http://www.colonialswedes.org/Forefathers/Nilsson.html
Jonas Nilsson by Dr. Peter Stebbins Craig
Fellow, American Society of Genealogists
Fellow, Genealogical Society of Pennsylvania
Historian, Swedish Colonial Society
Originally published in Swedish Colonial News,
Volume 1, Number 7 (Spring 1993)
Among the many soldiers accompanying Governor Printz on the Fourth Expedition to New Sweden was Joen Nilsson of Skåning hundred, Skaraborg län, who was later better known under the name of Jonas Nilsson. Born in 1620, Jonas, a tailor by trade, started his voyage to New Sweden from Stockholm in September 1642. After arriving at Fort Christina, 15 February 1643, he was one of many men assigned to help build Fort Elfsborg, where he was subsequently stationed.
Jonas Nilsson served the governor faithfully as a soldier for eleven years. But, when Printz returned to Sweden in 1653, Jonas did not go with him. He obtained his discharge, became a Freeman and married Gertrude, the daughter of Sven Gunnarsson.
For reasons that are not entirely clear, Jonas left his young bride in mid-July, 1654 to return to Sweden on the Eagle. While there, he collected the back wages that were due and returned to New Sweden on the Mercurius, which arrived in March 1656. Meeting the ship were his wife and eldest son, who had been born during his absence.
By family legend, Jonas Nilsson was six and one-half feet tall and an active Indian trader. Neither claim is supported by contemporary records: the only Swede of remarkable height was "Long Nils," a name given to Nils Matsson, a later immigrant. Although Jonas' son Måns Jonasson (Mounce Jones) and two sons-in-law (Peter Petersson Yocum and Måns Cock) were active Indian traders, no record supports that claim as to Jonas Nilsson himself.
Jonas Nilsson lived for his entire married life in Kingsessing (West Philadelphia), where he was a successful fanner and raised eleven children. He also acquired 270 acres of land at nearby Aronameck from Peter Yocum, land which he divided among his three eldest sons. Jonas died in October 1693 at the age of 73; his wife died shortly thereafter.
