Margus Reinsalu's Diary: Chapter 1650 – My Father’s Great-Great-Grandparents: The Swedish Adelsfanan and the Story of Sandra Farm
According to local legend (from Geni.com), before the Great Northern War (1700–1721), a Swedish Adelsfanan (noble cavalryman) settled on the lands of what is now Sandra Farm in Soomaa. No one knew his real name or origin, he simply arrived and refused to reveal his identity. The locals began calling him “Sander”, a name that later became the family surname.
This nobleman carried himself with pride. He always wore riding boots with spurs, kept a large wooden club at his belt ready for battle, and dressed in elegant, military-style clothing. His horses were fine and well-equipped, everything about him spoke of high birth.
Although he called himself a Swedish Adelsfanan, a noble warrior, he clearly had reasons to hide his past. It is possible he was a Swedish nobleman who fell out of favour and chose to start a new life in the forests of Estonia. At that time the area was wild and sparsely populated, an ideal hiding place for someone who wished to disappear.
He was not only a soldier but also a skilled builder. He cleared land, built a large log house with unusually big glass windows (a rarity in those days), and surrounded it with a high log fence with a heavy gate. When the gate opened or closed, the sound echoed across Riisa village and became locally famous.
Though he lived independently, he was deeply religious. When a wooden church was built in Tori, he rowed there regularly along the river. According to legend, he asked to be buried in Riisa cemetery and so he was. The grave is said to be still visible today.
The Swedish Adelsfanan married and had three sons. He divided the land among them:
- The eldest son settled at Holmiku Farm.
- The middle son stayed at Sandra Farm.
- The youngest and most fiery son was sent to Ado-Jaani Farm, toward Tallinn.
This youngest son was so bold and fearless that he became known as the “free man” a name that eventually evolved into Riis / Riisa Evert (my direct ancestor). He and his descendants founded Riisa village.
Riisa Evert’s youngest son, Hants Ries (my direct ancestor), was known for his hot temper and refusal to submit to anyone. When the manor demanded hay from him, he refused. The manor sent 20 men with 20 horses to take it by force. Hants put an axe in his belt and confronted them, declaring: “Whoever touches the hay will die.”
When one man tried anyway, Hants killed him and two horses with the axe. The rest fled in terror.
The manor lord was furious and ordered Hants to come and answer for his actions. Instead, Hants sent a servant in his place, who received 40 lashes at the manor.
Hants Ries lived by his own rules, paying no taxes to anyone. He inherited a large fortune from his father and became known as Riisa Rikas (“Riisa the Rich”). He was a brave rider, but unlike his father he carried neither sword nor spurs.
According to legend, his fierce love of freedom gave the entire village its name Riisa. Some of his descendants remained Lutheran, while others later converted to Orthodoxy and took the surname Riismann.
Even today, the founding of Sandra Farm and Riisa village is told as one of Estonia’s living legends, a blend of historical fact and folk memory. Who exactly the Swedish Adelsfanan was, and why he sought refuge, remains unknown. Yet his story lives on, passed down through generations, and forms an important part of our family history.
On to the next chapters.
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