Wellam Beneux

"The Frenchman in Hällsjön" - Wellam Beneux or, as he was later called: Vellam Classon, Wellam Bononi, Wellam Bonouir, was born 1580 - probably - and came to Sweden at the beginning of the 17th C. From 1626 to 1627 he was at Finspångs bruk which Louis de Geer bought from the Crown in 1641. It was thanks to the mastersmiths from Wallonia that cannons of the highest quality could be exported from there all over the world.

Wellam was also part of the work team at Åkers bruk in Uppland. His job there was to crush the iron ore with a heavy sledge hammer. This process was called "bokning" - "booking".

Around the year 1630 he moved to Norrbärke parish in the province of Dalecarlia (Dalarna), and after a few years there he was engaged by Jacob de la Gardie. Wellam was listed in 1636 among his people at the silver mine Wester Silfberg (or Stollbergs Mines)and he was referred to as "Dammvachtare Wällam Fransosen" (The dam watchman, Wellam the Frenchman).

Before he moved to Norrbärke he had married Sara Mårtensdotter who was born in Vadstena, by the lake Vättern. They had four sons, Frans, Eric, Abraham, Wellam, Mårten and a daughter, Brita.
The family stayed in Norrbärke until 1641 and the following year the seem to have moved to Hällsjön in Grangärde parish, also in Dalarna. In 1652 he was registered in the district court as the buyer of half an acre of land.

The others who were mentioned were the neighbour and friend Pehr Nilsson Västgöte Matz Eriksson och Matts Larsson. Together they would have formed a "bergslag"

The Hällsjö foundry was sometimes called Övre Hällsjöhyttan (Upper Hällsjö foundry), sometimesKlashyttan (Klas foundry), and sometimes Bjurkärnshyttan (Bjurkärn foundry). Fortunately the foundry number was always the same; all the iron that came from there was marked Nr 13.

It was of course unavoidable that Wellam and his companions should become involved in disputes with the rich mine and iron works owners who were already established in the area. Such disputes could last for years before the were eventually cleared in court. And, as usual, it was the less well-to-do mining crofters who had to bow down to the rich landowners and their underlings.

Quoted from the court protocol in 1657:
"Wilhelm Classon (Bononi), Peder Nilsson, Matts Eriksson, and Matz Larsson in Hällsjön, state that they, having been granted permission by the late lamented Mining Master, have set about building a Foundry, but that Christiern Robsam's nephew, the servant of Wullen, has opposed the building, giving as reason the fact that the same Foundry is situated too close to his own Foundry, and that the owners of the Foundry are indebted to him. Hence he has the right to appropriate the Foundry."

Quoted from the court protocol 1661 the 28th January:
" Hearing regarding THE OLD FOUNDRY AT HELLSJÖn and BJURKÄRN FOUNDRY. First regarding Hellsjö Foundry, that it is situated on NORRBÄRKE RÅÅ (on the border) and is utilised by Christiern Robsam, but was first appropriated by Jöns Persson, son of the late lamented Mining Master Peder Jönsson, resident in Lodwijka (Ludvika). At that time nobody lived in Hellsjön but there were chalets and summer grazing belonging to Lodwijka parish.
After a period of 20 years, and after the ground had been excavated, Lars Jönsson began building a croft (1640 according to the Land Registration Books) on Grängies Råå and was taxed. Then Lars Jönsson began transporting stone and mud to finish the building on the above mentioned Foundry ground. When Jöns Persson i Lodwijka, he who had laid the foundation, was told that Lars Jönsson was going to build a Foundry there he prevented this by selling the Foundry ground to Anders Lokman.
Lokman then finished the building of the Foundry in 1638 and blasted there twice, but since he had a debt to Johan Meijer he left the use of the Foundry to him. Johan Meijer however owed Daniel Koch money and gave him the Foundry as payment."

"The construction of the Bjurkärn Foundry has been started by the Hällsjö villagers, namely Wellam Bononi with his neighbours Pehr Nilsson Västgöte, Matts Nilsson, and Matts Larsson, with the permission from the the late lamented Mining Master Pehr Jönsson (the spelling of names varied!) in 1655. It was also stated that the above mentioned Foundry is situated on their own legally held and taxed ground, i.e. the Foundry now is on ground that has been and still is (1661) the chalets and summer grazing that has belonged to Lodwijka village since ancient days, and that the interested parties in the Bjurkärn Foundry have a strong link with it through their parents."

Wellam's neighbour, friend, and business partner Pehr Nilsson "Västgöte" (from the province called Västergötland) was born in 1586 and married into a very wealthy family. His wife was Sara Olofsdotter, born 1612 in Östansbo, Ludvika. She was the daughter of Olof Erlandsson who had first lived at &Lorentzberga and later atOuml;stansbo, the homestead called Per Erland's Homestead which reached from the Lyvik hillside all the way down to Lake Haggen. Olof's property reached as far as Hällsjön.

Pehr and Wellam also became related through marriage. Pehr's four daughters were married to Wellam's four sons. This was the beginning of a "family business" that would provide for them all. Old Wellam is said to have said at a district court session:"I most certainly own enough forest to run the Foundry, providing for my children, grandchildren and great grandchildren!"

Unfortunately following generations weren't as privileged. The iron production became industrialised and the small Foundries weren't profitable any longer. Land had to be sold and in 1935 the last of Pehr's properties, Pears, was lost in a legal process against Grängesberg Ltd.
Nowadays Hällsjön is almost abandoned, not much reminds us of "The Frenchman" Wellam Classon Beneux or Pehr Nilsson "Västgöte".

But - we still find their names on the map:Pears after Pehr and Welamstorp after Wellam!

One thing is sure! If the information in the parish books is right the two of the must have been particularly fit and able since Wellam was 75 and Pehr 69 years old when they built the Bjurkärn Foundry! How exciting it would be if this was true! I'm afraid the likelihood is that there is a mistake somewhere and the birth year was around 1600 rather than 1580.

1688
Pähr Nilsson Smålänning at Helsiön 102 years.
Has been a Boatswain and took part in the Battle at Stångbro.
Buried 30 Maj 1688.