Jacob Faggot (13 March 1699 – 28 February 1777)Scobbie, Irene (2010). ''The A to Z of Sweden.'' Rowman & Littlefield, was a Swedish scientist, civil servant, and surveyor.

Life and career

Faggot was educated at

Uppsala University Uppsala University (UU) () is a public university, public research university in Uppsala, Sweden. Founded in 1477, it is the List of universities in Sweden, oldest university in Sweden and the Nordic countries still in operation. Initially fou ...

and later worked as a tutor of Swedish political leader Nils Reuterholm. From 1727 onwards, he worked in the Lantmäterikontoret (surveying office) as a surveyor and

geometry Geometry (; ) is a branch of mathematics concerned with properties of space such as the distance, shape, size, and relative position of figures. Geometry is, along with arithmetic, one of the oldest branches of mathematics. A mathematician w ...

teacher. He became its director in 1747. On his initiative Sweden printed their first cadastral maps. His interest in reforming Swedish

agriculture Agriculture encompasses crop and livestock production, aquaculture, and forestry for food and non-food products. Agriculture was a key factor in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created ...

led him to implement the '' Storskiftet'' (great repartition), a land reform to improve agricultural output, similar to the British model, begun in 1749. He was involved in the mapping of Finland and led storskiftesverket in both Finland and Scania. From 1733 to 1739, Faggot served on the ''Tabellkommissionen'' (Commission for the adjustment of weights and measures). He later served as a member of the commission to oversee and improve

forestry Forestry is the science and craft of creating, managing, planting, using, conserving and repairing forests and woodlands for associated resources for human and Natural environment, environmental benefits. Forestry is practiced in plantations and ...

schemes. He became a founding member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences in 1739, serving as its secretary from 1741 to 1744 and again from 1757 to 1760. He criticized the organization for using

Latin Latin ( or ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally spoken by the Latins (Italic tribe), Latins in Latium (now known as Lazio), the lower Tiber area aroun ...

instead of Swedish, which led to his founding the breakaway group ''Tungomålsgillet'' (Language Guild). Due to opposition from the Academy of Sciences, he was unable to get a royal charter for the organization. Faggot assisted in creating the first Census in Sweden in 1749, after becoming the director of the Survey Office.Roberts Michael (2003). '' The Age of Liberty: Sweden 1719-1772.'' Cambridge University Press, p. 138, In later life, he published on agricultural topics. His work researching genealogies via ''hemmansklyvning'' (division of inherited family lands) led to increased interest in population studies and local history. In 1730, Faggot married Elisabeth Ehrenström; the couple had five children. The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences posthumously awarded a medal to Faggot in 1778.Helander Hans (2004). Neo-Latin literature in Sweden in the period 1620-1720 ''Acta Universitatis Upsaliensis: Studia Latina Upsaliensia'', Volume 29. Almquist & Wiksell

Selected bibliography

*''Historien om svenska landtmäteriet och geographie'' ("The history of the Swedish surveying office and geographers") *''Svenska landtbrukets hinder ock hjälp'' ("Swedish agricultural barriers and help")

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Faggot, Jacob 1699 births 1777 deaths Swedish surveyors Members of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences Swedish scientists People from Uppsala County