the svea court of appeal in the early modern period 334 in 1731 as he promoted the king’s relationship with the sixteen-year-old maid of honour Hedvig Taube. Von Fersen, who had not been able to get a promotion within the military, now got the presidency of the Svea Court of Appeal with the King’s help, and despite the Council of the Realm’s different proposal.988 It is yet another example of personal favours affecting appointments. Power struggles also affected the composition of the court. As already mentioned, there were no Councillors of the Realm among the 1694 corps of judges. This was due to the King’s decision not to appoint any to the vacant positions – probably because of power disputes.989 Some application letters refer to personal contacts within the court or administration. In an application letter from 1704, Johan Swebilius Adlerberg reminds the Court of the devotion to the interests of King and Country his father had always shown.990 Johan Friedrich Flach senior, mentioned in one of his first applications to become assessor from 1716 also the fact that he was married to the daughter of a previous member of the court.991 In 1720, the Instrument of Government stressed that relatives or friends should not be favoured when making appointments to office. The problem continued, however, and one of the reasons for the 1749 statute on exams for office-holders (ämbetsexamen) was again to diminish the role of contacts.992 Johan Flach junior’s (1700 – 1759) application in 1733, for instance, still included a letter from his father stating that his son had earned the vacant notary position because of his studies and previous work experience. Flach junior did receive the position the same year, though it is impossible to say whether his father’s recommendation had any significance in that.993 Carl Dubbe (1702 – 1770) in a letter in 1752 refers to his grandfather and great grandfather, who had both been assessors at the (1700-1739) next in succession as King Fredrik I’s and Ulrika Eleonora’s (r. 1718-1720) marriage was childless. Karl Fredrik never became crown prince, but the party did have some successes, Karonen, Petri 2008 p. 386. 988 Hildebrand, Bengt 1956. 989 Nilsén, Per 2003 p. 310. 990 RA, SHA, Tjänsteansökningar E IV a, vol. 1, Jean Adlerberg. 991 Flach’s father-in-law was Johan Salonius Ehrenhielm (1639-1697), who had been secretary at the Svea Court and later revision secretary, RA, SHA, Tjänsteansökningar E IVa, vol 11, J. F. Flach d.ä.; Anjou, A. 1899, p. 180. 992 RF1720 §40, printed inFrihetstidens grundlagar, ed. Brusewitz; Cavallin, Maria 2003 p. 85. 993 RA, SHA, Tjänsteansökningar E IVa, vol 11, J. F. Flach d.y.; Anjou, A. 1899 p. 93.
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