Passport of Lote Dzērve

4 Names: Baltiņš, Dzērve, Knīrims, Misiņš

This is a Passport made by a Pastor for a peasant, who lived in one of Pastor's farms. At that time (1856) this small leaflet was sufficient for a person to go to another place in the Vidzeme [Livland] province. This Passport was signed by the Pastor and the pagasts officials. Other similar passports were signed by the local manor owner and the pagasts officials. Only in 1863 the Law was adopted that allowed the pagasti officials alone to issue Passports.

The holder of the passport Lota Dzērve lived in Ubbenorm - now Umurga. The Pastor, who signed the document, F.Knieriem (another spelling - Knierim) (Jan.22, 1810 - March 16, 1866) presumably belonged to the family of Knierims - ancestors of a famous Swedish statesman Olof Palme.

The officials were not very formal and did not measure the girl to write down how tall she was.

The text of the Passport in German

No. 93

Inhaberin dieses dem zu der Bauer Gemeinde des im Riga-Wolmarschen Kreise und Ubbenormsche Kirchspiele belegenen Pastorates Ubbenorm gehörigen Mädchen Lotte Dsehrwe 13 Jahre alt --- Fuß --- Zoll hoch, von gradem Wuchse ---- wird dieser Paß auf ein Jahr also bis zum 23ten April 1856 gültig, gemäß §§404 etc der Allerhöchst bestetigten L.A. u. B. W. von 1849, zu ihrem ungehindertem Fortkommen ertheilt.

Sogeschehen zu Ubbenorm Pastorat am 26 ten May 1855

In Namen des Pastorats Verwaltung
Frdr. Knieriem.

Gemeindegr. Vorsitzer Jurris Missing

Gemeindeschreiber J.Balting

My translation (the person names transcribed according to the modern rules, the place names translated from German):

The bearer of this is Lote Dzērve, 13 years old, ___ feet ___ inches tall, of straight stature belonging to peasant community of Umurga Pastorat in Umurga parish of Riga-Valmiera apriņķis, the Passport is valid for one year namely until April 23, 1856, according to the §§404 of Laws of his Majesty of 1849, for her leaving without hindrance.

Made in Umurga Pastorat May 26, 1855.

On behalf of the Pastorat Administration
Frdr. Knieriem.

Chairman of the pagasts court Jurris Missing

Scribe of the pagasts J.Baltiņš