eventually becomes a quite well-known character in her new homeland where she braves many difficulties and dangers.
Andreas Johan & Hedvig’s last will and testament. Kindly provided by Chris-Marié Wessels.
Andreas Johan & Hedvig’s signatures on their joint will and testament 1872.
Looking at their signatures at their joint will and testament from 1872, it appears that Hedvig not only was much more trained with a pen than her husband but also a first-mover when it came to adopting a new surname which would work in South Africa. She chooses an embellished form of her husband’s name, Gustafzon, while he hangs on to the Swedish Gustafsson.
A letter sent from Aneby in Småland to the family in South Africa in 1967. Kindly provided by Chris-Marié Wessels.
Whose daughter?
Given that the descendants are interested in knowing more about the foster daughter Anna Charlotta, here is a fuller documentation of her early life:
Her mother Anna Brita was born on the 5th of September 1810 at Stocksmålen in Torpa parish to lifegrenadier Magnus Tranbom and his wife Catrina ”Carin” Månsdotter.
Anna Brita Månsdotter’s baptism 1810. Parents: Lifegrenadier Magnus Tranbom at Stocksmålen and wife Catrina Månsdotter; Testators: Farmer Sven Svensson at Tranberga, wife Catrina Nilsdotter, Samuel Jonasson at Ramsmålen, wife Maja St[ina] Jonasdotter, farmhand Jonas at Tranberga, Anna Persdotter. Torpa parish.
Liljeholmen 1824. Torpa parish.
Carin had long been a widow by then; now, she was ”poor and sickly” (fattig och sjuklig). Anna Brita got a new situation as a maid at Torpa vicarage 1826-1828, and it seems that she brought her mother with her. After that, Anna Brita served at Tranberga for one year and at Holma for another year.
She then moved in with Johan Gustafsson and Hedvig Zachrisdotter in the cottage Ängen in Säby parish as mentioned above. The local priest noted that her religious reading was very satisfactory and her understanding sound (försvarlig).
Ängen under Tokarp 1828-1833 (partial); got a warning for her behaviour on removing (fick tilltall vid afflyttningen för uppförandet). Her religious reading is registered as very satisfactory, and her understanding as sound (försvarlig). Säby parish.
Nonetheless, a year later she was forced to leave the parish in humiliation, pregnant and with a warning. She went back to Torpa parish on the 24th of October, and bore the child at Mårdstorp on the 14th of June, eight months later.
Anna Charlotta’s baptism 1832. (oägta) = illegitimate; Parents: The father unknown, the mother maid Anna Brita Månsdr at Mårdstorp. Wittnesses: Crofter Adam Larsson at Långeråsen and wife Carin Larsdr at Långstorp, farmhand Magnus Jonsson and maid Lena Jonsdr at the vicarage. Torpa parish.
If indeed Johan was the child’s father, he would of course have been unknown in Torpa parish. It would also be highly understandable that she had to leave the parish and keep the father secret in order that he might keep his job and respectability. On the other hand, it could just as well have been someone else.
Anna Charlotta with her mother, maid Anna Brita Månsdotter, at Mårdstorp in 1832. Torpa parish.
After the birth, Anna Brita moved in with her widowed mother Catrina ”Carin” Månsdotter at Långstorp to nurse the child.
Anna Charlotta with her mother at Långstorp 1832-1835. Torpa parish.
Anna Brita left for Tranberga in 1834, leaving her daughter in her grandmother’s care until she was adopted by Johan Gustafsson and Hedvig Zachrisdotter in Ödeshög parish a year later.
Anna Charlotta Johansdotter as foster daughter at Tällekullen in 1835: 1/32 ~ 1/16 owner Juryman Johan Gustafsson & wife Hedvig Zachrisdr + foster daughter Anna Charlotta Johandsr, born 1831, arrived from Säby parish 1835. Ödeshög parish.
∇
Research data
- name (others’ spellings): Anders Johan (1799-1821); Anders (1805-1820); Anders Johan Gustafsson (1820-1821); Johan Gustafsson (1821); B. Johan Gustafsson (1821-1827); Torpar./T. Johan Gustafsson/Gustafss. (1827-1833); Brukaren och Förpantningsägaren Anders Johan Gustafsson (1832); Nämdemanen Johan Gustafson (1833-1837); f.d. Nämndem. Johan Gustafsson (1837-1841); Nämndeman Joh. Gustafsson (1842-1843); Nämndemannen Johan Gustafsson (1843-1844)
- name (others’ spellings): Hedda Zachrisdotter/Zachrisd:r (1821-1827); Hedvig Zachrisdotter/Zachrisd:r (1827-1844); Hedvig Zachariædotter (1837-1841)
- name (others’ spellings): Anna Brita (1810); Pigan/Pig. Anna Brita Månsd:r (1832)
- b. Säby 1799: v36241.b185.s380
- b. Säby 1796: v36241.b163.s336
- b. Torpa 1810
- m. Säby 1821: v36243.b228.s455
- hous.ex. 1799-1802;1806-1808;1812-1844 Säby: v22034.b119.s107(1799-1802); v48937a.b2350.s221(1806-1808); v22038.b142.s131(1812-1815); v22040.b166.s154(1816-1819); v22042.b211.s198(1820-1821); v22042.b211.s198(1821-1827); v22042.b170.s157(1827-1828); v22044.b186.s175(1828-1833); Ödeshög: v26659.b370.s719(1833-1837); Heda: v25856.b13.s13(1837-1841); v25857.b13.s15(1842-1843); v25857.b200.s389(1843-1844)
- hous.ex. 1820-1844
- hous.ex. 1810-1815;1825-1836 Torpa: v29518.b140.s265(1810-1811); v29518.b227.s439(1813-1815); v29520.b73.s129(1825?-1829); v29520.b126.s235(1829-1830); Säby: v22044.b186.s175(1830-1831); Torpa: v29521.b119.s221(1831-1832); v29521.b74.s131(1832-1834); v29521.b177.s337(1834-1836); v29023.b213.s203(1836)
- cens. 1805-1812;1815-1820 Tokarp: v400760a.b1670.s157(1805); v400760a.b11860.s1170(1806); v400762a.b177.s173(1807); v400762a.b1116.s1108(1808); v400764b.b218.s422(1809); v400768.b2390.s471(1810); v400771.b2260.s441(1811); v400773.b2180.s377(1812); v400779.b10540.s1448(1815); v400781a.b851.s1095(1816); v400783.b8330.s1057(1817); v400785.b8090.s1039(1818); v400787.b8450.s1069(1819); v400789.b7920.s1029(1820)
- inh. v77725.b69.s131(1821); v77733.b108.s207(1832)
- child b. Torpa: v41301.b169.s325(1832)
- Anna Charlotta Johansdotter hous.ex. Torpa 1832-1835: v29521.b119.s221 (1832); v29521.b74.s131(1832-1835)
- Anna Brita Månsdotter hous.ex. Torpa 1824-1835: v29519.b107.s185(1824); v29520.b23.s29(1825-1826); v29520.b144.s271(1826-1828); v29519.b107.s185(1828-1829); v29520.b126.s235(1829-1830); v22044.b186.s175(Säby 1830-1831); v29521.b74.s131(1832-1835)
- Carin Månsdotter hous.ex. Torpa 1831-1832: v29521.b84.s151(1831); v29521.b186.s355(1831-1832)
Archive
- Johan portrait (South Africa)
- Hedvig portrait (South Africa)
- A lock of Johan’s hair (South Africa)
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