Sven Gunnarsson (abt. 1610 - abt. 1678)

Born about 1610 in Undenäs, Skaraborg, Sweden [uncertain]

Descendants

Died about 1678 at about age 68 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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Biography

Sven Gunnarsson migrated from Sweden to New Sweden in 1640 aboard the Kalmar Nyckel.

Sven was born in Sweden in about 1610 based on the ages of his children.

In August 1639, the Swedish government, needing settlers for its two-years old New Sweden colony,ordered the governors of Elfsborg, Dalsland and Värmland to capture deserters and others who had committed minor misdemeanors and to send them to the colony^[1].

Among these malefactors rounded up was Sven Gunnarsson. When the Kalmar Nyckel left Göteborg on 7 February 1640, he was aboard with his pregnant wife and two small children. His second son Olle was born on the voyage across where they arrived on 17 April 1640^[1].

Initially, in New Sweden, Sven was allocated to the Fort Christina plantation, where he was listed in 1644 working on the tobacco farm. In October of 1645 he was finally granted freedom from his servitude. He moved to join other freemen residing at Kingsessing (now in West Philadelphia). Here he was known as Sven the Miller, as he operated the first gristmill built in New Sweden on what is today Cobbs Creek in Philadelphia^[1].

Sven Gunnarsson was one of twenty-two freemen who signed a petition of grievances to the tyrannical Governor Printz in the summer of 1653. Printz called it a “mutiny” and promptly embarked for Sweden. Sven did better under Governor Rising, who ran the colony from 1654 to 1655. He was one of the volunteers to help defend Fort Christina against the Dutch invasion. A siege was averted when Rising agreed to surrender the colony^[1].

Under Dutch rule, Stuyvesant allowed the Swedes living north of the Christina River to organize their own government. That government, known as the Upland Court, treated Sven and his family well^[1].

In 1664, Sven moved with his family across the Schuylkill River to Wicaco, a former Indian settlement, where Sven’s 1125-acre plantation embraced what would become the centre of the future City of Philadelphia. It was here, on his own land, the first log church at Wicaco (now Gloria Dei Church) was built by 1677^[1]. Sven died about 1678 and probably was one of the first to be buried at the Wicaco church^[2].

Sven Gunnarson's House and the Old Swedes Church adjacent

The name of his wife has not been recorded but they had five children together:

1. Sven Svensson (Swan Swanson) born in Sweden in 1636
2. Gertrude Svensdotter born in Sweden in 1638
3. Olle Svensson born on the Kalmar Nyckel in 1640
4. Anders Svensson born in New Sweden in 1642
5. unnamed daughter

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5} Dr. Peter Stebbins Craig. "Sven Gunnarsson and his Swanson Family." Swedish Colonial News, 1, No. 18 (Fall 1998). https://colonialswedes.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/SCNewF98.pdf
2. ↑ Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/48416039/sven-gunnarsson: accessed 04 August 2023), memorial page for Sven Gunnarsson (1610–1678), Find a Grave Memorial ID 48416039, citing Gloria Dei Episcopal Church Burial Ground, Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania, USA; Maintained by Margaret Orthodox (contributor 47080490).

See also;

• profile on Geni with good sources
• Wikipedia Entry

Acknowledgments

• This person was created on 06 August 2010 through the import of Lynch-Tree.ged.
• This person was created on 14 September 2010 through the import of 124-DeCoursey.ged.
• This person was created on 03 April 2011 through the import of Glover.ged.