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 History/Origins of "Kristenhaugen"
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matthewmac66
Junior member

USA
46 Posts

Posted - 19/02/2007 :  02:35:09  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
Hello all,

I'm working on locating a record in Norway of the "Kristenhaugen" family prior to their emigration. Facts that I have thus far:

From a 1934 intensely-researched history (Americanization of many names here, I'm sure):

"Well at any rate years passed by and finally we find an old gentleman making his way northward from Christiania or Oslo as it is now known, in a small fishing vessel. He finally landed in that territory around Gjovik and Odnæs and settled down. And there we get into 'our first actual history of the Haugens. You all know, or maybe you don't—that your name really isn't Haugen at all...It's KRISTENHAUGEN—believe it or not. The name was changed later on so we have something to be thankful for after all. It was Kristian Kristenhaugen who was the father of the Haugens we known—our grandfather one whom we never saw but who we all know was a man of sterling character and highest integrity. He was married to Karen Kinseth, a fine woman, who spared no efforts to bring her children up in the best possible manner and to impress on them that they should always be God fearing men and women and do only what was right."

Considering that "Kinseth" was likely "Kindsæth" and a farm name, is it possible based on Norwegian name structure that this record might be them?:

1. Karen LASSESDR - Vital Records Index - Norway
Gender: <F> Birth: <1829> Marriage:18 May 1853 Place:Sund, Hordaland, Norway [Remove]
2. Christian HAAGENSEN - Vital Records Index - Norway
Gender: <M> Birth: <1826> Marriage:18 May 1853 Place:Sund, Hordaland, Norway

Karen and Christian's eldest daughter, Martha L. was born abt. 1856.

I've been working on learning name structures back then, to be able to ascertain how "Kristenhaugen" in its original form may have evolved into "Haugen", which is the name which they all used when they emigrated. All of the male children adopted the middle initial "C" when they came to America, as the first initial of their father's name "Christian". Any help that you can provide will be appreciated. I have enjoyed reading many of your postings related to names.

Warm regards, and thank you all for the wonderful ongoing education that this site represents.

M. McClellan
North Carolina, USA
Ancestry: Kristenhaugen/Haugen/Christiansen, Olson, Knudsdatter/Kindsæth

Edited by - matthewmac66 on 19/02/2007 02:41:14

Borge
Veteran Moderator

Norway
1297 Posts

Posted - 19/02/2007 :  11:06:58  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
I think this might be the family living on a place called Haugen at Fluberg in Land (Oppland) - 1865: 1865-telling for 0536 Land.

Christian Hanss. - Husmd med Jord (cotter with land) g (age) 36 m Land 3 7 2 1/8 1 7/8
Kari Knudsd. hans Kone g 37 k Land
Martea Chrestiansd. hans Datter ug 10 k Land
Chresteanna Chrestiansd. hans Datter ug 8 k Land
Hans Chresteanss. hans Søn ug 6 m Land
Chrestian Chresteanss. hans Søn ug 5 m Land
Martin Chresteanss. hans Søn ug 3 m Land
Lars Chresteanss. hans Søn ug 2 m Land
Marte Johansd. Føderaadskone e 58 k Land

This Kari Knudsdatter might then be a sister of the Lars Knudsen Kindsæth discussed in another topic about the Haugens. This Haugen (or Haug) farm appears to consist of several parts in 1865, all found on page 15:

Haugerud, Berg Kristenhaugen, Haugen, Haugen, Haug, Snedkerhaugen, Haugen, Kristenhaugen, Svarverhaug and Svarverhaugen. All inhabitants on these places were cotters, except for on Haug, where Østen Hansen (age 38) lived without a family, surrounded by a number of servants.

Most likely all, or most of the places listed above were small crofts divided from the main farm. It was quite common, and the cotters would have to serve the "owner" of the main farm, they could some times be younger brothers of the "landlord" who were given a small piece to live from. Most of the crofts were so small that a family could hardly live from farming it alone, and they often specialized as carpenters, shoemakers, smiths and other things, beside having to work for the "landlord". Some crofts was nothing but just a house, and was usually inhabited by craftsmen of fishers and such. As a number of small places emerged from the main farm, they would all still be a piece of the main farm, and to be able to keep them and the people living there apart, they would often be given different names. Like if one of the places were inhabited by a carpenter (snedker), it would often be recognized as Snedkerhaugen, of if a brother of the owner, or some "known" person erected a house, it could be given a name after him, like Kristenhaugen, Pederhaug, Knudshaugen and so on. On many places the crofts were just given names as Haugenplads (Haugenplace), or other random names.

So I think maybe the name "Kristenhaugen" points in the direction that the croft was first inhabited by a man called Kristen (Christen).

Børge Solem
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Hopkins
Norway Heritage Veteran

USA
3351 Posts

Posted - 19/02/2007 :  14:30:07  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
No, the entries in the Vital Records Index are NOT likely to be the right persons. They are listed in an entirely different part of Norway, in Hordaland which is on the western coast of the country. The LDS Vital Records Index is a nice thing but it isn't complete. There are complete sections of Norway and time periods which have not yet been extracted for that index.

From that old family history you should keep your interest centered "in that territory around Gjovik and Odnæs" and that should probably keep you in Oppland, Norway, more specifically the southern part of Oppland.

Borge explains that KristenHaugen was just a croft to the main farm of Haugen - you question the evolution of the name as people decided to adapt it into a "surname". Consider that Haugen is shorter and easier to spell, it also does not indicate a crofter or cotter but implies ties to the larger older farm itself. These persons were entering a new country and a new life - they could call themselves absolutely anything they wanted to. Consider the lack of "identification" that people had in that day - entirely different than we carry today. You didn't have to change your name in a court - you changed your name merely by useage.
(Croft, crofter and cotter are English words.)

Standarized spelling is a modern, very modern idea. Don't expect spelling to be consistent in older records and documents - especially don't expect that in old Norwegian records.
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jwiborg
Norway Heritage Veteran

Norway
4961 Posts

Posted - 19/02/2007 :  16:09:47  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
Children of Christian Hansen & Kari Knudsdatter:
Martea Christiansdatter, born 16 Dec 1855 Søndre Land, Oppland
Kristiana Christiansdatter, born 06 Dec 1857 Søndre Land, Oppland
Hans Christiansen, born 25 Jun 1859 Søndre Land, Oppland
Christian Christiansen, born 12 Jan 1861 Søndre Land, Oppland
Martin Christiansen, born 17 Sep 1862 Søndre Land, Oppland
Lars Christiansen, born 27 Jan 1864 Søndre Land, Oppland
Carl Christiansen, born 22 Mar 1867 Søndre Land, Oppland
Maria Christiansdatter, born 10 Sep 1870 Søndre Land, Oppland

Christian Hansen (25) & Karen Margrete Knudsdr (28)
Marriage: 11 Apr 1855
His father: Hans Larsen
Her father: Knud Larsen

Jan Peter

ps: census-1865
(Could not get Borge's link to work...)

Edited by - jwiborg on 19/02/2007 16:29:48
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matthewmac66
Junior member

USA
46 Posts

Posted - 19/02/2007 :  16:45:44  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
Thank you all very much for the information, this is great. Does it come from the Digitalarkivet? I am working on learning that system, bit by bit. Norwegian name history, structure and usage are fascinating. I can understand how my dear G. G. Martin would have been concerned about unleashing that complexity here in the world of firstname/lastname :)

M. McClellan
North Carolina, USA
Ancestry: Kristenhaugen/Haugen/Christiansen, Olson, Knudsdatter/Kindsæth

Edited by - matthewmac66 on 19/02/2007 17:10:30
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jwiborg
Norway Heritage Veteran

Norway
4961 Posts

Posted - 19/02/2007 :  16:59:37  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
No, the children's birth comes from LDS, http://www.familysearch.org

Lars Knutsen Kinseth (19-May-1827 - 28-Aug-1896) is the son of Knut Larsen & Christine Christopherdatter. They also have a son Christian Knutsen, born 17-Sep-1832.

So Karen Margrete Knudsdr should be born between these two brothers, about 1828-1829?

Jan Peter
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matthewmac66
Junior member

USA
46 Posts

Posted - 19/02/2007 :  17:11:39  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
quote:
Originally posted by jwiborg

No, the children's birth comes from LDS, http://www.familysearch.org

Lars Knutsen Kinseth (19-May-1827 - 28-Aug-1896) is the son of Knut Larsen & Christine Christopherdatter. They also have a son Christian Knutsen, born 17-Sep-1832.

So Karen Margrete Knudsdr should be born between these two brothers, about 1828-1829?

Jan Peter



Thank you, sir. You have all given me a great start, and I continue to appreciate your time spent on this.

M. McClellan
North Carolina, USA
Ancestry: Kristenhaugen/Haugen/Christiansen, Olson, Knudsdatter/Kindsæth
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Kåarto
Norway Heritage Veteran

Norway
5861 Posts

Posted - 19/02/2007 :  18:19:53  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
Not to make you all confused but neihter Kristenshaugen or Kindsæth are mentioned in Bygdebok for Land, but in the 1865 census so for that reason I believe the clerk or the priest wrote the names as he heard them pronunciated in the everyday speech. Kristenshaugen in the 1865 census lies in local parish Fluberg in Søndre Land or Land main parish on the Eastern side of Lake Randsfjorden. Not sure, but I find Kristensstuga a few miles norh of Fluberg church. Kindsæth is placed in local parish Nordsinnen, todays Nordsinni in Nordre Land or Land main parish North-West of Lake Randsfjorden in Dokka municipality. According Ola Rygh "Norske gaardnavne" Kinn/Kind is coming from Kjern/Tjern, a small lake or a pond, and sæth/sæther is a mountain pasture. Other names for tjern is tjønn or tjenn, South of Nordsinni church is farm Kjenseth.
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Borge
Veteran Moderator

Norway
1297 Posts

Posted - 19/02/2007 :  19:56:05  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
quote:
Originally posted by Kåarto

Not to make you all confused but neihter Kristenshaugen or Kindsæth are mentioned in Bygdebok for Land, but in the 1865 census so for that reason I believe the clerk or the priest wrote the names as he heard them pronunciated in the everyday speech.
From doing genealogical research I have some times noticed that a "croft's" (husmansplass) name were subject to change, probably as a result of a new crofter taking over. I have been able to follow the land register (matrikkel) numbers from different sources to find the different "names". It is interesting, as we usually anticipate that a person changed his "last name", when he moved to a new farm, to see that some times a place could also get renamed as a new resident moved there. However, I have only seen this for crofts, and the changes would only be minor, (like going from Smedhaugen to Haugenplass or Olahaugen). A part the new name would still contain the name of the "main farm" it appears. I should think the Haugen or Haug farm would be mentioned in the bygdebook, and maybe you find references to several "crofts" under the main farms?

Børge Solem
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Kåarto
Norway Heritage Veteran

Norway
5861 Posts

Posted - 19/02/2007 :  20:27:49  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
Borge, I agree in what you are writing, but when I wisited Statsarkivet today and looked into the Bygdebok from Land I watched some farms Haugen and read all about them, but none of the places under Haugen made me feel I was any closer to Kristenshaugen. Of course I may have overlooked Kristenshaugen, but I agree since they took the name Haugen as last name it´s likely that Haugen ment something special them. this was all I was able to find today. Kristensstuen named after Christen Bjørlien about 1720 might lie on a heap (Haug).
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matthewmac66
Junior member

USA
46 Posts

Posted - 19/02/2007 :  20:39:14  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
Thank you both, this is really great education for me :)

M. McClellan
North Carolina, USA
Ancestry: Kristenhaugen/Haugen/Christiansen, Olson, Knudsdatter/Kindsæth
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jwiborg
Norway Heritage Veteran

Norway
4961 Posts

Posted - 19/02/2007 :  21:39:10  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
Karen Margrete Knudsdatter, born 02-Nov-1829
Parents: Knud Larsen Knudslien & Kirstine Christophersdatter


Jan Peter
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jwiborg
Norway Heritage Veteran

Norway
4961 Posts

Posted - 19/02/2007 :  21:57:36  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
I wonder if Kinseth, Kindsæth, Knudslien & Kinnslien are the same farm?

Kinnslia has land number 51 in Søndre Land





Jan Peter
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matthewmac66
Junior member

USA
46 Posts

Posted - 19/02/2007 :  23:33:57  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
Maybe. If so, it might clear up some other mysteries as others work on their research. Where do you find the great maps, Jan Peter?

M. McClellan
North Carolina, USA
Ancestry: Kristenhaugen/Haugen/Christiansen, Olson, Knudsdatter/Kindsæth
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Kåarto
Norway Heritage Veteran

Norway
5861 Posts

Posted - 20/02/2007 :  00:02:34  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
Hi
Maybee its all about dont see the forest because...., I´ll try to study Kinnslia on Statsarkivet tomorrow. This is giude to a map from 1864 in the Land -Toten area, showing Kinnslien: http://home.C2i.net/hbern/slekt.html
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matthewmac66
Junior member

USA
46 Posts

Posted - 20/02/2007 :  00:11:02  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
quote:
Originally posted by jwiborg

I wonder if Kinseth, Kindsæth, Knudslien & Kinnslien are the same farm?

Kinnslia has land number 51 in Søndre Land


Jan Peter



Are birth/death/marriage dates listed there as well for Knud Larsen Knudslien & Kirstine Christophersdatter? I'll check my databases tonight.

M. McClellan
North Carolina, USA
Ancestry: Kristenhaugen/Haugen/Christiansen, Olson, Knudsdatter/Kindsæth
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