Yes using the name Westgard is its own mystery. It's possible that there is no connection and / or Anton chose it for some other reason but very interesting that Vestgaard is a farm in Hedmark. If I had to speculate, I'd say one or the other of his parents had a connection to the place / name.
Thanks for the map. Geography is so important to understanding people! Vestgaard is not so far from the known venues certainly must be some connection.
Anton Larsen Westaards parents Ole Martin Larsen and Gihne Andersdatter were married Jan 16 1863, see #7 Ole Martin was born March 3 1838, see #116 his parents were snedker Lars Andersen and Lovise Olsdatter living at Grønland.
Anton Larsen Westaards parents Ole Martin Larsen and Gihne Andersdatter were married Jan 16 1863, see #7 Ole Martin was born March 3 1838, see #116 his parents were snedker Lars Andersen and Lovise Olsdatter living at Grønland.
Hi, have you seen any connection to the Westgard farm for Ole Martin Larsen or Gihne Andersdatter? We're not 100% sure they are Anton Larsen Westaards parents yet, but it's a strong possibility.
Since this Hamar Anton apparently didn't live on a Westgaard farm it's a curiousity about him why that particular name ended up being his.
But examining the words out of his mouth (as reported in Visergutten reporting what was in Aftenposten) the Ole Martin Larsen / Gina Andersdatter family most closely matches: that he was born in Hamar (the year comes from other records and there is a lot of variability there--1864, 1865, 1866, 1869 and 1859) and that at age two he moved with his parents to Oslo. Looking at the birthplaces of the other children in the family in 1875 confirms a move sometime after the birth of sister Valborg in 1867 and by the birth of sister Lovise Martine Augusta in 1869 to Christiania. So cirumstantially the family is a close match.
But there is some other variability on the year of migration, 1881 in the son's report, 1883 in the Visergutten article, 1884 according to the reported passenger arrivals at Philadelphia. Date of the arrival in US would also likely be in his naturalization record. Anybody have quick cheap access to that record?
Apparently there was at least two and possibly more Anton / Anthony Westgards in the U.S. during the 1880s-1910 or so. The family in the US, Ohio, 1900 census is a curiosity, since the birthdate given for that Anthony is Sept 1865 and migration year 1881 and occupation is civil engineer.
But my level of curiosity about where Anton came from in Norway is satisfied until or unless some other more compelling and contrary evidence arises.
Perhaps a bygdebok from the area of the Vestgård in Hedmark might explain some history or illuminate some connection. As I said before I think that its probable that one of his parents will have some connection. I guess I'd be most suspicious about the mother's family since they seem to come from the area nearby, Romedal. I have written the genealogist for the Hedemarkenlag here in America to see if they can shed some light.
So thanks to all for assistance with this research...
I've gone through some of the chr records for Ole Martin Larsen (b. 1838) & Gina Andersdatter Slagsvold (b. 1841), but have not seen any Westgaard connection so far...
Their children: Randine Lovise Marie, 20 NOV 1863, Hamar, Hedmark Anton, 18 SEP 1865, Hamar, Hedmark Valborg Johanne Leontine, 11 JUN 1867, Hamar, Hedmark Lovise Martine Augusta, 1869, Oslo, Akershus Ragna Randine Mari, 1871, Oslo, Akershus Ole, 19 MAR 1872, Gamle Aker, Oslo, Akershus Ingeborg Gunhild, 01 OCT 1873, Gamle Aker, Oslo, Akershus Gulbrand Johannes, 06 APR 1875, Paulus Menighet, Oslo, Akershus Mari Helene, 03 APR 1876, Paulus Menighet, Oslo, Akershus Astrid Elisabet, 31 JUL 1877, Paulus Menighet, Oslo, Akershus Gunhild Helene, 04 APR 1884, Paulus Menighet(?), Oslo, Akershus
This could be Anton's brother Gulbrand! Curious though it is that the family is adopting Westgaard after having been styled as Larsen for years. Perhaps Gulbrand came to America as well?
1892 456 28 1 26.04.1892 29.04.1892 Gulbrand Westgaard Kontorist m 17 Kr.a. Chicago Fr. Lie Island 155 R.
Gina, Anton's mother, is often carried as Gina Andersdatter Slagsvold in the baptismals. Without having checked for her baptismal record, if these are her folks, how interesting that her mother was born Løiten:
Could there be another Westgard sibling end up in America?
This from the Italian Genealogical Soc. Website database of New York City Deaths 1907-1948:
Surname Given Name Age Month Day Year Certificate Number County Soundex Westgard Loraine 30 y May 18 1939 11348 Kings W232 Westgard William 66 y Feb 23 1939 4914 Kings W232
From Ellis Island website:
Ole W. L. Westgard New York City, N.Y. 1914 42 Loraine Westgard New York City, N.Y. 1914 5 Gina Westgard New York City, N.Y. 1914 31
They arrived on the ship SS Kristianiafjord which left Bergen, Norway on 28 Nov 1914 and arrived New York on 7 Dec 1914. Ole is a naturalized U.S. citizen, District Court of U.S. for South District New York dated 7 Dec 1905 and Loraine born 22 Mar 1909 at Buffalo, New York. Ole W L, Gina, and Loraine all live at 437 5th Ave E, New York.
Thanks for the notice about Ole W.L. Westgard's petition in Ancestry. I don't have Ancestry on my home computer but use at the library. I looked at his entry and it tells he arrived US at Galveston, Texas on 3 Mar 1888, he is employed as a draftsman, his birthdate is given as 19 Mar 1871 and Anthon L. Westgard, Civil engineer of 13 E 14th St, New York City was the witness to the naturalization.
Further in the immigration database is Ole Westgard's application for a passport and he gives his birthdate as 19 Mar 1872, that he left through Fredrikstad Norway on 21 Nov 1888 and lived in various places in US from 1888 to 1914, employed as surveyor and drafting maps. By the date of his app he was going by W.O.L. Westgard--which matches how he appears in the 1910 & 1920 censuses as "William Westgard." His wife's maiden name is given as Gina Tallackson and they had at least two children the daughter Loraine mentioned earlier and a son Colin b about 1917 seen in the 1920 census.
Anton L Westgard
Posted - 01/06/2009 : 23:44:58
