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Max Högqvist

1840–1872

Born
12 Aug 1840, Stockholm
Country of birth
Union between Sweden and Norway, today Sweden
Died
1872
facts
7
sources
1
images and files
0

Facts and their sources

Tap a fact to see where it comes from.

A life in time

  1. Born · Stockholm

    Birth, Stockholm

  2. Died

    Death

What was it like?

The world around Stockholm, 1840: who ruled, who else was alive, how people lived. This is general history, not a record about the family, and every item shows where it comes from.

Max was born the same year as Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, Franco Faccio, and Giulio Ricordi.

Born the same year

  • Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky

    Russian composer (1840–1893)

  • Franco Faccio

    Italian composer and conductor (1840-1891)

  • Giulio Ricordi

    Italian musician (1840-1912)

  • Émile Zola

    French novelist, journalist, playwright, and poet (1840–1902)

  • Claude Monet

    French painter (1840–1926)

  • Auguste Rodin

    French sculptor (1840–1917)

Fashion

Aprons were essential for women's daily morality

Until the mid-19th century, women were expected to wear an apron at all times while away from the farm, as going without one was considered immoral. The apron served as a decorative item on festive occasions and as protection during daily work.

Leather scarcity forced many to go barefoot

Leather was so scarce that it was often prioritized for protective aprons, leading many people to go barefoot from snowmelt until late autumn to save their shoes. Some individuals even applied layers of tar to the soles of their feet to endure walking on rough terrain.

Music

Common folk instruments and Hardanger fiddles

The fiddle was the most common folk instrument, though others like the Jew's harp, recorder, and Hardanger fiddle (in Norway) were also used. The Hardanger fiddle is distinguished by its four or five sympathetic strings placed under the fingerboard, which create a soft, resonating sound.

Folk dances: Polska and Halling

The polska was the dominant folk dance style in Sweden, while Norwegian dances included the triple-meter springar and the male solo dance known as the halling. In the halling, men would often show off their physical agility, force, and creativity.

Getting around

Horse-drawn post transport and equipment

Travelers often hired horse-drawn transport at regulated post stations spaced approximately 11 km apart, and they were advised to carry their own whip, as it was rarely provided.

Rise of steamship travel

Steamboat routes began covering the Norwegian coast in the 1820s and 1830s, offering a modern alternative to land travel.

Daily life

Fetching and heating water

Water for the household had to be fetched from a spring before dark, as it was considered unlucky or unsafe to do so at night. If water needed to be warmed for tasks, a glowing ember was sometimes dropped directly into the bucket.

From home instruction to formal schools

Before the School Act of 1842, education was primarily home-based, focusing on reading and catechism to ensure children could participate in church life. The 1842 reform aimed to formalize this by encouraging parishes to establish schools, though it did not make school attendance mandatory for all children.

Food

Blanda: Everyday Rural Drink

Blanda, a mixture of sour whey or milk with water, served as the everyday drink for common people in northern regions.

Common Rye Flatbread Consumption

Ordinary families commonly consumed a thin, griddle-baked rye bread known as fladbröd, which was eaten in large quantities during meals.

Prices and wages

Clothing payments for servants

Beyond their wages, farmhands often received a clothing allowance that included two pairs of Swedish shoes and one pair of fine German calfskin shoes for holidays.

Holiday and dance money

Farm workers were often allowed one market day and one dance day per year, and they usually received an extra riksdaler to cover expenses for the dance.

Work

Frequent job changes on Moving Day

October 24 was officially Moving Day, when servants frequently changed employers, moving on average eight times between the ages of 15 and 30.

Long days of manual farm labor

A typical working day began before dawn with chores like feeding livestock and milking, followed by heavy agricultural work in the fields alongside men, and often ended late at night.

News and letters
Around 1839–1839

Postal speeds for express mail

In 1839, express mail could travel between Stockholm and Malmö in one day, whereas ordinary mail required longer. By express service, a letter from Stockholm to Karlstad took about 3.5 days.

High cost of sending letters

Sending a letter from Christiania to Bergen cost 16 skilling, which required an ordinary worker to labor for an entire day to afford the postage.

During their lifetime

  1. 1842

    Elementary school law passed

    In 1842, the government passed a law requiring each parish to establish an elementary school for children.

  2. 1846

    Guild system abolished

    In 1846, the centuries-old craft guild system was abolished, allowing for freedom of enterprise.

  3. 1856

    First Swedish railway opens (1856)

    The first railway line in Sweden opened in 1856, traveling twelve miles from Örebro to Ervalla.

  4. 1860

    Passport requirement for travel abolished (1860)

    The requirement for passports for travel between Sweden and Norway was abolished in 1860, facilitating labor migration.

  5. 1868

    Crop failure and famine (1868)

    In 1868, Sweden suffered a general crop failure and famine, which led to an increase in emigration.

Family

Parents

Ancestors and children

Open the full tree

Four generations back to the right, the children to the left. The number beside a child counts the generations of descendants known after them.