Bernhard Hvitfeldt (1685 - 1767)

Born 14 Mar 1685 in Karlshamn, Sweden

Husband of Anna Maria (Musaeus) Hvitfeldt — married 1721 in Stockholm

Descendants

Died 29 Jun 1767 at age 82 in Hornaryd, Norra Sandsjö, Jönköping, Sverige

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Robert Hvitfeldt [send private message]

Biography

Bernhard Hvitfeldt, born 1685 i Karlshamn; signed his name Wittfeldt; eye doctor; died 1767-06-29 at Hornaryd, Norra Sandsjö parish, buried 7/7 (lungsot, 82 years old , (source: Genline ID 1128.23.86300). Earliest 1747-07 Burial Sandsjö Pastorat (Church, Jönköping, Småland). under the church floor in N. Sandsjö church. ^[1] See more about Norra Sandsjö here [1], and here [2]

Married 1721 in Stockholm to Anna Maria Musæus, born 1697 in Leipzig, Germany, † 1761 (db missing for this year in Norra Sandsjö).

Children: Bernhardina Amoena Elisabeth Hvitfeldt, born 1721 , died a widow 1802-07-4 på Malma, Västra Ryds parish, buried 11/7 (inflammation, 81 years old, source: Genline ID 218.15.68300). Married 1:o to kommissarien Johan Sandberg, † 1752 på Grimstorp, Norra Sandsjö parish; 2:o 1753-02-03 to ryttmästaren Magnus Gabriel Gripensköld, born 1727, † 1794-03-13 på Malma, Västra Ryds parish, begr 28/3 (source: Genline ID 218.15.57200).

Johan Adolf Hvitfeldt, born 1725; hovkvartermästare; medicine doktor; † 1801.

Notes

Bernhard Hvitfeldt went to Denmark 1711 and stayed there at an aunt (his father’s sister, an unknown lady), after this he went to study and practise medicin as an apprentice to doctor medicinae Joseph Ostermeijer. He probably went with this doctor to the different courts in Europe and in 1719 he and his instructor was recalled to Sweden, and Stockholm, by the Queen Dowager Hedvig Eleonora, and had his exam in medicin 1721. He is said to have had noble privilege for himself and his wife in 1757 (this means not that he was a noble man, just that he had the privilege to his lifetime or some years).

There is some disagreement about Bernard's origin. Discussion on various sites includes the following:

1)He was married and would hardly be born Hvitfeldt (it would be easily tracked).

2) If the "wife" refers to older unmarried women, can not explain why Bernhard in public letters (our only sources) always spelled with Wit- as opposed to the father and his sisters, especially as "hvit" was the Swedish spelling in the 1900's; this should prove conclusively that no blood connection with the Danish-Norwegian family existed, and that Bernhard's Wit- was original. His daughter Maximiliana wrote the name as Witfeldt when she married Johan Kulberg.

Comment by N Rosenbalck: 3) The Doctor Bernhard Hvitfeldt was son of Sören Rasmussen in Karlshamn, not Severus Christopher Hvidtfeldt, and his wife Anna Skytte (a burgess daughter from Kristianstad)! He probably wanted to bee known as a nobleman, but he was just a commoner. Paul Wilstadius has written about this in a book that deals with goldsmiths in Karlshamn (don´t remember the name, but it would bee easy to check it). Bernhard Hvitfeldt was using the same seal as the danish noblefamily Hvidtfeldt, but he was a commoner. Maybee is his grandfather (Rasmus/Erasmus) a bastard of the family (or belonged to a branch that didn´t kept the nobleness.) ^{[2] [3]}

Comment by I. Clenman: 4) When did Sören Rasmussen and Anna Skytte get married? Or is this nowhere recorded? I also understand there is no birth record for Bernard. Skytte is a well-known family, Danish nobility and perhaps there is something more about Anna or her parents somewhere out of reach of foreigners? The Danish army was in Karlshamn in early 1710 but left very quickly without encountering the Swedish army. The situation at the time was a state of war and there was no peace time travelling. If Bernhard went to Denmark in 1711 he fled from Blekinge and in order for him to return to Sweden he would have needed the protection of a powerful person indeed. This is what seems to have happened and he returned with a well protected physician quite a few years later. There are many uncertainties in this case, we don't know (I don't know!) who were the parents of Sören Rasmussen or where he was born, we don't know if Anna may have been married before, etc. much is missing. Anna remarried after Sören died and this man, Högberg would indeed be Bernards stepfather, regardless of who his own real father was. Until these questions are answered, I see no reason to call Bernard an impostor. The name of a noble family could not just be adopted by a common er without any repercussions, as far as I understand. ^[4]

^[5]

Comments

sometimes written Wittfelt, Witfelt, Wittfeldt, Witfeldt. See also: Sweden Baptisms, 1611-1920," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:V7D2-T57 : 9 December 2014), Johan Adolph Bernhardsson, ; citing Ljungby, Kalmar, Sweden, reference ; FHL microfilm 138,164.

Sources

1. ↑ http://www.spottinghistory.com/view/942/norra-sandsjo-church/
2. ↑ http://forum.genealogi.se/
3. ↑ Willstadius, Paul, Föreningen Gamla Karlskrona årsbok 1967
4. ↑ forum.genealogi.se
5. ↑ Personhistorisk Tidsskrift 1936.

Other sources:

Hvitfeldt Adelsvapen-Wiki

Kyrkböcker; Gustaf Elgenstierna, Den introducerade svenska adelns ättartavlor. 1925-36.;

Rudelius, Folke, Kalmar regementes personhistoria I 1693 (1953);

Göteborgssläkter under 1700-talets senare del, Weibull, Carl Gustaf (Gbg 1915). Sammanställt av: Mattias Loman