Axel von Fersen the Elder

Count Fredrik Axel von Fersen was a Swedish statesman and soldier of Baltic German descent. He served as Lord Marshal of the Riksdag of the Estates, and although he worked closely with King Gustav III before and through the Revolution of 1772, he later opposed the king.

Practical Daily Work Clothing

Peasant women often worked in long chemises made of coarse linen, sometimes knotting the skirt to make movement easier while performing daily chores.

Smoothing Head-Cloths with Glass

Women smoothed their festive white linen head-cloths by rubbing the fabric with a glass rod to achieve a shiny, professional finish.

Dancing in barns and at crossroads

During the 18th century, people gathered to dance in informal settings such as barns, bridges, crossroads, and farmyards, as there were no dedicated dance halls. In the absence of a musician, young people would often hum or sing the music themselves to accompany their dancing.

Instruments for dance and church

Popular instruments for dance music included the bagpipe, jaw harp, clarinet, drum, and violin, as well as the nyckelharpa. The nyckelharpa was also played in churches during special occasions like weddings or feast days.

Travel by Horse and Foot

In the early 1700s, most people traveled long distances by horse or on foot because poor roads made wheeled vehicles impractical in many areas. Women rode sideways in special cross-saddles rather than astride.

Travel via Frozen Landscapes

Winter was often the best time for long journeys, as travelers could move easily over frozen lakes, rivers, and marshes that were impassable in summer. In many northern regions, people relied on these ice roads for essential transport.

Mandatory education for children

A 1724 law mandated that all parents were obligated to teach their children to read and write, either by doing it themselves or by hiring a teacher.

Cooking over an open fire

Cooking was performed in a large iron or bronze pot placed on a tripod over an open fire, which was the main method for preparing meals.

Beer as a Daily Beverage

Water was often unsafe to drink, so people consumed large quantities of weak beer instead. Even soldiers in the King's army were rationed over two liters of beer daily.

Food Preparation and Rationing

To ensure rations lasted, families soaked dried foods like peas, salt fish, or meat before cooking them to reduce saltiness and improve texture. Meals were often strictly portioned, with some records showing specific counts, such as one herring shared between two people.

Housemaid's monthly wage in 1725

In 1725, a housemaid earned 40 daler kopparmynt per month.

Cost of a cow and rye

A cow cost 30 daler kopparmynt in 1725, while a barrel of rye cost 18 daler kopparmynt in 1735.

Home-based work and seasonal labor patterns

The home was a primary workplace where men and women performed diverse tasks, such as child care, weaving, and forest work, often with flexible division of labor. Seasonality dictated much of the work, with livestock care requiring year-round attention while tasks like haymaking peaked in the summer.

Legal status and control of workers

Miners were legally classified as servants and members of their employer's household, with their wages sometimes distributed through a grain warehouse. Servants faced strict regulations and legal coercion, with masters having the authority to demand obedience and use physical violence.

Dangerous Mail Routes Across the Sea

Mail transit between Stockholm and Turku could take up to ten days, frequently involving dangerous travel in small, open rowboats across the icy Baltic Sea.

Fast Mail Between Stockholm and Göteborg

In 1702, a letter from Stockholm to Göteborg took about four days to arrive, with a full round-trip reply taking around ten days.