The
Swedish Dickson Society's gathering at Sparreholm
5 and 6 of July 1999.

Who is Who?
Swedish version
Our chairman, Archibald
Dickson
(2:1:3:1:4), was as usual responsible for this very
giving and nice gathering of the Swedish Dickson
Society, this time with the help from Mari-Ann and Hans
Skiöldebrand (2:3:1:1:2) and Margaretha Wachtmeister
(2:3:1:1:1) from Sparreholm. Around 70 of the 175
members had the possibility to attend.
Yours
truly, Christina Fermheden, who am working daily at the
Dickson castle Tjolöholm and thus has the privilege of
being a member of the Society, hereby would like to leave
an "account of travels" from these so interesting and
giving days.
Birgitta
Lundin and myself started already on Friday for another
assignment. We were to visit Claes and Agneta Bonde
(2:1:1:1:2:3), who also belong to the Swedish family and
with whom we have had a good contact. Claes uncle, count
Thure Bonde, (2:1:1:1:4) has donated the beautiful Julius
Kronberg paintings Triptyken to the Tjolöholm castle. This
year, through Claes Bonde, we have been offered to buy and
take over by deposition, some items, that were earlier at
Tjolöholm during the time when his grandfather, Carl, and
grandmother, Blanche Bonde ( 2:1:1:1), lived there.

Ann & Welam Wachtmeister |
The
Bonde couple now lives at Ekenholms residential
estate, situated close to Sparreholm. We were invited
to fetch "our" items, as we were going up for the
family gathering. At our arrival we were invited to a
lovely supper, which at the dessert ended with a glass
of port from James Fredrik Dickson's (2:1:1) wine
cellar at Tjolöholm, served in glasses with the
Dickson Arm. This was a historical moment for me - a
memory for life
We
arrived late Friday night to Sparreholms Castle and
installed ourselves in our room in one of the wings,
where Christina Dickson (2:1:3:4:3) and Martin Kiel
merrily bid us welcome.
Christina, the family's genealogist, has done a
fantastic work making a "family
tree", based on the first two immigrants Robert
(1) and James (2) Dickson. At these gatherings there
are always some "leaves" with question marks, which
can be sorted out.
At
10.30 on Saturday morning we gathered in the second
wing, where we were offered coffee and were bid
welcome by Archibald with his wife Maud, Mari-Ann
and Hans Skiöldebrand and Mari-Ann's sister
Margaretha Wachtmeister.
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After that Hans Skiöldebrand told us the history
of Sparreholm. Sixty years ago he visited the
castle for the first time, then inhabited by the
grandfather of the sisters Mari-Ann and Margaretha.
His name was Emil Dickson (2:3:1), the oldest son
of Robert Dickson (2:3), who in his turn was the
son of the immigrant James Dickson. Emil Dickson
was a very popular lord of the castle, who cared
for his employees and founded pension for them.
His way of committing himself in social matters
reminds us a lot of "our" Blanche Dickson (2:6:1)
at Tjolöholm.
Sparreholm, this beautiful castle, with its two
wings, situated in Sörmland at a peninsula in the
lake Båven, you reach after have driven through a
very long and high (thirty meters!) old lime tree
avenue. Just before the approach to the castle is
Hyltinge church with the beautiful crypt of the
family, designed by the famous architect Ivar
Tengbom, who among other things has designed The
Concert House in Stockholm. |

Mari-Ann & Hans Skiöldebrand,
Margaretha Wachtmeister
Foto: Beatrice Stael von Holstein |
The
property got its name from the family Sparre, who where
its owner from the end of the 16th century. One of then
was Göran Bengtsson-Sparre, married to the maid Anna
Jonsdotter. These two lived from 1634 in the house on the
estate, which is now owned and inhabited by the couple
Skiöldebrand. In the middle of the 18th century the widow
De Geer bought the property from Löfsta, who married Johan
Wilhelm Sprengtporten. In 1759 they built the present
castle of stone in two floors under mansard roof after
drawings made by the architect J.E. Rehn. The one floor
wings and the garden were constructed some ten years later
after the drawings of C.F. Adelcrantz.

Foto: Beatrice Stael von Holstein
Sparreholm came to be owned by Dickson’s through the above
mentioned Robert Dickson, who left it to his son Emil.
Emil was married to Anna Lewenhaupt, who died at only 42
years of age.

Foto: Beatrice Stael von Holstein
Emil and Anna had the daughter Ann (2:3:1:1), who
married Carl Welam Wachtmeister. They had the
daughters Mari-Ann and Margaretha, our hosts
today. They both live at the property.
Margaretha's sons, Johan and Carl Lewenhaupt, owns
and runs the estate.
The castle and the park is today owned by Helge
Karinen, who told us about his work to restore the
castle, and about the new and reconstructions,
that he has had made. The activity, consisting of
conference with lodging, parties and museums, are
run by Helge's daughter and son in law Anna
Karinen and Sven Ericsson. 18 bedrooms are
available, some in the wings and some in the
castle itself.

Emil Dickson |

Anna Lewenhaupt |
At the place, where the
20 years earlier burnt down greenhouse was, Karin has had a car museum
built, which contains an eminent collection of cars in different ages
and sizes. The old coach house has been rebuilt into a caoch- and
technical museum. At the bottom floor is the pietetfully renovated
collection of coaches of Siv von Rosen and at the upper floor the
project to make the technical museum with e.g. old jukeboxes is at hard
work.

Foto: Beatrice Stael von Holstein |
After this showing we were invited to lunch in the
riding house by our hosts. After the lunch we were
guide by Mari-Ann and Margaretha. Mari-Ann told us
about horses and coaches and she showed us an
impressive collection of harnesses from her
grandfather Emil's time, everything so nicely
maintained and preserved.
Margaretha informed us about her sons and his
wife’s, Gendery Lewenhaupt, newly started "Camp
Sparreholm". Johan is a trained environmental
journalist, wilderness instructor, etc. and Gendery
a trained chef and children’s nurse. The camp is of
American model and can receive children between 8
and 14 years old for ten days. They live in tents
for fourteens persons and have one teacher per
group. The camps have become very popular and are
booked for many summers to come. Even grownups can
come in connection with special conferences.
Later in the afternoon the Dickson Society yearly
meeting was held in one of the wings and some
hours later it was time to meet at the castle.
After being guided around by Hans Skiöldebrand we
were invited to a nice dinner in the magnificent
dining room. The guests of the evening were Malin
and Sven Öberg from Vibyholm.
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Maud & Anders Jägbring, Karl Dickson,
James Ramsey, Martin Kiel, Archibald & Maud Dickson
Foto: Christina Dickson
In honour
of the evening Mari-Ann and Margaretha had arranged an
exhibition with memories from the family, photos, and
beautiful china. Family portraits had been hung on the
walls in the dining room, e.g.. of the grandparents Emil
and Anna and of the grandfathers father Robert (2:3).
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Anders, Maud & Peter Jägbring
Maria & Marcus Nordenborg
Foto: Beatrice Stael von Holstein
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On Sunday the 6th of June the members could choose
to visit either Skeppsta Gård or Vibyholm Castle.
Skeppsta was bought by Oscar Dickson (2:5) in the year
of 1881. Here he fenced in some hundred acres, where he
kept fallow deer and red deer. He also let imported
Canadian dears into the run, the biggest dears in the
world. They can grow up to 450 kilos. Oscar did not live
at Skeppsta but his youngest brother Axel (2:6) with
his large family did. His oldest daughter was Blanche
Dickson (2:6:1), who married her cousin James Fredrik
Dickson (2:1:1) and who had Tjolöholm Castle built.
Vibyholms
Castle is situated in the commune of Flen in Södermanland.
The castle in stone with its forward going wings was built
in 1662-26 after drawings by Casper Panten. Originally it
was in a very richly decorated Dutch renaissance style,
but was never fully completed. After a long period of
deterioration it was restored in a simpler style in the
1730's. Vibyholm got its present appearance at a
reparations around 1800 after drawings by C.C. Gjörwells.
The castle is since 1730 owned by the countly family Bonde
and include amongst other things a large collection of
portraits. (Source: National Encyclopaedia).

Foto: Christina Dickson |
Birgitta and me choose to visit Vibyholm, where we
were welcomed by Malin and Sven Öberg, the son of
Axel and Malin's mother, Maud Bonde. It is Malin
and Sven who runs Vibyholm today. They took over
after Malin's grandfather Carl C:son Bonde
(2:1:1:1:1), who died 1990.
Malin is the daughter of Gustav and Maud Bonde at
Hörningsholm. Gustav Bonde (2:1:1:1:1:1) was the
grandson to the countly couple Blanche and Carl
Bonde. Blanche's parents were James Fredrik and
Blanche Dickson at Tjolöholm.
The Vibyholm estate is three thousand acres
large, has ten tenant holdings, seventeen houses
and forty crofts. The castle has around thirty
rooms. We were gathered in the drawing room,
where most of the impressive collection of
portraits are hung. The family Bonde has founded
a trust, which owns and is responsible for the
portraits. Around 80 of the totally about 300
hundred paintings are at Hörningsholm. There
Malin's mother Maud Bonde lives and Malin's
brother Carl with his wife Caroline, who runs
the farm.
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Sven
told us about all the necessary restorations at Vibyholm,
that the family has had done successively. The castle
has recently had a new roof and the heating system has
been repaired. The Dutch tile stoves are being seen to
one by one so that they shall function. So far eleven
out of thirty seven has been done!
In the
staircase well to the second floor are the three
portraits by Carl, Blanche and the son Carl C:son Bonde,
hung painted by Julius Kronberg.
These
were earlier at Tjolöholm Castle and we were allowed to
borrow them back for our Kronberg exhibition last year.
After
our visit to Vibyholm the Dickson Society meeting is
over for this time and we thank the Öberg family and say
goodbye to all relatives.
The next family
gathering will be at Gothenburg, when the family will have a 200 year
jubilee. 1802 the first Dickson immigrant came to Sweden and Gothenburg.
It was Robert Dickson, the head of "the older line". It has become a
tradition to meet every third year, so what could be better, than to
meet at Gothenburg. I hope that we here at Tjolöholm can contribute with
some program item.
Birgitta and I finally
visited Årdala churchyard, situated close to Vibyholm, to plant a rose
on the family Bonde’s grave. There rest Blanche Bonde with her son Thord
(2:1:1 1:2) and his wife, and the youngest sons Nils (2:1:1 1:3) and
Thure (2:1:1 1:4). Count Thure died August 1998. We will always be
grateful to him for all he has done to enrich Tjolöholm.
Many thanks to
Archibald, Maud, Christina and the rest of the committee and “relatives”
from a very grateful “immigrant” to the family.
TJOLÖHOLMS
SLOTT, november 1999
Christina
Fermheden

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