Far av Anne Matthi(a)sdatter Sylow 1704-1771 av Arendal

[Tybring Hemphill]

Some time ago the question was posed in this forum as to the father of Anne and Mette Mattisdatter Sylow born in Arendal in 1704 and 1701 respectively. I thought that any who had an interest in that topic (see link to previous debate)

http://forum.arkivverket.no/topic/155299-69939-anne-matthiasdatter-sylow-1704-1771-og-mette-matthiasdatter-sylow-1701-1725/page__p__1314152__hl__+sylow#entry1314152

 

would be interested to hear the likely answer. I have discovered that there was living in Grimstad from 1693 a man named Mattis Dirichsen Sylow. He was apparently a borger in Kristiansand as well from 1694, so it is not clear exactly why his children would have been born in Arendal. Indeed, they may not have been born there and looking for them there may have been what made the search so difficult. Perhaps they are born in Øyestad but i cannot understand if there is even a churchbook covering thet period still in existence. Grimstad appears to be in Fjaere, and there is no booklisted specifically under that church, but there is a book geerally under Øyestad - what does that cover?

 

In any event here is a link to a book about Borgerrulle of Kiristiansand and Mattis Sylow is listed on p.78

 

 

http://da4.uib.no/da/bo10011641.pdf

 

I note that Peter Sylow, who is much better known was himself living nearby in Lister/Mandal where he was amtskriver at about the same time. Therefore there is a good chance that they were brothers, both sons of a Dirich Sylow. Are you able to translate the remainder of the entry about Matthias Sylow? Does it give any further clues?

 

Also I have found him in the 1701 mantall here on the bottom of p.111, but I cannot tell what is said about him other than I think he is 31 years old and so born about 1670:

 

http://arkivverket.no/URN:db_read/ft/38450/68/

 

Is a wife or other children mentioned or an occupation?

 

Here is Didrik Sylow in Ribe Amt, Denmark in 1679, likely to be the father of Mattis

 

Steenberg-Thøstesen | histsam.dk

 

It also appears that he was a fadder in Naebjerg/Øse sogne near Varde in Ribe Amt, but I cannot find the specific reference in this .pdf as my find function is not working.

 

http://www.horsboel.dk/kirkebog/Naesbjerg_Oese_dbt_1646_1751.pdf

 

There seems to have been a location in the region called "Syuolleg" which might be the origin of the name Sylow

 

 

There is also a oberstloitenant Zylof who has a son named Ditlev born in 1696 in Skanderup which is not so far from Varde. That oberstloitenant could I suppose be a brother to Mattis and Peter. as the name Zylof is quite similar.

 

http://ddd.dda.dk/nygaard/visning_billed.asp?id=420876&sort=e

[Leif Salicath]

Hallo again Tybring.

 

You have done your homework with great success. This must be the father of Anne Matthisdtr and her sister.

 

Regarding the pdf from Ribe amt, the best way to search is to download the pdf (use the arrow down up in the right corner) and then you find the bioculars on the left side. Dirich Sylow is on page 20.

 

Ytre Biie Eie must be what called Bie today and most sure the part near the sea. Bie is near Grimstad towards Fjære.

 

I think only boys are mentioned in the 1701 Manntall and not wife and daughters, but aren't Anne born after 1701 ? Mette is probably born in 1700.

 

May be someone can help with the question which church he should have used (Grimstad or Fjære).

[Tybring Hemphill]

I'm glad you saw this, Leif as I had tried to send you an email as well with the information. If you have a new email address you can send it to mine if you like.

 

Yes, Mette is supposed to have been born about 1701 and Anne in 1704, although these are approximate dates.

 

Can you tell what the occupation is of Matthias? Is his wife likely to be mentioned or was it just men who they were counting??

 

Thank you for the direction about searching a .pdf - I will try again.

 

Do you think that Peter Sylow is likely to be a brother?

[Leif Salicath]

Tybring, I have sendt you a mail with my new mailaddress, sorry for having forgot to do that before.

 

Regarding the occupation of Matthias I'm sure he still was skipper in 1701 together with beeing strandsidder. It was quite important to be able to find out in the manntall the persons who were strandsidder (amoung some other occupations). Strandsidder = owner of a (small) farm close to the sea. Therefore skipper wasn't mentioned. It was very commen those days amound "strandsidders" that the wife and children worked on their very small farm and the husband was a seaman (skipper, styrmann or else). In fact, strandsidder was only used on the head of the household. (Correct me someone if I am wrong).

 

I have several other examples of the same from another district 20 km west of Grimstad in Lillesand where styrmann and skipper was dropped in both 1655 and 1701 manntall.

 

There were only boys in age of 12 or older that should be counted in 1655 but may be not the same in 1701.

 

About the brotherhood I am not so sure. Quite different occupation and "direction" in life and not used as "fadder" between it can be very difficult to prove. The answer could be in Denmark if there is a skifte after the father.

[Tybring Hemphill]

Thank you for the explanation of Strandsidder. What can we make of the fact that Mattis was on the Borgerrulle for Kristiansand? Many of those people appear to be the leading citizens of th town. Was there a financialor social requirement to be a borger, or was it enough to just live there. I know in most places until fairly recently there were property requirements before one could be entitled to vote.

[Leif Salicath]

I must correct my self upon Matthis as skipper in 1701. The borgerrulle explains it all. From that source it seems that Matthis worked for a shipowner in Kristiansand until 1698, "Bought a house in Grimstad" in 1693. From 1698 working for "fogden i Nedenes". He could have been married any time after 1693 and before 1700 when he had his first child, but I guess about 1698. I don't think Bie was in the old Grimstad so he must have moved there when he got married.

 

It should be possible to find some documents about the farm. As he was on duty for fogden you can have the luck of finding his signature on some documents, but I don't know where you start.

 

It seems that beeing skipper was enough to get listed in the borgerrulle.

 

(I travelled through Grimstad the day before yesterday and saw the sign/the road towards Bie.)

[Tybring Hemphill]

What a small world, that you should have passed right by Bie. Would a bygdebok have some history of the farm Bie?

 

What sort of work might one do for the fogder and how does the work of the fogder compare to that of an Amtman (which is what Peter Sylow was)? Did one brother work for the other even (if they were brothers)?

 

Perhaps his wife was from Bie. One could hazard a guess that she was named Anne or Mette