Svenska – English
From beyond the seas – A history of the Alfort family.
© Esben Alfort 2014-2023
The Alfort family came to Sweden in the middle of the 17th century when a master shipbuilder emigrated from England, but according to family tradition his ancestors were originally huguenot refugees fleeing religious persecution in France. Church registers and other archives of historical documents can tell us a lot about the history of the family in Sweden, but very few sources give direct information about this early period. Even so, we can make some educated guesses.
Svenska – English
From beyond the seas – A history of the Alfort family
© Esben Alfort 2014-2023
Captain Erik Alfort is the earliest named member of the Swedish Alfort family and ancestor of every Alfort in Sweden. He had an interesting career in the navy where he contributed – directly or indirectly – to several historical moments such as the attack on Copenhagen and the famous battle of Narva. An invitation to a christening brought him to Östergötland where he met his future wife, whose father was one of the richest men in the country, thus securing the Alfort family’s position and fortune for generations. The occasion has been immortalised for us in a fascinating document listing the names of the witnesses, who were all prominent members of the military elite, gathered to celebrate the christening of a child at a historical moment of great tension, which was to be the signal for 21 years of constant warfare. Erik’s military career ended after he participated in a failed attempt at keeping Russia out of the Baltic, leading to the founding of St. Petersburg as well as the loss of a great deal of Swedish territory and of many lives.