Research of Soldiers,

Sweden

Explanations and Terms

When you do soldier research you might come across terms you don’t understand. Here is an explanation to some such terms. • Abs. eller Absens,  absent at the muster. • Appr. eller Approbera, approved as a soldier at the muster. • Präs eller Pr., Presens eller Praesens,  personally present at the muster. • Avsked - Cassation: Avsked: The soldier was discharged. The discharge could be a request from the soldier or an order from the Army. The reason would be old age, war wound or sickness. If a soldier has a notation "kasserades" or "cassation" it means that the soldier wasn't fit to be a soldier and most often dishonorable discharged. The soldier then had committed a crime or violated the military rules and regulations. • Annotationer - Notations • Anmäld till underhåll - The soldier was granted an allowance and was now a grantee of a pension (gratialist). The allowance was paid by the Vadstena krigsmanshuskassa. A soldier was not automatically granted an allowance. He needed a good service record and graded to be unfit to earn his own living after the discharge. If he was granted an allowance and was able to partially earn his living he normally would receive a reduced allowance. Normally the soldier had to be over 50 years of age and been in service for 30 years before he was a possible choice. The GMR will have the note "Anmäld till underhåll" (reported for allowance) if he was due for an allowance. • Sjuk - The soldier could be absent at a general muster due to sickness/injury. He was then either at home or at the regimental cottage hospital.   • Soldattorp - The soldier dwelling, the soldier's croft (cottage). • Officersboställe - An officer's military residence. • Utmönstrad - The soldier was discharged/deceased and removed from the rolls. • Underofficer - Non-Commissioned Officer (NCO) • Inskrivningsnummer - Enrollment number • Rullföringsområde - Roll keeping area • Soldatkontrakt - Soldier contract • Generalmönsterrulla, GMR - General Muster Roll, GMR • Roten vakant -  The "rote" was vacant and a new soldier was to be recruited. Until a new soldier was recruited the "rote" had to pay a vacancy fee to the Crown. • Roten indragen - The "rote" was suspended (permanently vacated). Instead the "rote" had to pay a vacancy fee to the regiment. This fee could be used by the regiment to maintain for example the regimental band. • Transport - Sometimes a soldier was transferred to another "rote" This was called "transport". • Kommenderad - A soldier could be absent at a general muster due to duty elsewhere, for example duty as a prison guard at a penitentiary. • Interimavsked. Provisional discharge. A soldier could not get discharged until next general muster. However, the regimental commander could discharge a solder on the soldiers request between two general musters if the “rote” supported the request or if the rote had requested so. This was called “interimavsked” but the discharge was still to be finally approved at the next muster. • Rekryt - When a new soldier was recruited he became a "rekryt (recruit). He didn't became a soldier until he had been approved at the next general muster.  • Minderårig volontär. Under age military personnel, volunteers, that served without salary but could have certain fringe benefits. This was soldiers to become NCOs or officers. • Examples of different notations in general muster rolls Top of page

Related Links

• The Allotment System • Swedish Regiments • Swedish Military Unit Numbers • Tutorial: How to Research Soldiers • Tutorial: Conscription Enrollment Numbers • Example of soldier rolls & documents  • About the enrollment Numbers (Conscripts) • Examples of different notations in general muster rolls • Terms, soldier research • The rote numbering of the Södermanland regiment

Source References

• Krigsarkivet och släktforskaren, Christopher von Warnstedt, SSGFs skriftserie, nr 1. 1989. • Släktforskaren och Krigsarkivet by Lars Ericsson, article in Båtsmän, ryttare & soldater, Årsbok Sveriges Släktforskarförbund 1988. • Soldatforska, Lars Ericson Wolke, 2012 • Soldatforskning, by P Clemensson, L Ericsson, P Frohnert and B Lippold. Krigsarkivet 1995. • Släktforskarna och Krigsarkivet, en vägvisare till de militära källorna. Message from Krigsarkivet XIX, 2000. • Beståndsöversikt Krigsarkivet • Inskrivningar av värnpliktiga 1812 - 1969, en översikt av Evabritta Personne, 1968. • My own experiences Top of page