Mystery Charles Johnson

[George Hawkins]

Hej allesammen!
I am trying to find some information on a Charles Johnson who arrived in New Zealand in the early 1880s. From what I have been told, he was a Danish mariner, born in August 1856.
Going by New Zealand records, Charles' father was noted as John Johnson. He was apparently an engineer or something to do with the ship building industry.  His wife was Maria Catherine (Hansen) Johnson. There may also have been a sister with a name like Marion (Maren?) Obviously, all names were anglicised, but I presume in Danish it may be Carl Johansen or Johnsen.
Any help would be much appreciated.

[Jørgen Frølner]

Do you have more information about Charles? - name of wife in New Zealand? - where and when he died? - etc.

Best Regards
Joergen

[George Hawkins]

Not much more information. He died in 1944. His first wife was Mary Ann Bailey, place of birth annoyingly written as just 'Denmark'.

[Jørgen Frølner]

Charles Johnson
Birth:  27 Aug 1856
Death:  30 Mar 1944 - Thames, Thames-Coromandel, New Zealand
Marriage:  6 Jan 1886 - Auckland, New Zealand
Spouse:  Mary Ann "Polly" Bailey

Is it him? - if so I will try to find him.

[George Hawkins]

Yes, this is him. It would be great if you are able to track him down!

[Lisa Petersen]

Fanø island on the west coast of Jutland was famous for its shipping industry, so I checked the church records for Nordby and Sønderho for a male born 27 Aug 1856 and there were none.  I also checked the church records of Jerne, Guldager and Bryndum in the area of present-day Esbjerg and did not find a male born there either.  There must have been other coastal towns in Denmark where they built ships but I don't know which towns. 

Hopefully someone else can help you more.

Lisa Petersen
near Washington, D.C.

[George Hawkins]

Thanks Lisa.

[Eva Morfiadakis]

I would say his last name may have been Jensen or even Jørgensen which were anglicized to Johnson.

Eva M

[George Hawkins]

Yes, that is a good possibility - never even considered Jensen (considering I have Jensen in my own family how could I overlook it?!)

[Jørgen Frølner]

I am looking in all danish towns with shipbuilding about 1870 - and there is a lot of them - searching for Jensen, Johansen, Jørgensen etc. - it will take some days.

[Eva Morfiadakis]

Hello George,

Title: Svenskarna i Nya Zeeland : den svenska utvandringen till Nya Zeeland fram till 1940 =​ The Swedes in New Zealand : the Swedish emigration to New Zealand until 1940 /​ Sten Aminoff.
Also Titled Swedes in New Zealand.
Author: Aminoff, Sten.



This is a splendid book. It should still be available in New Zealand. There are charts on Swedes but there is also information on Danes. Your "man" may be mentioned.

Eva M

[George Hawkins]

Thanks everyone for the help so far. I will see if that book is in a library.