Message: "Swedish quadruplets between 1721 and 1901 (eta another set)"

[Opinions] Swedish quadruplets between 1721 and 1901 (eta another set)

by Malin (nilamalin)

4/25/2012, 11:25 AM

While researching genealogy, I spotted quads born in 1750. That there even were quads born so long ago fascinated me, and I started to wonder how many could ever have been born in little Sweden. I managed to find reports on at least 86 sets between 1721 and 2005 (apparently less than are born in the US each year, lol). These are the ones I've found the names of. What do you think? How would you complete the sets where not all are named?

1721: Katarina, Maria, Britta, stillborn boy
1724: Karin, Ingeborg, Anna, Kerstin
1728: Sven, Erik, Karin, Anna
1750: Nils, Lars, Olof, stillborn girl
1759: Anders, Nils, Maja, Kristina
1760: Abraham, Sara, two stillborn girls
1762: Britta, Per, Erik, Olof
1811: Sven, Stina, Maria, stillborn girl
1826: Lotta, Gustav, Karl, Jan
1841: Johan, Anders, Stina, Maja
1857: Katarina Margareta, Emma Ulrika, Erik, Gustav
1857: Abraham, Isak, Jakob, Augusta
1859: Johan Alarik, Per Harald, Triola Ellida Charlotta, stillborn girl (thought it said Frida at first, but no, Triola it is ...)
1871: Arvid, Johan, Oskar, stillborn boy
1874: Axel, Hilma, Oleana, stillborn boy
1879: Kristina, Jenny, Lovisa, stillborn girl
1884: Anna, Bengta, Elsa, stillborn girl
1884: Matilda, Selma, Alma, Anna
1891: Klas Emil, Johan Viktor, Anna Maria, stillborn girl
1901: Hugo, Karl, Elsa, Karin

ETA:
A newspaper from 1895 writes that Karolinska Institute in Stockholm has, "since long times", wax casts of a set of quadruplets, all born alive (but soon dead) and named Abraham, Isak, Jakob and Svante (naming boy triplets after the patriarchs seems to have been kind of common. Couldn't Svante have gotten Josef or Daniel or something?). I haven't been able to find when they were born.

#quadruplets #Swedish

This message was edited 4/25/2012, 1:42 PM

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- Eva Marie

4/25/2012, 5:11 PM

So sad how many didn't make it! Here's how I would have finished the sets.

1721: Katarina, Maria, Britta, and Georg

1750: Nils, Lars, Olof, and Astrid

1760: Abraham, Sara, and Ester and Marit

1811: Sven, Stina, Maria, and Ebba.

1859: Johan Alarik, Per Harald, Triola Ellida Charlotta, and Levina Tobia Florentina

1871: Arvid, Johan, Oskar, and Kasper

1874: Axel, Hilma, Oleana, and Lasse

1879: Kristina, Jenny, Lovisa, and Lisbet

1884: Anna, Bengta, Elsa, and Mareta

1891: Klas Emil, Johan Viktor, Anna Maria, and Ella Brigitta

This message was edited 4/25/2012, 6:32 PM

- Wordsmith

4/25/2012, 4:39 PM

I'm delighted by Nils, Lars, and Olof; Johan, Anders, Stina, and Maja; Abraham, Isak, Jakob, and Augusta; Kristina, Jenny, and Lovisa; and Hugo, Karl, Elsa, and Karin.

- gail +2

4/25/2012, 11:38 AM

This is a fascinating post. Like you, I'm surprised there were quads being born nearly 300 years ago. In the US, there's a Navajo saying or maybe it's a belief, that twins are unlucky. Because the odds for survival are harder. This would be even more true with quads.

(I don't know how to complete the sets because to do so authentically, I'd need to know what names were being used in the birth years.)

- Malin (nilamalin) +1

4/25/2012, 11:48 AM

I even found a woman who gave birth to "three boys and a monster with two heads" in 1726. Not quite sure if that counts as quints or not, but still!

You could use the top list I made for 1750, I've meant to share it here but haven't yet ...
http://historiskanamn.turmalin.se/

- Frollein Gladys

4/25/2012, 1:00 PM

Whoa, this is awesome! Thanks!

I'll go play with the list a bit and come back later ;-)

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