The term torppari is certainly familiar to every Finnish genealogist, but who exactly was a torppari (a tenant farmer), and what was a torp (a croft)? This question has both simple and somewhat more challenging answers.
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Historical background
The nobility in Finland had the right[1] to keep torps on their demesnes, but from 1697 onwards, permission was also granted to manors called rustholli. Rusthollari was farmer that contributed to maintain cavalry soldier and horse to the Swedish Army between 1680-1809. In contrast, hereditary farms and crown lands had to wait until 1757 for their turn. The establishment of crofts was driven by the need to obtain labor for agriculture. A separate category is formed by military and tarragon crofts, which are related to the reforms of Charles XI's allotment system dating back to 1680.
Military allotments employed infantrymen, while rusthollit hired dragoons and cavalrymen. The agreement included providing the man with a cottage to live in. Essentially, these were just ordinary torps, as after the Great Northern War, from the 1720s onwards, wars occurred increasingly less frequently. During peacetime, a soldier cultivated his torp just like any other torppari.
In Finland, there were also torps for crofters, fishermen, and saltpeter boilers.
A torp is a part of a farm given for rent for agricultural purposes. The term should not be interpreted too narrowly, as even a torp had its own outbuildings, a bit of arable land, and pasture. A torppari could use the forest for their own needs but was not allowed to sell it. Rental agreements varied widely, almost as much as the torps themselves.
Role of torppari in Finnish genealogy
Aksel Waren, who studied the history of the torppari system in the late 19th century, noted that only two things were common in the agreements: land was rented out, and rent was collected. For a genealogist, finding these agreements can sometimes be difficult because rent could also be agreed upon verbally. However, often these were written, and sometimes these agreements were confirmed in court. In these cases, the relevant document can be found in the minutes of the district court's announcement matters.
The National Archives' "Tuomiokirjahaku" released a couple of years ago, is immensely helpful in this search, providing straightforward information from the records of the 1809 - 1917 period. More material is continuously being added to the "Tuomiokirjahaku."
Liens were mainly made so that if the landlord were to sell his house, the torppari wouldn’t be left without protection. Therefore, the agreement transferred with the house, regardless of changes in ownership. A lien could be made for up to ten years, but the most common duration seems to have been ten years. In principle, records of torppari agreements in parsonages can be found in the parish archives, and the equivalent documents from manor archives can be found in private archives. Even parsonages had torps.
See also
Explore more about Torppari
- Comparing Plats of Land With Deeds and Grants webinar at Legacy Family Tree Webinars
- Research Finns – Finnish not required; Internet is! webinar at Legacy Family Tree Webinars
- Parish Registers. The Genealogical Society of Finland
References
- ↑ Kruunu, aateli ja talonpojat, 1630–1713. Open university | University of Helsinki