Lars Erik & Johanna Margareta, his wife, first appear together in Stenkvista, Södermanland in 1842.

She arrives from Ärla. He is already there, arriving from Nora Stad, Örebro, in 1841.3.

In 1821, Maria Margareta Hellbom & Lars Erik are living with family at Skoftorp, Nora, Örebro. This record indicates that Maria returned here from Stockholm in 1817 . This shows that Maria Hellbom couldn't have been pregnant for four years, the father HAD to have been from, or in, Nora. 4.

In 1835, Maria and Lars move to Elfvestorp (Älvstorp).5. There, Lars has the surname Hagberg and Maria is Maja Gretha. 6.

In 1837, Lars goes to Nora Stad and is an apprentice tailor under Anders Lindström.7.

19 Feb 1845, Maria Hellbom dies at Älvstorp. No evidence of any children other than Lars Erik. There never were three brothers for Lars Eric.. 8.

Lars Erik Hagberg becomes Lars Erik Lindenå in 1841. Spelling changes to Lindenau while in Stenkvista.9. Lars and family live in Nora Stad until he dies 24 May 1881 at the Örebro Lasaret. (Lasaret is Swedish for hospital). 10,11.

The Household Examination roll / Clerical Survey that is referred to is Nora Bergsförsamling AI 16:a (1861-1871), page 261.

On this page Lars Erik Lindenau is a tailor, but nowhere is there a mention that he was a lay minister. And that would have been stated very carefully since it was disapproved of to be a lay minister without permission. But, the entire family is very good at attending the annual household examination and receiving holy communion in the state church.

In this volume of Household Examinations there is no sign what so ever of any efforts to remove the children from the care of Lars Erik and Johanna Margareta. Such an idea would have been very remarkable since the father of an unacknowledged illegitimate child had no rights at all.

The only one with any notes is daughter Johanna Wilhelmina who had a "betrothal child" (i.e. a child born while its parents were betrothed but not married; such a child was not illegitimate), Karl Viktor, 03 Jun 1863 in Nora, by a journeyman clockmaker in Örebro town, Fredrik Carlsson. Johanna Wilhelmina was released from her betrothal 25 Feb 1866. She married Olof Olsson (pls. note first name - Olof, NOT Olaf, which is Norwegian), a journeyman instrumentmaker and carpenter, 20 May 1866. Olof wasn't an entirely satisfactory character since he spent 5 months 4 days doing hard labour in 1867. The couple's first child, Hilma Wilhelmina, was born 23 Aug 1866, just three months after the parents married. They moved to Stockholm 21 Sep 1869, together with Johanna Wilhelmina's sister Sofia Augusta.

Younger brother Erik Wilhelm moved to Stockholm the next year, 10 Oct 1870.. So this part of the story is true, Sophia did spend time in Stockholm, but with her older sister.

The name of the parish where Victor Ferdinand was born was Stenkvista, a neighbouring parish of Ärla (or Ärila, as it was also called) where Johanna Wilhelmina was born.

Ärla/Ärila and Stenkvista are located in Södermanland county while Nora is in Örebro county. The two counties are neighbours.

There is no such place as "Drottingham Palace" in Stockholm. There is Drottningholm palace, located about 8 miles west of Stockholm, in a rural setting in the municipality of Ekerö. The palace wasn't used by the Royal family from the end of the 18th century until 1846, when repairs started since the palace had decayed badly in the long period when it hadn't been used. The Royal family did some entertaining here, particularly in the summers, but the palace wasn't regularly occupied until 1911. Today it is a World Heritage site, and the private residence of the King and Queen of Sweden. The palace grounds have always been freely accessible to the general public - they still are, although some areas nearest to the palace are today off limits for security reasons, but that wouldn't have applied in the 19th century.

At this time there was no such thing as a common-law husband/wife in Sweden. You were either single, betrothed or married. "Living together" was being single and having illicit sex, for which you could be had up before a court of law until 1864 (yes, people were charged and punished). Being betrothed was quite formal, and carried with it all sorts of legal obligations (as can be noted above re. Johanna Wilhelmina). So with Maria Hellbom becoming an unwed mother, either the father carried some hard legal weight, or the records still haven't been found on the punishment and fines Maria had to endure for having Lars Erik Lindenau unmarried.

Wills were, and are, not very common in Sweden. When you had/have children a will is VERY unusual since surviving spouse and children will have the bulk of the property, by law, which cannot be changed by a will. What a will would be doing in a church in Sweden is unheard of, a will would be found in the courts not a church. Hilma Olson and her sister lied about going to the church to read the will.

As for Lars Erik Lindenau's father. As for the story and the name Montgomery. Maria evidently wasn't in Stockholm when she became pregnant. The ONLY Montgomery born in France in service in the vounty of Orebro AND residing in Nora itself was Carl August Montgomery who apparently kept the HFL (Household Examination Rolls) for Nora 1841-1850 -- not a normal task for a French general. The dates don't match up with Lars Erik's birth, but records are being searched to see if he can be found there earlier then this.12. Then there is also another possibility, Maria Margareta Hellbom came from Nora to Klara parish, Stockholm, in November 1819. She was employed as a "piga" (maid) by one "Vaktmästare" Qvist.13. Now how long Maria was there is unknown, but this Qvist is another possibility since females during this time were closely guarded and brought up with strict adherence to the laws and their parents laws."Vaktmästare" = Caretaker is a title for workers or lower official who has to take care of different kinds of tasks. A caretaker is often a multi-tasker who is responsible for office services to a company or a government agency. The holder shall usually cook things, replace broken, order home again, to some extent, cleaning and be responsible for building maintenance . SO still checking out this Caretaker Qvist to see how close Maria could have become with him, and for how long. There has to be records somewhere in Sweden, they were very, very strict about record keeping, and for no records found so far for this birth is very extraordinary. What is also very extraordinary is that Swedish Officials tell me birth records for Nora, Orebro, Sweden between the years 1811-1820 are missing.

So the search for Lar's father has been narrowed down to two possible fathers.

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Sources:

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1. Nora bergsförsamling F:9 (1861-1893) Image 54 (AID: v53652.b54, NAD: SE/ULA/11098)

2. Nora bergsförsamling AI:17a (1872-1881) Image 235 / page 212 (AID: v52019.b235.s212, NAD: SE/ULA/11098)

3. Stenkvista AI:14 (1841-1845) Image 79 / page 72 (AID: v60951.b79.s72, NAD: SE/ULA/11446)

In 1844, they move to Nora Stad. Stenkvista AI:14 (1841-1845) Image 58 / page 51 (AID: v60951.b58.s51, NAD: SE/ULA/11446)

4. Nora bergsförsamling AI:12b (1821-1829) Image 116 / page 105 (AID: v51995.b116.s105, NAD: SE/ULA/11098)

5. Nora bergsförsamling AI:13da (1828-1841) Image 18 / page 11 (AID: v52000.b18.s11, NAD: SE/ULA/11098)

6. Nora bergsförsamling AI:13b (1828-1841) Image 339 / page 334 (AID: v51997.b339.s334, NAD: SE/ULA/11098)

7. Nora bergsförsamling AI:13c (1828-1841) Image 61 / page 56 (AID: v51998.b61.s56, NAD: SE/ULA/11098)

8. Nora bergsförsamling AI:14ba (1841-1850) Image 15 / page 7 (AID: v52006.b15.s7, NAD: SE/ULA/11098)

9. Nora bergsförsamling AI:14c (1841-1850) Image 64 / page 55 (AID: v52003.b64.s55, NAD: SE/ULA/11098)

10. Nora bergsförsamling AI:17a (1872-1881) Image 235 / page 212 (AID: v52019.b235.s212, NAD: SE/ULA/11098)

11.Nora bergsförsamling F:9 (1861-1893) Image 54 (AID: v53652.b54, NAD: SE/ULA/11098)

12. Nora bergsförsamling AI:14c (1841-1850) Image 5 (AID: v52003.b5, NAD: SE/ULA/11098)

13. Klara BI:1 (1815-1818) Image 127 / page 124 (AID: v87269.b127.s124, NAD: SE/SSA/0010)

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