The Finnish rote

[Lynette1]

I found this record in the archives and was wondering what the responsibilities/duties of the “rote” was in Finland.
I have run across this term in the Swedish archives while researching my Swedish heritage. The rote there was responsible for providing a soldier/sailor for the army/navy as well as his upkeep, providing for the poor, etc.
Also, how are the rotes grouped. I see that there are only three farms in the 4th Roten where the Anttila farm was so I am assuming those three farms must have been quite large/prosperous.

Also, I am assuming that many of the farmers did not know how to sign their names and hence the use of the symbols under their names. How did the farmers come up with their own unique symbol? Were they assigned it by the church or town?

Thank you for any information,
Lynette

https://www.sukuhistoria.fi/sshy/kirjat ... uk84/7.htm

[Lynette1]

I might have figured it out. The book appears to be the accounts of the poor, the collection and distribution of money collected from the farmers.

There’s something written on these two pages about Erik Eriksson Anttila. I think it is about a death? I would appreciate a summary of what it says.

Thank you,
Lynette

https://www.sukuhistoria.fi/sshy/kirjat ... k84/60.htm

[Kimpula]

I found this record in the archives and was wondering what the responsibilities/duties of the “rote” was in Finland.
I have run across this term in the Swedish archives while researching my Swedish heritage. The rote there was responsible for providing a soldier/sailor for the army/navy as well as his upkeep, providing for the poor, etc.

At least in Finland rote (ruotu in Finnish) that provided for soldiers was not the same thing than rote/ruotu that took care of poor people.

The latter was a system where each poor person got his/her own ruotu (*). It was a group of farms and the poor person lived in each farm for some time (few days in a small farm and maybe a year in a big farm) and when his/her time was up, the farmer transfered the poor to the next farm in ruotu.

(*) Or did not get it...

[JaskaS]

Also, how are the rotes grouped. I see that there are only three farms in the 4th Roten where the Anttila farm was so I am assuming those three farms must have been quite large/prosperous.

The mantal (tax unit) figures show their prosperity. Anttila has rather high 1 7/16, Storhök 19/24, Lillhök 11/16. It seems that total sum of the mantals in one rote was between 2 and 3. Also Sissala in 6th rote has over one mantal, i.e. 1 1/24.
I checked the unclear figures from: https://digihakemisto.net/item/17571988 ... 75342/1017
See: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mantal

Jaska

[Lynette1]

Wow! Thank you. Now I have even more question.
That’s something to think about - taking the poor into you home. But in those small villages, everyone knew their neighbors. I am thinking that perhaps the poor would have been housed in some sort of backstuga?
Would the poor have been listed in the Communion Books with the family members, torpares, drängs and anyone living/working on the farm?
There is an elderly poor couple, the inhyses Erik Eriksson and his wife Regina who were listed as having received monetary aid for quite some years so I am wondering if the Anttila family was taking care of them.

The right page and then the following two pages have a list of farmers and money collected from them. Is this also a poor fund?
https://www.sukuhistoria.fi/sshy/kirjat ... k84/10.htm

Am I correct in thinking some poor were given a little money and the extremely poor were housed at the rotating farms?

Thank you,
Lynette

[Kimpula]

Would the poor have been listed in the Communion Books with the family members, torpares, drängs and anyone living/working on the farm?

The right page and then the following two pages have a list of farmers and money collected from them. Is this also a poor fund?
https://www.sukuhistoria.fi/sshy/kirjat ... k84/10.htm

Am I correct in thinking some poor were given a little money and the extremely poor were housed at the rotating farms?

1) I have seen that people who have no regular job (i.e. no dreng/piga) and no home are listed at the end of the village in communion books under diffenent headings. By the way, if you have an account on Ancestry you could tell on this thread https://www.ancestry.com/boards/localit ... neral/5024
that Itsellisiä is not a place name.

2) Page, §2. Some farmers were too poor to pay for the upkeep of the church building so their debts were totally or partially pardoned (afkortedes eller rättare afminskades).

3) I believe that people who nobody wanted to take was put to rote/ruotu, no relatives, mentally or physically handicapped, mentally ill, very old, physically extremely ill or frail, disabled...
As for housing, they were given a corner in some room, or sauna - or put to a bern with the cows.

[Kimpula]

Bern = barn.

[u18188]

Digihakemisto Alajärven srk ... Kirkonkokousten pöytäkirjat 1837-1864; https://digihakemisto.net/item/1271534654/5858208627/56 .
Here is my interpretation of this document:

The undersigned teacher was informed by the farmer Matts Johansson Laukkola, that as he was in the graveyard digging the grave for his child, which with death had departed, farmer's son Erik Eriksson Antila and farm-hand Anders Johansson Antila or Korkiaho on the 15. of this month had appeared and after the grave was dug they had forced themselves into the bell-tower and though Mats Laukkola, in the presence of witnesses, forbid them, on their own responsibility they had rang/tolled both churchbells to mark the opening of the grave.
Upon the request of the undersigned, the "Sixman" Jacob Mattsson Antila summoned therefore the Members of the Churchcouncil to deliberate this bad behaviour and wilful manner and called today these named malepersons to answer to the accusations and to be heard.
E. E. A. and A. J. K. were sent for, denied the accusations wherefore was proceeded to witness-hearings.
The witness, Farmer's son Erik Gustafsson Neljämark was heard and confirmed that the defendants indeed were forbidden by Matts Laukkola to ring/toll for the graveopening, as he was not willing to pay for it. The witness, Watchman's son Emanuel Lagren also supported this statement.
Whereafter the Churchcouncil passed the following Resolution:
As evidently investigated that Erik Antila and Anders Korkiaho, although they deny it, on their own responsibility forced themselves into the bell-tower and willfully rang/tolled the bells, followed according to the Churchcouncil's Resolution of Oct. 16. 1853 that they both be fined XX Rb:silver to the Churchfunds, which was stated after they were called.
Erik Antila and Anders Korkiaho are within 21 days fully entitled to lodge an appeal about this matter to the H. H. Governor of the administrative province, if they believe they have grounds to do so.
On behalf of the Churchcouncil: Carl Mich. Hjelm
Jacob Mattsson Antila _ Johan Ojajärvi
(Marks)
Johan Johansson Neljämark _ Mats Neljämark
(Marks).

I am no jurist nor teacher, so I apologize for the awkward translation.
Birgit S.

[Lynette1]

Birgit and Kimpula,

Thank you for your replies.

Kimpula - My great-grandparents were listed on one of the “itsellisiä” pages in Lappajärvi right before they immigrated. They were landless and Henry and Maria were working as a laborer/servant (dräng and piga) on a farm.

Birgit - Thank you so much for translating that section for me! That was a lot of work and I so I much appreciate it. What an interesting story! It seems the church charged the parishioners for every little thing, including ringing of the bell when the grave was opened. I can see my brothers doing what Erik did so that trait must have been passed down through the generations.

The deeper I dig, the more interesting the story becomes. Thank you for helping me do this.
Lynette

[Kimpula]

Kimpula - My great-grandparents were listed on one of the “itsellisiä” pages in Lappajärvi right before they immigrated. They were landless and Henry and Maria were working as a laborer/servant (dräng and piga) on a farm.

It seems different parishes put dräng/piga to different places.
I have seen them listed on the "farm" they worked for.

[Lynette1]

You are correct. I did not word that well. They had been farmhands before they married.
They were married and listed on one of the “itsellisia” pages as immigrating to Minnesota.