Learning about names of places

Dear historically interested,

Before attending to the topic of today I would like to present you to the first inhibitants of Ljungby. We like to think that these are the men, shown on the picture below together with a great grandson of mine. They are to bee seen in a central position in the town of 2008 to symbolize those who first lived in this area.We know of them because of a runic inscription where it says that Götrad put the stone up in rememberence of his father Astrad who lived here. We do not know what they looked like exactly but we guess they looked like us. They were Vikings. The inscription was made around the year 1000, so it is more than 1000 years old!

Today a short account of what my secretary found in a book about names of places and their origin. If we start with the most central place in this blog, i e Hovdinge I can tell you that the author Fridolf Jönsson says that the first acknowledgement of the place is from 1460 when it was written hoffdunge. Later in 1543 it was written Hoffdinge. The name should have something to do with a head, a hill in the landscape. My secretary immediately thinks of the mounds from the Bronze age which are to be found where Hovdinge Norregård is situated. Near one of Hovdinge's small farms a place is marked on old maps as a offering grove from times before the christanizing of Sweden after the year around 850.

In a historical map which I have just learned is free for publishing as it is older than 70 years, a Saint Rolf from earth has marked out for me where the North farm was situated in the 1890's, look below. He is a skilful researcher of soldiers in this area and this is the address to his Swedish site of soldiers http://www.ljungbykompani.se/, in case the language is no problem for you! In my life-time the soldier at Hovdine North farm was Isack Carlsson Hult. If you follow the link called Disgen nr you can see a contract written between us farmers and the soldier about duties. The soldier were among other things to see to it that letters were distributed! What you see there is a copy of our signatures at the end of the documents.

I grew up nearby Hovdinge, in Tofta as some of you might remember ;-) Tofta was mentioned as Tofftta somewhere in 1538 according to the author of the book I mentioned, called "Ortnamn i Kronobergs län". Names of places including "-tofta" imply that settlements have arise anew after a period of something fateful in prehistoric age.

I told you that my wife remarried and moved to Kånna. According to this book Kånna is an ancient name which is first mentioned as Quannom in 1388. It has been regarded as impossible to interprete. Some have tried, saying that the word comes from a word meaning marsh.

My oldest daughter Emma moved to Rataryd in the parish of Angelstad. Among older names of places in this area, an ending with -ryd is the most common. Emma's place is not mentioned specifically in the book but close by is Bjärnaryd which comes from bear in plural ending. I am glad she did not meet them! This photo below is taken in Rataryd with Emma standing in the middle and her dear husband Bengt-Johan sitting in the wheel-chair.

Finally, my second daughter Anna Charlotta moved to Ingelstad in the parish of Berga in those days. In 1272 it was spelled Ingelstath in a deed of gift to an Abbey. The first part of the name comes from a man's name, Ingel. Ingelstad is said to have a ring as Old Swedish royalty. Below a picture of the family in Ingelstad.

Well, "there are other things than thinking about old times" and I respect that my secretary now wants to proceed with her life. Until next time she connects to me again, take care of yourselves!

With love, Göran Danielsson.

Leaving Kånna in 1887

Dear sweet reader,

This is a big day. My secretary has told me I have readers! Probably the most stupid announcement you have heard all day, but for me it was good news. I simply wanted to tell my story and as my secretary was even more eager we started this cooperation, not sure we wanted anyone to know about it!


Now she wants to say hello to readers in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan because they kindly informed her that they enjoyed reading! I have told her this is no forum for "saying-hello-to" but she does not agree. She likes it and will continue. And what I am to do, up here, depending on her internet connection? OK, everybody wanting to be mentioned by name, let us hear from you. We will also publish photos but later when it is your turn - and only if you agree, ok?

My secretary is enjoying herself. That is a good thing. Today she went to a relative on her mother's side taking a photograph of a genealogy tree she made 20 years ago and gave as a gift and had complete forgotten about. She is a bit bossy, but she insists on showing you. It is not even this family! I have told her this is about you, my kids and my grandkids originating from Hovdinge!

OK, can we begin our proper business, telling folks about Maria Göran's daughter? That is my intention today, to tell you about my youngest daughter Maria and her wedding.

Göran's daughter #3, Maria with family (the Johansson's)

As I told you earlier, Maria was living in the parish of Kånna with her mum, my beloved wife who remarried five years after my death. In 1887 she was a young lady, 23 years old and I guess she wanted to see the world. In those days that conception did not mean going further than Rydaholm, at least not for Maria. Rydaholm is now a place just on the other side of the boarder to Jönköping's county, north east of Ljungby which belongs to Kronoberg's county. Still in Småland! What she was up to there we have not yet discovered! Being her father I am a little upset, but as she the following year married a good hearted man and they lived happily ever after I will not mind.

The 12th May in 1888 Maria married Karl Petter Johansson. My secretary would like to let you know that this is her wedding day too, but 96 years later! She married the grandson of Maria, Göran Johansson. Before I tell you more about my son-in-law I would like you to see his photo - my secretary makes it unusually large to please another reader - hello Lu!

Carl-Petter was born in Rydaholm in a family with five siblings surviving childhood. He was born in 1861 and 26 years old when he married Maria. He was a godly man and had connections up here in heaven. His children left their home to cross the Atlantic Ocean and his letters to them are filled with heavenly words and blessings. You might get a proof of it later on.

Must tell you also that Carl-Petter and Maria married in the church of Angelstad, a parish close to Ljungby. My former wife moved to that parish with her new husband and lived in Bolmstad Drängagård, translated to Farmer-hand-farm! Later they moved to the little house I showed you in the very beginning of this blog, written 3rd March, in Ängagård, Bolmstad.

Have a nice weekend! I will. Don't know what's up here in these heavenly places. Some people think we sit here all day long drinking coffee....

With love, Göran Danielsson.

Life in Ingelstad in 1887

Dear readers,

Göran's daughter #2, Anna Charlotta with family (the Johansson's)

Ingelstad is situated about 20 kilometers from Hovdinge, in these days of 1887 in the parish of Berga, but in 2008 in the parish of Vittaryd. Here is the church of Berga, built in 1821.

At this cemetary at Berga Church my secretary found the marker of the resting place for my daughter Anna Charlotta and her husband Sven-Gustav Johansson. But that is to go to far ahead, let us first concentrate on their life together. They married as I told you earlier, in 1881. Here is a picture of the handsome man my daughter chose:

In 1887 Sven-Gustav is 30 years old and Anna Charlotta is 29. They have two sons and one daughter and will stay in Sweden some more years before emigrating to America.

Son #1 was born in 1882, 15th April, and is by now five years old. He is called Johan Gottfrid and was born at the Johan's farm in Ingelstad in the parish of Berga. This is what he looked like on a later family photo.

In 1884, 1st of July, a daughter was born. She is a girl of three in 1887. Her name is Karin Esmina Elisabeth which later in her new country will be anglicized into Carrie.

Son # 3 was born 21st August 1886 in Ingelstad. He was given the name Joseph Gustav Efraim Svensson. Being the only sibling staying in Sweden when the rest was emigrating with their parents he never had to change his name. In the year of 1887 he was only one years old. Picture below!
Believe it or not, you can help me count, but I think I have 18 grandkids by now!

Yours sincerely, Göran Danielsson.

Life in Rataryd in 1887

Dear ones,

Göran's daughter # 1, Emma with family (the Johannesson's)
Today I would like to tell you about my daughter Emma's family, who is living in Rataryd at this time. It belongs to the parish of Angelstad, near to Ljungby. Check this link if you want to see it on a map: www.kartguiden.com/mappage.asp?MapID=8 Cannot help you completety, you have to write Hovdinge yourself and remember it is in Kronoberg.
As I told you earlier she married Bengt-Johan Johannesson in 1880 and the family has grown during these years. Emma is now 33 years old and her husband is 37.


In March, 27th 1881 a girl was born called Frida Jemina. She never married. This is a photo of her as a grown woman. In 1887 she was six years old.

The second child was Hjalmar Gottfrid. He was born 30th November 1882. He was a boy of five at this stage. He lived his life on the middle farm at North Rataryd, married and had three kids. Photo of Hjalmar below.

The third boy of the siblings was born 6th April 1885. His name was Karl Wilhelm. In 1887 he was two, but did not live for long. He was only 13 when he died because of pneumonia after a flu. Therefore no photo.

The fourth child of the family was called David Hilding. He was born 21st November 1887 and was a tiny baby at this time. He later left for Canada. His photo below.

To summarize, the family at this time in Rataryd was Emma, 33 and Bengt-Johan, 37 with kids in the age of 6, 5, 2 and a newborn. My secretary is happy to be able to show you the signature of Emma, translated "Greetings your humble mother Emma and B J Johansson".

Next time about life in Ingelstad and my daughter Anna Charlotta. I have had difficulties remembering what we called her! My secretary first thought it was Anna but heard from Canadian relatives that her name was Lotta, short for Charlotta. But now again, we will have to change it back to Anna as it said so on the marker on the cemetary of Berga which my secretary and her husband discovered last Sunday.

Friendly greetings from my heaven,

Göran Danielsson.