Pär Ersson

   Other names for Pär were Per Eriksson and Per Ersson.

  Death Notes:

He was living in Svanabyn.

  Events

• He worked as a settler in Svanabyn in 1727 in Dorotea Församling, Åsele Härad, Västerbottens Län, Sweden.

• Anecdote: Svanabyn, 1758, Dorotea Församling, Åsele Härad, Västerbottens Län, Sweden. Pär was depressed and committed suicide around Midsummer 1758. According to the court records "Constable Johan Edin told the court that settler Pär Ersson from Svanabyn, almost 60 years old, had been depressed for more than 1 1/2 years. It started as a bad headache and later on increased. His family sometimes had to watch him until he came to his senses again. The son, juryman Erik Pärsson, told the court that he and his father walked to Lafsjön a few days before Midsummer's day. His father became tired and walked behind Erik. When Erik arrived at the village, he noticed his father was not behind him. He returned to look for him but couldn't find him. After several days of searching, he and his brother found him on Pärsmässodag (27 July) about 1/2 mile from Svanabyn. He was lying with a noose around his neck between a birch tree and a large rock. The court agreed that he likely had jumped off the rock with the noose around his neck; however, the rope broke and he fell to the ground. The knife found beside him seems to indicate that he tried to free himself. The sons placed him in a home-made casket and temporarily buried him until the court could decide what to do. Everyone who was asked about Pär's life said he had lived a quiet life with his wife, children and neighbours. No one said that he in any way had lived differently that what was expected of a Christian."

The court found it difficult to decide what to do with Pär's remains. Should his suicide prevent him from being buried as a Christian or should he be buried the usual way? After deliberations, the court decided that Pär's remains should be dug up so he could be buried properly; although, it would be handled quietly. The cout also decided that Hendrik Andersson and Daniel Salomonsson of Eden, along with the mother (Pär's wife) should be the legal guardians of Pärs children.

Pär's sons temporarily buried their father at Storholmen (a small island) in Tjusjön and not in the woods where he was found. This island is still called "dead man's island" to this day.

Pär married Lisbeta Jonsdotter. (Lisbeta Jonsdotter was born in Dorotea Församling, Åsele Härad, Västerbottens Län, Sweden and died in 1738 in Dorotea Församling, Åsele Härad, Västerbottens Län, Sweden.)

Pär next married Christina Christoffersdotter, daughter of Christoffer Henriksson and Anna Israelsdotter. (Christina Christoffersdotter was born in 1710 in Fjällsjö Församling, Ramsele Härad, Västernorrlands Län, Sweden and died in 1784 in Dorotea Församling, Åsele Härad, Västerbottens Län, Sweden.)