My sons and my father

Dear everybody,

In 1845, I was 27 when I married, and 28 when we moved to our new home, the north farm of Hovdinge. In the spring that of 1846 I also became a father! The father of a son, halleluiah....that is the lyrics of a great group called the Arch I am told. There weren't too many groups to entertain in my days so I have to enjoy yours.



Our first son was born April 9, 1846 and we named him Oscar Salomon Gorans' son, in Swedish that is Göransson. The wood anemones looked just likethey do today. It does not seem appropriate to show you a picture of an old man, but what to do? We don't have millions of pretty baby photos as I imagine you have with your own kids or grandkids. I am pleased to show you a picture of Oscar, but he is a bit too big for the cradle.

Oscar Salomon Göransson/Goranson

When our first son was four years old and I was 32 we had another son who we named August Johan Göransson. He was born in wintertime, December 10, 1850. Well, here we go again, showing our beloved little baby as a man with glasses and beard. You just have to trust my words that he was such a sweetie!

August John Göransson/Goranson

A couple of months later, February 2, 1851 my father passed away. As I told you before he was a farmer at the north farm of Tofta in the parish of Ljungby and a jury man at the local court of Sunnerbo. In the archives my secretary found minutes from meetings May 7, 1830, Jan 29, 1830 and October 1,  1830 when the jury court man Daniel Olofsson in Tofta was present. At those times in Ljungby there were public executions and punishments using whips. Such details as suitable sorts of gravel for absorbing blood might have been on the agenda according to a book about Ljungby. Those were the days my friend!

The court men were chosen among the owners of land and they enjoyed public confidence. They were also asked to administrate the estate of deceased, address people on important issues or have guardianship. All these tasks gave them good knowledge of what was going on in the area, which could be misused. Sometimes these men were also parish constables or took part in the local administration. In a document from 1840 which my secretary has in her home my father is called District Judge. That was a title of honor of the juror in the twelve manna Board with the most seniority. On that document is also my father's signature:

My father passed away when he was 57 years old, Feb 2nd 1851 with colicky pains. In the parish of Ljungby 25 people left for heaven that year, at least I am sure that ten of them arrived here as they were under the age of ten. My secretary can assure you that I remember correctly as she has checked the tabular statements from Kronoberg's county for the births and deaths of the rural areas and towns.



Yours sincerely, Göran Danielsson.