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 Capt. Rolaf Olesen
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stevej
Junior member

USA
33 Posts

Posted - 21/02/2002 :  01:32:53  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
I am seeking any info. on a Capt. Rolaf Olesen.He was married to Maren Torkelson around 1867 in Norway, place unknown.Maren was the widow of Johannes Hisholt who died in an accident around 1865.Maren had 5 children from her previous marriage: Carrie b.1856,Ole b.1858,Josephine b.?,John b.1862,and Theodore b.1864.
Capt.Olesen,Maren,and the children emmigrated to the U.S. about 1873.By that time they were known by the Olesen surname.Sometime after their arrival in the U.S. their name changed to Olson.
I have no info. on where they came from in Norway,but Marens first husband was supposedly from Skien,Telemark.I dont even know what kind of Capt. Rolaf was- naval or military.
I have tried finding the Capt. on the Norway and U.S. sides with no results, any help would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks, stevej

askeroi
Senior member

Norway
299 Posts

Posted - 21/02/2002 :  09:10:25  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
Hi Steve

I wish I could give you some positive information about your captain - but I can't.

I have no problem finding his wife in her first marriage in the 1865 cencus, they're here

http://digitalarkivet.uib.no/cgi-win/webcens.exe?slag=visbase&filnamn=arkivverket/ft1865/f60806&variabel=0&postnr=1133&fulle=true&spraak=F

But neither Rolaf nor Olesen are norwegian names. It could be Rolf, Rollef, Rolleiv, Rollev. And Olafsen/son, Olavsen/son, Olufsen/son but most likely Olsen/son. Unfortunately the combination doesn't reveal any captains in the 1865 census, and the names are too common, even in the Skien area, to spot without a smallest hint of how old he was / when he was born.

On the other hand I'm pretty shure he was a ships captain, not a military captain. There was a "sailor" by approximately that name in the area in 1865, born about 1848, but maybe he's too young?
Have you given us absolutely all information you have on this captain of yours?


askeroi
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stevej
Junior member

USA
33 Posts

Posted - 21/02/2002 :  14:01:08  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
Hello askeroi,good to hear from you again.
The only other hint I have on the Capt. is that he had been married before.
He had previously been married to Katrina (no last name), and had 2 stepdaughters - Ilsa and Olava Jacobsen. I dont know anything about the date or location , but it has to be before 1867.
I cant find a trace of these people in Norway, or where they first went to in the U.S.. Marens children show up in Wisconsin in the 1880s.But before that the family is a mystery.
Thanks,
stevej

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stevej
Junior member

USA
33 Posts

Posted - 22/02/2002 :  02:19:39  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
I have tried to do a little digging on Capt. Olesens first marriage to try to find any clues, and I believe I found her in the 1865 census for Kvikne.But I am not familiar enough with the language to be sure.
But even if this is her , it doesnt give me any more on the Capt.
If Capt. Olesen was a ships Capt. shouldnt he be listed in a maritime registry somewhere?
Thanks, stevej


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askeroi
Senior member

Norway
299 Posts

Posted - 22/02/2002 :  06:47:13  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
Hi, Steve
Now I'm a bit confused. How/where did you find his first marriage in the 1865 cencus? I find an Olava Dorothea (not shure of spelling) Jacobsdatter in Kvikne, but not with a mother called anything like Katrine. There is absolutely no person in the 1865 cencus called Ilsa Jac/kop/bsen/son/datter at all as far as I can see. And to search for a Katrine (with all spelling variations) without knowing anything but the first name - how did you manage that??? Or did you mean something else?


askeroi
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askeroi
Senior member

Norway
299 Posts

Posted - 22/02/2002 :  06:50:19  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
And I forgot to ask: Didn't the captain at any time have an age? And when/where did he die?

askeroi
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stevej
Junior member

USA
33 Posts

Posted - 22/02/2002 :  14:13:17  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
Hello Askeroi,
The only entry in the 1865 census that I thought could be close was :
Knud Jakobs - Husfader 69
Peter Knuds. - Hans son 37
Katrina Pedersd. - Dennes Kone 47
Anders Peders. - Hans son 15
Olava Knudsd. - Logerende 28
All of the above were in Kvikne,Hedmark. But Ilsa is not listed.
Am I just grasping at something that isnt there? It wouldnt be the first time.
As to the Captains age, or where he came from, I have nothing.He just pops up in our family when he marries my ancestor Maren .
Even when they came to this country , I have nothing , until they show up in Wisconsin in the 1880s.
Thanks, stevej

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stevej
Junior member

USA
33 Posts

Posted - 22/02/2002 :  14:21:30  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
Correction: The children show up in Wisconsin in the 1870s.
stevej

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askeroi
Senior member

Norway
299 Posts

Posted - 23/02/2002 :  07:47:46  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
Kvikne is inland - very much so - but Skien is by the coast. This makes it rather doubtful that this is the right family. Besides this children are not "Jacobsons/daughters" but "Knudssons/daughters", aren't they?
I think we'll have to look elsewhere...

askeroi
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stevej
Junior member

USA
33 Posts

Posted - 23/02/2002 :  14:55:29  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
Hello askeroi,
You had mentioned that Olesen didnt sound like a Norwegian name to you. Did you mean that the spelling might be wrong , or that the Capt. could be from somewhere other than Norway ?.
I have also went back and read Borges article again on "maritime inscription", if the Capt. is from Norway he could be listed in the "Kapteinsrulle".But again , it does me no good unless I can find out anything about where he came from.
Thanks, stevej

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askeroi
Senior member

Norway
299 Posts

Posted - 23/02/2002 :  19:55:44  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
Hello, Steve.

In norway sons of Ole, Ola, Olaf, Olav were rarely called anything else than Ols(s)en/Ols(s)on. Even sons of Oluf, Olaus and Olaves usually were called Ols(s)en/Ols(s)on. In Denmark on the other hand you often see Olesen, but scarcely in Norway. But I didn't mean he wasn't norwegian - I just meant you'll ALLMOST certainly have to look for an Ols(s)en/Ols(s)on.

But I have a qualified guess for where he is found in the 1865 cencus, in Skien, Telemark (where his second wife also were), with a wife called Katrine and a daughter called Olava:

http://digitalarkivet.uib.no/cgi-win/webcens.exe?slag=visbase&filnamn=arkivverket/ft1865/f60806.wc2&variabel=0&postnr=2928&fulle=true&spraak=n

Though his occupation is wrong (sawmill worker) this is the best I can find.

So far...

I'm afraid I have no knowledge of any "kapteinsrulle" system in those days (which doesn't mean there wasn't any - just my lack of knowledge!)

We'll have to work hard on this one...


askeroi
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stevej
Junior member

USA
33 Posts

Posted - 23/02/2002 :  21:04:58  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
Askeroi,
Thanks for the lead. Have you ever heard of a sea Capt. working in a saw mill? Do you think that he could be military? The rest of the info. makes sense though , and that would at least give me an approx. age to work with.
Thanks again,
stevej

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stevej
Junior member

USA
33 Posts

Posted - 23/02/2002 :  23:27:02  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
I went through the 1875 census for Skien and couldnt find either family listed anymore, and that would fit with the date of emigration that I had -1873. What would be a possible port of passage located near Skien?
stevej

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askeroi
Senior member

Norway
299 Posts

Posted - 24/02/2002 :  08:47:47  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
I should have told you - I too checked the 1875 cencus and came to the same conclusion.

And no, I never heard of a ships captain working at a sawmill. I foumd that strange, too. I must admit I immediately thought of ships captain partly because of the placing by the sea and the fact that a ships captain very often is mentioned as a ships captain for the rest of his life. But of course the placing by the sea olso could give a "coast guarding" military background. I didn't think of that. Partly because a military captain not that often is still called a captain after military service - today. It could of course have been different back then.

But I've never heard of a military captain working at a sawmill either...

He was pretty "old" for being in active military service. He should have been retired by 1865, don't you think?

Let's keep all posibilities open - but I do think the ship background is a bit more likely, though.

askeroi
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askeroi
Senior member

Norway
299 Posts

Posted - 24/02/2002 :  08:49:47  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
PS

Doesn't anybody else have a view on this "career" question? I mean in general?

askeroi
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K.P. Hansen
Starting member

Norway
12 Posts

Posted - 24/02/2002 :  15:45:44  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
Stevej,
If these people were from Skien, do try www.slekt.org
That is the wesite of the local historical organization. It is great and also in english.
K.P.

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