Rutger Macklean

Rutger Macklean (28 July 1742 - 14 January 1816) also Rutger Macklier II, was a driving figure in the reorganisation of agricultural lands in Sweden that made possible large-scale farming with its economy of scale.

The family name was originally spelled "Mackleir". In 1783, one year after Rutger Mackleir inherited Svaneholm Castle in Skåne from his uncle Gustaf Julius Coyet (1717-1782), the name was changed to "Mackeleir" and so remained until Mackeleir and his brother were ennobled, when it became "Macklier" again. During the Anglo-Saxon pre-romantic era it was changed again, to "Macklean". Sources conflict as to whether the Mackleirs were descended from Hector Og Maclean of Scotland or were from Holland.

Macklean was born on 28 July 1742 at Ström mansion, Hjärtum parish, Bohuslän to Baron Rutger Macklier (1688–1748) and Vilhelmina Eleonora Coyet. He had a brother, Baron David Maclean. At the age of 40, in 1782, Rutger was an army Captain in the forces of the Swedish Empire. In that year he inherited Svaneholm Castle and its estate of 8500 acres from his mother’s family. In accordance with feudal procedures of tenant land-right inheritance the manor had been divided, in the course of its existence, into hundreds of narrow strip allotments. Some 40 tenant farmers live in four villages on the manor. Each tenant had the right to farm 60 to 70 strips of land, but only two thirds of a tenant's strips were usually close enough to his village that he had time to farm them; his farther strips went unused.

Macklean had his land surveyed and divided into 75 farms. A new cottage and barn were built on each farm and roads were built to connect each farm. A tenant farmer moved into the new farmhouse and they found they could raise more crops on half as much land. Macklean's land redistribution procedures were introduced into law in Scania in 1802, and land reform legislation for all of Sweden followed. In 1811 a mob threatened his life, and he died in 1816.