Brita Caisa Jessberg
Brita Caisa Jessberg, our great-great grandmother, was born into one of the small ship owning families in Gamla Karleby / Kokkola. Born 4th November 1804, and dying in 1883, she lived through various privations, but it appears she eventually lived quite comfortably towards the end of her life with her relatively prosperous son, Andreas, and his family, in Tavastehus, now Hameenlinna.
Her father was Capitain Matthia(s) Jessberg, and her mother was Maria Elisabeth Olonius, who married 27th June 1780. Brita Caisa was their last child, out of nine.
Her brother, Jacob Jessberg (b. 1795), became one of the well known captains and ship owners in GK, and they lived in the family home in Storagatan, nearly opposite where she and her eventual husband Anton Söderman, settled after their marriage in 1832.
Brita Caisa Jessberg, our great-great grandmother, was born into one of the small ship owning families in Gamla Karleby / Kokkola. Born 4th November 1804, and dying in 1883, she lived through various privations, but it appears she eventually lived quite comfortably towards the end of her life with her relatively prosperous son, Andreas, and his family, in Tavastehus, now Hameenlinna.
Her father was Capitain Matthia(s) Jessberg, and her mother was Maria Elisabeth Olonius, who married 27th June 1780. Brita Caisa was their last child, out of nine.
Her brother, Jacob Jessberg (b. 1795), became one of the well known captains and ship owners in GK, and they lived in the family home in Storagatan, nearly opposite where she and her eventual husband Anton Söderman, settled after their marriage in 1832.
Maria Mathilda Söderman
Maria Mathilda Söderman
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Maria Mathilda was the only daughter of Anton Söderman and Brita Cajsa Jessberg, born 18th January 1839, and christened on 27th of the same month. Her mother's age is 34.
Like those of her brothers, her godparents were also figures from the seafaring community, with the Wiklund family, Favourin, Lalin, and Lithen represented, all ship owners and/or captains, like her father. (Some people appear to have their names 'underwritten', they were not able to be there for the christening, principally the Bäckers, and the Palmquists stood as proxy for them.)
Then, a note in the GK household records for 1846 (below) suggests she was fostered out sometime after her father died in 1842. A closer examination of it shows that Maria Mathilda went to become a 'fösterdottir' in Kaskö (now called Kaskinen) in 1847 - to the Bäcker family - Fru Anna Lovisa Hogström, and Carl Bäcker, an apothecary in the town.
Maria Mathilda was the only daughter of Anton Söderman and Brita Cajsa Jessberg, born 18th January 1839, and christened on 27th of the same month. Her mother's age is 34.
Like those of her brothers, her godparents were also figures from the seafaring community, with the Wiklund family, Favourin, Lalin, and Lithen represented, all ship owners and/or captains, like her father. (Some people appear to have their names 'underwritten', they were not able to be there for the christening, principally the Bäckers, and the Palmquists stood as proxy for them.)
Then, a note in the GK household records for 1846 (below) suggests she was fostered out sometime after her father died in 1842. A closer examination of it shows that Maria Mathilda went to become a 'fösterdottir' in Kaskö (now called Kaskinen) in 1847 - to the Bäcker family - Fru Anna Lovisa Hogström, and Carl Bäcker, an apothecary in the town.
So although Kaskö was some way down the coast, it would seem that, as godparents with no children of their own, they were happy to give the young girl of eight a home. The "utflytting" certificate (not completely translated) from Gamla Carleby says :
Deceased Coopvaerdie skipper in Kokkola Soderman’s daughter Maria Mathilda, born January 18 1839, is well known for her fine moral sense, reads adequately from the book and can recite from * Lindblom’s Cathecism by heart; xxx?xx migrating to Kaskinen, with certificate /evidence communicated. Gamla Carleby on 16 October 1847, Appelgren, Pastor GC. and the "inflytting" one is dated 22 November 1847.
Deceased Coopvaerdie skipper in Kokkola Soderman’s daughter Maria Mathilda, born January 18 1839, is well known for her fine moral sense, reads adequately from the book and can recite from * Lindblom’s Cathecism by heart; xxx?xx migrating to Kaskinen, with certificate /evidence communicated. Gamla Carleby on 16 October 1847, Appelgren, Pastor GC. and the "inflytting" one is dated 22 November 1847.
Having taken Bäcker as her last name, Mathilda is present in the household records from the 1847, as a Foster Daughter with född Söderman, next to her. In the 1851 record she is said to be 'adopted'. In 1860-1866 the priest records on her line that she marries a shopkeeper Fredrik (Freidrich) August Ferlman on 15th August 1865, and they move out to Helsingfors, that is, Helsinki, on 17th August. The Helsinki records show that a child, a daughter, was stillborn on 3rd December 1868, and buried the next day. Maria Mathilda died on the 3rd too, aged 29, and was buried on the 8th. Fredrik lived until June 1899 , when he died still a widower of heart failure at the age of 75.
Alongside Maria, Anna Lovisa's older sister came to live with them in 1847 also; Helena Ulrica was born in Sveaborg like her sister, in 1789, five years the senior. They were Harbour Master's daughters, and both had lived in Ekenas, where Karl (aged 34) and Anna Lovisa (aged 40) married in 1834. Helena's utflytting notes, untypically handwritten like Maria's (most were on ready-printed forms) are hard to read but they seem to suggest that she was going to be married but that it had not taken place (it does not say when) and she left to go to Kaskö. The priest has written "grace and peace be upon her ! " on her form... I wonder if she came to help Anna look after the child.
Carl Bäcker appears to be an important townsperson, maybe a town councillor, as he is someone who can 'sign in' the people migrating to the town. He also goes on travels around the country, and is found in lists in newspapers as "travelling"; once in 1854 with a Ynglingen Soderman in tow. No other name is mentioned - was that Maria accompanying him on his travels, or maybe one of her brothers being brought to Kaskö for a visit?
Alongside Maria, Anna Lovisa's older sister came to live with them in 1847 also; Helena Ulrica was born in Sveaborg like her sister, in 1789, five years the senior. They were Harbour Master's daughters, and both had lived in Ekenas, where Karl (aged 34) and Anna Lovisa (aged 40) married in 1834. Helena's utflytting notes, untypically handwritten like Maria's (most were on ready-printed forms) are hard to read but they seem to suggest that she was going to be married but that it had not taken place (it does not say when) and she left to go to Kaskö. The priest has written "grace and peace be upon her ! " on her form... I wonder if she came to help Anna look after the child.
Carl Bäcker appears to be an important townsperson, maybe a town councillor, as he is someone who can 'sign in' the people migrating to the town. He also goes on travels around the country, and is found in lists in newspapers as "travelling"; once in 1854 with a Ynglingen Soderman in tow. No other name is mentioned - was that Maria accompanying him on his travels, or maybe one of her brothers being brought to Kaskö for a visit?
The main subject of this website - Antony Sederman - clearly regretted that his sister has died by the time he came to have his own daughter in 1869. He named her Ellen Maria.