The Swedish Colonial Society

01/25/2026

The Walraven Family

The Walraven family was the product of the marriage of a Dutch soldier to one of the first Swedish girls to emigrate to the Delaware.
Olof Thorsson, progenitor of the Delaware Tossawa or Tussey family, arrived in New Sweden on the second voyage of the Kalmar Nyckel in 1641 accompanied by his wife Elisa, sons Olof and Lars and a daughter Christina. He settled at Paerden Hook ["horse neck" in Dutch; also called Swanwyck] north of New Castle and became a judge on the New Castle court. He granted pastor Jacob Fabritius two parcels of land at Swanwyck in 1672, but in 1675, as a deacon of the Crane Hook church, he joined the others in urging that Fabfritius leave the county. He died in 1678, survived by his widow and three children.
By the time of the 1693 census, both sons had died, with Olle Ollesson Tussey's descendants living in Bochten (Verdrietige Hook) and Lars Tolleson's sons residing in Penn's Neck. Olof Thorsson's daughter Christina became the wife of Walraven Jansen DeVos ["the fox" in Dutch], soldier who was granted his discharge on 24 January 1660. In the same year he was granted 200 acres on the Brandywine Creek, which he farmed for four years before selling to Jacob Vander Veer. Thereafter, he joied Anders Andersson the Finn and Sinnick Broer at Deer Point, north of the Christina River. The will of Walraven Jansen De Vos, proved 1 March 1680/1, left half of his plantation to his eldest son Gisbert Jansen on condition that he help to maintain his mother and his unmarried siblings. The other half of the plantation was to go to his youngest son Jonas Jansen.* Both Gisbert and Jonas chose the patronymic Walraven for their surname. Walraven's widow, Christina Ollesdotter, married the widower Dr. Timen Stiddem. Her nuncupative will of 24 January 1698/9, proved 13 March 1698/9, named her sons Gisbert and Jonas and three daughters, Maria, Anna and Christina.**
*See George Valentine Massey, "Walraven Jansen de Vos: His Family," New York Genealogical and and Biographical Record, 82-70-77 (April 1951). Massey's conclusion that Christina Ollesdotter was the daughter of Olof Thorsson is adopted by Walraven's numerous descendants. However, it should be noted that Huygen's account book for 1641-48 shows that the colony was supporting three orphans-Jöns Olsson, Ellen Ollesdotter and Christina Ollesdotter-whose parents had apparently died on the 1641 voyage of the Kalmar Nyckel. Huygen, 47.
**Walraven Jansen appears to have two other children, not named in either his will or Christina's Aeltie and Hendrick. Aeltie, described as Walraven's daughter, was the wife of Justa Andersson. Justa Andersson, the eldest son of Anders Andersson the Finn, sold his half of his father's third of Deer Point to Arnoldus de la Grange on 16 March 1679/80 and operated an inn in New Castle. He also engaged in in extensive land dealings. Justa Andersson's name appeared frequently in court records and on deeds through 1688, after which his name disappears. Justa and Aeltie Andersson apparently had no children. Justa was identified, however, as being the "father-in-law (stepfather) of Sybrant Mathiass Valk, who in 1676 was a servant for Peter Alrichs, in 1678 a servant of Emilius de Ring. Sybrant was granted 200 acres at Duck Creek in 1680, which he sold in 1684 with Justa Andersson, his stepfather, acting as huis attorney. Hendrick or Henry Walraven was a resident of Appoquinimink hundred by 1676 and was named co-executor of the will of Peter Walraven (his apparent son) in 1712. In 1718, Cornelius Walraven, "heir apparent of Hendry Walraven, late of New Castle County," sold land which had been conveyed to him by his father four years before.. Holt Trinity records show that Cornelius Walraven married, before 1713, Walborg the daughter of Hendrick Evertsson.
Source: The 1693 Census of the Swedes on the Delaware by Dr. Peter Stebbins Craig, p. 99-100.
Picture: Calmare Nyckel oil painting by Jacob Hägg, 1922

01/21/2026

January 21,1691/2

Peter Nilsson Lycon's will of January 21,1691/2 was not proved until March 10, 1696/7, although he clearly was dead by 1693.

The Lycon Brothers, Peter and Michael Nilsson
The first recorded presence on the Delaware of the brothers Peter and Michael Nilsson occurred in 1671 when Peter was working for Armegot Printz at her 'Printztorp' plantation on Upland Creek and Michael shared a Shackamaxon plantation with Lasse C**k, his nephew. It is uncertain when the Lycon brothers arrived in America. Their father has not been identified. Both brothers were born in Sweden, possibly in Lyckan, Gunnarskog Parish, Värmland. Lyckan, meaning 'a clearing in the woods' or 'a glen' was also a common suffix in other Swedish place-names in Värmland and elsewhere. Their adopted surname has no standard spelling, although Likens and Lycan appear to have been the preferred names among their descendants.
Peter Nilsson Lycon, apparently the eldest, joined his brother Michael Nilsson at Shackamaxon by 1675. His will of January 21,1691/2 was not proved until March 10, 1696/7, although he clearly was dead by 1693. His surviving sons were Nils, Anders and Hans. In addition to three minor daughters named in his will (Anna, Magdalena, Brigitta), he had a daughter Ingeborg who was married to Måns Jonasson.
Born in Sweden, Michael Nilsson was married in 1670 to Helena, probably a daughter of Måns Svensson Lom. In 1671, with Peter Larsson C**k, he secured the first land patent at Shackamaxon and resided at this location until1699 when he purchased land on Mantua Creek** in Gloucester County. The1697 church census shows him born in 1644, but the record of his burial on April 17,1704 states that he was aged 73 at the time of his death. His widow Helena was described as aged 70 at the time of her burial at the Raccoon Creek church on January 3, 1720. In 1693 their nine children were: Catharine (born 1671), Anna (August 21,1673),Gertrude (December 16, 1675),Nils (February 20,1677),Måns (March 10,1679), Anders (March 11,1682),Christina (February 17, 1684),Michael 9, October 11, 1686) and Helena (December 29, 1689).* Source: The 1693 Census of the Swedes on the Delaware by Dr. Peter Stebbins Craig,p.35.
*Subsequent child: Zacharias (born December 26,1696). By 1697 the two eldest daughters were married.
** The name Mantua Creek is derived from the Native American word “Manta”, meaning frog, and was so named because of the remarkable chorus effect produced by abundant frogs in its watershed. Wiki.
Picture: Armegot Printz (wiki) Armegot Printz (1625–1695) was a Swedish noble. She was the daughter of Johan Björnsson Printz, Governor of New Sweden, and she married her father's successor, Governor Johan Papegoja. She is the most well documented and known woman of New Sweden.

01/15/2026

Reflections of New Sweden
Swedish and Finnish Culture along the Delaware

A Celebration of Community 1638-Present.
An Exhibit in the Knauer Art Gallery West Chester University.
January 20th - February 22nd, Monday through Friday 8am-4pm.
Opening Reception: Thursday January 22nd, 4pm.
FREE to the public.

*The Knauer Art Gallery is located in the Swope Music Building and the Performing Arts Center
817 S. High St., West Chester PA

In 1638, Swedish and Finnish Settlers arrived along the Delaware River. The plan was to develop a fort and trading post, as beaver hats were quite the fashion. The colony of the Swedish Empire was New Sweden.
From 1638 to 1655, Twelve Expeditions arrived in New Sweden. By the time William Penn landed (1682), Dutch, Swedes, Finns and Algonquian (Lenape) people lived along the banks of the Delaware River.
New Sweden, the first permanent settlement in Pennsylvania, survived for seventeen years, developing three forts and settlements. Fort Christina, the first fort, was built adjacent to “The Rocks” in today’s Wilmington Delaware. With the arrival of New Sweden’s third Governor, Johan Printz, expansion occurred (1643-1653). Fort Nya Elfsborg was built on the east bank of the Delaware to help secure control of the river (Salem, NJ) and Fort Nya Gothenburg was built on Tinicum Island to serve as the Swedish Capitol (Essington, PA). New Sweden fell to the Dutch in a bloodless battle in 1655.
While the life of New Sweden was short lived, the inhabitants were able to maintain friendly relations with the Lenape, the Dutch and the English through the years. The lasting impact evolved into ongoing development of churches, communities and schools in which the Swedish language and culture was maintained. “Although 600 people reached New Sweden, by the time of the Dutch invasion (1655) there were only 300 left. These however prospered and now more than 20 million Americans can trace their ancestry to New Sweden.” (Gov Printz Park, Tinicum PA).
This exhibit contains: The Journey to A New World, Early Forts and Settlements, Churches and Communities, Uncovering the Past and Celebrating Today.

Content and Artifacts Graciously contributed by:
The American Swedish Historical Museum (Philadelphia PA), the Swedish Colonial Society, Gloria Dei “Old Swede's” Church (Philadelphia PA), Holy Trinity “Old Swedes” Church and Hendrickson House (Wilmington DE), The Lower Swedish Cabin (Drexel Hill PA), The Finish-American Society of the Delaware Valley, the Kalmar Nyckel Foundation (Wilmington DE), Trinity Episcopal "Old Swedes" Church and Schorn Log Cabin (Swedesboro NJ), St. George's Episcopal Church (Pennsville NJ), The Hancock House/Swedish Plank Cabin (Hancocks Bridge NJ), Historic Elk Landing (Elkton MD), The New Sweden Center (Wilmington DE), The New Sweden Alliance, the Lenape Nation of Pennsylvania and others.
Please join us in this celebration of community. All welcome.

01/13/2026

— Why We Were Founded

In 1926, historian Dr. Amandus Johnson had a big idea: Swedish-American history deserved a permanent home. He brought together a community determined to preserve the stories, contributions, and culture of Swedish immigrants in the United States. That vision became the American Swedish Historical Museum, founded in South Philadelphia and now the oldest Swedish-American museum in the nation.

ASHM was built on land connected to the New Sweden Colony, one of the earliest European settlements in America. Even before the building was complete, Prince Bertil of Sweden laid the cornerstone during Philadelphia’s Sesquicentennial Celebration in 1926, marking the beginning of a lasting cultural exchange.

Since opening its doors in 1928 and welcoming the public in 1938, ASHM has been a place where history isn’t just preserved — it’s shared, explored, and lived.

Follow along in 2026 as we share 100 stories for 100 years.

01/12/2026

DELAWARE SNAPSHOT 📸
Oldest document’s long-kept secret
The Delaware Public Archives’ oldest document, dated 1653, kept a very old secret. Donated in 1938 for the 300th anniversary of our state’s first permanent European colony, it cost Pierre du Pont $800 in the first U.S. sale of flashy New Sweden Gov Johann Printz’s signature, but translation tries failed. The state already had the colony tailor’s passport signed by Printz’s predecessor. After a 2009 article told of the 1653 paper’s mystery, Jeff Hepler of Middletown found a New York expert who translated it. As the archives later confirmed, it was an asset/debt list written in defunct Old Dutch, not Swedish, for the colony tailor – Hepler’s 10th great grandfather.
– Compiled by robin brown, Writer in Residence
Delaware Public Archives
Colonial Period
Jon Nielson Papers
Document: 1653
ID: 0000-000-004

01/12/2026

January 12,1670/1

On January 12,1670/1, before moving to the Whorekill, James Weedon wrote his will, witnessed by John Rhodes, bequeathing his house on London Bridge and his lands at Rehoboth to his wife, his daughter Ann and his son William.
James Weedon died before April 12, 1672, when his widow married Francis Jenkins in Somerset County. Source: 1671 Census of the Delaware by Dr. Peter Stebbins Craig, p.77.

History of Early Kent County, DE and the name Whorekill: the Swedes, Dutch and English were all involved. https://colonialwarspa.org/history-of-early-kent-county-de-and-the-name-whorekill/

Send a message to learn more

01/03/2026

In Memoriam:
Peter Stebbins Craig, 1928-2009

Everyone who joined the Swedish-American Historical Society (SAHS) 1997 tour of the New Sweden colony in the Delaware Valley
(1638-1655), which also included seeing the launching of the Kalmar Nyckel replica ship, remembers the gentleman who
sat behind the driver and, as the bus rolled along, talked about
the colony, its history, and the Swedes and Finns who came and
stayed permanently.
That was Dr. Peter Stebbins Craig, F.A.S.G., who died at age
eighty-one on Thanksgiving Day following a very brief illness. Less
than five weeks before, he had been in Philadelphia to receive the
Swedish Colonial Society’s (SCS) first Lifetime Achievement Award,
given during the banquet held in conjunction with the Swedish Council of America meeting.
Also a Fellow of the American Society of Genealogists, Peter
was especially grateful that King Carl XVI Gustaf in 2002 saw fit to
appoint him a Commander First Class of the Royal Order of the
Polar Star (Nordstjärneorden) for his contributions to the understanding of Sweden’s history as well as that of the United States.
Peter was descended from several of the colony’s residents, the
earliest being the settler Olof Stille from Roslagen, who arrived in
1641 and became a miller and head judge of the colony court. His
eight-year-old daughter, Ella, eventually married Peter Jochimsson,
who had been born in Schleswig-Holstein, enrolled as a soldier in
Göteborg, and sailed to New Sweden in 1642 with the colony’s new
governor, Johan Printz.
Just as many of the nineteenth-century Swedish immigrants
changed their names, the name Jochimsson, spelled as pronounced in Swedish, made no sense to the English speakers whose numbers multiplied after England took control of the region in 1664. The name morphed into different spellings of how the name sounded to English ears: Yoakem—Yocum—Yokom, etc.
As a child Peter listened to his great-grandmother (farmorsmor),
Martha Yocum Tucker, talk about the family’s Swedish roots and
about how they had eventually settled in Illinois. One story told
about how happily surprised the Yocums had been one day (in 1846) when a group of Swedes turned up in the neighborhood—Erik Jansson and his followers—and founded Bishop Hill. The Craig family today still owns some of the Yocum farmland near Galva.
Peter grew up in Oberlin, Ohio, where his father, Clarence Tucker
Craig, a noted theologian, was on the faculty of Oberlin College.
Peter graduated from Oberlin, obtained his J.D. degree from Yale
Law School, and moved to Washington, D.C., where he remained
for the rest of his life.
His career included posts as general counsel for the U.S. Depart
ment of Transportation and for the Southern Railway. At age 59, he
retired to work full-time on a hobby that had turned into a passion—
researching New Sweden, The project that developed out of this interest grew to include the genealogies of the several hundred identified Swedes, Swede Finns, and Finns who came to the colony between 1638 and 1783.
Peter relentlessly tracked down land records, wills and probates,
archived newspapers, vital records, personal journals, church records, court and tax records, and government and historical society files in Pennsylvania, Delaware, New Jersey, Maryland, and New York (because of the Dutch colonial influence), and in Sweden. Having a background in the law, a strong sense of right versus wrong, the ability to evaluate data accurately, and a remarkable mind for detail assuredly helped.
Today we owe Peter endless thanks for giving us a lively picture
of life along the Delaware during the days of the New Sweden colony and over the ensuing 150 years. Because of his work, we know who the Swedes and Finns were, where they lived and who their neighbors were, their occupations, and the names and whereabouts of their children and grandchildren. We also know many details of daily life—the weather, the plants and animals, sicknesses, relations with the Lenni Lenape tribe, and such details as who contributed to the building and repair of the church, who got the license to operate the ferry across the Schuykill, and what the resolutions were in tiffs over land boundaries.
His work also shows how, in the 1700s, the Swedes gradually
melded into the larger community around them, and we learn more
about the complaints of the area’s Swedish pastors, who repeatedly
wrote to the Archbishop in Uppsala about their declining congregations: “Our congregations cannot grow if, as you have instructed us, we must preach only in Swedish, because the young people understand only English!”
We also find more and more people with names like Yocum, Stallcop, Rambo, Friend (Frände), Justis (Gustafsson), Mullica, Bankson (Bengtsson), Barry (Berg), Dalbo, Mounts (Måns), turning up farther and farther west, south and north.
One of Peter’s friends and mentoring colleagues was Nils William
Olsson, who published more than a dozen of Peter’s articles in Swedish American Genealogist (SAG) and included him on his staff at the annual SAG Workshop in Salt Lake City.
In addition, Peter’s work appeared in other journals, and his two books elaborating on the 1671 and 1693 censuses of the Swedes of the Delaware have become classics.
For more than the past decade, Peter devoted his time and
energy to compiling the records of Gloria Dei (Old Swedes’) Church
in Philadelphia and its predecessor church on Tinicum Island, Governor Printz’s headquarters in the 1640s. Included along with the typical church vestry minutes, lists of income and expenses, and such, is a wealth of material from the Church of Sweden’s archives, correspondence with Pennsylvania officialdom, and exchanges with the leaders of other religious groups in the area, especially the German Lutherans.
The SCS has published five volumes so far with the help of many
donors in the United States and Sweden. We have reached the
1760s, the days of the French and Indian War, when Philadelphia,
then the largest city and port in the colonies, lay within reach of
French embargo and possible attack. Volume 6 covers the pastorate
of Carl Gustaf Wrangel (a surname familiar to anyone who has visited Skokloster) and is in draft. As Peter’s proofreader, untangler of translated phrases and sentences, and general helper on the Gloria Dei records project, I can only say that it will be very difficult to continue without him.
Peter was SCS’s historian and genealogist for many years. The
Society is indeed honored that he elected to leave his collection to
us. It will be housed in our archives at the Lutheran Seminary in Mt.
Airy, Pennsylvania, and there is a tremendous amount of work to be
done to put the material in searchable, readily available form. Peter
also had plans for two more books, one a reissue of his series of eight articles in SAG 1997-99 with the addition of his numerous later research findings and corrections. We very much want to do that for him. For these reasons, among others, SCS is establishing the Craig Research and Publications Fund in his memory so that his work will continue. (See notice below.)

ELLEN T. RYE
COUNCILOR AND CHAIR, PUBLICATIONS COMMITTEE
SWEDISH COLONIAL SOCIETY OF PENNSYLVANIA
BOARD MEMBER, SWEDISH-AMERICAN HISTORICAL SOCIETY

Donations in honor of Peter Craig should be sent to the Swedish
Colonial Society, c/o Gloria Dei Church, 916 S. Swanson St.,
Philadelphia, PA 19147, marked “For the Craig Fund.” For information about the Society and the New Swedish colony on the Delaware, see www.ColonialSwedes.net
Photograph: Peter Stebbins Craig.

01/03/2026

3 January 1677/8

William Tom also came to New Castle in 1664 with Captain John Carr's company. In 1671 he was the High Scheriff for the Delaware and owned considerable property. Among these were was a patent dated 29 July 1669, for a lot then in his tenure bounded on the north by James Crawford, on the east with the river, on the south by Cornelis Wynhart and land of Matthias de Ring on the west.

William Tom never married. While under house arrest for debt, he wrote his will 3 January 1677/8 and died that month, leaving his entire estate (after payment of debts) to his godson, Richard Cantwell. When the estate was finally settled, 22 February 1682/3, nothing was left for Richard.

Source: 1671 Census of the Delaware by Dr. Peter Stebbins Craig, p. 66. Note: The book is out of print.

01/01/2026

Happy New Year

2026

from the Swedish Colonial Society !

12/29/2025

ABSOLUTELY DON’T MISS! Saturday, January 3rd, 2026

The Swedish Farmstead: Open House and the Lazaretto*

WHEN: Every first Saturday of the month from 11 AM to 2 PM
WHERE: Governor Printz Park
Taylor Avenue and W. 2nd Street
Essington PA 19029
The Swedish Farmstead at Governor Printz Park, Tinicum Township, Pennsylvania

* The Lazaretto is next door to the SCS Farmstead where:

The Swedish Colonial Society Historian will be to answer any questions about the colony. Bring your questions.

The Swedish Colonial Society moved its Art and Archives to a new location at the historic Lazaretto in Tinicum township, over 115 years of collecting came into public view for the first time. All of these discoveries can now be enjoyed regularly on the first Saturday of each month from 11 am to 2 pm.

Visitors will see the original life-size oil painting of the famed Governor of New Sweden, Johan Printz. This is a copy of an original in Sweden painted in 1660. It was painted by King Gustaf V’s personal painter and sent to the Swedish Colonial Society at its founding in 1909. Before this no one in this country knew what this famed 400-pound courageous and proud Governor actually looked like. Now his image is even on the Tinicum township seal and flag.

Also exhibited are portraits of Lapowinsa and Tiscohan, the only known. Images of Lenape leaders from the 18th Century. The artist’s self-portrait is also shown, Gustavus Hesselius- one of the first portrait painters in the Delaware Valley and a man of deep Christian faith. His father was a Lutheran Pastor in Sweden and his two brothers both served as pastors at Holy Trinity, Old Swedes Church in Wilmington. His respect for the Lenape is plainly visible in their portraits and reminds us that the New Sweden colony was the only European settlement to have a mutually beneficial relationship with the original inhabitants.

Did you know that 17th Century maps had south on the top and north at the bottom? And that all the Lenape names for geographical features can be seen in a map created by Per Lindeström in 1655?

The large wooden ship model of the man-of-war, Vasa shows us that Sweden was indeed a European Super Power in the 1600’s. expanding its borders and profiting by the Thirty Years War. This unbelievably large vessel sank in Stockholm harbor and was raised and restored 95% intact in the 1970’s. Two other historic ship models remind us of: Finland’s participation in the New Sweden Colony and the Chinese trade that Sweden profited from in the 1800’s.

Famed sculptor. Carl Milles made a 6’ 9” model of a monolith that was never actually executed. Neither funds nor a location were available for a “Sweden and America” monument in 1948. However, the model is fascinating with Milles sense of humor showing Viking ships, Christian missionaries, a Pipe organ, Governor Printz, Queen Christina riding on a horse, and even the Vatican where the Queen was received after renouncing the throne of Sweden.

In a locked case may be seen a copy of the 1695 Hymnal used by the first settlers. The kind of regalia worn by members of the Swedish Colonial Society is also shown plus a collection of 16th and 17th Century Swedish coins, together with a membership card for President Franklin Delano Roosevelt.

Fans of Taylor Swift will enjoy seeing a letter and photograph from Jenny Lind, the first mega-star female touring singer in America (1850).

Framed on the walls are color phots of nearby Swedish colonial sites. Including three of the eight churches, the Landing at Wilmington in 1638, and still- existing log structures that illustrate that the Swedes introduced log cabins to this country. Historians will appreciate seeing famed scholar Amandus Johnson’s secretary desk and hand-carved Swedish mahogany chairs.

All of these are located in the second floor Art Gallery and even more art is on the third floor, in a Study Center and Archives. Over the fireplace is a 42” x 27” forest scene by Swedish Impressionist artist Per Erik Arborelius (1842-1915) and 1938 life-size photographs of King Gustaf VI Adolf and Queen Louise, well-known visitors to the Delaware Valley in 1926 and 1938. In addition to other framed art there is a picture of George Washington, that is rarely seen, painted in 1794 by Adolf Ulrik Wertmüller. It is probably more realistic than the one on the Dollar bill since he shows him in a definitely regal pose.

The oldest surviving quarantine station in the Western Hemisphere and one of the ten oldest in the world. Built beginning in 1799 after a series of devastating yellow fever epidemics, the Lazaretto on Tinicum Island protected Philadelphia from imported epidemics from 1801 to 1895. Discover the many layers of suffering, tragedy, hope, and survival embedded in this most unusual historic site.

Picture: Governor Printz Park, Yelp.com
The Lazaretto, https://lazaretto.site/?page_id=302

12/29/2025

One of the benefits of being a member of the Swedish Colonial Society is receiving a hard copy of The Swedish Colonial Society Journal.

The latest (Volume 9, Number 2, Fall 2025) was just mailed out to SCS members. For back issues of the journal, please see https://colonialswedes.net, then look under the heading News.

For membership, see https://colonialswedes.net/join-scs-today/. For questions about membership please send an email to user917826@aol.com. Välkommen!

12/26/2025

Scheduling Swedish Colonial Society Archive Visits

To make an appointment at the Archives, please email Dr. Kim-Eric Williams, SCS Archivist and Historian at wkimeric@gmail.com. Regular Hours; 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. the first Saturday of each month. All research must take place at the Archives--no materials can be removed.
The location of the SCS Archives is The Lazaretto 97 Wanamaker Avenue, Essington PA 19029. For additional information on The Lazaretto: https://lazaretto.site/?page_id=302
Picture: The Lazaretto, Source: The Lazaretto website. For additional information on The Lazaretto and the archives: https://colonialswedes.net/lazaretto-grand-opening/

Visit The Lazaretto is situated on a 10-acre riverside property in Tinicum Township, just west of Philadelphia International Airport. Individuals and small groups may visit the Lazaretto grounds anytime during daylight hours. Click the links below for our self-guided audio tours, which do not go ins...