Looking for birth record of Danish ancestor

Startet af Julie Cardiff, 16 Mar 2018 - 08:13

Forrige emne - Næste emne

Julie Cardiff

I'm trying to find information on my great-grandfather, Rasmus Jessen Petersen born May 4 1878. Married to Anna Margretha (maiden name unknown) born October 15 1882. They had 2 sons Anton and Christian (born April 4, 1907), and daughter Inge. Rasmus may not have been Anton's father. The family immigrated to Canada in 1920's (?). When I was a child my grandfather, Christian Jessen Petersen, told me he lived in Flensborg and would cross the border to go to school in Germany. I believe he was born in Copenhagen/Kobenhavn.

Søren Juul Mikkelsen

Hi Julie,

On ancestry.com I found the attached border crossing from Canada to US.

Christian Jessen Petersen arrives at Sweetgrass Montana on Oct 18, 1938, with his wife Jean and daughter Elisabeth.

According to the document he is born April 4, 1907 in Flensburg.

It says Flensburg, Denmark. But Flensburg has been part of Germany since the war in 1864.

You wrote "I believe he was born in Copenhagen". Did you mean Christian or his father?

Also note that the document says that his father's name is Asmus instead of Rasmus. Could that be true?

Best regards
Søren

Cay-Erik Geipel

Think i found your great-grandfathers wedding at the 7. july1906 in Flensburg - that fits fine with the birth of your grandfather Christian Jessen Petersen 1907.
Rasmus was married to Anna Margaretha Callesen - it is wedding record number 226/1906
I will get this record and it will issue more detailed information regarding the family. As well i will find the birth-record of Christian Jessen Petersen 1907.
However you will have to wait until i am at the archive again - that could last some days.
Venlig hilsen
Cay-Erik Geipel
geipel49@online.de

Julie Cardiff

Hello Søren,

Thank you for your efforts!

Yes, my grandfather was born in Flensburg. I thought he may have been born in Copenhagen but I was mistaken. He may have lived there at one time.

It is possible his father's name was Asmus all along. My mother told me she thought his name had been Rasmus and when he moved to Canada there was a clerical error which resulted in the 'R' being dropped. Maybe it's not true at all. He may have been Asmus all along. I wish my relatives were still alive to ask them these questions.

They didn't come over in 1938 though. My aunt recently found a ticket for a boat dated September 18th, 1922. My grandfather Christian Jessen Petersen didn't meet Jean until he went to Westlock, Alberta, Canada. They married in Westlock July 10th, 1935 and my mother was born there in 1936.

Kind regards,
Julie

Julie Cardiff

Hello Cay-Erik,

Excellent! Yes, my great-grandfather married Anna Margaretha Callesen 7 July 1906. It would be wonderful to see the records! Thank you so much for your efforts on my behalf.

Several of my cousins are also interested in our family history. They will be pleased to hear there is some progress being made.

I have discovered Rasmus Jessen Petersen was born May 4, 1877 in Tornskav Sonder-Jylland, Denmark. I'm a little confused about the two names for his birthplace. My aunt had this information. It may have been on an old passport.

My grandfather's eldest brother, Anton Petersen, may have been born 17 July 1904 in Haderslev, Denmark. I do not know the name of his father. It was not Rasmus. Rasmus adopted him when he married his mother Anna. Anna's father had the name Anton either as a first or middle name. Anna's mother was Christine Callesen. I have no idea what her maiden name would have been.

My grandfather, Christian Jessen Petersen, was born 4 April 1907. It appears he was also born in Haderslev or Flensburg.

My grandfather's sister, Inge Marie Christine Petersen, was born 10 May 1909. She was either born in Haderslev, Denmark or Flensburg, Germany.

My computer is not working well at all. I will check back here again soon.

Thanks again for your efforts! I am so very grateful.

Kind regards,
Julie

Inger Toudal

#5

Tornskov (also spelled Taarnskov) is a place name (brickyard?) in Broager parish, Sønderborg county, Sønderjylland (Northern Schleswig).

https://www.familysearch.org/wiki/en/Denmark_Genealogy

Rasmus Jessen Petersen was born 4 May 1877 at Skodsbøl Mark (germ. Schottsbüllfeld), Broager parish (germ. Broacker):

https://www.sa.dk/ao-soegesider/da/billedviser?epid=16520844#37565,5276881 - Nr. 63

- parents: brickmaker Christian Jessen Petersen and Inge née Johannsen.

Source: civil registers at https://www.sa.dk/ao-soegesider/en/geo/geo-collection/3

Best regards,
Inger Toudal
Venlig hilsen
Inger Toudal

Julie Cardiff

Thank you Inger Toudal.

So, the big question in our family is - Are we German or Danish? My grandfather, Christian Jessen Petersen, spoke both Danish and German. I think he had to speak German in school. He had Danish friends here in Canada. His sister married a Dane. I was brought up to believe we were Danish and proud to be so. However, our family is somewhat divided on this issue. My aunt thinks it's possible her family may have been hiding the fact they were German when they came to Canada in 1922. However, knowing my grandfather the way I did I don't believe he would have misled his family.

I was told my great-grandfather Rasmus Petersen served in the German Navy (?). However, I have read Danes served in the military under Germany at the time.

http://denstorekrig1914-1918.dk/listerlitteraturlinks/danes-in-the-german-army-1914-1918/

I would appreciate hearing anyone's opinion on this matter. I apologize in advance if this topic causes people to feel uncomfortable for any reason. Personally, I'm just interested in knowing my maternal family's origins.

Best regards,
Julie Cardiff


Cay-Erik Geipel

Hi Julie

i found the marriage of Christian Jessens parents, Rasmus Jessen Petersen and Anna Margaretha Callesen, as well as Christian Jessen Petersens birth record 1907. I will send them directly, the file-records are too big here. Rasmus Jessen Petersen and his wife both have their origin in nowadays Denmark in Broager parish and Bylderup parish (her place of birth is calles "Heezfeld"). Se her birth document here: http://ao.salldata.dk/vis1.php?bsid=38222&side=33&zoom=26.2402496099844
To answer your question whether your ancestors are danish or german it is not that easy. Before 1864 the duchy of Schleswig was an independent duchy however with the danish king as duke. In the war 1864 the prussians conquered Schleswig and the border was about 50 miles north of the border today along the "Kongeå".
That means in my opinion, that before 1864 your ancestors were danish, thereafter german.

Venlig hilsen
Cay-Erik Geipel
geipel49@online.de

Cay-Erik Geipel

The wedding and birth documents say the follwing (just in case someone wants to do further research):

wedding record number 226 dated 7. of july 1906 and the text says:
to the undersigning personal-register officer appeared today
for wedding-purpose
1) labourer Rasmus Jessen Petersen
personally known
evangelian religion, born 4. th of
may in the year onethousand eighthundred
and seventy seven (4.5.1877) in Schottsbüllfeld, department
Sonderburg, living in Flensburg, Falkenstrasse nr. 16
son of the labourer Christian Jessen Petersen (there is one with the name who died 1945 in Flensburg, born 1856 - could be the father)
living in Flensburg and his deceased wife
Inge nee Johannsen last living
in Flensburg (think she died 7.5.1888 in Flensburg, but not sure)
2) maid Anna Margaretha
Callesen
personally known
evangelian religion, born 15. th
october in the year onethousand and eighthundred
eigthytwo (15.10.1882) in Heezfeld (Bylderup parish), department
Tondern, living in Flensburg
daughter of labourer Anton Callesen and
his wife Maren nee Chris-
tiansen, lving in
Kraulundfeld, Tingleff parish, Tondern deaprtment

witnesses:
3) labourer Anton Callesen, personally known, 56 years (or 58) old living in Kraulundfeld
4) labourer Christian Jessen Petersen, personally know, living in Flensburg, .... strasse Nr. 54

Birthrecord 414 dated 8. april 1907
To the undersigning personal-register officer appeared today the personally known
labourer Rasmus Jessen Petersen
living in Flensburg, Falkenstrasse Nr. 16
evangelian religion, and announced, that
Anna Margaretha Petersen, nee
Callesen, his wife
evangelian religion
living with him
in Flensburg in his flat
the 4. th of april in the year
thousendninehundred and seven (4.4.1907) at 6:30 am
has born a boy
which got the first-name
Christian Jessen
read, approved and signed
Rasmus Jessen Petersen


There might be more to find in Flensburg, so as the burials of Rasmus´ parents
Venlig hilsen
Cay-Erik Geipel
geipel49@online.de

Inger Toudal

#9

Here's a description of a Danish lady teaching her female pupils Danish in Flensburg, although it was forbidden by the Prussian administration:

https://www.slaegtogdata.dk/forum/index.php/topic,135553.0.html

As for your ancestors, although German citizens, they may have been part of the Danish-minded (dansksindede) in Flensburg.

Do you have any personal letters or similar written by your ancestors? If so, are they in Danish or German?

Maybe you can find your ancestors mentioned in Flensborg Avis: https://www.fla.de/?UNF=80

https://www.fla.de/OmOs

"Flensborg Avis blev grundlagt den 1. oktober 1869. Blandt dansksindede kredse i Flensborg var der et ønske om at understrege Flensborgs
danske historie og forbindelse til Danmark. Sproget blev anset for at være en afgørende faktor, og grundlæggelsen af Flensborg Avis kan ses
i forlængelse heraf."

Today there's a Danish minority south of the border between Denmark and Germany, and a German minority north of the border.

Best regards,
Inger
Venlig hilsen
Inger Toudal

Søren Juul Mikkelsen

Christian Jessen Petersen 1856-1945 as mentioned by Cay-Erik can be seen in the attached registration of death.

It could be the father of Rasmus.

Regarding the question of Danish vs German, I would say that since both Rasmus' parents have Danish names, and lived in an area that was Danish until 1864, they are most certainly Danish.
Looking at the border crossing I sent earlier, Christian is registered with Race = Scandinavian.
I have seen another border crossing on ancestry where he is registered as Race = Danish.
I assume that this information must come from Christian himself, so he must have considered himself as being Danish.

Best regards
Søren