#sweden1839

[the-deeds-to-shibden]

Friday 6 - Saturday 7 September 1839

Friday 6 September 1839

[And it’s goodbye to Sweden. Having spent the day packing and writing letters, Anne and Ann, accompanied by their two servants and the coachman, finally board the steamer which will take them across the Baltic sea to the Finnish port of Åbo (Turku). They’re given a sweet parting gift by their hotel landlord, and for once are not violently seasick, even managing pleasant chats with fellow passengers.]

[up at] 6 50/”

[to bed at] 10

fine Fahrenheit 66 1/2 at 6 50/” – packing (breakfast at 9 3/4) – all the day packing and paying – dinner at 5 i.e. tea and bread and instead of butter currant jelly and 2 boiled eggs – afterwards paying and settling with Jean –  had agreed in the morning that he should accompany us to Abo, and if I did not take him to drive us forwards I would give him 18 dollars banco = his expenses there and back – but if I do take him (he himself proposed this) I am to give him the same I should give the same I should give any one I took from Abo – I said I would give him 3 dollars a day and his expenses back to Abo –  he much obliged to me – very anxious to go to St. Petersburg

now at 8 p.m. raining hard – ordered a little carriage to take us to the steamer – Ann has written to her sister and is writing to her aunt sent her letter before 8 p.m. by Gross to the former and left her letter for the latter with our good little landlord who came to say good[bye] and gave us a parcel of his own sweetmeats – he is a confectioner off at 9 1/4 – on board in a few minutes – very fine day –  and in my berth about 10 p.m. and there I lay till

Saturday 7 September 1839

[up at] 4 40/” p.m.

“ [did not go to sleep]

all the day till 1/2 melted away (toute en nage) I jumped up at 4 40/” p.m. tied up my stocking and buttoned my gaiters and washed the little bit that was possible and put on my old black silk travelling dress again and crawled up to Ann who had been in the carriage since 12 at noon – the air refreshed me –  about 7 we went and sat on deck talking to our little Stockholm born German speaking mother of 3 daughters on board a nice little person – had lived at St. Petersburg 5 years – her husband evidently a merchant – she and her friend Mr. le Pasteur almost persuaded me to go by sea to St. Petersburg or at least to Revel –  Ann and I had nothing all today but a little dry bread and I a part of a cup of tea about 9 a.m. – and neither of us absolutely sick – very fine day

Anne’s marginal notes:

Leave Stockholm

L [for letter]

Embark for Åbo

very fine day

WYAS page: SH:7/ML/TR/130024

A 1842 sketch by Magnus von Wright of the steamer “Furst Menschikoff” (Prince Menschikoff, named after the then Governor-General of Finland) that took Anne and Ann from Stockholm to Åbo. The first Finnish steamship, in 1839 it was plying the Stockholm - Dagerby (Åland Islands) - Åbo (Turku) - Helsingfors (Helsinki) - Reval (Tallinn) - Kronstadt route.

Many thanks to Sari Miettinen for telling me about, and Virva Hepolampi for first having found, the article from the Swedish-language Åbo Underrättelser newspaper (of 11 September 1839, no. 72, p. 3) containing the passenger list for Furst Menschikoff’s journey of 6-8 September 1839:

Here is the detail of the paragraph mentioning Anne and Ann, and my translation of it. Note how the passenger list is given in order of social hierarchy/title precedence; Anne is in the Mrs. section, and Ann is with the other Misses, while their servants (Gross and his wife) are mentioned near the end. The list also mentions the passengers they conversed with during the journey: the “German speaking mother of 3 daughters on board a nice little person” (Mrs. Beer with daughters Ida, Mathilda and Julia) and the pastor, Mr. Muralt. 

“Steamer Furst Menschikoff

arrived from Stockholm and Degerby, bringing as passengers: chamberlain v[on] Knorring, deputy judge Kikoni, baroness Stackelberg, Pastor Muralt, chief district judge Sjöman, district judge Favorin with daughter, merchants Leth, Beil and Cajander, Mmes. Cajander, Lister, Leth, Beer, Forsberg and Beil, the latter with 2 daughters; Misses Avellan, Walker, and Ida, Mathilda and Julie Beer, lithographer Liewendahl, burgher Wildenstein, student Basilier, helmsman Engquist, maid Petterson, servant Gråss with wife, 2 journeymen and 2 farmhands, or all together 34 persons.”

[the-deeds-to-shibden]

Monday 26 August 1839

[Quite a busy and pleasant day. Ann starts it with producing a quality sketch of Uppsala castle, before joining her wife for a book-browsing session at the university library, where Anne really gets stuck into exhaustive (and exhausting) descriptions of the architecture and shelving, with a view to implementing some of that back at Shibden (sigh). Another visit to the cathedral provides snippets of Swedish history, followed by a trip out to the Old Uppsala, the capital of pre-Christian Sweden. Unbelievably, Anne completely misses the grave of Anders Celsius in the church there, which could have inspired her to get herself a few more thermometers with a scale she hasn’t used yet. What an opportunity missed! But they get to enjoy some first-rate secret-recipe mead and another beautiful sunset.]

[up at] 6 50/”

[to bed at] 12 40/”

fine morning Fahrenheit 61º and sun out at 7 1/2 – breakfast at 8 20/”  to 9 – Ann sketching the chateau from our room window – left her to finish (to colour) her sketch a little and I off to the library at 9 10/”  sent for Ann at 9 40/” ‘Catalogue general de la litterature Française contenant les ouvrages publiés en France, ……. pendant l’ année 1837 …. avec table systématique pour les ouvrages imprimés en 1837 et les Journaux de 1838. publié par la Librairie Brockhaus et Avenarius. 1ere première année. 3 francs Paris, Brockhaus and Avenarius, Libraire Française- -allemande et etrangère. Rue Richelieu, no 60.  Leipzig, même maison. They refer to la Bibliographie de Monsieur Beuchot and le Bulletin de Monsieur Cherbuliez – and Bibliographie d’Allemagne, paraissant à Leipzig the above lying on the table of professor Skraeder ancient history with Arabic books (published here) etc. etc. Had his pedigrees and papers pasted into book with whity brown paper leaves left about 1 1/2 inches broad – books about the breadth and twice the length of one common quarto i.e. narrow folio size

Laerebog i de romerske oldsager af S. B. Bugge rector ved cathedralskolen I Christiania. med fem steentryk. Christiania 1837. Trykt I R. Hviids Enkes Bogtrykkerie og paa keder Forlag af G. Hansen.

Beitrage zur genauern Kenntniss der ehstnischen Sprache. Neunzehntes heft. Pernau, beim herausgeber. Reval, bei Bornwasser. 1828.

Initia Homerica by Th. Burgess a.m. London 1820. printed by Dove – sold by R. Priestley – given to Upsala  by ‘Thomas Burgess episcopus Salisburiensis donatus 1837’

the Italian cabinet? made at Augsburg – very curious – Christina’s snuffgrater and box looking like 

a broadish knife the box at one end and the blade a grater on which the tobacco leaves were grated Real musk in a little lead box like a bit of a small animal bag or pouch       with short 1/4 inch long like bristles on it – Christinas small fusils to kill fleas –  Gustaf 3 died 1792 left chest about 3 feet 6 inches x 6 feet and about 2 feet 6 inches broad – and black leather covered box           to be opened in 1842. 2 of his drawings in Indian ink           dated the one a chateau 1763. (26 September 1763)           and a bridge and two towers one at each end or thereabouts of the bridge           dated ‘Gustaf fecit d[ie] 19 September 1763 Drotningholm  at the library till 11 1/4 – gave the man 32 skillngs banco a one rigs dollar note – content he then shewed us the new library – not yet finished tho’ some books put there on the ground floor – there at 11 25/”  new library bookcases au premièr 6 1/2 x 2 1/4 red books, handbook which is about 6 1/2 inches long height up to gallery = about 4 yards – pilasters between the cases – 3 red books wide i.e. about 6 1/2 inches x 3 = 19 1/2 to 20 inches Racking or shelf-grooves at every 2 inches –  about 2 inches left in front of the cases for hanging doors if wanted lock-up doors with wire net at the old library 5 or 6 feet high against the bottom shelves there will be book cases to front the pilasters Salle about 58 yards long and about 5 yards wide across from pilaster to pilaster – grand entrance in the middle 5 cases on each side the door and then 5 windows on each side beyond these 5 cases respectively – greenish – white veined or waved marble (like my specimen of the holy sepulchre at home) window seats about 2 feet 6 inches high from the floor – whole breadth of window including frame = about 5 feet 6 inches whole heighth including framing = about 10 feet up to bottom of gallery – glass 6 panes in heighth - panes about 17 or 18 inches x 10 and 4 panes in breadth i.e. 2 in each 1/2 opening with a spagnolette the whole heighth of the window – 3 yards and taken up by the partition down the middle which parts the whole floor into two similar book-galleries, a ballustred gallery running all round at about 13 feet high from the floor – the man said there was says there are 120,000 volumes – floor diamond flags size of those formerly in the hall at Shibden, of red-greenish porphyry (like the windowseats) – 2 rooms at each end of the book rooms and between these 2 rooms (at each end of the building) a spiral staircase to the top of the building, and leading also to an immense salle (over the library, i.e. au seconde) to be galleried all round above? with portico behind the pillars underneath the gallery? – alcove (is a sort of throne to be there or what?) at left end as one looks on the town this immense salle entered also in the middle by the great staircase as below – 2 flights of steps taking up a breadth of about 13 yards and a depth of about 16 yards in a projection towards the castle the opposite front looking exactly along a long straight road to Dannemora and old Upsala and on to the town, and a little to the left on the cathedral as now renewed since its being burnt in 1702 – (chateau, right, going up great stairs and looking towards the town) at the new library till 12 5/”  at the cathedral at 12 1/4 – the monument to the memory of Linnaeus is in a little side chapel (left, near the great west doors as one enters ‘Carolo a Linne’ | Botanicorum | principi |             amici et Discipuli | MDCCXCVII.’ the a = von = de = noble (e.g. Thomas a Beckett) above the inscription is a bronze head – side face – très ressemblant, by J[ohan] T[obias] Sergell ‘A[nno]: MDCCXCIV’ beautiful brown whitish green veined granite? from Elfdal north of Falun the marble of the window seats etc. at the new library comes from between Norköping and Nyköping – i.e. from the forest of Kolmorden (the comma over the en in Linne is to double the e) 

Linnaeus’s grand daughter died here (Updala) last spring and left to Ridder Bielca who married her sister a fortune that would keep ten cavaliers 10 horsemen i.e. ten men and ten horses and the terrain (but that depends upon the goodness of the land) that would maintain one horseman = 8-10,000 dollars banco purchase money, the terrain containing forest, fisheries etc. everything here counted by how much land will keep a man or horseman – the academy has as much (as the man said yesterday) as would keep a hundred men – and a terre to keep a man costs 4,000 to 5,000 dollars banco to buy it –  In buying land one ought ot have 6 to 8 percent for one’s money –  fine tomb from Rome in 1793 of archbishop Carolus Fridrik Mennander nat[us] 1712 ob[iit] 1786 formerly bishop of Åbo who translated the bible into Finnish – whole length of him, sitting, leaning on ‘Biblia Fennica’ – good likeness – 7 allegorical female figures all on a tablet under the figure of Religion carrying a large cross and leaning on an urn –  

chappel of Gustaf Wasa painted in fresco by

‘John: Gust: Sandberg pinxit 1831-1838’

Eric xiv and Jean iii sons of Gustaf Wasa and Charles ix his youngest son }

Left hand, on entering the chapel (behind the alter) the paintings are

over the pictures

arms      .  1st     Gustaf on horseback receiving the keys of Stockholm Riddarholm castle some years ago burnt down 

window .  2nd ____ on horseback (young) in a battle against the Danes

ditto    .  3rd _____ at Lubeck asking assistance – a Danish nobleman claiming him

ditto    .  4th   ______ at the peasants cottage in Dalecarlia with flail, entering the barn – a Dane seeking him

ditto    .  5th   _______ Haranguing the peasants in Dalecarlia

ditto    .  6th  _______ two bishops presenting him the 1st bible Eric 14 at his elbow who was again a boy, dressed in red

arms      . 7th ________ taking leave of the deputies, died soon after

 1 and 4 azure. 3 fold crowns (the arms of Sweden)

 2 and 3 azure. lion rampant or on 3 white wavy bands i.e. lakes (the arms of Gotheborg)

escutcheon of pretence arms of Gustaf Wasa

azure. a gold sheaf (gerb) called in Swedish vasa – supporters 2 lions or crowned proper

In the sacristie or room where they keep the 2 gold crowns lately taken respectively from the heads of Jean iii and his queen Catherine and some valuable gold cups etc. is the half length old wooden statue of the pagan God Thor – part of his left side gone and his right arm broken off from the elbow – gilded formerly – brought from old Upsala – many more old things all burnt with the cathedral in 1702 – this room is a sort of safe closet – safe from fire – 3 boxes of valuables put here as we should send plate to the bank for safety –            

Get at Stockholm, chez C. M. Carlson Roadbook of Sweden and Norway. 1830.  i.e. ‘Vägvisare’ Roadbook, bought a little one at Upsala.            for 12 skillings banco. –  came in at 3 3/4 – dinner at 3 55/” to 4 20/” – good – same as yesterday but herring-and-rice-and-potatoes-pudding with anchovy sauce instead of soup – off at 4 3/4 from Upsala alight at old Upsala at 5 1/4 – off to the tumuli close by the Dummer Cull judges’ hill first – then the 3 tumuli of Odin, Thor and Frea – all the 

very near together, and the      | cull, hill, collis. |      3 conical mounds very conspicuous all the way from Upsala – fine view from all especially from Frea because farthest from the church – quite close to Odin and impedes the view from him – good country about here –  more quite clear ground (clear of stones, boulders and rock) than we have seen elsewhere – therefore land valuable here – but no forest of two miles therefore wood dear – large extensive plain on all sides – merely a few bits on the Eastern side, that one can just see encumbered with stone to remind one of being still in Sweden – the church small – not worth going into but expected (disappointed) some to see there some funeral urns found in 1 of the tumuli – fine view of Upsala – its castle looks well from here – its 2 (there are only 2) round towers (North and Northeast corners) seen, and none of the ugly pediment side seen – the  2 cathedral-towers are seen as one – and the peasants’ church tower and one other church tower one seen in one line –  Beyond Frea’s tumulus a little range of hill and the foot of this and of the tumulus itself towards the village and Upsala studed with little hillocks – on the other side the tumulus and range of hill is a little    lake – Ann is sketching the church – she did the castle very nicely this morning – Old Upsala pretty little picturesque gardeny village –  a peep at the little River – a minute or 2 in the old church – nothing worth seeing in it – back at the house to drink our bottle of mead at 6 5/”  excellent – good as champagne – how to make it is a secret – heirloom secret – 24 Rigs skillings per bottle – a pink mead at 48 skillings but she has none at present – off again at 6 25/”  in 20 minutes a little rock and boulder and Sweden again – excellent road charming evening – beautiful sunset – Hogsta should be Uggelsta single house – poor little place – could not sleep there – next stage . . . Andersby . . . 2 1/8 miles – nice open country – sowing rye and reaping it –  at Dannemora no! Ӧsterby near Dannemora, at 11 5/” –  we had to call the people up – very fine day – Fahrenheit 62º now at midnight –  

Anne’s marginal notes:

Catalogue of French books Paris and Leipzig

§

Initia Homerica

Christina’s cabinet

New library

order such at Shibden?

vide bottom of next page

new library

salle au seconde

Kolmorden and Elfdal marble vide bottom of last page

manner of estimating property

bishop Mennander who translated the bible into Finnish

WYAS Catalogue:  SH:7/ML/TR/13/0009    SH:7/ML/TR/13/0010    SH:7/ML/TR/13/0011     SH:7/ML/TR/13/0012

One of the frescoes by Johan Gustaf Sandberg in Uppsala Cathedral showing the exploits of King Gustav I Vasa (Gustav Vasa Speaking to the Dalecarlians at Mora):

The three tumuli (the Royal Mounds) at Old Uppsala:

The church at Old Uppsala, which Ann sketched:

Interior of Carolina Rediviva, now the main building of Uppsala University library; a work in progress when Anne and Ann visited it and Anne described it so thoroughly:

[the-deeds-to-shibden]

Tuesday 27 August 1839

[To Anne’s great interest and fascination, today she and Ann visit the iron mine of Dannemora, at the time one of the most important sources of iron for the production of steel, including Sheffield steel. Anne ties up her skirts, dons a cap and man’s frock coat, and down she goes in a barrel, while Ann sets up her sketching things and gets to work. In the evening Anne finds some fascinating local agricultural practices to learn about, and then our couple take a saunter in the summer twilight. Note how Anne says a miner at Dannemora could earn one rigsdollar a day, and later on we learn that this amount buys one bird for the table, or a pottery dish.

This is not the first time they have visited a mine on their travels. During their 1838 tour of Belgium they went down the St. Marguerite coalmine near Liège; go here to read the full transcription of this adventure.

It is not the last time, either! Stay tuned for more pit adventures!]

[up at] 7 3/4

[to bed at] 9 1/2

fine morning Fahrenheit 60 1/4 at 9 a.m. breakfast at 9 1/2 and at yesterday’s accounts till 11 20/” – then off to the mine at 11 1/2 – we walked there at 11 55/” in 25 minutes – sent Jean back for Ann’s sketch book etc. and my travelling cap (casquette, blue cloth from Jupp’s London 1835) I had no idea of this mine – a large oval opening perhaps about 200 yards in circumference with seven great large shed-covered 2 horse gins and their tackling on the north side (left as we stand) at c (close to the gin that let us down into the bottom) in the Damp- -machine (steam engine now disused) –  deep achtzig klafter (80 klafter) the mine goes in a Southwest (I think he said) direction 80 famms (1 famm = 3 ells) I had no idea of this mine – an enormous yawning gulph to look down into with a deep chasm or cleft entrance to the mine itself –  the red timbers supporting the sheds very picturesque on the north side which is walled at the top with a good ashler wall 4 or 5 yards high, down to the solid rock, to keep all safe at the top – the stone at the top not worth much – 3 sorts – the best yields 65 percent of iron – no foundries here – the ore is sent away in winter – 12 proprietors and count .   .   .  .  . who has one-third of the whole mine 

a the gins

b apparently remains of old gins

[within image, below c:] the gin which let me down

200 workmen in the mine

1st pit 100 klafter deep (Mellan faltet* Dannemora)

2nd ditto 120 klafter deep (Sudra faltet* Dannemora) does not communicate with the gulph sketched above, and is close to the square tower-like blacksmith’s shop (to the Southwest) and here are 7 pits close together and here is the best ore.                   

observed in the blacksmiths shop very convenient rack, for whimbles – would do very well for our rails –

                  standing one of the side walls – rack about 2 feet deep 4 or 5 feet high and the divisions about a foot wide?

the ore consists of esen, iron, quartz and zweifel (sulphur) ready to go down at 2 p.m. tied my pelisse skirt tight round my middle put on my travelling cap and one of mans frock coats, and did not feel it too warm –  8 minutes going down and the same coming up –  200 workmen in the mine and about 200 more employed 1 way or other 1 hundred thousand shipond of stone got per annum the Hull company has taken the whole mine and all that is got and pays every tenth part to the crown –  every workman paid per ton – when the stone is hardest 14 skillings rigs and when softest 3 1/2 skillings rigs per ton – a good man can get 4 tons and more a day – or (for the stone has to be got and landed) a man can earn a rigs dollar per day 10 pair of horses and 14 pair of oxen – one can say 40 pair = 80 horses for all the work – the pump is worked by a water mill 1/4 mile off –  on reaching the bottom turned along the mine or drift at d, 20 famms long –  wants only one famm of being completed, and then will open a communication from the great gulph to the stegge ladders that go down into the pit at that place these works not expensive – a mass of hardened snow and ice at the bottom – the better iron at the bottom, and 20 famm deeper at the South pits

– kleina, black stone, argillaceous, not eissen (iron) near the top – paid the man at 3 1/4 and then stood by Ann as she sketched –  just 1/2 hour in the bottom – the blasts are fired at noon – the big pieces are broken in the natural cleavages by making fires (charcoal) under them –  See what Von Buch says. – working at 4 or 5 different heights in the mine –  a tonneau (I went down in one) seems about as big as one of our 12 gallon tubs –

home in 25 minutes at 4 55/” – dinner at 5 10/” in 40 minutes fried fish (brochet) Moorcock, gelinotte (partridge) and sweet omlette and potatoes and cucumber – good – the moorcock looked like a plump rumples barn-door fowl and sent to table like one without head or feet (legs cut off at the knee) –  the outer flesh brown – the inner (on the breast bone) quite white – an auction outside our Inn door, – of carts, a gig, tubs, pottery etc. etc. saw a largeish common white round pot dish knocked down at one dollar rigs – 2 or 3 priests, and several respectable looking men and women and peasants were assembled – out at 6 – sauntered in the village (Ӧsterby) to Mr. Tamm’s forges – then about his sheds and barns and then into his garden – 5 gardeners (garçons) and 4 filles – hot houses – pineries – grapes under cucumber frames – fruit from July to October – planted in a good light soil 

1 vines

2 a pit

three Swedish ells deep and 2 or 3 ditto wide filled with horse dung – fresh dung every year – when fruiting over, the glasses taken off, and then as soon as the leaves have fallen rafters are laid over, and on these rafters an ell deep of litter for the winter say from 1 November to 1 April when the glasses are put on again and the vines grow vigorously –  vines here of 30 years old – several sorts of grapes – all looking well – gave the man 8 skillings banco – had just written so far at 7 20/” – get at Stockholm the gardening book of the Directeur Landström – vide for this manner of cultivating the vine – the vines are trained on espaliers – then left John at the Inn and Ann and I sauntered about till came in at 8  – very fine day – then looking at maps 1/2 hour –  

Rank in Sweden           }      See at Stockholm the collection

Fjords and forests           }      of farming utensils

Horses and hedges          }

Roads and snow ploughs }

 Anne’s marginal notes:

depth.

§

‘moorcock’ a pheasant the woman of the house said worth a rigsdollar

Mr. Tamms grapes under cucumber frames

the last 3/4 Swedish miles of last stage but one and almost all the last stage forest –

Notes:

* (Swedish) mellan faltet = middle field; södra fältet  = southern field

WYAS pages:  SH:7/ML/TR/13/0012     SH:7/ML/TR/13/0013  

Dannemora in 1800:

 Dannemora mine, watercolour by Elias Martin:

Going down Dannemora mine in a barrel (a 1830 gouache by Johan Fredrik Julin):

[the-deeds-to-shibden]

Saturday 27 July 1839

Continuing on the way to the Norwegian border, Anne and Ann admire lake Vänern and breakfast on strawberries and cream. Ann loses her pencil, while Anne gets fed up with how slowly they are travelling and takes the reins herself!

[up at] 3 ¼

[to bed at] 12

Slept well – off at 4 7/” – very foggy – found our cloaks on, not too much – pretty drive leaving the canal far left, but could see the white sails – At the river at 5 1/2 – broad, wooded and very pretty – at 5 3/4 cross wooden bridge over beautiful (rapidy under the bridge) arm of the lake, and drive thro’ fir-wood – at Wennersborg at 6 11/” – no horses – must wait 1 1/2 hour – Ann and I strolled about the town for 1 1/4 hour – long wood bridge (a couple of draw parts) over the neck of the lake – several new buildings in progress – wood on stone footings – the lake really looks like a sea – from 7 25/” to 8 25/” breakfast at a ‘Restauration’ strawberries and cream and bread and butter – good –Wennersborg a nice town – burnt down all but the church in 1834 – but marvellously built up again – Ann lost her pencil – off again at 8 55/” – picturesque drive to Almo – 1/2 hour to wait there – same sort of drive to Raknĕbo but no waiting there – off directly – and prettier than the last stage – I drove (1st time) the last and this stage (tired of the slowness last stage) till about 11 when Ann feeling faint we had a little of Mrs. Tod’s Rice panăcacka – I drove thro’ Uddevalla good town situated on very pretty fiord – at a farm house some little way from Herrestad (single house) engaged horses which were to to follow us immediately so that we were off again in 8 minutes at 1 27/” with our, as John1 called him, our gentleman driver – he drove very well – the most hilly stage we have had – I slept several times but awake enough to see that from Herrestad to Quistrum is the most picturesque stage we have come – long and steep ascents and descents – another fiord – Quistrum at 3 24/” 3 or 4 scattered wood-built houses – alighted at 3 35/” and went into the garden of the post-station apparently the best house in the place – good 3 arch-stone bridge at the far end of the town – higher mountains valley narrow very picturesque our road improves in mountain hight and narrowings of valley and fiord as we go along – Alighted 1 4/” hour at Quistrum waiting for horses – terrible – after being in the garden sat in the carriage writing inking over2 Friday (yesterday) – a drop or 2 of rain before starting and afterward a good deal of rain – stop in a shower at 7 25/” at a little distance from the stage house to change horses and this man drove us thro’ the post station of Svarteberg a farm house to near Rabalshede, also a farm house, and we changed horses in the road – the owner of the horses being in his field our driver called him and drove us to Hede where we stopt at 9 3/4  the rain having continued the whole way – single house – the landlord in bed – supper till 11 10/” bread and butter and milk and pancakes – Fahrenheit 64 1/2 at 11 40/” p.m. very rainy from about 4 3/4 p.m. for the rest of the day – rainy night –

 Marginal notes:

so far written over Sunday 28 July at Hogdal

Quistrum

Hede

 Notes:

1 The guide they engaged in Gothenburg.

2 Anne tended to write her travel notes first in pencil, and later go over them in ink.

Pages in WYAS Catalogue:  SH:7/ML/TR/12/0009    SH:7/ML/TR/12/0010

The three-arch bridge in Kvistrum, also the location of a battle in 1788:

The town of Uddevalla, through which Anne drove:

[the-deeds-to-shibden]

Tuesday 3 September 1839

[Today it’s the third and final mine visit of the Sweden tour: the silver mine of Sala. This time Ann descends into the pit as well, and gets to choose how they get back to the surface! A hearty meal, a beautiful sunset, and an impromptu Swedish lesson gleaned from the postbook round off the day.]

[up at] 6 35/”

[to bed at] 10

Much rain in the night fine in the morning F 64° at 7 breakfast at 8 5/”  breakfast at 8 ¾ and off in the carriage to the mine at 9 ½ having put forward my watch 20 minutes to these clocks – at the mine at 9 50/”  began descent at 10 35/” – in ½ hour at the palais 86 famms deep

Whole depth = 145 famms

Great specimens at 92 ditto

Premiere etage = 106 ditto

Second -----

Third etage = 127 ditto at 11 35/”

Water at the bottom – bottom pit 150 famms deep – we went  close to the waters edge and were then 142 famms deep – Began the ascent at 12 – one deep ladder up to where  we got the lime specimen (Kalk) then a short almost perpendicular ladder and a passage and another ladder and  then back at the place third etage where 2 men sat and gave us new torches gave one man (guide) a new torch – 127 famms deep – here we  had to choose whether to mount by escaliers or by the bucket – Ann chose the former – we  had reached the place in 5 or 6 minutes –  huge caverny place – off again upwards at 12 10/”  110 men – can earn from 20 to 48 skillings banco a piece  per day – CXI (for Charles 11) near the bottom just before  descending the ladders I think 166 steps to the first etage at 12 19/” curious veins  of white lime (Kalk) like arches – more and more conspicuous here than elsewhere – did not observe this archlike appearance anywhere else    gin but no horses now – none of 24 years – now the mine is so deep, all the ore is got up at one  place, le grand puits and this here is the premier etage – we have wound round different galleries  to it since the 166 steps – an immense hall here  now [at] 12 25/” – this first etage 106 famms deep –  there John stopt to get another torch opposite the  escalier on which we stood waiting at 150 steps  from (about) the first etage – then 307 steps up to  64 famms of depth at 12 25/” (my watch must have stood)  at 12 40/” had mounted 571 steps more there a gallery lofty and then  stood looking into le grand puits (the great shaft which is  roundish – 4 or 5 yards in diameter?) Then 150 steps  and at the top at 12 44/” came out into the little building 5 or  6 yards from the great pit mouth –   1344 = steps of escaliers exclusive of ladders and slopes –  

The man shewed us the plan of the mine in this work Berättelse om Sala Silfververke

På Sala Bergslags anmodan

fåfattad af J.H. af Forssellers

Berghauptman. Stockholm, tryckt

hos J.P. Lindh, 1818

Then washed hands etc saw the pumps etc till 1 ¾ - off  back again at 1 48/” and at home at 2 2/” – ordered beefsteak and  coffee – i.e. dinner at 2 50/” all good – another sort of limpa bread white good – off at 3 40/” – no! 4 5/” therefore  = my watch had lost 25 minutes since 9 ½ this morning –  No forest – corn land – rye one then barley another – and fallow  every other year – a woman ploughing just out of Sala  and a woman thrashing corn yesterday morning – a woman thrashing  this afternoon – 4 sorts of hay here –  a horse’s keep costs a rigs dollar a day at Stockholm Land laid up in high ridges for wheat next spring – Tårnaby at 5 ¼ small station tidy looking one story red wood house not good farm yard buildings but might sleep? Nice open corn country nice drive and beautiful evening and sunset – to Carlby at  6 55/” – very nice good red wood station house – should have been in clover here but wish to push on and having dined  want nothing but beds – a little to the left of us (in sight ¼ hour ago)  the white church steeple of Sintuna Must wait 1 1/2 hour for horses – resolved to stay all night –  

År 1839 vag

September månads Dag-bok

             wid

Carleby Gastgifweri, der Skjutsningen

             Upprätthålles för Dygnet af

             Håll-hästar         ---          Inga st[ädslade]

             Reserve  --- ---    29 ½ mantal                     Skjutsar i tour

             Gästgifwarens egne 1 ½ ditto

             Hwarifrån Skjuts utgår*  

Sat 20 minutes in the carriage copying the above from the post book. Håll Hästar i.e. horses that come at 6 p.m. and stay the  whole of the next day to be ready if wanted, Inga, none,  Reserve i.e. horses chez les paysans liable to be called  on (sent for), 29 ½ (that is 29 to be furnished and 30 another  alternately) and Gastigwarens egne the station-man himself  must furnish 1 ½ horses i.e. one 1 day and two the next –  therefore there are 31 horses liable to be taken i.e. the Reserve  (the number of horses) = 31 at this station –  Came in at 7 ¼ – new good house but well we want nothing  to eat – one small room with 2 little beds but comfortable enough –  sat a young woman weaving coarsish woollen – At the silver mine this morning the man’s wife had a  nice piece of shirting in her loom – spins the wool herself  buys the weft – nice even finish thread from . . . .  this spinning and weaving district begins at Geevlä (Geffle)  and reaches to Torneå – much of the linen sold (almost the linen  sold at Stockholm) comes from there – sat writing (inking  over) the above of today till now 9 20/” – fine day – beautiful  evening from after 6 – F 66 ½ now at 9 20/” p.m.

 Anne’s marginal notes:

silver mine at Sala

166

150

307

571

150

 ____

1344

 good Inn at Sala

Note:

*Year 1839       road

Daybook for the month of September

          at

Carleby Inn, where transport 

is provided on a daily basis by 

station horses   -   none kept      }

reserve horses 29 1/2 mantal     }        provide transport by turns

innkeeper’s own  1 /12 ditto        }       

from where transport starts

Many thanks to Ylva Nilson for translation help!

WYAS pages: SH:7/ML/TR/130021    SH:7/ML/TR/130022     SH:7/ML/TR/130023

Interior of the Sala mine (photos by Pritin Tyagaraj):

The plans of the Sala mine that Anne was shown (from the work she mentions, Berättelse om Sala Silfververke by Jakob Henrik af Forselles):

[the-deeds-to-shibden]

Friday 30 August 1839

[Ann’s rheumatism is troubling her, but she continues bravely on. More foresty, laky, pretty, and picturesque landscapes are met with, while Anne waxes lyrical about Swedish bread that just hits the spot. A day of thoroughly entrancing views crowned with a good dinner - and tomorrow another mine visit beckons!]

[up at] 6 ¾

[to bed at] 12 5/” 

Fine morning but dullish and windy. F 59 1/2° at 7 ½  a.m. Poor Ann complained of pain last night left shoulder -  bad - regular rheumatism – tied a woollen stocking round it  this morning – breakfast at 8 ½ and over at 8 50/” – very comfortable here – everything  good and abundant – coffee particulary good – perhaps the best we  have had in Sweden – sent off forbud last night that we might be able to reach Falun in good time without hurrying  off this morning – the morning was sunny between 6 and 7 and finer  than now – off at 9 33/” – at very near 10 (1/2 miles from Ovanssö)  at top of hill fine view over wide expanse of country and Nasby sjö (Naseby shoo) fine large peninsular-parted inland lake the extreme distance everywhere shut in by dark pine forest – the white steeple of our church at Ovanssö seen distinctly scattered hamlets and farms as far as one can see – literally the North of Sweden seems more populous than the south parts  that we have seen and more foresty and laky and pretty and picturesque?  

off again in 7 minutes at 10 5/” – nice drive – forest  begins here at the point de vue – at Solberga at 11 10/”  forest almost all the way with scattered hamlets or little farms and solitary barns good white washed church and scattered village at a little distance from our station, small neat looking place with 2 or 3 cottages near – the country north of Upsala more picturesque  and better farmed then before – here at Solberga we are near pine- wooded (forest) ranges of hill – much of the rud-like moss on the stones today in the forest on boulder stones lying along the round sides – 1st observed in the forests in the afternoon as we drove from Österby (Dannemora) on Wednesday      Limpa bread that I like so much        Hops (and prunus padus common in Sweden) today and yesterday – today Rye  looking well – 3 inches out of the ground – beautiful drive these 2 miles – (at 1 29/”) to Rörshytta as spelt at the station – forest  and break and fine wooded hill and hamlets, farms and  cottages – beautiful lake (left) soon after the station – there at 12 ¾  to 2 10/” we cotoyent (right) large wooded islandy, indented very beautiful lake (greenshaw lake) to the village of  Shärransöön – baron Strom-sturn has a large white chateau and iron forge here and here (left) a higher water like a broad river soon extending (left) into another pretty lake that supplies the mills (forge wheels)  good picturesque scattered village – nice little church – white splashed and red village – the other villages dark red-smeared with white window  frames as usual – 

waited to write the above and en route again now  at 1 42/” – lake (right) and forest – hilly – foresty laky  and lovely today – wrote this as we walk our horses up a hill – rocky forest – this stage hilly – sunny and fine since about  noon or rather after till about 2 then dull but fair – beautiful drive  to Smedby at 3 – hilly and sandy – much and heavy rain has lately fallen  on the road – Smedby very picturesque scattered good village – large handsome white washed church – picturesque nice little red station-house – might sleep here and at the last station for both look tidy –  good clean farming and land well cleared of stones – corn about ½ housed and about ½ in stook and some yet to cut –  no wheat – rye almost all housed – chiefly oats and barley out and chiefly oats to cut – large herd of cows 1st stage going to a fair chiefly white (little) cows – worth about 30 rigsdollars apiece – off again at 3 – had entered Dalecarlia about ¼ hour before  Smedby – beautiful drive from thence – these wooded hills of Dalecarlia very beautiful – the dark pine relived by the light birch – much birch here,  floating bridge just out of Smedby – and at 3 ¾ toll gate – broad river to cross by another floating bridge just below the gate where the toll 2 skilling Banco as before was for the bridge – bridge about 6 yards wide and 40 or 50 long?  Beautiful view on both sides the bridge – the station house at Uppbo neat but small  close to the other end of the bridge – the view from this bridge next in beauty to Swinesund ferry (near Westgaard) 

Off again at 4 and soon after sunny again – beautiful drive –  hilly – forest and 2 or 3 little  lakes, and fine valley – difficult to say  which stage today most beautiful always excepting the fine lake Here Strand at 5 13/” – the clocks later – the horses ordered for  5 ½ and not come my watch ¼ too late at the last stage  nice enough station house here – could sleep very well – alighted and writing very comfortably in a room upstairs – it was near here Strand (scattered village station house standing quite at one end) that Gustavus Wasa was concealed when nearly discovered by the  Dane – what a beautiful picture might be made of the lake  and wooded hills and fine valley as a background to the cottage and Gustaf  Wasa – beautiful sunny evening now at 5 35/” and beautiful sunset – beautiful drive the great part of the way thro’ forest – more scotch than spruce – beautiful lake up – up to the river at Falun – exactly ½ way at 6 35/” a copper fonderie, the 1st we have seen – another in about ½ hour  and then a 3rd in about ¼ hour more – good handsome looking brick church  and large place and white washed town hall forming a great  part of one side of it – then cross the river over long wooden  bridge and alight at our Inn at 8 40/” – 2 good bedrooms – mine opening into a large very good salle à manger –  we are in clover – writing till supper now at 9 35/”  fried little fish and veal cutlets and little pancakes, all very  good – then coffee and sat talking till now 10 35/” – fine  day – Fahrenheit 60 ¼ at 11 p.m.

Anne’s marginal notes:

Overanssö

Ann’s rheumatism

fine view –

red rud-like moss

limpa bread

Dalecarlia

1st floating bridge near Smedby 2nd at Uppbo and view next in beauty to Swinesund ferry

Fahlu

WYAS pages:       SH:7/ML/TR/130016        SH:7/ML/TR/130017

A Dalarna landscape:

Church at Ovansjö (photo Jan Ainali):

Chateau at Stjärnsund (photo Holger Ellgaard):

Anne’s beloved limpa bread:

[the-deeds-to-shibden]

Wednesday 28 August 1839

[In this installment Anne drives much too fast and consequently has a spat with a postboy over her reckless undertaking! Pigs’ gourmand preferences, the relative merits of several types of firewood, and a nouveau riche’s lack of style are then discussed, and a very pretty village and impressive waterfall are admired by Anne and Ann. We also learn who gets a good deal of the profit from Dannemora mine and some of the things he does with the money.]

[up at] 6 50/”

[to bed at] 11 50/”

fine but dull Fahrenheit 61º at 7 a.m. all ready at 7 3/4 –  breakfast at 8 – Suderby est 3/4 de mile d’ici – Mr. Tamm’s house called Ӧsterby, and the village also so called the house close upon the lake – See and buy plan of Rome – bought for the governor of Upsala for 10 rigs dollars    off from Ӧsterby at 9 – comfortable there – bill 6 Dollars Banco and gave the woman 12 skillings

boy from Bro uncivil Rowe about my driving so fast – did the 1/2 mile 25 minutes so had to change here or were to have gone to the next station – by law must drive 1 mile in 1 1/2 hour* – nice drive to Bro – good farming and crops and land, and well inhabited for Sweden – Bro (pronounced Broo) a very small scattered hamlet 

Nice foresty drive from Bro to Hokambo the station house and a cottage or 2 – one might perhaps sleep here if necessary –  Scotch fir called Tall (pronounced Tahl) good for burning and ship building and charcoal – Spruce called Graun not good for burning – dangerous because flies off in sparks – Pigs very fond of the roots of brackens (orm graes, serpent grass) Preserve grapes in ant-hill stuff – our peasant rents of Mr. Tamm of arable land what will sow 6 tonneaus or sacks of corn – 1 tonneau = 500 to 600 ells square – and he had pasture that would keep 6 cows tho’ he has but 3 – he has 5 horses and 9 sheep –  roads 8 or 9 feet wide – but at 2 1/4 get into wide road for a while –  at 2 25/” enter gate into the very pretty of Löfsta – Count Jer, pronounced (Yare) the richest man in Sweden to whom 1/3 of the Dannemora mines belongs – large handsome 3 story high barn – forges shut nobody there – very pretty village and lake – avenue of good trees a sort of maple common everywhere here and ash and elm –  neat, yellow-washed mortar-splashed cottages of the Count’s workmen good scattered village – then the brick chateau with pediment in front towards charged with the Count’s arms and supporters – pretty shrubby ground and gardens - hot-houses etc. large orange trees in tubs, and everything in good taste and style – much better than chez Tam who got his house and a great deal by his wife and bought a great deal himself – he  and his son associated in the business and the son has what came by his mother –  Löfsta with its chateau the prettiest nicest village and place we have seen in Sweden – 

Here at Skerpling (pronounced Sherpling) at 3 37/” – pass several ant-hills in the forests today – like little haycocks perhaps 2 feet 6 inches high and as much in diameter at the bottom – very fine day – wrote while we change horses –  fjord right – then foresty to (at 5 20/” ) picturesque village – good church scattered good little village – then forest – till at 6 35/” alight for 1/4 hour a little above the bridge and go down to the saw mill to see the fall of the Dal at the hamlet of Elfkerby – no fall at Trolhättan equal to it – but a place to see it from wanted – we scrambled for a point de vue from the end of the saw mill over the water goit –  Charles xiii’s Bro and Charles John has diminished (lowered) the toll in 1816 – at Elfkerby at 7 11/” – single house –  not large – had it looked tempting would have slept there and gone to breakfast tomorrow at Geffle – the town of Elfkerby with its church straggles in a long line along the East side of the river called East Elfkerby and what is on this side (a few scattered houses) called says our hobbletehoy horseman West Elfkerby – the fall and the scenery immediately around – the river – the town of Elfkerby – the surrounding woods etc. very fine bit of scenery – a drop or 2 of rain at the bridge toll-house but holds off – latterly darkish – at Geffle at 9 55/”  no good doings –  

Anne’s marginal notes:

Plan of Rome

Scotch fir

Löfsta

anthills

Fall of the Dal

Note on Anne’s speeding:

*The miles referred to here are Scandinavian miles: in 1839, one Scandinavian mile equalled 10.688 km. Anne’s account enables us to calculate that she was driving at the rate of 12.83 km/h (or about 8 English miles per hour), while the postboy, and the law, expected her to do 7.13 km/h (or 4.4 mph) between stations. If this seems rather on the slow side, later on Anne will tell us how much she enjoys travelling on Finnish roads because gates are infrequent, whereas in Sweden a gate tends to pop up in the road every half an English mile or so. Having to slow down and faff around with a gate this often would certainly tend to make for a low speed of travel, as would the narrowness of road - Anne seems to think 8 or 9 feet does not make for a wide road.

WYAS pages:  SH:7/ML/TR/13/0013     SH:7/ML/TR/13/0014

Lövsta Bruk, by Johan Fredrik Julin (1798-1843); the prettiest and nicest place Anne and Ann had yet seen in Sweden:  

A view of Älvkarleby Falls from the saw mill (where Anne and Ann saw them from) by Elias Martin (1739-1818); the waterfalls were destroyed in their original form when they were harnessed for a power station in 1915:

[the-deeds-to-shibden]

Thursday 29 August 1839

[To Ann’s delight, our heroines continue eating their way through the wildfowl of Sweden. Anne practices her Swedish and checks out the local timber, iron, and snuff (was she reminded of Tib?) industries.]

[up at] 6 35/”

[to bed at] 12

fine morning Fahrenheit 61º at 6 50/” at Geffle pronounced (Yaveleh) worst beds we have had –  Plo a plough and ploye to plow (employ) dirtiest room and worst supper we have had considering that we had soup and salmon – 1/2 dozen good boiled eggs and bread and butter made up our meal – counting over money – out at 8 1/2 in the town and timber yards along the waters side 1 tree 2 feet diameter where cut off = 220 years 1 ditto 15 yards long 18 to 20 diameter and 12 inches at the small end appears by the circles aetatis 200 years+ the tree seems to make most wood from the age of about 50 to 100? 1 tree 21 yards long 10 or 11 inches diameter small end – 20 to 22 inches bottom end. two or three very good vessels on the stocks. passed a large coarse cloth (sail cloth) weaving room 26 pair looms  and passed a snuff manufactory – 8,000 inhabitants says Handbook and that is all the mention of Geffle – the sea comes into the heart of the town up to the bridges in the form of a good river about like the Thames at Richmond, which runs westward some distance and there branches from it a canal or two that seem to surround the town at least on the south side – the principal street seems north and south running thro’ the grands places and several other streets run east and west – good quais and the raff-yards and ship-building and warehouses full of deals run along the other side of the water – of deals outside saw

1 piece 9 yards long would square to two feet

1 ditto 12   “       “    would square to 16 inches

very little oak 

came in at 11 a.m.

breakfast at 11 5/” good coffee for Sweden – off from Geffle (Yēfflĕh) at 12 25/” – good town – commerce in wood, gaudron, and transport of iron – 2 fabriques de tabac – one of sail-cloth, and one of serviettes the largest trees, says our horseman, come from about a mile from Gefle, a forest that belongs to the peasants – near Elfkerby – trees there 400-500 years old sold by the ell of length – if the trees large and good (clean – free  from knots) sell for 2 1/2 rigsgeld dollars per ell – if less in girth or not so free from knots = 2 rigs dollars per ell – and so on – therefore the 2 large trees (vide the last page) might sell for (supposing the whole length to be 30 yards) 75 rigsdollars = 50 Dollars Banco = between £4 and £5 English? if they have to be brought from Elfkerby – we walked this morning lastly on the south side the river ought to have been on the opposite side where there is a shaded (avenue of largeish trees) broad (public?) walk stretching far down to the river’s mouth – considerably farther than we could well get thro’ the raff-yards – off from Gefle at 12 25/”   broad road but much cut up and for the 1st 3/4 hour the worst road we have travelled in Sweden – the post station changed 2 years ago to where it is now i.e. Öby pronounced (eub-beu)         Over the door is written as follows in yellow letters on black board in a yellow frame (like a picture frame about 18x14 inches)            

 Från Öby Gästgifvaregård

           i Whahlbo Socken af Gestrikland

Skjutsas till Gefle ------------- 7/8 mil.

-------------- Högbo ------------ 1 3/8

-------------- Fremlingshem --- 1 9/16

Skjuttslegan är 16 S[killing]s milen för hvarje häst-wagns-

lega 2 S[killing]s och kärr lega 1 Skill[ing] banco milen.*

Holear, ostler

gästgifvaregård auberge (guestgive. . . .

gastgifvar, the landlord.

 had just written the last page sitting at 1 55/” – the carriage at the door – off at 2 – nice foresty drive – at the forge at Forsbakka at 2 40/” – fonderies and forges – beautiful wooded islandy lake and a fine sheet of water or larger lake below – at a considerably lower level – and large handsome chateau and garden and hot houses – several buildings 2 or 3 large charcoal houses – 2 or 3 buildings where in each one water wheel turns 2 blast furnaces - and and another wheel turns two stamping hammers which beat the iron into bars – two or 3 buildings where they make nails – one or 2 where they were making machinery soufflet blastbellows with joiners shop above – saw only one forge where they were melting the ore – and I peeped into one corn mill 3 pair stones in the one top story I was at the different stories reached by inclined planes of wood outside good picturesque scattered village – everything looks thriving – the baron to be in the iron trade – all who have to do with it seem rich and well chateaued or housed – En route again at 4 10/” – gate just out of the village and pay 9 skillings rigs = 6 skillings banco toll – Rain at 4 1/2 - at Högbo at 5 – poor looking place but alighted to get out of the rain and found the woman very civil and the place much better looking into the court than into the village picturesque little place – several stolpe-bods** – kitchen separate as usual from the Inn part of the house – might sleep there if necessary – Rained but not heavily all the way from 4 to after arriving at Ovanssö at 6 48/”  nice looking place – alighted for the night – very clean and comfortable – 2 bedrooms and eating room besides – a wild water fowl and good boiled potatoes and pickled herring and smoked salmon (lax) – good supper – Ann enjoyed the bird – supper over at 8 3/4 – from then till now inking over accounts and inking over pencil in this book till now 10 40/” – finish but dull day till 4 1/2p.m. and then more or less almost ever since – Fahrenheit 60 1/4° now at 11 1/2 p.m.

 Anne’s marginal notes:

Forsbakka.

Notes:

*From Öby inn

           in Whahlbo parish of Gestrikland

Transport to Gefle ------------- 7/8 mile

-------------- Högbo ------------ 1 3/8

-------------- Fremlingshem --- 1 9/16

Transport fee is 16 S[killing]s per mile for each horse, fee for four-wheeled vehicle 2 sk[illings], fee for two-wheeled vehicle 1 skill[ing] banco per mile

**stolpebod - a storage hut erected on posts

(many thanks to Ylva Nilson for translation help!)

WYAS pages:       SH:7/ML/TR/13/0014         SH:7/ML/TR/13/0015

A stolpebod dating to the 18th century (photo by Håkan Svensson) :

Gävle, north harbour:

[the-deeds-to-shibden]

Monday 2 September 1839

[On the way to visiting a third mine, Anne measures a floating bridge and muses on several legal terms relating to estate holdings, while Ann sketches. Carpeting is encountered in their room for tonight, which luxury is so unexpected Anne gives it three exclamation marks.]

[up at] 5 35/”

[to bed at] 11 1/4

Rainy night and morning. F 66° at 6 a.m. ready at 6 ½ -  wrote out yesterdays accounts – off at 7 from Sater (good coffee and bread and butter last night and very fairly comfortable tho’ our room rather  small – Rainy morning and rain latterly heavyish all the way to Grädo – foresty beautiful drive – fine country – fine open valley  shut in as yesterday with beautiful wooded hills – land well farmed and cleared of stone as yesterday but the worst stage in point of  road that we have had (sandy and heavy after the rain) – the ville of Hedemora at 9 ½ – large good-looking white washed church – leave it and the main part of the  town left – just skirt thro’ the top of the town – large beautiful lake – the environs of Hedemora very beautiful but the road as bad or worse than at Geffle (Heev-läh) 

at 10 the pont flottant  over the fine river Dal a hundred yards broad here at least it took us 3 minutes to go foots pace over the bridge close to the village of Grådö – at la poste at 9 5/” – nice new  house – good rooms – very comfortable – coffee and bread and butter (no limpa)  and 4 boiled eggs at 9 ¾ in ¾ hour – then wrote the above of today till 10 35/” – the Dal a fine river here – then had to wait for horses – a great fair somewhere in the neighbourhood – many travellers in the night – all  the horses gone – our breakfast 1.28.0 rigs and gave the ostler 4 skillings for  ordering the horses – offered 8 skillings Banco but John said it was too much! no woman servant in the way expecting to be have something given therefore 40 2/3 skillings  banco + 4 skillings = 44 2/3 = our expense – should have slept here very  well – beautiful country – bad heavy sandy road all the way to  Brunbäck but foresty, with fine breaks, pretty drive –   At Brunbäck at 1 35/” very well considering the road and the heavy rain between 12 and 1 rain more or less almost all the way but tho’ no umbrella  up, our cloaks (2 apiece) have kept us quite dry – here as we sit writing at the station – (not so good a house as the last but yet good might sleep here very well) the fine broad Dal and another pont flottant about 100 yards off, full in sight – this bridge does not seem quite so long as the other? – very fine hill wooded  well farmed country hereabouts – much oat yet to cut –  the young rye everywhere looks well – wheat never sown till spring – the Dal river here the west, or Wäster Dal Elfven a fine river – its banks not very high but often beautifully wooded  and the scenery charming – populous all today and yesterday for Sweden –  towns villages hamlets and farms; but one farm with all its appurtenances  looks like a little hamlet – one here learns the full value of the word appurtenances – and the value of the word heriditament  just occurs to me – vide Bolkesö – that is an heriditament  and therefore redeemable 20 years after sale vide 

– off at 2 ¾ – Ann and I walked over the floating bridge – I strode it and made it 190 yards of water + 12 or 13 yards more of bridge at each end of slope down to  the up from the water – bridge about 4 yards wide – they say the river is wider here than at Grådso – beautiful on each side of the bridge – like a broad wooded lake – no great length of river seen because of its winding – The station and 2 or 3 other good red wood houses very pretty and picturesque – forest  (chiefly scotch) from the bridge almost to the door of our station –  about 3 35/” get out of Dalcarlia – and till about 4 10/”  sandy cut-up heavy road – for about the last 10 minutes the road pretty good – at our station (might sleep here  very well) at Jordbro   .   .  at 4 18/” – horses ½ mile  off – an hour to wait as at our last station – terrible –  sat writing upstairs – very comfortable – sat inking over pencil (of Dannemora) till now 5 40/” – a shower a little while ago – just now a little sunshine – off at 5 47/” – Ann had sketched the station house –  one of the most picturesque we have had – tired horses – forest again at a short distance from the town – about ½ way 2 or 3 pretty lakes, or one large one – cross it twice over 2 long raised chaussées – forest within ½ mile of  Sala – arrived at 8 5/” – darkish the last ¼ hour or 20 minutes   Comfortable double bedrooms there – carpetted !!! i.e. 3 or  4 breadths of coarse sort of carpet laid over the floor – supper  at 9 ¼ to 10 – rainy day but fine evening after 7 p.m.  F 64 ½ at 10 ¼ p.m.

Anne’s marginal notes:

Grädo

spring wheat young rye

appurtenances heriditament

Sala

WYAS pages: SH:7/ML/TR/13/0020   SH:7/ML/TR/13/0021

The “large good-looking white washed church” at Hedemora:

A floating bridge on the river Dal (photo E. E. Westin):

[the-deeds-to-shibden]

Friday 26 July 1839

(This is the beginning of Anne’s travel notes covering the journey from Gothenburg, Sweden to Norway, back to Sweden, onwards to Finland and to St. Petersburg, and the stay in St. Petersburg prior to continuing for Moscow. The travel notes are the only record Anne left for this period, as the corresponding pages in her journal are blank.)

Anne Lister and Ann Walker set out from Gothenburg toward the Norwegian border and Christiania (today’s Oslo) in their newly-bought light carriage, leaving the heavy carriage they left Shibden in, as well as their two servants, to await their return in Gothenburg. On the way they visit the Trollhättan Falls.

[up at] “ [did not go to bed]

[to bed at] 9 1/4

Dull but fair morning up all last night packing – off at 5 a.m. from Götheborg – 1st stage (Agnesborg) 1/8 mile – paid 1 mile and 24 skilling banco per horse instead of 16 skilling Banco – 55 minutes going – slow therefore would give nothing to the driver – low granite or gneiss mountain valley – along the Götha canal, which is not far off (left) – no forebud – off again in 1/4 hour – horses ready – had to wait about the paying – at 6 1/2 near the canal – fine reaches of it – range of mountain on the other side beautifully wooded every now and then – with country houses – very pretty – Change horses at 7 20/” a little way from the post – the horses ready – glad to take us the carriage being so light – lose sight of the canal now and then – at Kattleberg at 9 7/” merely 1/2 dozen wood houses – at 10 3/4 come to forest of firs (spruce and Scotch) and oak and alder and beautiful views up the canal at 11 1/4 leave the Christiania road (left) and now 3 miles from Trolhättan – beautiful peeps of the canal – beautiful drive – a good house on the other side of the road – ‘for the Royals where the King stops when he comes this way’ at 11 25/” close upon the canal – very beautiful – white sails – large Raft of floating timber – at 1 5/” very pretty wooded islandy lake (right) – another afterwards but less picturesque – turn left leaving the Wannersborg road at 2 20/” – At Trolhättan scattered, woodbuilt town at 2 47/” – large handsome looking wood-built Inn – 2 or 3 times as large and good as any other house in the little town – ordered dinner and Ann and I out at 3 25/” – to the falls and locks and back and dinner at 6 1/2 – and came to our room at 7 40/” – fine day tho’ a drop or 2 of rain while we were at the locks, but it held off – Fahrenheit 70º now at 8 3/4 p.m. having just paid our bill and counted over all the money – the falls are 2 series of cataracts – the 1st of 4 grades – the lower or Devils fall which John said was the finest, for a goose or whatever was thrown in was never seen again seemed merely one grade but we had the worst view of this – and in fact it must be much inferior to the upper series – a good gravel walk made all along –

Marginal notes:

Trolhättan

Trolhättan falls

Page in WYAS Catalogue:   SH:7/ML/TR/12/0009.

A view of Gullo Fall in Trollhättan, from 1839, the year Anne and Ann visited. From “Meyer’s Universum: oder, Abbildung und Beschreibung des sehenswerthesten und merkwürdigsten der Natur und Kunst auf der ganzen Erde”, a book of topographical views published 1833-1848.

[the-deeds-to-shibden]

Sunday 1 September 1839

[Today Anne and Ann visit a historically important toilet, hear a grisly account of a terrible crime, and feast on thick cream, biscuits, and pancakes. The making of brandy and Anne's beloved limpa bread is discussed, and more Swedish is learned.]

[up at] 7

[to bed at] 11

Fine but dull and F 61° at 7 ¼ a.m. breakfast at 8 40/60 to 9 ½  - off at 10 from Fahlun – beautiful winding hilly  foresty laky drive to Örnas on the lake Dalsjö (Dalshew)  nortwest of Fahlun – at Ornas at 11 ½ the house Gustaf  I slept in one night and from which he escaped by the necessary – all kept  up as it was then –  Gustaf I son of count Vasa – born at Lindholmen I Roslagen  3 miles from Stockholm 12 May 1490. Crowned at Upsala 12 February 1528 reigned 37 years ob[iit] 29 September 1560 – the room in which he slept  in is about 9 x 7 yards – one window to the north 8 lights about 2 feet high  and 17 or 18 inches broad and one window of 4 such lights to the east –  the bed too high and modern to be that he slept in – himself in armour under canopy in north east corner – large map (about 4 yards x 7 or 8 feet)  of the environs of the place (of Dalecarlia) done by Johan Brandberg  1751 and 1758 of the royal col[lege] of mines at Stockholm – old pictures of  the kings since Gustaf I including the present king – large pedigree tree of Gustaf I and  his descendants down to the last of his line (about 5 feet x 5 feet worth copying)  Besides Gustaf there are 3 other figures large as life standing near the door – 2 Dalecarlians (peasants) and a man in armour from near Upsala –   Shingle roof each shingle about 18 x 5 inches and about ½ inch thick  fined away to 1/3 of that – every where 3 laps except just at the eves  and there 2 laps – then whole of the premier down to the floor and the parapet  of the gallery (upper gallery) covered with red smeared shingles rounded at the bottom  

a  the white washed place just to the west of the winding staircase, must be the cellar.

edge – the winding staircase  also thus shingle covered – fronts south  the necessary an oblong squary  projection to the north – the building is 3 equal sized rooms  the necessary entered by a passage taken off 2 tiers of gallery 3 doors  on each opening into the 3 rooms  apparently same size as Gustaf’s above and below – no fire place  in his room – could not see the  others – locked up – doors  about 5 feet + high with each     A high threshold to step over – all kept in good order – the  timbers laid log-wise (tree upon tree) and boarded against in the inside  (lined with boards inside) – the wood house raised on rough stone work  (white washed) 3 or 4 feet high more or less according to the level of the ground.  Lake close south and west of the house within a few yards of it – Lake with wooded islands very beautiful – 2 or 3 cottages hereabouts and houses scattered about at some distance – at a little distance is small neat white washed house – the house of the squire?  The place belongs to the grandson of the man (noble) just dead before his  trial ordered for the cruel imprisoning of his wife who in consequence lost  her reason and died miserably – her corpse ½ eaten by rats - 2 or 3 years ago –   7 lights east end of top gallery window and 2 lights in the window east end of house  6 ditto west end of ditto – the 2 ditto in window west end of house look on the  lake – they are 2 nice little rooms one at each end of the upper  gallery – the lower gallery parapet an open sort of trellis work    

Rain came on about (after) 1 and now at 1 ¼ heavyish shower for ½ hour Curious old house well worth seeing –  should like a model of it.  Hops today – everywhere lilacs – generally forming garden-hedges –  fair some time ago – sat writing till now 2 ½ p.m. – then went  to meet madame Starenfeld, 

wife of mister le majeur owner of the old house and the squire here – he had gone for her to do the honours, speak French and shew us the rooms locked up –  

an old date cut on 1 of the  timbers EM 1391  in the passage going to the necessary  said to be the date of the house    

Very civil nice little woman – had her from 3 (just as  we were setting off) to 2 40/.. – it was her mother who  died so miserably – she (madame Starenfeld) distantly related to Mr. Brandberg who made the map and fitted up the room as it is at present – he bought or got the property and it came to Mrs Starenfeld’s family about 30 years ago – she shewed me the cellar – one of the rooms at the end of the gallery –   Off at 3 ¾ - they stopt us with coffee – went to the house – off from there at 4 ¼ – at 4 47/..  at the ferry over the Dal – over in 5 minutes – beautiful foresty laky drive – pretty ferry – the distance shut in all round by wooded hill – 17 to 18 famms deep water – noir  like deep water – over in 5 minutes for 4 skilling banco – at Naglerby  at 5 20/.. – village – sat (waiting for horses) in the carriage in the farm or  straw yard before la poste – seems a neat little place – 1 ¼ miles from  Falun to Örnes and 1 mile from Ornes to Naglerby – instead of returning  to Falun have come along the other side the lake (Dalsjö) good road to  here and from here to Säter 1 ¾ miles –   

Korn (koorn) barley – lade, barn – Træske, to thrash corn

Havre (haav-räh) oats

Ochre – harva (ochre ploughed – harva harrow)

Naglerby, a wood, unpainted rather scattered village  20 minutes off the large good white washed church Gustaf’s kirke – at 7 ½ pump long line of high across the road  for iron works and large unpainted wood village – and just  out of the end of it turn right to Säter having till then seemed to leave instead of approach its white church seen ¾  hour before arriving at the station quite at the end of the town and far from  the church – Our drive from Örnes and more particulary from Naglerby  the best farmed, most livable, part of Sweden we have passed  thro’ – good corn and potato crops – a good deal of oats yet to cut, but riper  good pasture – ground clean from stones as in other countries   The Dal a good river – lost sight of it from Naglerby –  wide open, large well inhabitated valley all along  particulary from Naglerby – very nice agreeable comfortable  pretty drive this afternoon – madame Starenfeld said the people were  poor in Dalecarlia – no appearance of it but the women’s  sheep-skin jackets woolside in,  and leather (looking  rather like buff) outside – a fine healthy looking set  of people – madame Starenfeld told me that a large glass wicker-enclosed  bottle of brandy (like one of our vitriol or aqua fortis bottles cased in  wicker like a florence oil flask) is worth 20 rigs  dollars – they distil brandy for themselves but not to sell – distill from oats but a little wheat is mixed with the oats –  Limpa bread has syrup, and orange peel and aniseed in it.  They make it for home use but can’t make it so well as the boulanger  They gave us very fair coffee with cream so rich one could hardly  pour it, and a thin sort of wafer biscuit gofery called rohan – their house that they themselves live in and where we  were has 2 rooms below their salon and bedrooms and opposite  the entrance door a closet and door to the stair case leading up to the grenier garret above – near is another building for  the children and servants and another for the kitchen,  and another for  storehouse etc etc and thus every the establishment consists of several houses and outbuildings – they have 14 servants all paid partly  in kind and a small part of their wages in money – the owners of estates  can’t leave home – she said they had too much to do – true – wrote the above  till 9 p.m. and then supper coffee and bread and butter and little round pancakes  all good – supper and all ready for bed at 9 ¾ - fine day, except  the heavy shower between 1 and 2 p.m. F 66° in our little bedroom now at 9 ¾ p.m.

Anne’s marginal notes:

next to Gustaf (among the kings) is the picture of the lady?  to whom the house then belonged when Gustaf was here. Map and pedigree  

majeur and Mrs Starenfeld

biscuit limpa bread brandy

WYAS pages: SH:7/ML/TR/13/0019     SH:7/ML/TR/13/0020

Lake Runn, whose southwestern part, named Ösjön rather than Dalsjö as Anne believes, the Ann(e)s drive past and admire in this entry:

Anne’s sketch compared with a modern photo of the house which the future king Gustav Vasa hastily left through the toilet (the projection in the middle of the first floor frontage):

[the-deeds-to-shibden]

Wednesday 21 August 1839

[Almost at Stockholm. Anne avoids falling off the bed, but feels - as she so often does - that the inn’s prices are daylight robbery. She and Ann have a nose round a busy harbour, but the afternoon’s sightseeing out of the carriage window is rather spoiled by the rain. Can you spot the mention of a location that has so often brought back some very poor memories?]

[up at] 7 1/2

[to bed at] 9 55/”

fine but dull Fahrenheit 63 1/2º at 8 3/4 a.m. and breakfast – good room – little beds mine on a sofa had to be eked out with 3 chairs or my overhanging mattress would have fallen off –  our dinner yesterday pickled eel, veal cutlets (not so good as yesterday at Ӧrebrö) peas, carrots, bread and cheese and butter, and 3 little saucers of preserves, raspberries black currants and gooseberries and a carafe of fresh water – breakfast coffee and bread and butter and gooseberries –  

bill =                  dinner 4/.    }

Breakfast                      1/24 }

Lodging and carriage    6/24 }

2 wax lights                   1/.    }

about 1 English quart  }

gooseberries (red)     } ./24 }

                                        13.24.0 Rigs = 9 Banco

Should have paid for the same in any large town in England York, Manchester, etc. etc. as under

Dinner              .     £0.6.0

Breakfast       .            2.0

apartment         .         3.0

2 wax lights        .        2.0

                              £0.13.0

9 dollars banco

exchange at 11.32.0 per £1 = about £0.16.6  ­­­______ !!!

Westerås a good Swedish town – not so many turf-roofed outbuildings as at Ӧrebrö? but a country like town – every house having a garden and sort of farm yard with cowhouse and other farm buildings – gardens at Ӧrebrö but not so many farmyards? At the quay here (Westerås) 5 good large sea vessels and one good steamer – the Stadhus and prison great big white plain buildings nearly surrounded with water – as we walked along the street by the river (water – in a deep walled channel) almost every house had a counting house and lastly up to the quay or wooden pier or jetty was a line of warehouses – long barrels (cylinders but rather larger diameter at one end than the other) of tallow and other commoner shaped barrels full of we knew not what – vide foot of last page – off this morning at 9 55/”  wide extensive plain shut in the distance by ranges of low hill or rising ground generally wooded –  very soon a peep at the lake soon after leaving the town but soon lost sight of it altogether – hardly any forest and from Westerås to the station (single house) at Nykvarn at 12 20/” – not good looking house – could hardly have slept there – It had begun to rain a little about 12 and continues drizzling now at 1 1/2 – very little forest this last stage – country thinly inhabited tho’ as much/well as yesterday –  

Enköping at 1 43/” – Ann says ‘tidy sort of hotel’ – one long street and pass thro’ large low-housed grande Place rough (boulder stone) paved and grass-grown as in general even the place of the Swedish church at Götheborg green with grass –  a loom in almost every cottage window in this town as in all the others we have passed thro’ since Götheborg – large courtyards etc. behind the houses here as yesterday and before – this town also on an arm of the Malar lake but we have seen nothing of the lake since just –  out of Westerås – not so good a town as Ӧrebrö or Westerås –  but Ӧrebrö seems the capital? – we observed at Westerås yesterday in our search in the courtyards the great smell of pullen and the quantity of hen places – they must feed poultry for the Stockholm market? – smartish rain here now at 1 50/” off at 1 55/” – much rocky boulder stone-encumbered junipery ground today –  no peep at the lake – at 1 5/” the diligence passes us – 4 horses abreast – the carriage like a French mallepost and here on the hill a little bit of forest, young Scotch, with a few tolerable older ditto –  a few sheep here as everywhere on the moor-land – but largeish not little mountain like Blackstonedge sheep – Lislena single house not good looking – small – could hardly sleep here – forest before 4 to nearly Gran (I think but I was reading Norsk and looked up now and then) at 4 3/4  single house – good and neat looking could sleep very well – still rain – a good deal of forest from here – at 6 40/”  see the lake and then forest and very pretty but then rain spoils it sadly – At Tibble at 7 8/” [?] amid breaks in the forest and peeps of the wooded islandy lake –  good house – 2 bedded room opening into large room 8 x 7 ½ yards at 8 had boiled milk and pancakes and blau (cloud) berries and my gooseberries and our Gotheborg bread – Ann had a little tea of this morning heated by our little boiler – all good – had Grotza at 8 55/” Rain came on about 12 and then rainy afternoon and evening Fahrenheit 62 1/2º now at 9 20/” p.m.

 Anne’s marginal notes:

Dear Inn

Westerås

Enkoping

gen[era]l obs[ervations]

 Note:

Thanks to Tina Johns for locating the right Nykvarn!

WYAS Catalogue:    SH:7/ML/TR/13/0003     SH:7/ML/TR/13/0004

 Lake Mälaren:

[the-deeds-to-shibden]

Sunday 18 August 1839

[Anne and Ann continue their journey towards Stockholm, passing through several villages and towns. Anne’s fascination with agriculture and botany is evident from these notes. At one point she just wanders into some farm buildings and inspects the cows’ and pigs’ living arrangements. The day ends with a stunning sunset, a simple supper, and... some productive time on the toilet.]

[up at] 4

[to bed at] 10 3/4

Fine morning Fahrenheit 60 1/4º at 4 1/4 a.m. barley oats peas etc. niceish open country about Sollenbrun – good small as usual beds Ann poorlyish – paid 4/12 rigsdaler = 2.40.0 Banco – enough for our boiled milk and 6 eggs and butter and the little bit of brown bread I ate (the tea and sugar our own) – a few houses scattered about near the Station and afterwards – Bäreberg a little hamlet 1 3/4 mile at 6 3/4 = 1 mile per hour – still fine but clouds lowering – bare wide-extended sterile plain country heathery moor with patches of corn to the little scattered village of Bäreberg neat little white washed church a little before coming to the station –  could not sleep there I think – the people going to church – all the men by themselves and all the women ditto in little companies – very neatly and well clothed – 25 minutes here (at Bäreberg) we had come faster than we expected – the horses not arrived –  off at 9 21/” – Ann and I had breakfasted (had a little of Mrs. Todds cold Rice pudding  at 8 1/2) – wrote out yesterday afternoon after leaving Bäreberg at 9 21/”  then slept a little then wrote thus far till now 10 50/” and we just a fir forest – Scotch and spruce but most Scotch – a relief after the poor uninteresting country this morning – we had a little rain starting – but not for long – the clouds threatening more

Small rain – common juniper cranberries and bilberries and heather grow everywhere in the forests and on the commons – at 12 little bit of forest – at 12 20/” Lidköping on the Wenner lake – nice little wooden town with large grande Place, in the style of Wennersberg but not so large? – nice view of the lake as we cross the grande Place green with grass – then across wood bridge over good river, then lesser square and good little street to the gate (common square posts) out of the town – had entered by another such gate – nice neat little town – neat good (stone?) white washed church –  the people well dressed – some gentlemen walking about – fine  broad expanse of lake, about its boundaries as far as we can see sparingly wooded in front of us – better behind us – and no where bold – hill range gently sloping to the waters edge in front (left) Oats green and rye in stook, close together – better farming or better soil or better just about the town than since close to Götheborg – the lake calm but looks muddyish hereabouts as if shallow and lying on sand – our road now at 12 40/”  (10 minutes from the town) very sandy (red sands) and enter a little forest Scotch fir we had also a little bit before entering the town –  at 1 5/” out of the fir forest and again upon the lake and cross another little stream – here Epilobium (Contamine) a weed among the oats, as in fact we have seen it before in Sweden – now birch wood and firs (forest) again and sandy but very fair road – the roads all along very fair – Ann and I had Deventer gingerbread and enjoyed it till 1 1/2 then emerge again upon the fine sea-like lake –  but its scenery must be tame – the day finer now –  fresher drier air over this juniper common – long reach of the lake and Lidköping just distinguishable –  

Cållängen at 2 7/” good station – 2 or 3 carriages – 2 ladies? getting some boiled milk? in soup plates – all looked well – a house? and 2 or 3 cottages and large farm buildings close to the station house – could sleep there very well – but nothing (said William) to be had but bread and cheese – the horses not arrived –  had to wait till off again at 2 43/” – at 2 50/” pass thro’ picturesque little village – neat good stone built church – this and another larger church the village in sight at Cållängen – the larger church perhaps an English 1/4 or 1/2 mile distant – several shingled cottages scattered about here in little groups – the clouds still very threatening but a little sun now at 3 p.m. – ripe oats uncut – and line set up in little sheaves – much cattle red and horses pasturing on the common more cleared and better pasture than usual – the corn etc. in fenced off patches –  the cattle generally a reddish fawn-coloured – little and slim but good – went into the cowhouse and stable at Cållängen –  horses fed out of deep troughs – no racks – eat their hay out of troughs at the door of the station – cow has nor racks nor anything – must surely feed out of moveable tubs –  floors boarded – horses parted only by a double rail but top rail as high as the horses – cows each stall only for one cow parted by a few boards the height of the cow’s head at her head and sloping down to 1/3 of that at the tail – thick boards let into one another no other visible support at the bottom end – pigs kept warm in winter – their styes opening into boarded huts or as it were vestibules! 

at 3 8/” bit of fir forest chiefly scotch and then moor heather and sweet gale etc. at 3 1/4 on the heathery sweet gale, juniper, bilberry moor, Kinnekulle (pronounced Chinnahcullah) pine-wood roundish long backed hill full in view about 2 a mile off (right) – there may be a fine view of the lake and as tho’ of several towns but what else can there be? sheep here – the cottages hereabouts very small and low, mere wood huts – the straw thatch covered with peaty sods – very poor and picturesque our road still very sandy –  Kinnekulle reminds me of Mowcop near Lawton but is not near so fine –  Enebacken at 4 5/” neat good wood house and a Cottage – with the village at a little distance – prettyish on starting from here –  could sleep here very well I should think – still sandy road – Kinekulla the summit of a picturesque line of hill – looks well and nearer from the top of the rising ground just beyond our Snebacken station – and soon enter young forest chiefly Scotch again – pretty stage from Enebacken – forest and pretty moor with big granite boulders – young fir wood – at 5 3/4 water (left) and en face a little reach of the lake –  nice drive all the way from Lidköping, but pretty from Enebacken – several small hamlets and villages scattered all along – at 5 10/” long, straggling unpainted picturesque wooden (tiled, straw thatched or shingled) village of Bjorsätter good white washed brick or stone church – some better larger red houses at the station (in the village) at 5 55/” – might perhaps sleep here à la rigueur? little 2 story house door and 5 windows to the street – a tall maypole just before us lower down the street – off again at 6 5/” nice foresty pretty enough drive till 7 8/” fine sunset over the lake and cross two good wooden bridges into the very neat nice little town of Mariestadt beautifully situated on a little bay of the lake –  very nice good little right ample-streeted town – the western horizon quite red – gilding the pinnacles of the handsome looking white washed church and tipping the tops of the fir forest on the East side the lake (in front of us) with a light autumnal brown – singular effect – at some distance 1/2 the height of the trees seemed this colour then gradually wore itself out as we neared the forest – Enter it at 7 20/” – chiefly Scotch fir – arrived at Hasslerör at 8 – 2 rooms – comfortable Boiled milk and 4 boiled eggs and butter – had our own bread and pressed lemon and Tods rice cake – Good supper and over at 8 50/” – then had Grotza and long motion Reading Handbook on Sweden – fine day – Fahrenheit 64 1/4ºat 9 1/2 p.m.

Anne’s marginal notes:

off at 5 5/” 2 fourwheeled and 2 wheeled carriages besides our own off before us

2nd forest for 10 minutes

Lidköping pronounced Lidchipping

Kinnekulla

Pigsties

Mariestad

Singular sunset effect.

WYAS catalogue:  SH:7/ML/TR/12/0029   SH:7/ML/TR/12/0030    SH:7/ML/TR/12/0031

Cowhouse at Kållängen (photo Sanfrid Welin):

Sunset at Mariestad:

[the-deeds-to-shibden]

Sunday 25 August 1839

[Ann braves a painful neck, and the cold, to be driven by Anne to Uppsala, where they visit the largest cathedral in all of Scandinavia. Anne is for once impressed with a sermon, although it probably helps that it’s in a language she doesn’t understand. Tantalisingly, their guide had just recently been employed by a traveller in Persia and the Caucasus. There are no oranges in the orangery and the museum could be better, but all in all it’s rather nice and livable here, plus the food is good. And oh, mines will be visited in the next few days! Do ladies do that? Only if English.]

[up at] 3 1/2

[to bed at] 10 3/4

fine morning Ann’s neck poorly off from Stockholm at 5 1/2 in little carriage and 2 horses – no forbud – at Rottebro (single house) at 7 13/” – terrible boulder stone pave in Stockholm and terrible and many deep channels there – good road nice drive – about 3/4 of the way very pretty wooded lake – Rottebro one story red smeared wood house – not good to sleep at – sun now at 7 1/2  a.m. it peeped out about 7 – very fine morning – off in 13 minutes – good road – nice drive – nice good country for Sweden – peeps now and then of pretty wooded lake (right) Maista single farm house not good to sleep at –  Ann very cold – very good road – forest with mossgrown rocks as in Norway but no large old trees – then open country – less encumbered with rock and boulder than in the other parts of Sweden that we have seen – better farming? and better crops? corn in stook and to cut – peas drying on poles reared in a circle and meeting at top like a Lapland hut – hops. very fine morning – Alisk single house – better than the 2 last –  perhaps one might sleep here? Hamlets and villages and farms thinly scattered today – wondered at their being so thinly scattered close to the capital – the country here seems better peopled than just out of the gates of Stockholm – Snow-ploughs lying at the road side here as everywhere From Alisk to Upsāla very pretty drive – excellent road – open country – at 11 40/” good wood bridge over broadish stream and then fine vista view thro’ forest by and by seen to terminate in the huge brick chateau built on a hill qui domine the 2 steepled cathedral and the city – arrived at 12 20/” – Hotel de la poste – ordered dinner at 2 – changed our dress – out at 1 40/” – to the cathedral – large handsome, clean, whitewashed church – a large crucifix over the altar – beneath the pedestal of the crucifix a cross over which hung a serpent – the altar in decoration like a Roman Catholic altar the congregation was assembled at 2 and the organ played and the people sang psalms till 2 20/”  the preacher began the Epistle at 2 20/” and we staid 10 minutes longer – his manner perfectly quiet, but he spoke clearly and impressively – home at 2 40/” dinner at 2 3/4 in 35 minutes –  then I dozed on the sofa till near 4 – up so early – and driving all the way, (Ann and I in front – John Winter our new courier and the peasant behind) and having nothing to eat but a little gingerbread with Ann between 10 and 11 as we sat in the carriage at Alisk (from 10 27/” to 11 10/” one of the horses being shod in the meantime) i.e. little to eat from 4 p.m. yesterday to 2 3/4 today, made me feel sleepy – out at 4 to the botanic garden – our courier did not know Linnaeus by name – but he native of Hamburg was courier to prince Oscar 3 years – then set up at Stockholm as correur de voitures – failed recently and now gets his living as well as he can – was with Captain Wilbraham of the 7th regiment a fortnight ago for 4 days –  went to Dannemora – not time for Falun – off to Saint Petersburg –  Captain Wilbraham asked if ladies descended at Danemora – no! none but English ladies and several of those had been down! – a civil intelligent garçon gardener shewed us the Serres and orangery and garden ground immediately around them – the building called orangery handsome but no orange trees to be seen there or near there, a few in the serres the man said and the tubs outside filled with our common and Portugal laurels – ivy in pots outside – will no do well out of doors! yet common sorts of palmiers seemed healthy in the orangery larger and healthier than what we saw in the serres – a thing very common hereabouts and forming a low hedge at the botanic garden is Spiraea calcifolia, flowerlike sweet stock 

Spruce firs planted at 2 foots, hedgewise –  and others cut into cones or looked better as obelisks or a parcel of 2 rows of them just below the chateau (in the part of the botanic garden between the museum and chateau) – these spruces looked just as well as if they had been yews and might be got up in 1/2  the time – the museum Thunberg’s collection a poor concern – birds etc. ill stuffed and not in the best preservation – the specimens (an infinity of supports) in spirits locked up in dark cupboards – many duplicates and bad arrangement – the statue of Linneaus sitting – book in his hand – contemplating his favourite flower, Linnaea borealis, not a chef-d’oeuvre, but interesting –  2 or 3 specimens of gigantic elk – caught near here 6 or 7 years ago as I understood – but one of John’s (Winter) friends shot one last winter about 1 1/2 mile from here – salted it – the meat a delicacy – some left –  we are to taste it – this animal in all the forests here – the horns covered with a sort of down – as  also the horns of the rein-deer. Can buy here the salted tongues and hams of rein deer – Fringa, several species of, found in the isle of Gothland sur le bord de la mer – curious sort of ruff round its neck do not recollect having seen this bird anywhere before –  Platalea pygmaea     caught near here      pigmy spoonbill said to be the only specimen of the kind to be found in any museum –  Tetrao generic name of moor game common barn-door fowl classed Phasianus gallus. Heron, genus ardea. from the musée sauntered to the chateau – the governor resides in one part – prisoners before the trial are confined in another part – many rooms unfurnished – the 3 or 4 towers (one at each corner) look well – but the modern parts – one front with a pediment, are terrible –  fine commanding situation – the views from it have excused us the trouble of going to the top of the cathedral – Old Upsāla full in view from the chateau – nothing worth seeing says our courier John at Mora – merely a few stones with no inscriptions at all – then walked down thro’ the town to the Steamer that plies daily between Stockholm and here in 5 hours – deck passengers 2 dollars rigs – salon double that John thinks –  nice vessel enough – deck covered with awning as usual –  Upsāla a nice town – the most livable we have seen – not so low and water girt as the towns in Sweden in general in which one fancies one could not breathe for damp and fog – the castle cathedral university buildings library etc. on high ground – fine fresh air, and agreeable –  our Inn comfortable – the first house just below the new library and nicely situated – a drop or 2 of rain about between 4 and 5 and afterwards but held off till we came in at 7 1/2 – then a shower – till then very fine day –  no supper – no wish for anything since dinner excellent veal cutlets, carbonnade, and preserved gooseberries and fried morsel of potato – then Soup – then fritters – such is the order here –  all good – had just written so far (inked all over accounts and all) now at 10 p.m. at which hour Fahrenheit 60 1/2º –

Anne’s marginal notes:

off from Stockholm to the mines.

Upsala

only English ladies see Dannemora

no fire in the hot houses

Ivy a greenhouse plant here

Spiraea calcifolia

Spruces cut in shapes, yew-wise

gigantic elk.

Fringa Platalea

Swedish towns low and water-girt

WYAS Catalogue:  SH:7/ML/TR/13/0007    SH:7/ML/TR/13/0008

View of Uppsala, by Elias Martin:

Uppsala Botanical Garden (around 1770):

View of Uppsala Castle and Cathedral, by C.A. von Scheele (1797-1873):

[the-deeds-to-shibden]

Thursday 22 August 1839

[The day starts out promisingly, with a reasonable bill for once, and then Stockholm is finally reached! Anne waxes absolutely lyrical about the views, despite her trademark scathing opinions on the royal palace, and a very poor dinner (luckily Anne and Ann always have some food stashed away for just such emergencies). They even catch a glimpse of the King. Astonishingly, in the evening Anne forgets to record the temperature; perhaps she fell asleep over her notebook, exhausted from the journey, the sightseeing, and the wiggling in the uncomfortable small bed the previous night.]

[up at] 4 1/2

[to bed at] 11 3/4

fair but dull morning Fahrenheit 61 1/2º at 4 1/2 a.m. very much rain in the night – uncomfortable bed so small but good linen as everywhere – bill the most moderate we have had – only 3 dollars rigsdaler very pretty road here about Tibble off at 5 22/” lake and pretty picturesque cottages on it and forest and pretty breaks in it – Barkaby at 7 55/” not good looking to sleep at but apparently 2 houses as last night – one where the servants slept and cooked and for common travellers, and one where we slept and next to us the landlord and his wife, and then Gross and Grotza a few little cottages scattered about here Barkaby – have left the forest but it is here woody and pretty tho’ no sight of the lake – clouds very dark – but now (at 8) a little sun – pretty foresty drive with cottages and some better houses –  hops looking well never saw so large a plot in Sweden before about 12 x 15 rows at about a yard distance each plot –  at the lake very pretty at 8 5/” and turn right, and broad road –  at 8 35/” enter the outer gates and custom house officer comes with us to the hotel Garni – at 8 3/4 enter the 1st street Drottning’s gaten, and at 9 (walked along the street) at the Hotel Garni – very lucky – excellent rooms at 30 Dollars banco per week – a drop or 2 of rain at 8 35/” – breakfast at 9 40/” coffee and bread and butter and our own gooseberries – out at 11 ¼ to 1 1/4 – sauntered up our own street then past the palace and along the quais to the floating vegetable market fish market etc. – great deal of shipping moored to the quai one vessel close to the side of another – sails spread – very pretty – the waters and islands wooded hills, or rising slopes of buildings and the tout ensemble very imposing and beautiful – saw the Åbo Russian steamer Menzikoff lying along the quai –  Disappointed on arriving with our Drottningsgatan (Queen’s street the best in Stockholm) – the shops make no shew and the street looked a poor one for the best –  but its effect is good looking up from our Hotel Garni at the bottom, to the rising part of the street at the top,  closed by a little green hill with 2 or 3 trees at the top –  or looking down from the top to the bottom as we entered –  Do not much like the exterior of the palace – do not like the wings, nor the carriage road like incline-planes up to the premier etage – the waters, islands, quais,  –  very beautiful – what shall we see exceeding this water approach to Stockholm except Constantinople Naples, Lisbon? – Had the girl that speaks French – sent for Andrew Bergland – sat reading Handbook – ordered dinner at out at 2 55/” – at Saint Catherine’s church at 3 40/” having stopt twice – at 2 stations, tables, in the garden of a caffé one above the other for the beautiful view of the town, its islands and waters – Saint Catherines a large stone built whitewashed church with one of the largest handsomest churchyards I ever saw – it is entered by 3 or 4 gates each opening into an avenue of fine old trees (elms?) – we were 10 minutes winding our dark way up to the copper covered coupola at the top of the steeple – but our toil was amply repaid – Stockholm was at our feet, one of the most beautiful panoramas imaginable – a handsome town of 80,000 inhabitants, among peopled islands and winding waters, with wooded slopes and everything that scenery requires – the huge quadrangular looking palace is preeminent over all – about 1/2 dozen or more church steeples towers spires and domes, and several long imposing lines of building, artillery, cavalry, infantry, barracks – cadets school – hospital etc. etc. besides a long line of houses for naval officers on Skipps Holm (pronounced Ship’s holm – holm signifies island) and a range of red wooden gable-ended ship-sheds for the government shipping – the wooded park the King’s Deer park is a pretty feature in the landscape –  the Lake (Malar) to the west and the Baltic to the east (parted only by the sluices or locks, the bridge over which we had passed on our way to Saint Catherine’s) narrow and looking like broad beautiful rivers studded with shipping –  5 frigates and a brig on the Baltic close to the town we saw the King go on board the largest (30 guns?) we were in hopes to have seen him on his return but were a few minutes too late – his visit on board must have been short – a salute of several guns was fired on his going on board – we also saw a Götheborg steamer arrive – home at 5 35/” dinner at 6 3/4 – soup beef à la mode, potatoes fricasseed, 2 ears instead of the veal I ordered and beignets de pommes – very meagre dinner for our 2 selves and 2 servants – Ann and I ate up the rest of our Helsingborg cheese and our gooseberries – some time asleep – some time reading Handbook then till 9 3/4 wrote so far of today – the rain held off – fair and fine day but dull Fahrenheit

 Anne’s marginal notes:

Stockholm.

WYAS Catalogue:  SH:7/ML/TR/13/0004     SH:7/ML/TR/13/0005

Church of St. Catherine, Stockholm (Katarinakyrka); Anne and Ann climbed to the top for fabulous views:

 Stockholm Royal Palace (by Martius Rorbye, 1848):

A sketch of Stockholm in 1839:

View of Stockholm Harbour, Oscar Conrad Kleineh (1846-1919):

[the-deeds-to-shibden]

Tuesday, 20 August 1839

[This leg of the journey sees Anne and Ann reach the city of Västerås, where they enjoy the best view since Norway. There are again many agricultural observations, Ӧrebrö is a very good town “for Sweden”, Anne is for some reason yearning for turnips which are tragically not available, and a lengthy joint toilet break is had. Anne’s deathless summation of Sweden is that it’s the country of chaos, and pancakes. And berries and trees.]

[up at] 4 1/4

[to bed at] 10 35/”

Fine morning Fahrenheit 58º, at 5 a.m. good beds and slept well –  everywhere good beds however small – mine large last night – pulled out 1/3 of its length – they generally pull out breadthwise – Ӧrebrö a nice neat, and, for Sweden, very good town – 2 little gateways (2 square posts) at each end of the town – the church large and neat and good – the pillars inside gilded in imitation of fluting – a large plain bounded in extremis in the great distance by wooded hill – the plain as seen from too of the church clear (i.e. of large and small boulder stones) except 2 or 3 patches – corn and grass – oats and rye and barley the greater part cut and in stook or hung round poles to dry as near Drammen –  Off from Ӧrebrö at 5 1/4 putting my watch 1/4 hour forward not much wood till Glanshammar at 6 52/” single house neat and good, with several outbuildings – might have slept here very well – nice foresty drive from Glanshammar sun now at 8 and very fine morning no very large fir timber – the trees to be cut down everywhere where we have yet been before they can attain any great size – I should suppose cut down every 40 or 50 years at most – the timber was nowhere large that we saw growing in Norway but about Bolkesoe larger than here – forest almost all the way – at 8 3/4 nice peeps thro’ the forest on a good looking town? at 8 50/” cross wooden bridge over good river – at 9 3/60 at the Station good house Fellingsbro one might sleep very well – merely the house and many farm-buildings – it must have been the town that we passed peeped at (left) thro’ the vistas in the narrow strip of forest at 8 3/4 –  off in 10 minutes at 9 13/” – breakfast at 9 ¼ Ann on biscuit and gingerbread I on bread and candied lemon – Little bit of chaos (big pieces large pieces of rock piled on each other) and afterwards plots of big boulder (always granite?) encumbered ground – in the Aldste (oldest time) the country must have been almost one sweep of chaos with few clear spots till the hand of man had cleared them and many large masses of rock hereabouts still lying amid the corn – this the case more or less (and with greater or less sized stones) almost everywhere here – several people ploughing this stage with 2 oxen and harrowing with 2 oxen to each pair of harrows – both ploughs and harrows very small and oxen too –  

Enter the gateway (2 square posts – no gate – as usual) of Arboga at 10 23/” and at 10 26/” at the station nice neat clean looking house where one might sleep very well – one long not over wide neat, picturesque street, just after entering, corn in stook left side the street. Arboga nice little town – some lateral streets – neat good church with tall spire – stone body of church and tower, except the top part which is brick just under the setting on of the shingle covered spire – this church smaller and more village like than that at Ӧrebrö the bookseller at Göteborg advised our going by water from here to Stockholm – steamers every day – cannot see the river or lake yet – but here just out of Arboga one valley maybe perhaps 2 English miles wide formed by a range of lowish round fir covered hill on each side but soon widens out largely on the left – sandy soil – but good road –  the road 2 or 3 stages was heavy in consequence of the great deal of rain but otherwise very fairly good all along – here very good – as good as the best in England – but narrow as all the roads are –  our 4 horses abreast take up nearly the whole breadth about 12 English feet wide – a Dutch barn just out of Arboga  and I have seen another or 2 this morning manure lying here and in several places this morning on the new ploughed land about the quantity we should put on for potatoes – William knows not what they are going to sow or plant – have only one little plot of turnips (yesterday morning) in Sweden – none to be had to eat for us, at the Inns    page 51.  one observes the little beds – the convenient many seated –                the fences [Anne drew a fence here] the splittings (slivings as Robert Mann would call them) laid here and elsewhere horizontally but in many places at an angle of 45º the corn hung on tall stakes to dry – and the peas and beans hung on roof-like racks to dry everywhere the people gathering their line – have seen very little if any hemp in Sweden – the pigsties opening into a sort of hut as at page 54, Cållängen on Sunday morning and elsewhere (vide p. 54 at the bottom) observe the red wood-houses and picturesque small cottages many sorts of bread the little fresh fish that is to be had considering the quantity of water 

Tis the country of chaos and big boulders fir birch and juniper     pancakes      and cranberry, bilberry, cloudberry i.e. blau berry – and the berry we got at Bolkesoe      vide      I have only seen apple trees (with apples on them) only 2 or 3 times – more cherry trees – plenty of gooseberry trees and gooseberries in the market at Göthenburg, had them one day but not very good –  forest again at 11 35/” (clear from Arboga that is for an hour) – now a very little of forest at 11 40/” 2 horses at a large wooden roller and 4 oxen at a cogging machine yoked to the broad side of this sort of narrow heavy sledge to break the clods of sand – chaos-y ground again and little hamlets Köping at 12 10/” largeish town we had to go in and out to the station in the square – large newly white washed good church – little river – at the end of the town 2 men thrashing long flail with weight at the end – rocks –  

–  from Köping to Kölback not much forest, and much big boulder and rock encumbered ground amid the cultivation – cross wood and stone bridge over the canal, does not they say, go far, and immediately the Kölback station at 2 p.m. nice red wood house 2 story high and room above in the roof with 2 windows at the end and a cottage or perhaps 2 near – might sleep here I should think very well – several farm buildings – very fine day – I reading Handbook and Ann Encyclopaedia of geography – vide these the account of Westerås, the sea of the most important bishoprick in Sweden – 1 long street above 2 English miles long a few church steeples seen now – there during today – among the observations (vide end of last book today, 20 August) note the wartiness (green grass covered boulder stones) of the moors and pastures – very little forest from Kölback – wide open country    Valet de Place vide page 126 Handbook Andrew Bergland.    at 3 53/” 1st view of Malar Lake from the sandy chaosy rock and boulder covered plain and ploughed land corn and pasture – two men riding  on  a seat over each one’s big wood roller – each drawn by 2 little oxen – the tall spire of Westerås church peeping up in front of us – the opposite side the lake beautifully pine-wooded apparently to the water’s edge – Ann and I alighted at 4 5/” and walked 10 minutes till got in again close to the town gate (2 square gate posts) – the  lake islands and beautiful the prettiest scene we have seen since Christiania – enter the town gate at 4 16/” alight at the Westerås hotel at 4 21/” out at 5 to the church 20 minutes there – nothing particular went up for the view at 5 – could not get higher than the bells and could not there see well out of the windows – but the view over the islands wooded lake very beautiful – 20 minutes there – then walked about the town twenty five minutes at necessary with Ann at the little port came in at 7 40/”    5 largish vessels there and a steamer large casks of tallow etc. and pig iron and iron ore – the carriage driving foot board must be readjusted tomorrow morning – dinner at 8 in 3/4 hour – then had Grotza – then till 10 wrote out the last 22 lines

Anne’s marginal notes

Beds

timber not large

Chaos.

Arboga

Roads good but narrow

no turnips

Observations vide.

chaosy just out of Köping        

Westerås

very fine day Fahrenheit 64º at 10 p.m.

WYAS Catalogue:  SH:7/ML/TR/12/0032      SH:7/ML/TR/12/0033      SH:7/ML/TR/13/0002

Anne’s drawing of a Swedish fence made out of splittings:

Västerås Cathedral and a view of the wooded islands Anne and Ann saw from the level of its bells (photo Oscar Bladh):