Maria Nilsdotter i Ölmeskog (1756–1822) was a Swedish farmer in

Väse Hundred A hundred is a geographic division formerly used in northern Germanic countries and related colonies, which historically was used to divide a larger region into smaller administrative divisions. The equivalent term in Swedish is (in Uppland als ...

Värmland County Värmland County (''Värmlands län'') is a county or '' län'' in west central Sweden. It borders the Swedish counties of Dalarna, Örebro and Västra Götaland, as well as the Norwegian counties of Viken and Innlandet to the west. Prince ...

, who was awarded a Royal Citizens Medal after having prevented a rebellion during the disturbances after the death of

Charles August, Crown Prince of Sweden Charles August or Carl August (9 July 1768 – 28 May 1810) was a Danish prince. He is best known for serving as Crown Prince of Sweden briefly in 1810, adopted by Charles XIII, before his sudden death from a stroke. Earlier, he had been a gene ...

in May 1810. Maria Nilsdotter was the daughter of the farmer Nils Larsson and Kierstin Nilsdotter i Ölmskog and married Jan Nilsson in 1781; she was the heir of her parents and took over the farm Ölmskog with her spouse from her parents. After the death of

on 28 My 1810, rumors circulated through the nation that he had been poisoned by the

Gustavians The Gustavians ( sv, Gustavianerna) were a political faction in the Kingdom of Sweden who supported the absolutist regime of King Gustav III of Sweden, and sought after his assassination in 1792 to uphold his legacy and protect the interests of ...

, and created great tension. In the capital of Stockholm,

Axel von Fersen the Younger Hans Axel von Fersen (; 4 September 175520 June 1810), known as Axel de Fersen in France, was a Swedish count, Marshal of the Realm of Sweden, a General of Horse in the Royal Swedish Army, one of the Lords of the Realm, aide-de-camp to Rochamb ...

was lynched in June because of these rumors ( Fersen murder). In Värmland, an anonymous proclamation circulated which called men to arm themselves and march as an army to the capital to protect the monarch, who was claimed to be in danger. By the time they reached the farm of Maria Nilsdotter, they were about 40, but still growing in numbers, and asked for her three sons and male servants to join them. She demanded to know who had issued the proclamation. When told that it was in fact not issued by the authorities but from an anonymous and unknown source, she forbid her sons to join them. She thereafter held a speech to the assembled armed men, which convinced them to dissolve the improvised army and discontinue the formatting of it. She thereby prevented what could have been the start of a dangerous rebellion. On 8 October 1810, Maria Nilsdotter was awarded a chain with a medal of gold and a Gilding silver coup with the inscription: "By King

Carl XIII Charles XIII, or Carl XIII ( sv, Karl XIII, 7 October 1748 – 5 February 1818), was King of Sweden from 1809 and King of Norway from 1814 to his death. He was the second son (and younger brother to King Gustav III) of King Adolf Frederick of S ...

to Goodwife Maria Nilsdotter i Ölmeskog, for virtue in citizenry".Hedvig Elisabet Charlotta; Klercker Cecilia af (1942). Hedvig Elisabeth Charlottas dagbok. 9, 1812-1817. Stockholm: Norstedt. Libris 8207718 p. 689

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Maria Nilsdotter i Olmeskog 1756 births 1822 deaths Women in 19th-century warfare 19th-century Swedish farmers 19th-century women farmers Women in war in Sweden 19th-century Swedish women

See also

References