I have been trying to find info regarding a family that emigrated from Norway to New Zealand, probably sometime around the 1870s or later.
Here is what I have:
I assume that 'Johansen Holt' is the father's name. I don't know his first name or his wife's first or last name.
Their children's names in New Zealand were Michael (probably from Mikkel or similar), Ludvic/Ludvig, Martin Joseph, John (probably Johan), Oline, Sina. There may have been others.
Michael, Ludvig, and Oline were older than Martin.
John was probably older than Martin. John emigrated to the USA. He always signed his letters (from the USA) as John Johansen-Holt.
Martin came to New Zealand at age 11 with his sister, Oline. It is not clear whether she was married at that time, but she married Norwegian lay minister Edward (Edvard) Nielsen who left Sor-Odal in 1874 bound for Auckland, New Zealand.
Martin lived with the Nielsens (suggesting Oline and Edvard were already married) until his parents and older siblings emigrated.
Edvard Nielsen was born Rakkestad, Norway, 1842.
Martin Joseph Johansen Holt married Anne Louisa Amundsen (who emigrated to NZ aged 3 years aboard 1872 Høvding), daughter of Amund Amundsen.
They had 3 children, Michael (b. 6/Jun/1891), Effie Grace (b. 6/Jun/1894), and Sylvia Henrietta Johansen Holt.
Sylvia Johansen Holt was born 1897 (probably in April) in New Zealand. Her married name was Murch. Husband's first name unknown. Her husband died in 1963.
Sylvia Murch (now deceased) and husband were living in Australia prior to 1958. She was living there again in 1970 when her address was
35 Guinness Street Everton Park Brisbane Australia
Here is was I need: (1) the full names and birth dates/places of the 'Johansen Holt' parents; (2) Names (at birth) and birth dates/places for as many 'Johansen Holt' children as possible; (3) Emigration records for each family member; (4) Emigration records for Edvard Nielsen (was he married when he emigrated?); (5) Info on husband/children of Sylvia Henrietta Murch, nee 'Johansen Holt'; and (6) Date and place of death for Sylvia Murch.
Missionary Edvard Nilsen (31 yrs) and wife Oline Nilsen (22 yrs) and son Paulus J. S. Nilsen ( 1 1/4 yrs) (ie 15 months old) left Oslo, Norway on April 23rd, 1874: click here
Listed together with them are Sina Johannesen, daughter, 9 yrs old Anne Torp, daughter, 11.5 years old
I'm not sure who's daughter's they are, could Sina be Oline's sister?
Hi, what about this family from the norwegian 1865-census???
1865-census for Vang municipality, Hedmark county, Norway:
Farmname: Gaalaas øvre Johannes Johansen, housefather, farmer/cotter, married, 46 yrs old Sedsel Olsdatter, his wife, married, 42 yrs old Johannes Johansen, their son, not married, 16 yrs old Oline Johansdatter, their daughter, not married, 14 yrs old Marte Johannesdatter, their daughter, not married, 6 yrs old Mikkel Johansen, their son, not married, 4 yrs old Sina Johansdatter, their daughter, not married, 2 yrs old
Vang is since 1992 a part of Hamar municipality. Sør-Odal is also in Hedmark county, just south of Vang/Hamar.
I would guess that "Holt" comes from a farm name, and that the family must have lived on that farm. Maybe Johannes Johansen sold Gaalaas øvre and moved to a farm called Holt? There are several farms in the area called Holt, hovever none in Sør-Odal/Vang, as far as I could see. But there are Holt farms in Stange, Nordre Odalen, Vinger and Grue, all in Hedmark county.
Thank you, Jan. This is really helpful. I had spent hours at Digitalarkivet and still couldn't find them!
This certainly looks like them.
Yes, Oline and Sina were sisters.
I cannot understand why Martin is not with them, as he was meant to have come to NZ with Oline.
Now I know the details of the voyage I may be able to find them on archived passenger lists held in NZ, but only if there were assisted immigrants on board.
Hi again, a parent search at Familysearch.org gives us these children to Father: JOHANNES JOHANNESSEN and Mother: SEDSEL OLSDR:
1. Johannes Johansen Christening: 17 FEB 1850 Furnes, Hedmark, Norway 2. Oline Johansen Christening: 07 MAR 1852 Furnes, Hedmark, Norway 3. Mikkel Johansen Christening: 06 NOV 1853 Furnes, Hedmark, Norway 4. Martin Johansen Christening: 22 MAR 1857 Furnes, Hedmark, Norway 5. Marte Johansen Christening: 15 APR 1860 Furnes, Hedmark, Norway 6. Mikkel Johansen Christening: 08 MAR 1863 Furnes, Hedmark, Norway 7. Sina Johansen Christening: 26 FEB 1865 Furnes, Hedmark, Norway 8. Martin Johansen Birth: 05 OCT 1866 Furnes, Hedmark, Norway Death: 1866
There are two boys named Mikkel, and two named Martin, which could indicate that the first one died young. However, something is strange, because I would then assume that it's #4 Martin who died in 1866, and that #8 Martin was born after #4 died. It was very common to name the newborn child after the one who died. The infant mortality rate was high.
#3 Mikkel is not in census 1865, and could also be dead. Or he could be working at a nearby farm, and thus be listed on that farm in the census.
This could be their brother John emigrating to the US in 1869. Occupation: tanner
Also have burial records for Edward and Oline Nielsen, and son Paulus (all at same cemetery as above).
There are others who could be family members, but need more dates to check.
I'm going to try to find emigrant info for JOHANNES JOHANNESSEN and SEDSEL OLSDR and children michael and Ludvig who emigrated after 1874 (probably shortly after). Martin Johansen married Anne Amundsen in New Zealand in 1890, so it was definitely before that.
Do you think it is possible they emigrated from somewhere other than Oslo. If so, where do you suggest?
Wow, there's no doubt that this must be the correct family!! I think we then can conclude that it's #4 Martin who died in 1866, and that it's #8 Martin who went to NZ.
Fyi... to find a persons birthyear from the 1865-census, most of the time it will be correct if you "calculate" from 1866.
So if a person is 16 years in the census, he is most likely born in (1866-16) = 1850.
That will work for I would say 90% of the census, but not everybody knew how old they were...
what about this brother Ludvig? No tracks of him so far...
I've had a breakthrough with this family, so have renewed my interest...
I am wondering, could someone please tell me if there is some way I could verify the street name (Holtsveen) in the following article? Johannes/John was born at Upper Riset Farm, Furnes, Hedmark, Norway in 1850. (Incidentally, his mother is said to have "JOHANSEN-HOLT" on her original headstone. She came to New Zealand with the rest of her family.)
http://www.wisconsinhistory.org/wmh/pdf/winter_03.pdf He [Johannes JOHANSEN a.k.a. John HOLT] could not have gone to New Zealand, nor had it been the plan at the time of his departure. “We will be spread in all directions and made strangers in this world,” he angrily proclaimed, “and therefore my name shall no longer be Johanes Johnson, but John J. Holt—because I have been lost and will not be found again.” The choice of names is interesting. His Autobiography indicates that his childhood home was located on Holtsveen, or “Holt’s Road,” but in Norwegian, one of the meanings of holdt is “to endure or last.” Descendants attribute Johanes’s new name to the Norwegian location, but his use of “because” in the sentence explaining the name change suggests a causal effect. Perhaps, his new name was meant to convey both the end of his old-world identity, and the affirmation of the emergence of a new, yet connected one in the United States.
I am trying to find the birth/baptism for Ludvig JOHANESEN, son of Johanes JOHANESEN & Sedsel OLSDATTER, who, according to the 1875 Norway census, was born in 1869 at Furnæs Hedemark. In the census, he is with his parents at Holtsveen, Vang, Hedmark, Norway. They may be in dissenter records as they are recorded as Metodistisk.
I am also hoping to find the 1877/1878 parish record of the family's emigration to New Zealand aboard the ship "Mataura".
I have looked for both these records without success.
There are baptism records on Ancestry.com for Sina, Martin and Mikel but not for a Ludvig. The Martin is likely the one who died in 1866 and there is no Ancestry.com record for the second Martin. Here is one for example.
Mikkel Johansen in the Norway, Select Baptisms, 1634-1927 Name: Mikkel Johansen Gender: Male Birth Date: 16 des 1862 (16 Dec 1862) Baptism Date: 8 mar 1863 Baptism Place: , Furnes, Hedmark, Norway Father: Johannes Johannesen Mother: Sedsel Olsdr FHL Film Number: 124477
Martin Johansen in the Norway, Select Baptisms, 1634-1927 Name: Martin Johansen Gender: Male Birth Date: 5 okt 1866 (5 Oct 1866) Birth Place: , Furnes, Hedmark, Norway Death Date: 1866 Father: Johannes Johannessen Mother: Sedsel Olsdr FHL Film Number: 124477
I'm glad I'm not the only one who can't find Ludvig.
I was just linking/adding info for this family on the shared family tree at FamilySearch.org. Ludvig's profile (LRN6-Q4P) says he was born 'at sea' in ca. 1869/1870.
He was recorded (as Ludvig Johannessen, aged 6y) in the 1875 Norway census with his parents and 2 siblings. As his family did not emigrate to New Zealand until about 1877/1878, I'm not sure why he would have been born at sea.
I also looked through the parish records from 1866 to 1870 for the three parishes of Furnes, Vang and Hamar without finding any record for the baptism of Ludvig or Martin.
PORT OF NEW YORK PASSENGER RECORDS - There are no surviving Ellis Island records; the Immigration logs were destroyed in a fire in the 1920's. In processing immigrants, the Inspectors utilized the Federal Custom Declarations/Passenger Manifests provided by the ship captains to process the immigrants and referred to the names as provided on the lists.
'Johansen Holt' family to NZ/Sylvia Murch in Oz
Posted - 24/05/2005 : 08:14:11
