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Ruthy
Starting member
USA
13 Posts |
 Posted - 17/07/2004 : 03:19:12
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I recently received Civil War pension information on my gggrandfather Charles Aufinson/Anfinson Brighton who gave information regarding his early life I had not been able to find. I am hoping someone will recognize the names and help me connect Charles finally, to his Norwegian roots. In the affidavit, he states his father was Ole Brighton, a sea captain. He says that he himself was born "on the Baltic Sea between Norway and Denmark." His mother "lived mostly in Copenhagen" but several statements and letters reveal that he was indeed Norwegian. His date of birth is Sept 14, 1842. He stated that he listed Christiana (Norway) as place of birth as it was the closest city of any size. Charles went to sea some with his father Ole, before coming to Qubec, then Montreal and finally Madison Wis area where an unmarried uncle, also named Ole Brighton lived. I am hoping to find some records pertaining to the father Ole Brighton. I do not have mom's maiden name, and it doesn't seem that Brighton is particularly Norwegian....
Has anyone seen anything that could be another version of Brighton? I'm also looking at Braaten, Brixen and Britzein now, but only as I found those on Copenhagen census. |
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askeroi
Senior member
Norway
299 Posts |
Posted - 21/07/2004 : 22:37:00
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This was quite a challenge, but three days of researching the 1865 cencus has not brought one single candidate to fit your description.
Brighton ia certainly not a Norwegian name. Ther are absolutely none in neither the 1801, 1865, 1875 nor 1900 cencus. And not in today's phonebook.
Aufinson/sen isn't a name either - at least not by anyone in the 1865 cencus. There are a few hits on Anfinson/sen, but none with the letters "arl" in the first name who is born 1838-1848 and being anything connected to the sea and have a father with any name starting with "Ol" living in any place near the Oslofjord/southern coastal Norway. Nor anyone who could be his father.
There are quite a few Carl etc with the patronymicon starting with "Ol", even some with work at sea and even with a father working at sea, too. But no captains - only able seamen and other lower titles.
So either both father and son left Norway before 1865 or some of your information is incorrect. Are you shure there is nothing more you can add to help us help you?
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askeroi |
Edited by - askeroi on 24/07/2004 07:36:33 |
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Ruthy
Starting member
USA
13 Posts |
Posted - 23/07/2004 : 07:18:18
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Thank you so much for looking! I have tried to work the Norwegian archives sites as well as some Copenhagen/Danish archive sites to no avail. I'm still reading through the pension files, (Civil War) but not finding a lot of early history on him. I found that he said his (Charles) mother's name was "Sigree" but I think that at the time the statement was taken, he was dictating it to a goverment official, so the spelling is prob off. In the statement Charles says his true and correct name is "Charles Aufinson Brighton. My father's name is Ole Brighton and my mother's name was Sigree." Charles left in the Spring of 1861 from Bergen to Qubec then Montreal then to Madison area. I have checked several sites for ship passenger lists and saw a couple of spring 61 arrivals but none with actual lists of passengers (from Bergen).
I think it's still likely the spelling of Brighton is wrong. I could not find any Brighton's to match the uncle in Wisconsin for 1860. Charles said that uncle Ole Brighton was his only relative in the U.S. and that he died while he was gone with the Calvary. Charles enlisted using the name Thomas Anfensen, but-since he didn't speak English, a friend gave the information, and so he was "Thomas Anfensen/Anfinson" as long as he was enlisted. He took his real name back after the war. Thomas was chosen for "No particular reason" and he used his middle name because his uncle opposed his enlistment. Could Aufensin be dad's last name? Could Brighton be "Bryggen" or another farm name? Or even Bruton, Braaton, Britton, Braathen? I'm trying to find anything even close, and the only thing I found on the Wis census to match a Br name was Ingebraaten. I would think Ole Brighton the captain would show up on the Captain's Roll. I checked the seaman's roll.
If mom lived "mainly in Copenhagen" would she be listed as head of house-assuming there were other children, or would dad. I found a few Charles on the Copenhagen census, but I don't know how to get past the first 100 matches.
I appreciate your help. I had always thought Charles was Danish until the pension arrived. We only had one photo of him-as an older man. I'd love to sort his story out, but it may just not be sortable! |
Edited by - Ruthy on 23/07/2004 07:32:18 |
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askeroi
Senior member
Norway
299 Posts |
Posted - 23/07/2004 : 23:01:01
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His father's name was most likely Anfinson, as Charles wasn't an Olson. But Au...? I can't see neither father nor son could have been named that IF they were norwegian. But N and U can be very simular in handwriting...
Maybe the mother's name helped a bit? "Sigree" is the normal pronounciation of the norwegian female name Sigri(d). If we chose to believe that Aufinson is a misspelling or misreading for Anfinson and buy that his father's name really was beginning with "Ol" there really IS a couple fitting this combination (and only one couple) and that is
http://digitalarkivet.uib.no/cgi-win/webcens.exe?slag=visbase&filnamn=f61418.wc2&variabel=0&postnr=1327&fulle=true&spraak=n
Even they're age could fit, being born around 1819-23. BUT they're living in Balestrand, wich is quite a bit north of Bergen and extremely far from Oslo. And this Ole is nothing near a ships captain - he's a farmer on a very small farm - and the farm name is nothing near Brighton.
It's a shot in the dark and I'm not much convinced it's his parents we've found. I would have expected to find them in a sea port. |
askeroi |
Edited by - askeroi on 23/07/2004 23:02:32 |
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askeroi
Senior member
Norway
299 Posts |
Posted - 23/07/2004 : 23:11:10
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| Sorry - it's not Charles' parents. I've checked the baptsisms in Balestrand. This couple didn't have children before 1856. And NO Charles/Carl/Karl or anything simular. Sorry for giving you false hopes. |
askeroi |
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Ruthy
Starting member
USA
13 Posts |
Posted - 24/07/2004 : 00:59:20
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Thanks for looking. I'm inclined to think they were Anfinsons as well. Going on the information that he was born "on the Baltic Sea" -and Christiana (Oslo) being the closest town, would his birth be recorded in Oslo someplace? Would that be the "normal" thing to do? I do not have anything to indicate what denomination they were, or even if they attended church regularly. I have very very little on this family.
Also- if mom lived a lot in Copenhagen, is it possible the birth was recorded there? It seems strange to me that mom would be out at sea being close to delivery. I guess he could have been on an island? That seems odd too tho. Could mom have been Danish do you think? I saw Charles in the census in Copenhagen, not mine yet, but as you say, it's not really Norwegian. Is Carl the Norwegian of Charles?
Appreciate your help!!!! |
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Ruthy
Starting member
USA
13 Posts |
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askeroi
Senior member
Norway
299 Posts |
Posted - 24/07/2004 : 07:35:44
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I wonder if we can take the frase "born on sea" litturally. I wonder if he did his best to hide his inheritage - or at least make it more exciting.
I wonder if we get further searching on these "strange" names.
The normal thing to do - wether born at sea or not - would be to baptise him in the church closest to where the parents (or the mother at least) lived at the moment.
But you said there was correspondance showing he was norwegian. Maybe this correspondance can give us a hint on where to search. Who did he write to / get mail from? Where did they live. When are this letters written? Sometimes a totally different angle can turn on a light...
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askeroi |
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askeroi
Senior member
Norway
299 Posts |
Posted - 24/07/2004 : 07:49:08
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P.S.
There aren't many Sigri(d)'s in the Copenhagen cencuses from 1845, 1850, 1860 either. But none of them have a son called Carl etc or Thomas - and none of them are married to an Ole.
Sorry again...
But maybe his marriage or wife could give us some hints? Where did his wife come from? When and where did he get married? What did he name his children?
(I really would love to solve this problem...)
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askeroi |
Edited by - askeroi on 24/07/2004 08:30:21 |
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Ruthy
Starting member
USA
13 Posts |
Posted - 24/07/2004 : 16:02:17
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The information I had been given years ago was word of mouth (oral history) from a great aunt who generally did not spell well and pronounced things with a strong accent. She used to say he was Danish. There are some U.S. census that have on them that he was born in Denmark, mom born in Denmark and Ole the dad born in Denmark-but one has France. This information would have been given by whoever was at the house when the census taker came by, and it is not noted on there who gave the information.
The information I posted on here all came from a sworn statement that Charles gave to government officials when he was applying for his Civil War Pension-so it was given by him, written down by the court worker then signed by Charles. I also have a copy of the ledger/record of his service in the 2nd Wisconsin Calvary. Both of these have Kristiana, Norway as his place of birth. Enlistment ledger has Kristiana, and the pension papers have him saying "born on the Baltic Sea, but Christiana was the closest town. I think that is what I put when I enlisted." He talked about not speaking English well, and a friend named Tom Kelly "Did all the talking." I think this is where some of the spelling variation comes in-but he used Aufinsen/Anfinson when he enlisted to keep his uncle from finding him. Later in the statement Charles talks about another Norwegian in the troop and how they were freinds because "We were the only two Norwegians and we spoke the same language." This is why I think he really was Norwegian and not Danish.
The woman Charles married was Charlotte (Charity)E. Dun or Irwin. There is not a lot of information on her either. I know her father was from Ireland and mother born in Missouri, US. They both died around the time of the Civil War and she was either raised by or adopted the Dun family. I haven't found any family information with the Irwin/Erwin name. They got married in Bosque county Texas. She was living with a Flanary family at the time. Bosque was the largest Norwegian community in Texas at that time, by the way. They had a son named "Tom O." I don't have anything with the middle name, a daughter named (get ready) Layfette Latyra Virginia Sam (named after 4 neighbors but went by Jennie), and Rosa Jane. Rosa had a son she named "Charley B." All the records I have where Charles signed things are signed "Brighton".
I have an obituary transcript that says "Mr. C.A. Brighton died last Monday at the home of his son-in-law, Claude Moonahan, at the age of 75 years. Deceased was a native of Denmark and came to this country when he was 20 years old. He was an active laborer up to within a few weeks of his death. He had lived and honorable and industrious life and was worthy of the noble race to which he belonged. "Peace to his ashes."
I verify that this is verbatum from the 12/4/1909 Haskell Free Press----Judy Benton, 505 N Ave F, Haskell Tx 79521."
Not too sure about that. Charles said he was 18 when he enlisted, and the date of birth I have for him (from him) is Sept.16,1842. He enlisted Sept of 1861. The census year of birth goes anywhere from 1837 to 44.
I have sent for a copy of his death certificate, and his wife's as well. Maybe there will be something on either of those. It's been about 4 weeks now (takes 8-10). I also sent for a copy of their daughter Rosa Jane's birth certificate hoping something would be on that. Can you think of anything else?
I thought finding the Uncle Ole in Wisconsin would help, but I think not having the probable correct spelling of the last name is keeping me from finding him- and he had no wife or kids, according to Charles.
Did any of this help? |
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askeroi
Senior member
Norway
299 Posts |
Posted - 25/07/2004 : 10:10:26
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Not much, I'm afraid. The reason for asking was that immigrants often married persons from more or less the same place as they themselves came from - and often kept the norwegian tradition of naming their children after their parents.
Unfortunately 'your' Charles didn't.
I've taken the chance of asking my friends at Digitalarkivet on your behalf for sons born in Christiania on the given date with parents Ole and Sigri(d) and linked to this page. Someone might have access to the chirchbooks for Christiania at the time and are willing to check it out from that angle.
It's in norwegian, but if any answeres occour I'll keep you informed.
http://digitalarkivet.uib.no/cgi-win/WebDebatt.exe?slag=listinnlegg&debatt=brukar&temanr=23127&sok=&startnr=&antall=&spraak=
Let's cross our fingers...
P.S.
I haven't seen your long shot link before now - unfortunately the link doesn't get anywhere (it doesn't work) anymore - at least not on my computer...
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askeroi |
Edited by - askeroi on 25/07/2004 10:13:16 |
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Ruthy
Starting member
USA
13 Posts |
Posted - 25/07/2004 : 21:22:40
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Here is what I was trying to post in the link....
Page 1 of 2
Oslo, Norway to Halifax, Nova Scotia
14 April 1951
This passenger list was compiled from the program given to passengers on departure. The ship S.S. Stavangerfjord, Captain Olaf Bjornstad, left Oslo, Norway on 6 April 1951 and arrived in Halifax, Nova Scotia on 14 Apr 1951.
Columns represent: Name of Passenger, sex*, and town of origin.
Liste over Forste Klasse
1. Agersborg, Svend E.V. herr Kobenhaven
2. Andersen, Signe fru Oslo
3. Bendixen, Torres herr Lillesand
4. Bernsten, Kaare herr Oslo
5. Bejerre, Poul M. herr Kobenhaven
6. Braavold, Hjalmar J. herr Sandefjord
7. Bugge, Rasmus herr Oslo
8. Bugge, Lydia fru Oslo
It probably is not related at all. Can you suggest some spellings of Brighton for me to consider while searching? I checked the Dane County, Wisconsin census of 1860 again last night and the only "Ole" is a "Birkrem". That is the only "Ole" with a surname starting with a BR sound. I thought maybe if I found the brother of the father that was Charles's uncle maybe that would give us some clues, but I haven't found him. Maybe he went by another name, but that is what Charles referred to him as in the document.
I will keep looking ! |
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askeroi
Senior member
Norway
299 Posts |
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askeroi
Senior member
Norway
299 Posts |
Posted - 26/07/2004 : 14:58:44
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| More negativ information I'm afraid: No couple Ole / Sigrid had a son baptised in Christiania born on the given date. That's definitive. Back to square one... |
askeroi |
Edited by - askeroi on 26/07/2004 22:37:09 |
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Ruthy
Starting member
USA
13 Posts |
Posted - 27/07/2004 : 07:48:09
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I have seen the Brighton family in Iowa before. I don't think there is a connection. The uncle of my gggrandfather is said to have died while he was in the Army. That time frame would be from 1861 when he enrolled until 1863 or 64 (U.S. Civil War). I would think he would have contacted his uncle for sure to help prove his identity. Most of the correspondence in this file I got was with anyone who might remember him from the military unit he served in. He was trying to establish that he was the person known as Thomas Aufensen/Anfinson.
I will recheck the Ole S. Brighton however. That is pretty strange to see the name connected to Norway again, don't you think? Maybe the uncle "disowned him" or cut off relations with him because he went against his wishes.
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askeroi
Senior member
Norway
299 Posts |
Posted - 27/07/2004 : 09:18:16
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It seems like we don't get any further in this direction, I'm afraid. Do you know anything more about this uncle Ole Brighton? When he was born? His patronymicon? Did he marry a 'norwegian' girl? Before ore after settling in the US? Did he have children with names that can tell anything about his heritage?
Since such information doesn't occur I assume Charles never mention any siblings?
Your Charles couldn't have spoken much about his background to his family as such different info was giving in the cencuses. Wonder if he actually wasn't the son of a ships captain at all, rather of 'travelling people'? Are his descendants dark or blond? (I don't want to embarass you - I'm just trying every angle...) |
askeroi |
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Ole Brighton Sea Captain, son Charles Aufinson Bri
