Stockholm

Sources from old books

1694. The great historical, geographical and poetical dictionary by Louis Moreri.

Stockholm, Holmia, a Great City, and the Capital, of the Kingdom of Sweden, with a Haven at the Mouth of the Lake Meler, standing in the Province of Ʋpland, in the Borders of Sudermania. It is the ordinary Residence of the Kings of Sweden, and a Place surrounded with Rocks, Mountains, and Lakes, which make its Situation look something odd. Its Haven is as safe and secure as any in Europe, and very convenient, for the greatest Ships can come so near the City, that they seem to touch the very Houses, and lye safe and quiet in the Harbour without Anchors or Cables. Stockholm consists of six little Isles and two Suburbs; the Isles are Stockholm, Ridderholm, Konungsholm, Helglandesholm, Schipsholm, and Ladduggarsland, with the North and South Suburbs. The Isle of Stockholm is that which properly is called the City, as being the best peopled and most frequented part of it. Since the Year 1641 the Streets have been much enlarged and beautified, which before were narrow and full of Windings. The principal Street, called Regerings-gatan, is faced with very fine Houses, five Stories high. Here is to be seen the Palace of the Nobles called Kiddarchuset, being the Place appointed for the sitting of the General Diets, the Hall where they meet being adorned with the Arms and Titles of the Earls, Barons, and Gentlemen of the whole Kingdom. In the same Isle is the great Marketplace, and the Kings Castle, with a Church dedicated to St. Nicholas, which is cover'd with Copper, as the other Churches likewise are, and most part of the Houses. The Isle of Riddersholm or Knights-Isle, is joined to Stockholm by a Bridge of Wood; in it stands the Closterkirk, which formerly belonged to the Cordeliers, where the two last Kings of Sweden are interred. There are many fine Gardens in this Island, and pleasant Walks, and it is joyned to the North Suburbs by a Wooden Bridge. Helglandesholm or Holy-land Isle, is the Place where most Artificers and Handicrafts-men live▪ It is joyned by a Wooden Bridge to the Isle of Stockholm, and by another to the North Suburbs. Schipsholm or the Isle of Ships, where is to be seen the Court of Admiralty, and several Magazines for the Building and Equipping of Ships: It is joyned to the North Suburbs by a Bridge of Wood. Ladduggarsland, or the Land of Country-Houses and Farms, so called because here is the Kings Dairy, his Aviaries and Warrens, where his Deer and other Beasts are kept; there are also many Gardens, and Houses of Pleasure and Recreation; where the Common People divert themselves when they walk abroad. The North Suburbs is joyn'd to it by a Bridge of Wood, and is very considerable, as being the Place of Abode of many Handicrafts men, and of the Kings Gardens. In the South Suburbs a great Trade is driven with the Commodities that come from Moscovia, and a magnificent Exchange has been lately built here, for the Convenience of Merchants. The Lake of Meler makes the Haven of this City, and the ordinary Place for Anchorage is between the City and Schipsholm; and is an excellent Haven for its Capaciousness, the Firmness of its Bottom, and its Security from Winds and Tempests, so that the greatest Vessels ride safe here, without any danger from the highest Winds, or the Attacks of Enemies, by reason of the Forts that defend the Entry of it. The Castle, which is the Place of the King's usual Residence, stands upon a piece of ground which commands the Haven, and over looks the City; the great Gate whereof faceth a great place or open space, which is separated from the Castle by a Ditch. The whole Building is divided into three Parts by so many great Courts: In the first are the Corps de Guards and great Pavilions, in which is kept a Court of Judicature called the College of Execution, in which the Governour of the City sits President. The second Court contains the King's Apartments, which consists of several Pavilions, and of some Galleries. The Building of the Castle, though ancient, yet hath much of Symmetry, and is very commodious and richly furnish'd. On the one side of this Court is the King's Chappel, which is a large and neat Building; the Roof of it is adorned with Gilding, and Figures in relief, very well wrought: Some of the ancient Kings are buried here. In this Court are contained also the Chamber of War, the Chancery, and the Chamber of Accounts: Above the Chancery is the Chamber where the Senators of the Kingdoms sit, and near to it is the Great Hall of the Kingdom, where the States-General sit when they meet at Stockholm. Round about it are to be seen the Arms of all the Provinces of the Kingdom. A little beyond this is a famous Library, remarkable for a great number of choice Manuscripts, and a great number of Figures to the Waste, representing Heathen Gods, Emperors and Kings, the greatest part of which are more considerable for the curiosity of the Work, than for the Riches of the Matter, which is of several Metals, and some of them of fine Stones. The third Court contains the Queens Apartments, which are commodious and very richly furnish'd. Another thing very remarkable in this Castle is the Round Tower called Trekronor, from the three Crowns of Copper gilt, which are set on the top of it, representing the Arms of Sweden, and alluding to the three Crowns of Diveden, Denmark and Norway, which were formerly subject to one King. There is great store of Artillery lodged in the lower Stories of this Tower. The Swedes have not affected the fixing of the Burials of their Kings to one Place, as well because that Crown hath past to divers Families, who have chosen to be interred in the Tombs of their Ancestors, as because of the Diversity of Religions, and the Changes of the Royal Residence, which hath been transferred to several Cities. The Heathen Kings were used to be interred under the three Mountains of Ʋpsal, which are about half a League from that City, which formerly was the Capital of that Kingdom, whose Names are Gambla, Ʋpsala, and Hegar. The most of the Roman Catholick Kings are buried in the Cities of Strengnes and Wadstena; the Lutheran Kings have their Sepulchres in the Cathedral of Ʋpsal, except only the two last, Gustavus Adolphus sirnamed the Great, and Charles Gustavus sirnamed Augustus, who have their Tombs at Stockholm in the Isle of Riddersholm. Some Lords of Sweden are also buried there. Jonvain. Voyage de Denmark.

1700. The merchants map of commerce by Roberts, Lewes. CHAP. CCXVIII. Of Stockholm, and the Trade thereof.

* 1.626BEcause I intend, upon the general Trade of Estland, to handle some particular Cities be∣longing to the Crown of Sweden, therefore I shall be the briefer upon the Trade of this City of Stockholm, the Metropolis of this Kingdom. Stockholm then being the Residence of this King, whose Arms of late were so prevalent in Germany, is accounted famous in these Northern Regions for the great Concourse of Merchants and Traffick here daily practified seated in watry Marshes, after the manner of Venice, and supposed to be built upon Piles, and therefore bears in their Language some Construction thereof, which not improperly may bear in our ancient English the same sense: It is situate in part upon the Lake of Meller, and in part upon the East-Sea, out of which the great Trade of Shipping to this place doth come and enter by a deep and narrow Channel, spacious and commodious for Ships of the greatest Burthen; but the Fort of Waxholm on one side of the Passage, and the Fort of Digne so fitly seated opposite to the same, in the narrowest of the Gut and Streight, command the whole Channel, and guard the Lake and City, and no Vessel is suffered either to go in or out, but here have their Congé and Admission. It is besides fortified with a strong Castle, wherein are found, for the Defence thereof, 400 Pieces of Brass Artillery; and for the Beauty thereof, it is adorned with many goodly private and publick Buildings, the King's Palace being more renowned for its Antiquity, than the stately Structure thereof.

• 1.627The Commodities for Transportation found in this City are principally Iron, Steel, Copper, Wire, all sorts of Grain, Lead, and other Minerals, also Honey, Wax, Tallow, Hides brought from Mosco, and the like: which is hence dispersed into all parts of these Northern Cli∣mates.

• 1.628The Moneys generally current throughout the Kingdom of Sweden, is the Dollar, which is divided into Marks, and 8 Marks make a Dollar; and this Mark is divided into Clippings, so that two Clippings make a Mark, and a Clipping is accounted for 9½ Stivers Flemish; and by this Dollar they exchange with other neighbouring Countries, and it is valued in sterling Money at (…)

• 1.629The Weight in use here is the Pound, and the 100 l. of London hath produced here 116 l. They have here also two Ship-pounds, one proper to this Place, which is 320 l. of this Weight, and the other is 340 l. The proper Ship-pound of Dantzick is 34 Stones, as in the Chapter of Dantzick appears; and this Quintar or Pound is found to agree with Narva, Riga, Revel, Danizeck, and some Towns of Trade in the Baltick Sea.

• 1.630The common Measure of Length here used is the Ell, and is the same in all Sweden, except some principal Towns of this Tract hereafter noted, and the 100 Yards of London doth pro∣duce 1••••½ Ells; but note, That in Barrow in Sweden this Ell is found to be very uncertain, for the Bigness of a Man's Head is measured about with a Rope, and this they account for an Ell; so that here a great Head may be some benefit to a Merchant, for by this Rule the greatest Loggerhead shall have consequently the largest Measure.

• 1.631Corn is here sold by a Measure called a Loop, 23 Loops make a Last in Amsterdam, or 10 Quarters in London.