Edvard Neilsen
chrisfI am looking for descendants of Edvard Nielsen, who was the first Wesleyan minister in Noreswood. He came to New Zealand in 1874, via the Hovding to England, then via the Militades to Auckland. Nielsen was born in Rakkestaad, and was a pastor in Kristiana, Hamar, Fumes, Odalen, Frederickstad, FrederickShald. His wife Oline Johannessen came from Hamar. I will be visiting Norwat later this year, and would like to know if thee is any information about his early life there
hastoHe is a teacher for Methodists in Sarpsborg in [url="http://digitalarkivet.uib.no/cgi-win/webcens.exe?slag=visbase&filnamn=f60102&gardpostnr=265&personpostnr=2727&merk=2727#ovre"]1865 census[/url]
hastoHis birth in 1842 [url="http://www.familysearch.org/Eng/Search/vr/individual_record.asp?recid=28939340&lds=4®ion=12®ionfriendly=Norway&juris1=5&juris2=&juris3=&juris4=®ionfriendly=&juris1friendly=Norway&juris2friendly=&juris3friendly=&juris4friendly="]LDS VRI[/url]. His sister was born 1831 [url="http://www.familysearch.org/Eng/Search/igi/individual_record.asp?recid=100111194000&lds=1®ion=12®ionfriendly=Norway&juris1=Norw9Ostf&juris2=Ostf&juris3=&juris4=®ionfriendly=&juris1friendly=Ostfold&juris2friendly=&juris3friendly=&juris4friendly="]LDS IGI[/url] Where do you search for descendants - in Norway or New Zealand? Was he a pastor all those places in Norway before emigration? Did he return to Norway? When did he marry?
chrisfYes, I do know quite a bit about him. He lived in Norway until age 32, where he trained as a teacher and taught in the state church. He converted to Methodism, and was a pastor for 8 years in the places I mentioned, lastly in Sor-Odal district of Sor-Odalen. A large group of Norwegiand had emigrated from the Solor-Odalen region in two earlier sailings of the Hovding in 1872 and 1873, and settled in the Manawatu region, especially around Norsewood. Neilsen was persuaded to follow to provide these with services in Norwegian. He became the Wesleyan ( Methodist) minister in Norsewood. He retired in 1893 when improving English of the settlers meant there was no further need for services in Norwegian, and died the following year. He and Oline travelled with one child, Paul, and had nine children in New Zealand, one of whom was my grandmother, Sarah. Three children moved moved to the US, four remained in NZ, and three died as children.