Identifying my great-grandfathers' parents

[Christer Kjølsrud]

3 timer siden, Colin McEvoy skrev:

Christer, if I'm reading this right, on there is more information about Jo Gunnarson (the husband of Ragnhild, item H under 5. Mikkel Mikkelson) on a different page. (It says Sjå Aubø, husmenn nr. 53.) If that is the case, could you screenshot that page for me as well, so I can add that info to my tree, too?

Sure 🙂

Abstract:

- The Jo(n) Gunnarson family was one of several families who leased “husmannsplass” (= a smallholding where the rent was (partly) payed by working at the main farm) under Aubø. This smallholding was called Aubøsund.

- Jo(n) was baptized the 7^th of January 1816. His parents were Gunnar Larsson and Guri Tjerandsdotter, who leased a smallholding under the farm Opsal.

- Jo(n) married Ragnhild Mikkelsdotter Nygård (born 15^th of June 1820) on 1^st of June 1846.

- They had seven children (a. – g.).

- Jo(n) was a carpenter.

- On the smallholding they had 2 cows, 20 sheep and 1 pig. Every spring they would sow half a barrel of barley (= 18 gallon), 1 barrel of oat (= 36 gallon) and 2 barrels of potatoes (= 440 lb).

- Jo(n) and Ragnhild emigrated to America bringing at least one of their children, the son Gedius.

- Ragnhild’s brother, Nils Mikkelson Nygård, took over the smallholding.

[Christer Kjølsrud]

NB: The information I have given in this entry might be wrong. I just realized that there is a farm called Opsal also in the parish/municipality/island of Finnøy, just south of Sjernarøy. That area has a digitized bygdebok. I am busy now, but I will search that bygdebok for Jo(n) Gunnarson's parents later today.

Jo(n) Gunnarson’s parents, Gunnar Larsson and Guri Tjerandsdotter, came from a smallholding under the farm Opsal. This farm is situated in another parish than Sjernarøy and not a part of the bygdebok for Sjernarøy. Opsal is a farm in the parish of Vikedal, and Vikedal is a part of the municipality of Vindafjord. The Opsal farm is situated 15-20 miles straight north from the smallholding Aubøsund. The bygdebok for Vikedal was published in 2019 and has not yet been digitized, unfortunately.

 

Bygdebok for Vikedal:

“Heimar og folk I Vikerdal”, volum 1 and 2 (= "Homes and people in Vikerdal")

ISBN: 8245025402, 9788245025408

Endret Juni 22, 2022 av Christer Kjølsrud
Possible wrong information

[Anton Hagelee]

9 hours ago, Colin McEvoy said:

Thanks very much for sharing this, Anton. Unfortunately, since I don't read or speak Norwegian and am struggling with the handwriting on top of that, I can read very little on this record. LOL Is there any other relevant information here I should know about besides what you have already shared with me above?

 

I read it as “Born a child on Nygaard under Neseim? son Ole, father Michel Michelsen, mother Ragnilld Olsdatter, Witnesses Margrete Neseim, Eli Vingeharn?, Niels Naseim, Michel Eie?

 

Then it runs into the next baptism record bor Boel, so probably not important here. The farm names are a little hard to make out so that is where I put the ? mark. 

 

As to your comment " I don't read or speak Norwegian", I think that after a few months doing  Norwegian genealogy you will modify that a bit. 

 

 

Endret Juni 22, 2022 av Anton Hagelee

[Colin McEvoy]

LOL Got it. Thanks much!

[Anton Hagelee]

I took a look at your Ancestry.com Tree. Very nice tree. A lot of sources which is really a plus compared to some of the Ancestry.com trees I have looked at. 

 

You might be interested in my reading of the sponsors on the baptism record of Ole in 1835. Here what you have in your Tree. 

 

Baptism

16 Aug 1835 • Nedstrand, Rogaland, Norway

Knud was baptized on August 16, 1835, in Sjernarøy, a sub-parish of Nedstrand. (See screenshot for names of sponsors, which are hard to read. Possibly Erik Johnard Winge; Michel Huhel Furoe, Marta Ols, Lilla JJohnard Winge, John Ol? Boudeur)

 

 As you say, it is not easy to read, but I thought I would give it a shot. Still might be questions in what I see as the names. 

 

Erick Johansen Winge

Michel Mikkelsen Furre

Marta Olsdatter Eeg

Lisbeth Johanesdatter Winge

John Olsen Borgøen

 

 

[Anton Hagelee]

According to your Tree this is the wife of Ole Mikkelsen. 

 

Margrete Knudsdatter

1813–

BIRTH 5 JUN 1813 • Nedstrand, Rogaland, Norway

DEATH Unknown

 

Based on that it seems we should be able to find the baptism record for Margrete. Here is my best guess. I was not able to read the baptism record for 1813, very faint. Another way is to look for a confirmation record which usually takes place about 15 years after birth. 

 

Here is a Magrete  Knutsdatter Øvre Eeg confirmed in 1828. See nr. 7 right hand page. 

 

https://www.digitalarkivet.no/kb20051213020232

 

The date looks to be 1813 5th December, father is Knud Olsen. mother is difficult to read. This date could well be a baptism date?

 

 

 

 

Endret Juni 22, 2022 av Anton Hagelee

[Anton Hagelee]

I went back to the Baptism records for 1813 after looking at the confirmation record. Magrete is found at the bottom  of the left hand page. 

 

A tough read but it looks to me to be, Øvre Eeg, child  Magrete, father Knud Olsen, mother E? Jons?

 

https://www.digitalarkivet.no/kb20070621660419

 

Intersting and adds proof. In the record for the child, is this birth record for Ole Mikkelsen and Margrethe Knudsdatter. The farm attached to Margrethe is Øvre Eeg. Must be a mistake in the childs last name. Can not be Andersdatter. Many of the records  during this time seem to be very tough to read. 

 

https://www.digitalarkivet.no/en/view/255/pd00000039138895

 

 

Endret Juni 22, 2022 av Anton Hagelee

[Anton Hagelee]

Checking out the occupants os Øvre Eeg. In 1827 baptism record is a child Elj Knudsdatter., 

 

Parents are Knud Olsen and Eli Jonsdatter. 

 

My conclusion is that the parents of Magrete Knudsdater is Knud Olsen and Elj Jonsdattrer. 

 

And here is the transcribed record from Digitalarkivet for Margeta.  The 5 Dec 1813 is a baptism date and parents are Knud Olsen and Elj Jonsdatter.

 

https://www.digitalarkivet.no/en/view/255/pd00000012923627

 

 

Endret Juni 22, 2022 av Anton Hagelee

[Anton Hagelee]

Candidate for Elj Jonsdatter in1801 Census. Needs some more work?

 

https://www.digitalarkivet.no/en/census/person/pf01058360001271

 

 

Endret Juni 22, 2022 av Anton Hagelee

[Christer Kjølsrud]

13 timer siden, Christer Kjølsrud skrev:

Sure 🙂

Abstract:

- The Jo(n) Gunnarson family was one of several families who leased “husmannsplass” (= a smallholding where the rent was (partly) payed by working at the main farm) under Aubø. This smallholding was called Aubøsund.

- Jo(n) was baptized the 7^th of January 1816. His parents were Gunnar Larsson and Guri Tjerandsdotter, who leased a smallholding under the farm Opsal.

- Jo(n) married Ragnhild Mikkelsdotter Nygård (born 15^th of June 1820) on 1^st of June 1846.

- They had seven children (a. – g.).

- Jo(n) was a carpenter.

- On the smallholding they had 2 cows, 20 sheep and 1 pig. Every spring they would sow half a barrel of barley (= 18 gallon), 1 barrel of oat (= 36 gallon) and 2 barrels of potatoes (= 440 lb).

- Jo(n) and Ragnhild emigrated to America bringing at least one of their children, the son Gedius.

- Ragnhild’s brother, Nils Mikkelson Nygård, took over the smallholding.

On Jon Gunnarson’s parents:

I find  Jon’s baptism in the church records for Vikedal parish on 7^th of January 1816, as written in the bygdebok for Sjernarøy. But the bygdebok has his father’s name wrong. The correct name is Gunnar (Gunder) Johnson. Jon’s mother is correct: Guri Tjerandsdotter. In the baptism of Jon (John) the family lives on a smallholding called Kalhagen (Kalhagen in Vikedal, not Kalhagen in Sjernarøy). Three of the sponsors in the baptism come from the Opsal farm, so Kalhagen is probably “the smallholding under Opsal”, which is mentioned in the bygdebok:

https://www.digitalarkivet.no/view/255/pd00000006891882

 

Gunnar (Gunder) and Guri were married in 1804. Gunnar was then registered under a farm called Apeland, and Guri under a farm called Espevold:

https://www.digitalarkivet.no/view/327/pv00000001667650

 

In addition to Jon I find these three children of Gunnar and Guri in the church records from Vikedal parish:

 

Magrethe Gundersdotter. A daughter born in 1808. The family living on Apeland farm:

https://www.digitalarkivet.no/view/255/pd00000006890824

 

Martha Gundersdotter. A daughter born in 1811. The family living on the Apeland farm:

https://www.digitalarkivet.no/view/255/pd00000006891274

 

Guraa Gundersdotter. A daughter born in 1819. The family is living on Kalhagen under Opsal:

https://www.digitalarkivet.no/view/255/pd00000010344319

 

Guri Tjerandsdotter was born on the 9^th of August 1785 on the farm Espevold (Vikedal). Her parents are Tiæran Johannesson Espevold and Marrite Siursdotter:

https://www.digitalarkivet.no/view/255/pd00000006887869

 

Gunnar (Gunder) Johnson dies 15^th of January 1820. The handwritten church record tell that he was 48 years old when he died, so he should be born around 1772. I read through the handwritten pages for baptisms in Vikedal parish from 1771 to 1773, but I didn’t find him there. My guess though is that he was born on the Apeland farm:

https://www.digitalarkivet.no/view/267/pg00000006537929

 

I didn’t find any death records for Guri Tjerandsdotter.

[Anton Hagelee]

I took the family of Elj Jonsdatter Tiul (various spellings ) born about 1787 further. I did this by putting together the 1801 Census for Tiul and a Geni.com tree. 

 

1801 Census for Tiul

 

https://www.digitalarkivet.no/en/census/person/pf01058360001271

 

Geni.com tree 

 

https://www.geni.com/people/Rasmus-Jonson-Tjul/6000000004563644037?through=6000000004577822543

 

What I ended up with is 

 

 

Rasmus Jonsen Tjul  born abt 1725 died 1797

 

first wife Sissela Gunnarsdatter Furre born abt 1723 died art 1758

 

second wife Kristine Jonsdatter Skartveit born abt 1730 found in the 1801 Census on Tiul farm

 

Son Jone Ramsusen born 1746 died abt 1817 Tjul Sjernarøy, Rogaland

 

his wife Marta Olsdatter born art 1753 died art 1791

 

Had several children including

 

Son Rasums Johnsen born art 1774 died 1845 found in the 1801 Census on Tiul farm

 

daughter Eelj Johnsdatter born art 1787 found living with her brother Rasmus in the 1801 Census on Tiul farm.

 

Eeli (Eil etc.) Jonsdatter  married Knud Olsen and became the parents of Margrete Knudsdatter who then married Ole Mikkelsen.

 

Proving this will take some work with bygdebøker but at the end of it you will have taken your Norwegian ancestors back to near the 1600's.

 

 

Endret Juni 23, 2022 av Anton Hagelee

[Colin McEvoy]

I really can't thank you guys enough. I had no idea I'd get this much information when I first posted in this forum, but your assistance has been really incredible. Looking forward to continuing to add this information to my tree!

[Christer Kjølsrud]

I’ve been sitting all day researching a lost ancestor who emigrated to America in 1843, and I’m just running into dead ends. In frustration I just logged in to the church records for Vikedal, just to have something else to think about. I found the baptism of Gunnar (Gunder) Johnson. He was baptized on the 7th of March in 1774, third last baptism on the left hand side:

https://media.digitalarkivet.no/view/15911/151

He turns out to be two years younger than the priest’s estimate in his funeral. He was baptized as Gunder. His father is Jon (John) Pedersen, and his mother is Margrethe Knudsdatter. They are registered under the farm Abeland (Apeland), so this must be the correct family.

[Christer Kjølsrud]

Jon Pedersen Apeland dies in 1797. The priest “estimates” his age to be 78, so born around 1719. Unfortunately, Vikedal don’t have church records before 1737, so there is no way to check his baptism. Left hand side, first funeral in 1797:

https://media.digitalarkivet.no/view/15912/200

 

Margrethe Knudsdatter Apeland survives her husband. Here she is still living on the Apeland farm in the census from 1801. The census says that she is born in 1733:

 

[Christer Kjølsrud]

Margrethe Knudsdatter Apeland’s funeral in 1805. The priest put the age as 76, so born in 1729 according to him. Right hand side:

https://media.digitalarkivet.no/view/15912/206

 

[Colin McEvoy]

Thank you, Christer! Apologies I didn't write back sooner, as I was away and busy this weekend, but I appreciate the information!