Armegot Printz

Who is Armegot Printz?

Armegot Printz was a Swedish noble. She was the daughter of Johan Björnsson Printz, governor of New Sweden, and she married her father's successor, governor Johan Papegoja. She is the most well documented and known woman of New Sweden.

Armegot Printz was born in Bottnaryd, Småland, the daughter of the Swedish noble Johan Printz, colonel lieutenant of the Västgöta cavalry, and the German Elisabet Bock. She, as well as her mother and siblings, accompanied her father to Germany during his participation in the Thirty Years' War in the army of Gustav II Adolf of Sweden. In 1642, after her father's appointment as governor of the Swedish colony New Sweden in America, she followed her father to America in the company of her siblings and stepmother, where they arrived in February 1643.

In New Sweden, her father had The Printzhof manor built as their residence at Tinicum Island. In 1645, the poor noble Johan Papegoja arrived to the colony with permission from Per Brahe to marry Armegot. After the marriage took place, her spouse was given a position in the colony by her father and the couple settled in Fort Christina, where they had four sons.