Stake-Bielke-Oxenstierna-Stille: a circle of connection
Tony Hoskins
There is an interesting and telling circle of connection between Olof Persson Stille, a prominent settler in 1641 of the New Sweden Colony in America, and the Swedish noble families of Bielke, Oxenstierna, and Stake.
Before sailing for America in 1641, Olof Stille (say 1610-c.1684), had served a tumultuous stint as steward to Baron Erik Bielke (say 1580-1638) and his wife Baroness Karin Fleming (say 1598-1649), at Penningby Castle, Uppland, Sweden.
Some background: Olof Stille's major scrape. In March 1638, Baroness Karin Fleming, wife and soon-to-be widow of Baron Erik Bielke, wrote to the governor of the county alerting him that her late husband's servant, Olof Stille, had broken into Penningby Castle. She demanded Olof Stille be brought to justice. "On 13 April 1638 there appeared before the Court* the agent of Her Noble and Well-born Ladyship Katarina Fleming: and accused Olof Stille, formerly servant of the late Lordship (Erik Bielke): that during her great bereavement and grief, while her late Lordship lay in state, he [Olof Stille] had in bitter malice and great arrogance broken into her castle, Penningby, thereby committing the grave offense of forcible entry. (The background of this affair is that Olof had in a spirit of arrogance spoken unseemly words to Her Ladyship at the fair in Norrtälje in 1636, besides other transgressions he had previously committed and had been forgiven through the intercession of noble persons*. Two servants who worked for Olof did not leave the farm Humblö [the Stille island farm]." One of Olof's servants, Anders, during Olof's brief exile, was contracted by Baron Erik Bielke. At the baron's death, Olof determined to reclaim his servant, returned to Penningby, broke in and "sprung" his erstwhile servant, Anders. "Since the lock was strong he [Olof] broke apart the masonry, took away the lock and keeper, took the servant out, gave him his axe, and sent him ahead. When he himself [Olof] turned from the wall he bared his sword."
The upshot of this was that, at an Extraordinary Session of the Assizes, Olof Stille was sentenced to death. His case was taken, "through the intercession of certain noble persons" to the Supreme Court, where he was given a very lenient sentence of a fine, signed by Baron Gabriel Gustaffson Oxenstierna, who was, by the way, the brother-in-law of the offended party, Baroness Karin Fleming!
The Stille family's connection to Penningby has so far been documented for three generations, back to1571. The following account largely derives from an original article by Fritz Nordström, published in Sweden in 1947-8 in Hundare och skeppslag 8:106-116, translated and republished as "Olof Stille of New Sweden", in the Swedish American Genealogist 6 (1986): 98-106. The author, Mr. Nordström (b.1873), and his brother owned Penningby Castle, estate, and archives at the time (1940s), having been raised there, later inheriting it from their father.
According to Mr. Nordström, these were three generations of the Stille family:
1) Peder Stille (say 1540-c1589/90), of Solö, Uppland, married "Mrs. Brigitta", who died after 1601. Their son was:
2) Per Persson Stille (say 1570-1631/5), of Solö. Among his children were (3a-3f):
..
3a) (Anna?) Stille, born say 1603, married Lt. Måns Svensson Lom, came to America in 1641. Many descendants in America.
3b) Rev. Johann Stille (say 1604-1672). House chaplain to Count Gabriel Bengtsson Oxenstierna, also Pastor of Fundbo, 1644-1672. Member of the Riksdag, 1649.
3c) Olof Stille (say 1610-c.1684), former steward to Baron Erik Bielke, of Penningby, Olof came to America in 1641. Many descendants in America.
3d) Axel Stille (born say 1612), came to America in 1641.
3e) --- Persdotter Stille, dead before 1670, wife of Lars ----: They had two sons alive in 1670, i) W:tt Johan Larsson, accountant, and ii) Per Larsson, Inspector of Lesser Customs in Finland, resident of Åbo.
3f) Kerstin Perssdotter Stille (say 1614-1670), of Stockholm, married (2), after c.1655, Nils Andersson Stake, naval artillerist, died 1667. Both are buried at St. Klara's Church, Stockholm. Her estate was overseen on behalf of her stepdaughter Margareta Nilsdotter Stake, by "the noble" Johan Rotman, Advocate of the Dowager Queen of Sweden (Hedwig Eleonora of Holstein-Gottorp).
Besides the above clear evidence of education, connections, and prosperity, that the Stille family was not a typical peasant family is very evident from these additional records.
1571. Peder Stille, of the island farm Solö, on the Penningby estate, made a large
contribution in cash and silver to the Alvsborg Surcharge, revealing, according to Mr. Nordström, "a very good economic position."
1590. Penningby bailiff's accounts record Per Stille of Solö, although later the same year church tithes show at Solö only his widow, called "Mrs. Brigitta".
1601. Among records of those who were fed on the Penningby estate in that year, either constantly or occasionally, were Per Stille (appears four times) and "Mrs. Britta at Solö", who appears twice. On one occasion they both dined at the castle together, and the record mentions "Mrs. Britta" before her son Per Persson Stille. None of the other people dining at Penningby that year are noted other than as statistics, the only people referred to by name were the Stilles. This is the last record so far discovered of "Mrs. Brigitta Stille".
A web of connections:
Baron Harald Eriksson Stake (1598-1677) married Baroness Karin Bielke (say 1599-c.1695). Baroness Karin Bielke was a half-sister of Baron Erik Bielke, employer and patron of Olof Persson Stille. Was Baron Harald Stake a relative of Olof Stille's brother-in-law, Nils Andersson Stake (died 1667)?
Rev. Johann Stille was house chaplain to the Royal Treasurer, Count Gabriel Bengtsson Oxenstierna (1586-1656), a stockholder of the New Sweden Colony and a signer of Johann Printz's commission as Governor of the New Sweden Colony. Count Gabriel Bengtsson Oxenstierna was a first cousin of Baron Gabriel Gustafsson Oxenstierna (1587-1640), an even larger stockholder of the New Sweden Colony, and the signer on 28 May 1638 of the final lenient judgment against Olof Stille. Also, Baron Gabriel Gustafsson Oxenstierna was a brother-in-law to both Baron Erik Bielke (Olof Stille's employer) and to Baron Harald Eriksson Stake, possibly a relative of Olof Stille's brother-in-law, Nils Andersson Stake.
Some later Stake-Oxenstierna marriages: a) Baroness Magdalena Katharina Stake (1667-1722) married Count Gabriel Gabrielsson Oxenstierna (1656-1719); b) Nils Mauritzsson Stake married Baroness Kerstin Oxenstierna.
The most important inference the above account raises, to my mind, is the likelihood that many as yet hidden noble and medieval connections remain to be discovered in Scandinavia. Simply because the known sources have yet to elicit many of them does not mean that new methods, syntheses of records and local history, and new sources might not be discovered to bring them to light.
Anthony Hoskins
History, Genealogy and Archives Librarian
Sonoma County Archivist
Sonoma County History and Genealogy Library
3rd and E Streets
Santa Rosa, California 95404
sdm...@msn.com
sdm...@msn.com
I recently came across a distant cousin who has previously taken a DNA test and his tree links Per Stille's wife Britta as the daughter of Claes Nilsson Bielke (1545-1623) Unfortunately, his tree doesnt have source information but in communicating with him he said his DNA matched to another person who has identified Claes as her father. I just wanted to point this out to you as a possibility as this point. I recently submitted my DNA test to ANcestry.com as well and am anxious to receive it in the next few weeks. Is any person on this post related to the Stille's. How did this research begin? Please let me know, Scott