. My grandmother came to the US from there. She was Thora Tolison married to Peter Pedersen. (There or here?) Only other clue I have is a beautiful old moneybox I believe might be from some relation to her that she brought with her, and treasured. It is inscribed with what looks like Torlach Ols, Sen Firoden 1831. I would be happy to send pictures of it if anyone might be able to tell anything by the designs on it. I believe some of the Tolisons that may have come with her, settled in Bennington Vermont (?). Thank you!">
Tolisons from Farsund
decodogz[?][?]I am looking for any information about Tolisons from Farsund, Norway[?]. My grandmother came to the US from there. She was Thora Tolison married to Peter Pedersen. (There or here?) Only other clue I have is a beautiful old moneybox I believe might be from some relation to her that she brought with her, and treasured. It is inscribed with what looks like Torlach Ols, Sen Firoden 1831. I would be happy to send pictures of it if anyone might be able to tell anything by the designs on it. I believe some of the Tolisons that may have come with her, settled in Bennington Vermont (?). Thank you!
askeroiPlease give us some more information. It could very well look like "Torlach" is the father of "Thora Tolison" and it seems shure that "Thorlach" lived in 1831. But as you give absolutely no other dates he could have made the box as anything from a young boy to an old man. Don't you have any information on "Thora" - immigration year, birth year, an age at any time? 1831 is pretty much in the middle of the time gap between the two first cencus' we have in Norway (1801 and 1865). Though not the most common name in Norway, there are much too many to say "this is him" from your information - even in the Farsund area...
decodogzHello Askeroi! Thank you for your reply. So far I have virtually nothing to go on. I met my maternal Grandmother (my parents are passed, without leaving any onformation) not long before she died, and she did not speak English very well. I know she had been in this country for a while, but I believe she had been on a farm with other Tolisons in Bennington Vermont, and hadn't had the need to learn much English. I had gotten the impression the box might have been her fathers. It was the only thing she clung to, but since I believed her maiden name to be Tolison, and this said "Torlach Ols" I wasn't sure. In the short time I have been reading about Norwegian surnames, I see I have a LOT to learn about the names, the way they change, etc. Its a little bit daunting to say the least. I can see this will take some commitment! My father's German side is going much easier. I have located a last surviving son of Thoras in Florida, but unhappily he is not well, and often incoherent, so it will take time to get any information out of him. I will try to get the year of Thoras death, etc. On the box, I was told it was a "money box" but had to chuckle as it is quite large for that. being approx 16X16X12, (lots of money? lol) but it does have a locking mechanism on it that required a key, so surely was meant to hold some kind of valuables. I would assume that if Thorlach made it for his valuables, the 1831 date would have been when he made it (?) as a young man? Or maybe when he made it for his daughter? Seems like a gift he would make for a son rather than a daughter. It is beautifully painted black with designs in yellow and the old ox blood pigment in what people here now frequently call the "Pennsylvania Dutch" or "Peter Hunt" designs. I was hoping that may be a clue as to region, family or something. Well, I will write again as soon as I have more info. I have someone who is going to try to talk to my Uncle Peder on the 3rd of August. Thank you again for your time., and hope to be able to chat again! Kathe
decodogzHi Again.. I was wondering if you could tell me what region and or parrish Farsund would be in? I can't seem to even find it on a map. Thanks! Kathe
HopkinsIn the Lista area of Vest-Agder. http://members.tdn.com/~dagwood/vestagder.html
askeroiFarsund is in Vest-Agder. I've tried to figur out what this "Firoden" means. It's placing could indicate a farm name, but it's nothing like it in the 1801 or 1865 cencus - and I believe I've used all my imagination. OK, you have no dates. So I've done some calculations. Of course I don't know your age, but it's hard to belive your grandmother was born much before 1900. So I went throgh the 1900 cencus for Vest-Agder and found a very fitting young lady: I wonder if this is your grandmother and her parents and brother Jørgen in 1900: http://digitalarkivet.uib.no/cgi-win/webcens.exe?slag=visbase&filnamn=f01041.wc2&variabel=0&postnr=5048&fulle=true&spraak=n If so, this is her father and his parents and siblings in the 1865 cencus. http://digitalarkivet.uib.no/cgi-win/webcens.exe?slag=visbase&filnamn=f61041&variabel=0&postnr=4858&fulle=true&spraak=n And note the mother - she's the one who brings the Tollis-name into the family. Unfortunately there's too many Tolli's in the 1801 cencus who could be her father in the area. And probably the one who brought the box into the family? as you probably find the father's father hear on the same farm in 1801: http://digitalarkivet.uib.no/cgi-win/webcens.exe?slag=visbase&filnamn=f11041&variabel=0&postnr=2544&fulle=true&spraak=n