Help required to identify a residence in Stavanger

[Christer Kjølsrud]

One more photo from the same stretch of Hetlandsgata as the “before 1866 photo”. Probably taken in the same period and probably by Dorothea Arentz.

[Ian Perry]

Unbelievable, thank you sir.

 

At this link ...

 

https://fotonettverk-rogaland.no/photographistinden-dorothea-arentz/

 

which shows the first Hetlandsgata photo that was posted above, the one" before 1866", just below the photo is some text which states that Dorothea took several photos of the street from her garden or terrace and references ...

 

Skilling Magazin 1868, page 72. Archive: PA no. 1, Anders Bærheim's archive, State Archives in Stavanger

 

Would it be possible to access that source?

[Ian Perry]

Roy-Petter

 

I also went searching for information last night regarding the "Rose" light ship. There were several articles in Trove (the online newspaper search engine) which I assume you also found. I had difficulty with the language as it was written in a very old style of English, and also the content was very technical - it was written for seamen - and not for the general public. I did find a Wikipedia article about a ship called "Rose" which started off her life as a slave ship, made her way to the Americas, then ended up in Australia. Elsewhere, I had seen reference to her being used in the 1830s near Sydney, so it probably is the same ship. It seems to have been sent up to Brisbane but as you said was found not to be suitable and maybe was sent back.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rose_(1806_ship)

 

I didn't know that Elling had deserted in 1855 - I have been looking for that record but couldn't find any mention. So, it's great to have that link you posted above. Many thanks. BTW, what is the "rulle"? the name of a ship? And thanks for the explanation of the seaman experience system - I didn't know any of that. Very interesting.

 

[Roy-Petter Askim]

[Roy-Petter Askim]

Rulle is the books/records, one for ordinary seamen, one for captains and one for engine-workers. I read that it was operated from 1861 and about ten years before it was taken out of service and it was then 40 years old, but I did not keep a link to where I found that.

That they use the term deserted made me speculate if he was drafted to the Navy. Others I have seen the term went missing or jumped ship. I know that kids were entered into protocols and already at an early age were assign for navy or land-defense, but could not find that for Stavanger. Thats why I would have liked to see what ships he was on prior to 1855. When it says 40 moths, I know they counted days and months actually at sea, so my guess is that he started as a sailor right after confirmation, but I see no more possibilities to actually find out.

Endret Februar 5, 2023 av Roy-Petter Askim
Spelling mistakes.

[Ian Perry]

Thank you Roy-Peter. Very kind of you.

[Christer Kjølsrud]

Yes, I found it. It is a woodcut(xylographic) based on the photo. It is used as an illustration to a short article named “Hetlandsgaden i Stavanger”. The article is not at all about Hetlandsgata (!), but a short introduction to Stavanger. The article praises the Domkirke, and that is probably why the woodcut is used.

Here is the link to the scanned article in The National Library, but I doubt if you can access it from abroad:

https://www.nb.no/items/a848e7062dd4dd3ff760c38ca4f3bef8?page=77

[Christer Kjølsrud]

19 minutter siden, Roy-Petter Askim skrev:

Heisann, så ikke at du allerede hadde lagt dette ut, Roy-Petter 🙂

[Roy-Petter Askim]

Bedre to ganger enn ikke i det hele tatt! 😉

 

[Ian Perry]

There is a collection in Ancestry called "England, Dreadnought Seamen's Hospital Admissions and Discharges, 1826-1930". We found a record in there which was the actual record that solved the mystery and helped us find out who Elling was and his birth records and family. We found this record almost by chance. He was admitted to a hospital ship sitting in the river in London for a period in 1854 as he recovered from "ague" which I think might be related to malaria. He had been on the "Balder". I don't know if this helps or not to identify. His name is at the bottom and is spelled incorrectly. This was the "penny that dropped". When I saw "Aling" originally I thought it looked like a mis-spelling. I then checked for similar-sounding names in Norweigan - I soon found "Elling". I was then able to go the the Norweigan Archives to look for an Elling, and with his likely date of birth from the Queensland government employment record (1834) I was able to finally find his baptism.

 

 

[Ian Perry]

I to fyre er fantastiske! 😉

[Roy-Petter Askim]

Wow, that is most interessting. I have to searc for this Balder (Norse God) then.

Endret Februar 5, 2023 av Roy-Petter Askim

[Ian Perry]

Does this record you sent above give the date that he went missing from his ship? (1855)

 

https://media.digitalarkivet.no/view/39405/206

 

And what is this?

 

https://media.digitalarkivet.no/view/39401/13

[Roy-Petter Askim]

Stavanger Amtstidende og Adresseavis, tirsdag 16. mai 1854

Sailed from Gravesend 07.05.1854

 

 

This could be the ship. Possibly a schooner, but I will do some more research.

The rulle only says 1855, but the record you have shows a more exact date, so 1855 is probably when he was reported missing. The second link is a indeks were I found him in the right column, his registernumber helped me find him in the rulle.

Endret Februar 5, 2023 av Roy-Petter Askim

[Roy-Petter Askim]

Here it is, built 1852 with picture:

https://www.sjohistorie.no/no/skip/2519/

[Ian Perry]

Gravesend is at the mouth of the River Thames ... https://goo.gl/maps/JRfnbPPJZ5cyJsQK7

 

[Roy-Petter Askim]

PS.: From the Stavanger newspapers I found that Balder in 1852- May 54 sailed to Peterburg, Riga, Sweden, Maas, Schiedam, St. Ybes, Lisboa, Newcastle, Sverige,  Stavanger, Køningsberg x2,  Gagliari, Pillau, Plymouth, Køningsberg, St.Ybes, Troon, Montevideo, Danzig, Grangemouth, Dangzig, Grangem, Danzig, Sverige, Grangem., Lisboa, Buenos Aires, Valparaiso, Newcastle, Buenos Aires, Valparaiso, Shields, Stavanger, Genova, Shields, Genova, Valparaiso, Buenos Aires, Livorno, Genova,  London, Gravesend. 

 

[Ian Perry]

Hmmm, interesting. Maybe when he saw Newcastle (south of Brisbane) on that trip he got the idea he would come back.

 

Family legend is that he "jumped ship" (deserted his ship while he was working on it). The first record I have been able to find for him in Australia is an employment document he had with the State Government. It shows that he started working with the government on 1 July 1864. The contract is dated 10 Feb 1865 and shows him employed as "Light Keeper at 'Rose' Light Ship". By this time he had changed his name ("Aling Johnsen" in London had transformed in to "Alick Johnson" and then Alexander). This ship was moored in Moreton Bay and was used as a floating lighthouse. I'd be interested to know what he did in those 10 years (age 20 years - 30 years). He met Sarah in Brisbane after she arrived in 1866 from England. The document is a bit hard to read ...

[Ian Perry]

Found this but don't know what it is ...

 

https://www.digitalarkivet.no/en/view/91/pc00000000398912

[Roy-Petter Askim]

It was probably Newcastle (upon Tyne) in UK.

 

I think deserted in the “Rulle” just means that he was not there when Balder left the harbor. Maybe already ill, or for many other reasons. Probably difficult to find out how he ends up in Australia, but I understand there were many merchant ships and convict ships to Australia at that time. I agree that working his way over and jumping ship is most likely way of emigrating for a sailor.

 

The link you asked about is a transcription in a file with all the sailors in Stavanger “rullene” between 1860-1900 (more than 10.000 entries). It has limited function, lacking the “patent no.” and which book the name appears. For some entries it mentions dates and ship names. Helpful to find relatives who have been sailor for a while but have other occupations when the censuses took place.

 

I saw a reply from Arkivverket that “rullene” for Stavanger 1800 to 1860 is in storage in Bergen, but not published. Usually, you have to order the storage unit in advance and show up at the archive but here is an option as I understand it: Arkivverket at their discretion offer a service to make copies subject to some conditions. I think the entry would not reveal much more than when he went to sea, and maybe if he worked on other ships prior to Balder e.g. domestic.

The storage number is here https://arkivportalen.no/entity/no-a1450-07000000215238?ins=SAB   

If you refer to the storage number, limit the request to him, attach the link to the 1864 patent in Stavanger https://media.digitalarkivet.no/view/39405/206 you can put forward a request here: https://www.arkivverket.no/tjenester/tilbud-om-skanning-pa-foresporsel

 

[Ian Perry]

OK, thanks for that. I'll do that, there's no harm in trying. It may turn up something interesting.

[Ian Perry]

Trove is a good place to look for information in old newspapers in Australia up until the 1950s. This is Elling's (Alick's) obituary from 1922. I transcribed it below to make it easier to read ...

 

http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article168995209

 

The death occurred on Saturday last of a very old and respected resident of this town in the person of Mr. Alexander Johnson, who reached the ripe age of 85 years. He joined the Pilot service at Moreton Island, Brisbane, in 1865, and very soon afterwards came to Mackay, where he was engaged as coxswain. His experience covered a period when many of the sailing vessels came to this port and pilots were more in demand here than at present. On 12th April, 1880 the pilot boat capsized at the Fairway buoy. Pilot Langford being drowned and Coxswain Johnson and two others were washed up on East Point beach. Mr. Johnson suffered from deafness as a result of this accident, and subsequently had to retire. He leaves his wife and a grown-up family to mourn their loss, namely Mrs. R. McLuckie and Mrs. H. Perry, Brisbane, Mrs. R. Brown, Toowoomba, Mrs. Alex. Procopis, Mackay, and Messrs, Alex (Rockhampton), Jim (Sarina), Willie and Percy (Brisbane) and Mark and Cyril, of Mackay. The funeral took place on Sunday at 2.30 p.m.

[Roy-Petter Askim]

Thank you for the transcribed obituary! What a tragic accident he had. Losing his hearing must have been difficult that early in life. Coxswain on a pilot boat who had to go out in all sorts of weather needed a skilled and strong man. Hope you get a copy of his record from Arkivverket!