Måns Nilsson Kling

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Måns Nilsson Kling was the second governor of the 17th century New Sweden settlement, which was administrated from Fort Christina, now Wilmington, Delaware, in the United States. He may have been from the Swedish province of Småland; only one officer named Måns Nilsson occurs in the military lists of the times. The Måns Nilsson in question had served in Adolf Hård's Regiment in Jönköping, Småland, first as a private and then as an officer, before being discharged in 1636. Appointed Lieutenant and in charge of some twenty soldiers, he arrived with the first expedition on March 29, 1638 and was left in command from June 15, 1639 until April 1640.

The first Swedish expedition to North America had been launched from the port city of Gothenburg in late 1637. The expedition was organized and overseen by Admiral Clas Fleming. A Dutchman called Samuel Blommaert assisted with the fitting-out. The Swedish Chancellor, Axel Oxenstierna, appointed Peter Minuit, another Dutchman, to lead the expedition. In 1636–1637, Minuit had made arrangements with Samuel Blommaert and the Swedish government to found a Swedish colony in the New World. It was located on the lower Delaware River in parts of the present-day states of Delaware, New Jersey and Pennsylvania, within the territory later claimed by the Dutch. The colony was called New Sweden. The first settlers, (Swedes, numerous Finns and some Dutchmen) landed there in the spring of 1638.

Peter Minuit became the first governor of the newly established colony of New Sweden. However, Minuit left the colony in June 1639 and sailed to the Caribbean Island of St. Christopher to barter a ship's cargo of wine and aquavit for tobacco. He died there during a hurricane, and Måns Kling, who had been promoted to Captain, carried out the duties of governor until a new governor, Lieutenant Peter Hollender (another Dutchman in Swedish service) had been appointed, arriving in New Sweden on April 17, 1640.[1]

[edit] Notes and references

  1. ^ Alf Åberg: "Folket i Nya Sverige", pp. 9-19.Accessed4.25.07