Navigating networks: the career of Sara Lisa Schreij in 18th and 19th century Sweden

Marie Steinrud

The career of Sara Lisa Schreij exemplifies how domestic service in 18th and 19th century Sweden was not merely a means of subsistence, but also a pathway for social mobility and professional advancement. Born in 1776 in Norrbärke parish, an ironworks-rich region known as Bergslagen, she was the daughter of Hans Schreij, an ironworks inspector, and his wife Anna Christina Broman. At the age of fifteen, she took her first position as a maid in Västerås, a city 100 km south, marking the beginning of a career that would span multiple households and social circles. Over the years, she navigated an intricate web of professional networks, rising through the ranks from maid to housekeeper in prestigious and wealthy households, including those of clergymen, industrial magnates, nobles and even the Russian ambassador in Stockholm..

Pehr Hilleström, En piga höser såppa utur en kiettel – i en skål (A maid ladles soup from a kettle into a bowl), ca. 1770, courtesy of Bukowski

The fact that many of her employers were related or part of the same social network suggests that Sara Lisa was aware of these connections and that these relationships played a role in her professional success. Her adept navigation of these networks, coupled with her diverse experiences across various households, provided her with a distinct advantage and the opportunity to advance in her profession. Her ability to leverage personal connections and professional experience highlights the strategic dimensions of domestic service, challenging traditional perceptions of servants as passive actors.

This map illustrates the various relocations she made throughout her life, beginning in Norrbärke, where she was born, and culminating at the estate of the wealthy ironworks owner in the parish of Ramnäs, Per Reinhold Tersmeden, where she held her final position before her passing.

Screenshot

Of her 66 years of life, she spent nearly 50 in service, distributed across 16 different positions, averaging just over three years per employment. However, it should be noted that she spent the last 18 years in only two positions, meaning that for most of her employers, her tenure was closer to one year.

Further reading

  • Ilmakunnas, Johanna, Rahikainen, Marjatta & Vainio-Korhonen, Kirsi (eds.): Professional Women in Early Modern Europe (London 2018).
  • Mansell, Charmian: Female servants in early modern England (Oxford 2018).
  • Nilsson Hammar, Anna & Norrhem, Svante: Serving Aristocracy. Negotiation, Learning, and Mobility in Early Modern Knowledge Community (London 2025).
  • Steinrud, Marie: ”Books, Wine and Fine China. Consumption Patterns of a Brukspatron in Early Nineteenth-Century Sweden”, in: Johanna Ilmakunnas and Jon Stobart (ed.): A Taste for Luxury. Display, acquisition and boundaries (London 2017), pp. 179–196.
  • Whittle, Jane (ed.): Servants in Rural Europe: 1400­1900 (Woodbridge 2017).