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Nils Larsson Frände (Friend)

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 3 (Spring 1991)

One relatively unknown forefather, progenitor of the Friend family in America, is Nils Larsson, who arrived in New Sweden on the Swan in 1648 and served as a warden for Governor Rising 1654. Two years later, he married Anna Andersdotter (possibly the daughter of Anders Andersson the Finn) and settled at Upland (now Chester), where they raised a family of ten children. His house was also the location of the Swedes' quarterly court sessions after Armegot Printz sold the Printz family's Tinicum Island estate.

Nils Larsson played a very prominent role in the Swedish community until his death at Upland in the winter of 1686-87. He became known as Nils Larsson Frände, meaning "kinsman" or "blood relative" in Swedish, possibly because of his influence among the Indians who considered him a "blood brother." Under English rule, his adopted surname became anglicized to "Friend." In 1668, Nils and two other Swedes, secured a permit from the govemor of the new province of New Jersey to buy lands from the Indians in present Gloucester County. The resulting acquisition led to a large Swedish settlement centering around Raccoon Creek (present Swedesboro).

Nils Larsson Frände also acquired lands in present Bucks County, which he traded to William Penn in return for 800 acres east of Red Clay Creek in New Castle County. Penn built his Pennsbury estate on Frände's former land.

At the time of his death, Nils Larsson was serving as constable for Chester township. His wife Anna survived him by about 40 years and was said to be over 106 when she died. Their children, with approximate birth years, were:

  1. Brigitta, born 1657, who married John Cock (son of Peter Larsson Cock) and had nine children.
  2. Anders (Andrew), born 1659, whose first wife was probably a daughter of Israel Helm. Andrew Friend died in Maryland after 1740, and had at least four children, including Israel Friend, a well-known Indian trader and interpreter.
  3. Catharine, born 1661, who married Olof (William) Dalbo, and died at Raccoon Creek in 1721, the mother of nine children.
  4. Maria, born 1663, who married Gabriel Cock (son of Peter Larsson Cock) and had eight children.
  5. John, born 1666, who married Anna (daughter of Hendrick Coleman), and died in Penn's Neck, Salem County, NJ in the winter of 1737-38; nine children.
  6. Susannah, born 1670, who married Enoch Enochson and moved to Gloucester County, NJ; four surviving sons.
  7. Sarah, born 1672, who married Amos Nicholas of Chester County; at least four children.
  8. Gabriel, born 1674, who married Maria Van Culin of Chester County; at least five children.
  9. Lawrence, born 1676, who married Sarah Jaquet in Penn's Neck; at least four children.
  10. Barbara, born 1678, who married Peter Longacre (son of Anders Petersson Longacre); at least three children.

Descendants of Nils Larsson Friend have an active Friend Family Association which owns and operates a Friend Family Library in Friendsville, Maryland, where many records of descendants have been collected.