Ovanhed’s
struggle for independence and the creation of the parish of Boda
This is
a summary of an article by professor Georg Landberg in the publication
”Rättvik”, volume 1:2,
issued in
1967 by the parish of Rättvik. Georg Landberg was a historian and head-master
of the Fjellstedtska
School at
At an early stage, the Ovanhed region, or
quarter, fell out with the clergy of the Rättvik parish over the
right to have divine service in the region. The distance from the most northerly
village, Gulleråsen, to the
defended their own and the church’s income from the holy ceremonies.
It seems that a chapel existed as early as in
1586. In 1618 a permission to build a new chapel was granted
on condition that a representative of every household confirmed by their
owner’s mark that they would not
”try to obtain any diminishing or reduction of
their obligations towards their parish church” (the Ovanhed
letter of obligation).
In 1640 that did not stop one of the signers,
Lars Matsson of Gulleråsen, born in 1578 (see Gulleråsen A5)
and other leading men to apply in secrete to the parish of
negotiations the vicar of Rättvik, Olaus Andreae Dalecarlus, promised the he or his
chaplain would hold
service in the chapel every third Sunday.
On
and Anders Nilsson, Kärvsåsen (A8), parish clerk, and Hans Hansson, Västanå
(B9) on the other hand, on
service twice a month against an increase of the fee.
Olaus Andreae’s nephew, Andreas Danielis, who
was chaplain 1663 – 1672, owned a farm in Kärvsåsen
and lived there periodically. Peace then reigned. Probably he contributed
extra services.
Jacob
Pigot, sheriff of
every second
Sunday and at all major feasts. As he catered for the priests in his own home,
they could not ask
for more
than 24 öre copper coin for each service occasion.
When
Petrus Tillaeus was appointed vicar in 1717 he agreed with Pellhans Anders Olsson,
Lenåsen (D10),
and
Callur Hans Olsson, Boda (A3), born on
Sunday against payment of 1 daler and 16 öre copper coin per occasion.
After
the death of King Charles XII, Erikanders Erik Andersson, Kärvsåsen, born on
an
intensive and lengthy campaign for a separation. He was supported by three
jurymen: Jöns Anders Andersson,
Ovanmyra
(A3), born on
and
Callur Hans Carlsson, Ovanmyra (A1c), born on
Hans Carlsson’s sister was married to the
parish clerk of Rättvik, Gudmund Andersson, Söderås.
Erik
Andersson was described as holder of a minor farm. In 1745 he was mentioned as
inn-keeper, and he
may possibly
have been a parish constable for some time. He and Lars Olsson, Änderåsen (A5),
born in 1657,
submitted
in 1719 a letter to Queen Ulrika Eleonora applying for a priest and a graveyard
of their own at the
chapel.
As parsonage Lars Olsson offered to give a farm which he had bought from
the state and which had
previously
been confiscated from Johan Gudmundsson, Gruvriset, a former sheriff. The
matter was passed via
the
cathedral chapter and the county governor to the district court of Rättvik, who
took a strong stand against
the
proposal.
In 1727,
Erik Andersson made a new attempt. While parliament was in session, he went to
applied
for service each Sunday, or a priest on the spot, and a separate graveyard. He
was now supported
by
Gudmund Andersson, parish clerk of Rättvik, who wished to see his daughter
married to a priest who could
get a
position in the parish, preferably at the chapel (she never became a priest’s wife,
but eventually the mother
of a
priest).
The
vicar, Olof Kumblaeus, wrote a long memorial to the county governor. After many
rounds a meeting in the
county
office was summoned, but it led nowhere. On
in
succession plus all festival days, and right to bury their dead, on condition
that the parishioners of Boda paid
full fee
to the mother church. Some other amendments should also be made. However, the
county governor died,
and as
the cathedral chapter was sceptical, most of it came to nothing.
No real
pause in the struggle followed. After permission from the chapter the chapel
was rebuilt in great haste
and a
grave yard was prepared, which was inaugurated in 1734. (The book of deaths
which then must have been
started
has been lost.) During the autumn sessions of the district court in 1734 Erik
Andersson was fined for faking
the
schedule of population and the resulting tax fraud.
After
the chapel was finished the next attempt was made. On
Olsson
of Kärvsåsen presented a letter to the county governor asking for a separate
priest and service every Sunday.
The
vicar, Kumblaeus, replied heatedly that the region was by no means united. The
atmosphere did not improve when
the two
”delegates”, together with Hans Carlsson, Ovanmyra, mentioned above, suggested
to the county governor that
Gudmund
Andersson’s son Anders Collenius, born in 1799, should be appointed school master
of the region and preach
every
third Sunday. Kumblaeus rejected him emphatically.
Olof Kumblaeus
died in December 1737 and was replaced by Gabriel Sewallius. After Gudmund Andersson
had given
up part
of his salary as parish clerk and half of his residence, Christopher Forsberg,
curate, now became school master
in
charge.
The
fighting spirit now seems to have been damped for some time because of a severe
epidemic of dysentery in the
summer of
1740, the war with
Ovanhed
quarter had been particularly aggressive when the rebels of the parish tried to
seize the parish funds to finance
the march
to
After
Forsberg had been promoted to Chaplain Gudmund Andersson, now aged, was induced
to give up the rest of
his
salary and his residence to the curate Olof Forsström, who became parish clerk
and school priest, thus assuming
the main
responsibility for the public worship of the chapelry. Gudmund Andersson died
in 1744.
Erik
Andersson now made still another attempt. On
Ovanhed chapel, at which he asked whether the parishioners were
satisfied with the existing arrangements. A number of
leading
men, including the chapelry clerk, Olof Hansson, declared that they were
satisfied. Even Hans Carlsson mentioned
above
agreed. (Olof Hansson has not been identified. He is not included in the list
of chapelry clerks of ”The history of the
parish of
Boda”.) A week later, Erik Andersson sent a letter to the county governor, in
which he pretended that the chapelry
unanimously
wished to have service every Sunday and was willing to support a priest on
their own.
Now a
real upheaval arose in the whole parish. Anders Matsson of Gulleråsen, corporal
with the name of Knapp, said:
-”If
you, Erkanders Erk, draw down a priest upon us, poor chapelry people, you will
have to support him yourself!” Many
lengthy
letters were exchanged, but at a parish meeting on
decision
that the existing arrangements should remain unchanged. Soon thereafter Olof
Forsström was appointed school
master
and parish clerk. Thereby Rättvik had finally got a school priest.
Nevertheless,
at the end of 1751 the chapelry parishioners, represented by Jonas Olsson,
Leksand, Member of Parliament,
made a
last petition to the King for a local priest and regular service. This was
bluntly rejected by the government, with a rebuke.
Erik
Andersson died the following year.
In the
autumn of 1753 the chapelry parishioners made an application to the county governor
for an exception at least from the
duty to
take part in the maintenance of the vicar’s residence and the parish public
room in Rättvik. Georg Landberg describes
the
letter as ”a combination of spontaneous rural
expression and a refined diplomacy”. It had been composed by a young farmer,
Anders
Hansson of Ovanmyra, who had learnt to write. (This may
be either Jöns Anders Hansson, Ovanmyra (A3), born on
farms.
The grandfather of Jöns Anders was a juryman.)
In
addition to Anders Hansson, the letter was signed by
- Skägg
Erik Andersson, corporal Knapp, Västanå (A2), born on
- Jöns
Lars Olof Olsson of Kärvsåsen (A2), born on
- Pell
Anders Matsson of Solberga (B4), born on
- Haga
or Kus Hans Olsson of Kärvsåsen (A8), mentioned above, and
- Laggar
Anders Olsson of Solberga (A1), born on
The
proposal met with a point-blank refusal.
In 1759
Olof Kumblaeus junior was appointed vicar of Rättvik. He conducted a more
generous policy towards the chapelry.
For
instance, the mother church paid for a new bell tower at the chapelry. Towards
the end of the eighteenth century, the
government
tended to view the separation of chapelries more
positively. The discussions in the chapelry then turned to the
question
whether they should build a church of wood or stone, and where it should be erected.
In 1847 they started to build
a church
of stone on top of the Boda hill, which was inaugurated in 1851. On
that Boda
should be separated from Rättvik at the next change of vicar, which happened in
1875.
© Olof
Hansson & Karin Jegelius November
10th 2003