Yesterday, we looked at the life and family of Olof Stille of Roslegen, Sweden, born c1610 and who died around 1684.
His grandchildren, the children of his daughter Ella, were the generation responsible for the creation of the Steelman surname.
Ella Stille was born c1634, Roslagen, Sweden. She married (1) Peter Jochimsson, c1651, although he was about 12 years old than she was.
He died while on a trip to New Amsterdam (New York) in 1654, leaving young widow Ella and two children. Peter Petersson Yocum was born c1652 and daughter Elisabeth Petersdotter was born in 1654. Therefore, sadly, neither child had any memories of their father.
Ella soon married (2) Hans Mansson, with whom she had six sons. They originally used the patronymic surname of Hansson, but eventually adopted the surname of Steelman.
Hans Mansson seems to have had some of the same rabble rousing traits as his father-in-law.
In the summer of 1640, Hans Mansson. born c1612, from Hanaskede, Skaraborg (about 135 miles northwest of Stockholm), Sweden, was convicted of ruining “six of the best apple trees and two of the best cherry trees in order to obtain material for some mane combs,” which was a capital offense. He was given a choice of death by hanging or leaving Sweden, which he did, also sailing on the 1641 Charitas voyage to New Sweden.
If he was previously married, nothing is known of his wife or possible children.
Like Olof Stille, Hans Mansson became a well-respected citizen first of New Sweden and later, in the 1670s, on Pennsauken Creek in Burlington County, New Jersey.
Hans Mansson died at Senamensing, Burlington County, New Jersey about 1691. In 1692, “Widow Hance” was instead listed on the tax roll.
By 1693, Ella Mansson and her six sons began using the Steelman surname. If Ella had any surviving daughters, nothing is known of them.
Ella (Stille) (Jochim) Mansson-Steelman outlived both her husbands and was buried in Gloucester County, New Jersey on 22 January 1718, just a few years before Matthias Steelman was born.
Children of Ella and Hans Mansson:
- John, born c1655; married Maria Stalcop, daughter of John Andersson Stalcop. He removed to New Castle County by 1687, then to Cecil County, Maryland by 1693 and finally to what is today Adams County, Pennsylvania, where he died in 1749. John became an Indian trader and had at least two sons.
- Jons (James), born c1660; died 1734, Great Egg Harbor, Atlantic, New Jersey; married Susannah Toy, before 1690. James was survived by six sons and two daughters.
- Christiern, born c1670; died after 1737, probably New Castle County, Delaware; married Mary Cann, by 1708. She was a Quaker and the widow of James Claypoole. It is unknown whether he had any children.
- Peter, born c1674; died after 1737, probably Atlantic County, New Jersey; married Gertrude Keen, daughter of Hans Keen, c1695. He had five sons and two daughters.
- Charles, born c1679; died 1708, Senamensing, Burlington, New Jersey; married Anna Nilsson, daughter of Anthony Nilsson, c1701. He had one son and two daughters. This family removed to New Castle County, Delaware after his death.
- Eric, born c1681; died 1731, of smallpox, Gloucester County, New Jersey; married Brigitta (MNU). He had two sons and four daughters.
Can any of the sons of Ella Steelman be eliminated as the grandfather of Matthias Steelman? Nope, not a single one!
Next, we’ll take a look at whatever records can be found to document the names and wherabouts of the sixteen Steelman grandsons of Ella.
In spite of the work of Peter Stebbins Craig, online trees for these six children of Hans and Ella (Stille) Mansson Steelman are a hot mess.
It will take some digging to identify her sixteen grandchildren with any certainty and, from there, try to determine possible fathers for Matthias Steelman, c1723-1793, of New Castle County, Delaware and Surry County, North Carolina.