[#24208] Robertsen from norway to canada

[Gjest Tom Askerøi]

Sorry if I offended you - or the 7 000 000. I quite forgot about them. It was not intentional!

[Gjest Stefan Gagnon]

Don't worry!You didn't offend anybody. It was just a little mistake, lots peoples in others country around the world don't know that 20 % of Canada is french.

[Gjest Per B. Lilje]

In the posts above, I don't really see the reason why this has to be a mystery, and that some are speculating that Henry Robertsen had adopted a totally new name? His companions Gunder Sem Olsen and Christian Josefsen seem to have been very normal sailors (Gunder Sem Olsen with a quite 'upper classy' background though, see thread 24286), and Henry Robertsen could be a very ordinary name in the coastal areas of south-eastern Norway where there were many sailors travelling all over the world. The Henrik Robertsen born 1868 in Tune seems a plausible candidate, and I would investigate him further before being sure that he died at sea. Gunder Sem Olsen obviously had contact with his family in Norway since they new that he was living in Canada and the name of his wife, but Henry Robertsen could well have been believed to be dead.

[Gjest Lars Maersk Hansen]

I agree with Per. Be aware that Harry is a common nickname for Henry. The spelling Hendry may indicate that his name in Norway might have been written Hendrik or Hendrich, a rather old-fashioned form. In the 1900 Norway census there are more than 1000 robert and many robertsen, and in 1875 we find more than 400 robert, so it is not at all uncommon. Searching Norwegian databases, be aware of various spellings: rob(b)ert, rub(b)ert

[Gjest Tom Askerøi]

To Per: How do we investigate more on the Tune guy without finding the report of the ship the three men left?And I've looked through the 1865 cencus (pretty close to his birth year) for Tune on occupation and birth place. Of course there are people with an occupation at sea, but they are pretty few compared with the ones working on farms and on the factories. I would not call that a typical 'coastal area' like Tønsberg for instance. Concerning birth places there are ONE person born in Copenhagen, a few in Vestfold. Quite a number are born in Sweden, but the majority are born in Tune or surrounding area in Østfold. Not much immigration from the 'big world' either. I don't say it isn't him, but I wouldn't give Stephan false hope, either.To Lars: By the 1900 cencus thousands and thousands hade moved to the new world and influenced the naming tradition. 971 persons called Rob/Rub(b)ert doesn't sound too bad. But in 1865 there were only 233 (increase of more than 316 % in 35 years. 64 years earlier (1801 cencus) there were only 23(!) persons having this name in the entire country. (An increase of 913 %)... I didn't say the name was uncommon (by 1900) - I said it was not a typical norwegian name. And the Tune guy Robert inherited his name from a Scottish ancestor according to (10) in this debate.And to all: I've gone through the 1865 cencus for Tønsberg looking at surnames versus patronymicons. I got lost in the counting, but more wifes and children are listed with their husband's/father's name than with their patronymicon. So if Henry didn't come from Tune but a real 'coastal area' it's at least just as likely his father was a Robertsen as a Robert. (If that really was his name).In this case we must hold all possibilities open and not cling to the 'old' naming tradition - it was rapidly changing in these parts of the country - and even faster in the 'new world'...I can't see any easy way out of this - we must find the list of seamen from the ship they skipped?

[Gjest Stefan Gagnon]

About the guy from Tune,Henrick Hansen/Robertsen For many time I read the Thor Pinaas case. I did read Henrick's sister went in Amerika,and his brother did past away the same way Henrick did,Perish at sea. I don't know if it's important,but maybe the two brothers skipped the boat together and one of them did not survived. It's just speculation but!Bye everybody ! Tanks to all of you to read me!Stef

[Gjest Nina Møller Nordby]

Candidates? New York passengers list--Name: Henrik HansenArrival Date: 26 Mar 1887Age: 20Gender: MalePort of Departure: Liverpool, England and Queenstown, EnglandDestination: United States of AmericaPlace of Origin: NorwayShip Name: RepublicPort of Arrival: New YorkLine: 5Microfilm Roll: 504List Number: 321-----Name: Henrik HansenArrival Date: 01 Jun 1888Age: 21Gender: MalePort of Departure: Copenhagen, DenmarkDestination: United States of AmericaPlace of Origin: NorwayShip Name: HeklaPort of Arrival: New YorkLine: 2Microfilm Roll: 520List Number: 732-----In some way I do believe that Henrik from Tune is the right man. Maybe ....... Some of his sisters and one brother emigrated:Anna Maria Hansen (Robertsen) leaving Kristiania in march 1900 [url="http://digitalarkivet.uib.no/cgi-win/webcens.exe?slag=visbase&filnamn=EMIOSLO&variabel=0&postnr=125381&fulle=true&spraak=n>Lenke . Heading for Pennsylvania. The same person in 1905, now together with her youngest sister Ragna Lenke Both heading for Pennsylvania.Her brother Johan Alfred Robertsen leaving Kristiania in 1907. Lenke SAilor, married, heading for New York.The youngest sister Ragna Robertsen leaving Kristiania harbour in 1909

[Gjest Nina Møller Nordby]

The sisters manifest 1905 [url="http://ellisisland.org/EIFile/popup_weif_5a.asp?src=%2Fcgi%2Dbin%2Ftif2gif%2Eexe%3FT%3DM%3A%5C%5CT715%2D0581%5C%5CT715%2D05810752%2ETIF%26S%3D%2E5&pID=102408030178&name=Anna%26nbsp%3BRobertsen&doa=May+++++++29%2C+1905&port=Christiania&line=0008>Lenke Line 8 and 9, they were going to Mansfield, Pa.Brother Johan Alfred (now John) in 1907, line 6 Lenke Going to sister Marie Robertson, Middelstown. N.Y.Ragna Robertsen in 1909

[Gjest Stefan Gagnon]

Some people asked me,like Per,why this story have to be misterious. There was Someting like 10 norwegiens who lived here along Saguenay river at last century,while the immigration to the new world was at the peak. When we take a look in archives,every of those men mentionned where they came from and what was their parents names. But in many occasions where Hendry/Henry could have mentionne it,he said nothing,and never talked about his past life in Norway to his new family. For 25 years he hided his past life. He changed his name 4 time ! He signed Harry Robertsen the first time he signed a census in 1891. Two years later,he signed Hendry Robertsen. He used Henry on some signature. And ten years after he arrived in Canada,he signed Harry Robertson wiht the ON to the end. Why did he changed his name so many time? Name changing after 3 generations is common but 4 time in 25 years by one person itself, was it so common at that period . When he died in 1915,he was planning to go back in Norway to visit his family but he never did the trip back to his childhood place.Stef

[Gjest Stefan Gagnon]

Tank you Nina and Askeroi for yours good help and time. Soon I will visit Norway and will stop to say hello to everyone of you.Stef