Petter Smidt, aka Smyth...

PETTER SMITT/SMIDT was born Around 1667 in Germany, and died Abt. 1720 in Falun, Kopparberg Sweden. He married MAGDALENA HINDRICHDOTTER HUWALT Abt. 1692.

Petter Schmidt/Smitt/Smyth was born before 1667 in Germany. He came to Sweden to practice his trade of hatmaking and went with other Germans to work the copper mines in Kopparberg ("Copper mountain") Sweden. He married the daughter of another German, Magdalena Hindrichdotter Huwalt. There is only 1 Smith household appearing on 1717 Tax list of Falun, Sweden, Pg. 214. Petter is listed as Head of Household. Petter is listed as a hatmaker and is listed with a wife, 3 sons, 2 daughters and a maid. Petter probably died in 1720 in Fahlun, Delacarlia, Sweden, as his wife is listed on the 1721 Tax List with one son and two daughters. Her name is not listed and she is shown as widow of Petter Schmidt. Next to her is Petter Smidt, Jr, with a wife. Falun is about 125 miles northwest of present day Stockholm. The early parish records of Delacarlia, English for Dalarna, were destroyed, therefore, these tax records are the earliest records available. Taken from pages at Rootweb as well as Leslie Collier and Gregg Branum's pages.

Leslie Coller states that the above has not yet proven but very likely. She also asks, Who do we know who can do research in Old Swedish, Ingrid Uhlff of Uppsala. Letter of Aug, 1997 from Ingrid to Peter Stebbins Craig inquired if there were known descendants to Hans and his brother, Frederick, brothers to her ancestor Petter--whose line, including her, remains in Sweden to this day. Letter passed on to me. Ingrid has done further research in Sweden in magistrate's records which record the births of all of the children of hatmaker, Petter Smitt/Smidt, the maiden name of his wife, Huwalt, and the fact that Petter was but lately come from an unspecified place in Germany to Sweden to practice his trade." See Rootweb, Gregg Branum

In 1687 Petter Schmidt appeared in the records applying to the Magistrate of Falun, Swseden for permission to settle and become a burgess and carry on his craft as a hatmaker. He stayed in Falun for some time the previous year "attending customers who entrusted him with their orders". His application was granted on the condition that he produced his master's diploma, which he duly did some years later after having presented his specimen to the hatmakers corporation in Stockholm. On one occassion he testified in a misdemeanor case before a Fahlun magistrate that he had scarce knowledge of the Swedish language, that he was of "German nation". Magdallenna Hindrichdotter Huwalt was his wife. Huwalt is not a Swedish family name but can be found in north western Germany in Schleswig.

PETER SMITT married MAGDALENA HUWALT around 1692

Children of PETTER SMITT and MAGDALENA HUWALT are:

i. PETER SMITT II, b. Abt. 1692, Falun, Kopparberg Sweden.
ii. HANS JURGEN GEORGE SMITT, b. November 03, 1694, Falun, Kopparberg Sweden; d. December 27, 1753, New Castle County Delaware.
iii. BALSAR SMITT, b. April 07, 1700, Falun, Kopparberg Sweden.
iv. MAGDALENA SMITT, b. August 07, 1702, Falun, Kopparberg Sweden.
v. HENDRIK SMITT, b. Abt. 1704, Falun, Kopparberg Sweden.
vi. FREDERICK SMITT, b. Abt. 1706, Falun, Kopparberg Sweden.

The name Smitt/Smidt is not a Swedish name but German. Per Leslie Smith Collier in a letter dated Dec. 4, 1990, wrote that George Hanson, who lectures in the North Tx. region on Swedish genealogy, told her that the owners of the Stora Kopparberg copper mine were noted for hiring both German and Dutch miners. He also suggested that at some point in the mine's history an unidentified Mr. Smidt came to Falun from Germany to work in the mining complex. Either he or a descendant left the mine, or was hurt and turned to hatmaking to support his family.