origin of the House of Creutz
M.Sjostrom
one of the currently agnatically-oldest high-noble families of Finland is the House of Creutz, whose noble members resident in Finland all hold the rank of Count.
The family was documentedly of petty, local nobility ('cavalryman's service'...) in eastern Nylandia province throughout all 1500s. Throughout that era, they were not having any surname, instead they generally were known as lords of Sarvilahti. Also their wives were from more or less similar local character.
In 1600s [and in about the second decade of the 1600s, the then head of the family adopted the surname Creutz], the family rose from lower nobility to some prominence, chiefly because the rapid expansion of the 'Swedish empire' opened a lot of good positions for men who had some education. Since they were of born nobility (attestedly having held lowly local noble rank already a century), and their some men were industrious, a-bit-university-educated and had some (perhaps mediocre, but anyway) talent [their talents were generally those and compatible with being industrious and working hard],
they were in a place to rise, ultimately to the 'second-tier' places in the high government. No premiers, no chancellor, no field marshal, no other leading minister among them; but governors and such; in mid-1600s they were granted the baronial rank, and in abt 1720, one branch received the rank of counts.
The male line continues... had the male line been broken, this family in all likelihood would not be much remembered today, as it would have passed to a footnote in ancestries of some other houses; like dozens, hundreds of armigerous families long extinct have so passed by the history.
Since in 1500s, they were just local petty nobles, owning generally only one manor, and even that was not any immense property, but just something like a big farm,
the House suffers from quite the same troubles in tracing its earlier ancestry as good peasant families of Finland known in 1500s do. Namely, the line from before 1500s, is almost impossible to trace.
It has commonly been written that the earliest documentedly known member, the agnatic ancestor, of the House was one Lauri, master of Sarvilahti, who flourished in about 1500.
There has even been confusion about what was his patronymic. [some older genealogies had dubbed him as son of some Matias]
Now, source-critical research has solidified that this Lauri had a brother, whose patronymic is ascertainedly 'Markunpoika' (without any confusion) [he was Matias Markunpoika, in latin document Mattias Marci],
and Markunpoika is the patronymic of this Lauri also in some near-contemporary document.
This nails it: there should not been any grave doubt that he was son of a Markus.
Also, although nothing near-contemporary documentation is (as far as is known) preserved of this Markus, an old tradition about the origin of the family's nobility indicates that it should have been this Markus, who in mid-1400s had been a trusted man of Carl Knutson, who first was a powerful magnate and castellan of Viipuri (the important border fortress, under whose fief territory the Sarvilahti farm actually is located), and then became elected king of Sweden [and Norway] (counted as Charles VIII).
It is easily conceivable that as reward of his services, Markus received lands in a periphery of the domain of the castellanship, i.e Sarvilahti; and that later, the same castellan as king would have ennobled Markus.
I repeat: the name of Markus, agnatic ancestor of the line, is now known from near-contemporary documentation, but is known only on basis on patronymics of his sons.
As opposed to the documentary certainty of his name, the actual life of this Markus however remains at the level of myths, or legends. It is only a good presumption, on basis of chronology and old tradition, that it was he who won ennoblement.
The fact that nothing written is preserved of this Markus, is a clear indication that as 'trusted servant' of Charles, he however was not a very important such. Just probably someone helpful in routines or such.
Presumably starting from the acquisition of the Sarvilahti 'farm', the family went on to marry with local petty nobility of the region, getting established as local gentry.
Those marriages of theirs known in 1500s, clearly indicate such a tradition. Therefore, in the dawn of 1600s, the family certainly had an 'earthy', solid bunch of roots in eastern Nylandia province of southern Finland.
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male line of the Sarvilahti lineage, later named Creutz, and a couple of its agnatic branches towards the present day:
http://genealogics.org/descend.php?personID=I00488750&tree=LEO&displayoption=male&generations=6
the full name 'Lauri Markunpoika' could be amended,
as could the father 'Markus', be added.
M.Sjostrom
by the way, recently I encountered something which to me initially was unbelievable:
So much has apparently the (quite unusual as to european nobility) 'British' custom of primogenitural titling gone to heads of people that they appear quite ignorant of the usual customs of noble titles in, for example, Finland and Sweden.
For example, speaking about this family here:
* all male-line descendants of the first count Creutz, are counts and countesses Creutz. Not only the head of the house, but literally, all agnates.
* all male-line descendants of the first baron Creutz are barons and baronesses Creutz. All agnates. [those who descend in male line from that baron Creutz who became created count, do not need to use the baronial title, since they all are counts and countesses.]
None of the merely baronial branches of the Creutz live in the country of origin, Finland (afaik).
M.Sjostrom
some observations about marriages of this local family of lower nobility in 1500s, to relate what sort of families they mingled with.
* 1 Lauri Markunpoika
Lord of Sarvilahti b. est 1470
o Marjatta Lassentytär of Gesterby
+ 2 Matias Laurinpoika of Sarvilahti, lord of Tesjoki d.c 1531
# + Anna Juhantytär of Tuorlahti, heiress of Tyysteri and Vanhakylä in Pernaja (d aft 1525)
# + Silja Engelbertintytär of Kallola, heiress of Isnäinen
+ 2 Nuutti Laurinpoika, Lord of Sarvilahti d bef 1540
# + NN (possibly a Teitti)
* 3 Matias Nuutinpoika, lord of Sarvilahti
o Benedikta Lydekentytär of Kraakku
+ 4 Martti Matinpoika, Heir of Sarvilahti d. 1574
# Kaarina Hannuntytär
* 5 Nuutti Martinpoika, heir of Sarvilahti d. 1577
# Marketta Perttulintytär
* 5 Lauri Martinpoika, lord of Sarvilahti (beheaded 30 Sep 1599)
o Marketta Arvintytär of Tyysteri and Vanhakylä
+ 6 Mattias Laurinpoika, Lord of Sarvilahti
+ 6 Erengisle Laurinpoika 'Ernesti' Creutz, Lord of Sarvilahti and Kasaritsa (d. in May 1634)
o + Kadrina Hess von Wichsdorff, heiress of Kuuskoski (d in Aug 1660)
+ 6 Hebla Laurintytär of Sarvilahti d. 1629
o + Antti Pekanpoika, 1.Lord Utter d. 1640
+ 6 Piritta Laurintytär of Sarvilahti
o + Matias (Arnonpoika) Forbes, lord of Myrskylä (d 1640)
* 5 Anna Martintytär of Sarvilahti
o + Samuli Arvinpoika of Tyysteri, lord of Vanhakylä in Pernaja
* 5 Piritta Martintytär of Sarvilahti d. 1574
o + Johannes Eerikinpoika
* 5 Benedikta Martintytär of Sarvilahti
o Martti Klaunpoika, Lord of Nummilahti d. 1605
o + Juhana von Lode (from Estonia-Livonia)
# + Piritta Laurintytär
* 3 Anna Nuutintytär of Sarvilahti
o + Jaakko Rekonpoika of Ylike
* 3 NN Nuutintytär of Sarvilahti
o + Jeppe of Koskenkylä
+ 2 Piritta Laurintytär of Sarvilahti
# + Matias Jussinpoika Teitti
+ 2 NN Laurintytär of Sarvilahti
# + Jaakko of Härkäpää
+ 2 NN Laurintytär of Sarvilahti
# + Henrikki Olavinpoika of Poitsila, lord of Norspyy and Grotila
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the earliest known forefather, Lauri Markunpoika, married a woman from neighboring district, Sipoo; her name was Marketta Lassentytär, and she belonged to the family 'of Gesterby' which appears to have owned a few farms in different locations in around their district, and having belonged to the *local* upper class. There is some doubt that Marketta's father were not a nobleman. However, it seems that Marketta's mother anyway belonged to a local noble family.
--
Next generation:
1 one son, Matias Laurinpoika, was seemingly firstly and relatively successfully married to a widower of a bit higher station, namely a daughter of one leading noble house of Finland, she had a sizable inheritance. It looks like that marriage was possible for a Sarvilahti, a nobleman of only local prestige, because she was widow and no longer young.
Secondly (and better attested), Matias married a kinswoman of his first wife, also a heiress, whose parents' family however was not a leading family of the country, but rather, a wealthy regional noble family.
Neither of these marriages of Matias however left heirs.
2 another son, Nuutti Laurinpoika of Sarvilahti, married twice, and not much is known of antecedents of his wives.
The first wife (who was mother of Nuutti's heir) is thought to have been a daughter of a neighboring landowner in the same parish, a family whose nobility was questionable - they may have just been wealthy yeomen.
The name of the second wife (Piritta Laurintytär) is known, but not much else about her antecedents.
3 one of daughters, Piritta, married the son and heir of a neighboring landowner in the same parish, a family whose nobility was questionable - he may just have been a wealthy yeoman.
4 a daughter married Jaakko, seemingly a local landowner or farmer (of Härkäpää)
5 yet one daughter seems to have existed, and her marriage was to another district, a nobleman hundred kilometers to east. That family of Poitsila had held (for half a century already) the noble rank, but was also of local prominence, not much wider. They owned a good manor with land worth a couple of villages, and some shares in other properties.
--
Next generation:
The son and heir, Matias Nuutinpoika, married daughter of a nobleman from neighboring district - a noble family which had a real bunch of daughters. The lords of Kraakku were of undoubted nobility, also had some prominent ancestor, and held a pretty good local property. But it may have been the circumstance that the father-in-law had lots of daughters (from two marriages) which enabled the Sarvilahti bridegroom to have one of those daughters.
Daughters of this generation married some non-prominent, presumably neighboring, landowners or farmers.
--
The heir in the next generation, apparently married in succession daughters of two burgher families, presumably because of their wealth in money. Both brides appear to have been from the town of Helsinki, then a newly-established small coastal town with fledgling position towards some trade in the Baltic sea. Sarvilahti is located a bit less than hundred kilometers east from Helsinki.
In these generations, the Sarvilahti family obviously owned a ship.
In time of war, this heir is mentioned as being with his ship among those who defended the coasts.
--
Next generation:
The surviving son and heir, Lauri Martinpoika of Sarvilahti, married a granddaughter of his great-granduncle's first wife, the lords of Vanhakylä. This bride's family was a cadet branch, holding that Vanhakylä manor, but they had a relatively well-connected clan. Lords of Tyysteri were her cousins, and the family of Frille were her maternal background.
Since the bride had several siblings, her share of properties was not very big.
A daughter, Anna Martintytär, was married to the brother of her own brother's bride. Double tie with the lords of Vanhakylä, a manor in the same district.
Another daughter, Benedikta, was (first) married to member of a western-Nylandian noble family (whose crest depicted horseshoe), himself lord of Nummilahti manor. In the same province as Sarvilahti.
This lady's second marriage heralded a new era: she married a nobleman who had come from Estonia-Livonia, to serve the crown in Finland.
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Next generation:
there, the daughter Piritta fulfilled the older family tradition: her husband, the Scot-root Matias Arnonpoika Forbes, lord of Myrskylä, was holder of a manor in their local Nylandia, the manor being located in almost a neighboring district.
Another daughter, Hebla, married to an officer who got ennobled. This was not a marriage to an old and established noble family.
The old, local tradition however was fully altered by the surviving son and heir, Erengisle Laurinpoika of Sarvilahti, who took the german-moulded surname Creutz, and adopted the german-like name 'Ernesti' for first name;
his marriage was to a foreigner widow of a 'foreign' officer, i.e Kadrina Hess von Wichsdorff, whose chief appeal was the lands (Kuuskoski and starting points of Malminkartano) she had received in neighborhood of Sarvilahti from the crown as compensation for and salaries of her late husband.
However, the eldest son of this 'foreign' marriage received the familiar name of the paternal grandfather (a lord of Sarvilahti), he became Lauri (Lauritsa).
M.Sjostrom
some corrections, this version:
Markus
* 1 Lauri Markunpoika
lord of Sarvilahti b. est 1470
o Marjatta Lassentytär of Gesterby
+ 2 Matias Laurinpoika of Sarvilahti, lord of Tesjoki d.c 1531
# + Anna Juhantytär of Tuorlahti, heiress of Tyysteri and Vanhakylä in Pernaja (d aft 1525)
# + Silja Engelbertintytär of Kallola, heiress of Isnäinen
+ 2 Nuutti Laurinpoika, lord of Sarvilahti d bef 1540
# + NN (possibly of Tervajoki)
* 3 Matias Nuutinpoika, lord of Sarvilahti
o Benedikta Lydekentytär of Kraakku
+ 4 Martti Matinpoika, heir of Sarvilahti d. 1574
# Kaarina Hannuntytär
* 5 Nuutti Martinpoika, heir of Sarvilahti d. 1577
# Marketta Perttulintytär
* 5 Lauri Martinpoika, lord of Sarvilahti (beheaded 30 Sep 1599)
o Marketta Arvintytär of Tyysteri and Vanhakylä
+ 6 Matias Laurinpoika, lord of Sarvilahti
+ 6 Erengisle Laurinpoika 'Ernesti' Creutz, 1.Lord of Sarvilahti and Kasaritsa (d. in May 1634)
o + Kadrina Hess von Wichsdorff, heiress of Kuuskoski (d in Aug 1660)
+ 6 Hebla Laurintytär of Sarvilahti d. 1629
o + Antti Pekanpoika, 1.Lord Utter d. 1640
+ 6 Piritta Laurintytär of Sarvilahti
o + Matias Arnonpoika Forbes, lord of Myrskylä (d 1640)
* 5 Anna Martintytär of Sarvilahti
o + Samuli Arvinpoika of Tyysteri, lord of Vanhakylä in Pernaja
* 5 Piritta Martintytär of Sarvilahti d. 1574
o + Johannes Erkinpoika of Puotila
* 5 Benedikta Martintytär of Sarvilahti
o + Martti Klaunpoika, Lord of Nummilahti d. 1605
o + Juhana von Lode (from Estonia-Livonia)
# + Piritta Laurintytär
* 3 Anna Nuutintytär of Sarvilahti
o + Jaakko Rekonpoika of Kinnarmäki, of Ylike
* 3 NN Nuutintytär of Sarvilahti
o + Jesperi of Koskenkylä
+ 2 Piritta Laurintytär of Sarvilahti
# + Matias Jussinpoika of Teittilä