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Julie Morland
Starting member
USA
8 Posts |
 Posted - 27/07/2011 : 04:06:38
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My great grandfather died when my grandmother was only 12, so I have precious little oral information on him. His Marriage license, dated 4th of May, 1881 in Cook county Illinois lists his father's name as Nils Christman or Christensen and his mother as Maren Larsdotter. He was to be 26 or 27 on his next birthday, so his birthdate should be between May 5, 1854 and May 4, 1856. The place of birth is listed as Drammen, Norway. I presume he took the name Reistad when he emigrated. I have Ancestry.com, so started looking in the Norwegian records, but have not found his birth to these parents. I am willing to search records, but would appreciate local knowledge of which parishes are located nearest to Reistad. A witness to the marriage is Martin Nielsen Reistad, who my father has always assumed was a brother. Joliet Illinois directories indicate that Gustav and Martin were machinists and salesmen.
When Gustav became an American citizen, he noted that he was of Norwegian AND Swedish heritage. This makes me wonder if he was born of Swedish parents who happened to live in Drammen as he was born, or if they moved to Sweden and he grew up there. Were there any common emigration patterns in the 1860's that might hint at where he grew up?
I have searched some of the ships records as well in the years before the marriage, and have found similar Gustav's but no Martin's. Is there a Norwegian name which is commonly americanized as Martin?
Any help you can provide or suggestions for further research would be deeply appreciated.
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Julie Morland
Seattle, Washington |
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Hopkins
Norway Heritage Veteran
USA
3351 Posts |
Posted - 27/07/2011 : 04:58:38
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Norway and Sweden were united for a long long time and many US naturalizations show that their former allegiance was to the King of Norway and Sweden (or reverse that order).
Drammen is in Buskerud and the 1865 Norwegian census shows Reistad named farms in other Buskerud districts of Sigdal and Lier.
Martin was a name fairly common in Norway.
AhHa - the family wasn't living on a Reistad farm at the time of the 1865 census -- but they were in Lier, Buskerud.
http://www.rhd.uit.no/folketellinger/ftliste_e.aspx?ft=1865&knr=0626&kenr=007&bnr=0073&lnr=000
There are lots of Norwegian websites with great resources for your research. You need any help getting started with those? |
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Hopkins
Norway Heritage Veteran
USA
3351 Posts |
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Julie Morland
Starting member
USA
8 Posts |
Posted - 27/07/2011 : 05:39:49
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Wow! I wish my dad was alive to see this. We have wondered about this for years!
I did not know of this database, and will look into it further. Will it let me see the original pages?
Thank you SO Much!! |
Julie Morland
Seattle, Washington |
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eibache
Norway Heritage Veteran
Norway
6495 Posts |
Posted - 27/07/2011 : 07:45:34
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The baptismal record for Gustav is #7, he was baptized in Frogner church, Lier.
You can copy this original by making a PDF file with either PDF-1 or PDF-2.
Here is the area where he was born Reistad.
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Einar |
Edited by - eibache on 27/07/2011 08:24:55 |
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eibache
Norway Heritage Veteran
Norway
6495 Posts |
Posted - 27/07/2011 : 07:54:17
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Gustavs parents were married in Frogner church March 24 1849, see #12.
Nils Chrestensen (Christensen) was 25 years old, born on Land, and his father was Chresten Nilsen, Reistadeie.
Maren Larsdatter was also 25 years old, she came from Sørum and her father was deceased Lars Olsen, Kirkerudeie.
Niels Christensen was born Jan 9 1824, see #29, the parents being Xten (Christen) Nielsen and Gunild Hansdatter.
Maren Larsdatter was born Febr 14 1824, see #13 on right page, she was baptized in Sylling church and her parents were Lars Olsen and Berthe Larsdatter, Kirkerudeie.
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Einar |
Edited by - eibache on 27/07/2011 08:08:55 |
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jkmarler
Norway Heritage Veteran
USA
7790 Posts |
Posted - 27/07/2011 : 08:27:06
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Hi,
Here are the Reistad marriages in the Illinois Marriages 1763-1900 database at Illinois Secretary of State Digital Archives:
REISTAD, GUSTAV NILSON
NILSON, CAROLINE 1881-05-04 / 00008502 WILL
REISTAD, MARTIN N
GRINDLE, JENNIE 1889-10-01 / 00013182 WILL
REISTAD, NILS O
JOHNSON, EMMA C 1899-02-08 007/0277 SANGAMON |
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Julie Morland
Starting member
USA
8 Posts |
Posted - 27/07/2011 : 08:40:45
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Gustav and Caroline are my great grandparents. My father had a photocopy of their marriage license.
Martin is Gustav's brother, but I didn't know of his wife. The marriage was short-lived, as I understood he died in January of the next year.
The last Reistad couple doesn't look familiar. |
Julie Morland
Seattle, Washington |
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jkmarler
Norway Heritage Veteran
USA
7790 Posts |
Posted - 27/07/2011 : 09:17:15
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Hi Julie,
Very small matter this but the Marriage database gives the county as Will rather than Cook. In Caroline's outmigrating record it says she was headed to Chicago. But in the police register the destination is given as lolet. I'm wondering if it might not be a misrendering of Joliet which is in Will County?
These were fun and worthy researches to do for you--good luck to you...
Jackie M. |
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jkmarler
Norway Heritage Veteran
USA
7790 Posts |
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Hopkins
Norway Heritage Veteran
USA
3351 Posts |
Posted - 27/07/2011 : 14:45:21
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Julie -- There is much research open to you now -- you and your family will enjoy it. Let me enjoy my teacher instincts...
The real joy of this hobby is being able to do it yourself. You can! There are a number of excellent materials available online for your study and the number of Norwegian resources available online for research increases almost daily. Study, practice, enjoy!
Ancestors From Norway articles (http://homepages.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~norway/articles.html)
Portal to Norway research guidance of LDS Family History Library (https://wiki.familysearch.org/en/Norway)
Tips on Using Digitalarkivet (http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~norway/DigitalArchives.html)
Norwegian census abbreviations (http://homepages.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~norway/census_abbreviations.html)
Norwegian censuses on NHDC website, instructions included (http://www.rhd.uit.no/indexeng.html)
Links and more links about Norway and Norwegian genealogy (http://www.cyndislist.com/norway.htm)
Help for translating many of your finds (http://home.online.no/~otjoerge/files/word.htm)
Online study material to learn about Norwegian naming practices and patterns.
(http://homepages.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~norway/na12.html)
(http://www.nndata.no/home/jborgos/names.htm)
(http://www.norwayheritage.com/norwegian-names.htm)
(http://www.nndata.no/home/jborgos/farms.htm)
Norwegian censuses of 1910, 1900,1875 (only partially online), 1865 and 1801 are online as searchable databases. Two websites with different search functions and strengths can be used.
(http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~norway/DigitalArchives.html)
(http://www.rhd.uit.no/indexeng.html)
The detail available in the extensive parish church records is a marvelous gift from Norway. The Digitalarkivet web site has been adding scanned images of the original Norwegian parish church records for anyone with Internet access since November 2005. To be able to use the parish records you must first know WHERE in Norway you want to search for this documentation.
The Digitalarkivet web site - (http://digitalarkivet.uib.no/cgi-win/WebFront.exe?slag=vis&tekst=meldingar)
An English option is available by clicking on that word from either the left hand column or the blue link bar along the bottom of the homepage.
The scanned images are available from the homepage link "Skanna kyrkjebøker" [Norwegian version]/"Digitised parish records" [English version] which is listed along the left hand column and from the blue banner of links along the top section of the homepage.
When you click on that link another page will present a short list of choices - choose "Read the digitized parish registers"[English version]/"Lesa skanna kykrebøker" [Norwegian version].
After you've clicked on that link and a new main page has presented on the screen be sure and read the instructions that are available from the Digitalarkivet for navigating the scanned records. The instructions are available in Bokmål (official Norwegian), Nyorsk (Norwegian), Davvisámegiella (Saami), and English.
Recommended basic reading are the "Startsiden" [Norwegian version]/"Main page" [English version], "Brukerveiledning" [Norwegian version]/"User's guide" [English version] and "Om tjenesten" [Norwegian version]/"About this service" [English version].
Good information about translating the formats of Norwegian parish church records during various time periods, many of the basic terms used and understanding how to use the information should be studied at this web site -
(http://homepages.rootsweb.com/~norway/na20.html)
Norway has a tradition of publishing history and genealogy books for many rural districts of the country called 'bygdebøker'. You might be lucky enough to have had ancestors from one of the areas which has one or more good 'bygdebøker' published about it.
Learn about 'bygdebøker' (http://homepages.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~norway/bygdebok.html)
Bygdebøker and Ættarbøker can be helpful but are definitely secondary sources of information -- any research done in them should be verified in the primary sources such as the parish church records.
My notes show that Lier has such a series of books that have been published - "Liers Historie", series of 6 volumes by Rolf Fladby, Ola Bjerkas and Steffen Gausemel.
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eibache
Norway Heritage Veteran
Norway
6495 Posts |
Posted - 27/07/2011 : 18:13:53
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A digitized version of Liers historie.
Nils Christensen was at Bråtebakken under Store Reistad. (Not much info available here).
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Einar |
Edited by - eibache on 27/07/2011 18:17:27 |
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Gustav Nilsen Reistad of Drammen, b~1855?
