Olof Persson Stille (1610–1684) was a pioneer settler of
New Sweden, a colony along the lower reaches of the
Delaware River
The Delaware River is a major river in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. From the meeting of its branches in Hancock (village), New York, Hancock, New York, the river flows for along the borders of N ...
in North America claimed by Sweden from 1638 to 1655. Stille served as the first chief justice of the
Upland Court, the governing body of the
New Sweden colony following
Dutch West India Company
The Dutch West India Company ( nl, Geoctrooieerde Westindische Compagnie, ''WIC'' or ''GWC''; ; en, Chartered West India Company) was a chartered company of Dutch merchants as well as foreign investors. Among its founders was Willem Usselincx ( ...
annexation from
Swedish
Swedish or ' may refer to:
Anything from or related to Sweden, a country in Northern Europe. Or, specifically:
* Swedish language, a North Germanic language spoken primarily in Sweden and Finland
** Swedish alphabet, the official alphabet used by ...
colonial rule.
Background
Olof Persson Stille was born in
Sweden
Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden,The United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names states that the country's formal name is the Kingdom of SwedenUNGEGN World Geographical Names, Sweden./ref> is a Nordic country located on ...
on the island of SoIö in
Roslagen, northeast of
Stockholm
Stockholm () is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in Sweden by population, largest city of Sweden as well as the List of urban areas in the Nordic countries, largest urban area in Scandinavia. Approximately 980,000 people liv ...
, the son of Per Stille, supervisor of the
Penningby estate in
Länna parish,
Norrtälje Municipality in
Uppland, north of
Stockholm
Stockholm () is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in Sweden by population, largest city of Sweden as well as the List of urban areas in the Nordic countries, largest urban area in Scandinavia. Approximately 980,000 people liv ...
. In 1627 when Per Stille retired, he was granted land by the owners of Penningby on a nearby island called Humblö in the
Stockholm archipelago. This was where Olof Stille married and began his family.
New Sweden
In May 1641, the ''Charitas'' departed for New Sweden. The passengers included Olof Stille, a millwright, with his wife, a daughter, Ella, and son Anders. Also on board were Olof's younger brother Axel Stille and the family of Måns Svensson Lom, whose wife appears to have been Olof's younger sister.
In New Sweden, Olof Stille settled at a place located between present
Crum Creek and
Ridley Creek. The property of Stille was at the mouth of Ridley Creek, now
Eddystone, Pennsylvania. Local Indians became acquainted with Olof Stille. They considered his heavy, black beard unusual conferring the name Tequirassy on him because of it.
Stille became a leader among the settlers and played a key role in promoting the July 1653 list of grievances, which was submitted to Governor
Johan Printz, protesting his strict rule. Printz considered this action mutiny and subsequently returned to Sweden. Stille was unapologetic about his role in submitting the list of grievances, and when the new governor,
Johan Risingh, raised unresolved questions about the "rebellion," Stille posted bail and demanded to be tried according to the law, though Risingh chose to let the matter drop.
Upland Court
After the surrender of New Sweden to the
Dutch West India Company
The Dutch West India Company ( nl, Geoctrooieerde Westindische Compagnie, ''WIC'' or ''GWC''; ; en, Chartered West India Company) was a chartered company of Dutch merchants as well as foreign investors. Among its founders was Willem Usselincx ( ...
, Governor
Peter Stuyvesant
Peter Stuyvesant (; in Dutch also ''Pieter'' and ''Petrus'' Stuyvesant, ; 1610 – August 1672)Mooney, James E. "Stuyvesant, Peter" in p.1256 was a Dutch colonial officer who served as the last Dutch director-general of the colony of New Net ...
agreed to allow the Swedish colonists living north of the
Christina River to govern themselves as the "Swedish Nation." While Governor Risingh and some of his followers returned to Sweden, most of the colonists remained. Stuyvesant agreed that the colonists would be governed by a court with magistrates of their choosing, could exercise freedom of religion, would organize their own militia and choose officers, would be allowed continued trade with Indians and retain their landholdings, in return for pledging their loyalty to New Netherland. On August 4, 1656, the "Swedish Nation" was formally recognized with a ceremony at Ft. Christina and four magistrates of the newly created court were recognized: Olof Stille, along with Mats Hansson, Peter Cock and
Peter Gunnarsson Rambo.
Olof Stille served as the chief justice of this
Upland Court at
Chester
Chester is a cathedral city and the county town of Cheshire, England. It is located on the River Dee, close to the English–Welsh border. With a population of 79,645 in 2011,"2011 Census results: People and Population Profile: Chester Loca ...
in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, until his retirement in 1664. During that time there were many policy clashes as well as demands made by the Dutch on the Swedish colonists. Stille was credited with being an able defender of the Swedes' position. He was called upon to settle disputes among the colonists even after he had officially retired.
Wolley Stille
Wolley Stille, a house near Chester which was first completed about 1700, was named for Stille, who owned a neighboring property. Wolley Stille is located in
Nether Providence Township, Delaware County, Pennsylvania[ ] The house is now in the
National Register of Historic Places. Olof Stille moved to Moyamensing (now
south Philadelphia)where he died about 1684.
[''History of Ridley Township, Pa.'' (From: A History of Delaware County, Pennsylvania. John W. Jordan, Published By Lewis Historical Publishing Company, New York 1914)]
References
Other sources
*Myers, Albert Cook ''Narratives of Early Pennsylvania, West New Jersey and Delaware 1630-1707'' (Charles Scribner's Sons, 1912)
*Johnson, Amandus ''The Swedish Settlements on the Delaware Volume I: Their History and Relation to the Indians, Dutch and English, 1638-1664,'' (1911)
*
External links
Penningby Castle websiteSwedish
The Upland Court Record
{{DEFAULTSORT:Stille, Olof Persson
Swedish Lutherans
Swedish emigrants to the United States
People from Uppland
People of New Sweden
People of colonial Pennsylvania
People of New Netherland
1610 births
1684 deaths