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 Peter Herman Petersen: 1890s Norway to New Zealand
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jpjc
New on board

New Zealand
4 Posts

Posted - 22/02/2015 :  23:19:57  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
Hi,

Many thanks for allowing me to join your Forum.

I have a enigmatic Norwegian ancestor named Peter Herman Petersen. He was born to Peter Petersen and Jeannie Johnston in about 1850.

We do not know much about his family. One family story has it that they were from Oslo and that his parents were both music professors or music teachers, specialising in the violin. Other sources indicate his father was a fisherman.

Peter himself is said to have been a whaler and jumped ship in New Zealand in the 1890s. He married my GG grandmother, Annie Edwards, in 1894. He died in 1922.

I realise this is very little to go on for events that happened in the distant past. But I thought I would post a message to see if anyone is missing a branch from their Petersen family tree.

Plus does anyone have any suggestions for researching music teachers in Kristiana in the 1850s-1860s ? I have looked in the census records, but not had much luck.

Thanks, JPJC

JC

jkmarler
Norway Heritage Veteran

USA
7790 Posts

Posted - 22/02/2015 :  23:57:04  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
In the 1865 Norwegian census transcription online there are 73 references to people whose occupations begin with "musik" and who live in Oslo. Have you looked at all these listings?

Here is a very long shot Peter Herman Peterson b abt 1860 in Kristiania (the old name for Oslo), his father is a book publisher / printer:
http://digitalarkivet.arkivverket.no/ft/person/pf01052055004861

Edited by - jkmarler on 23/02/2015 00:08:10
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AntonH
Norway Heritage Veteran

USA
9301 Posts

Posted - 23/02/2015 :  00:53:14  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
Peter Hermann in the 1865 Norwegian Census. Father is listed as a printer.

NHDC 1865

Edited by - AntonH on 23/02/2015 00:58:26
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AntonH
Norway Heritage Veteran

USA
9301 Posts

Posted - 23/02/2015 :  01:03:15  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
Interesting that there are several Family Trees on Ancestry.com that seem to have the OP's person, but give his name as Peter Herman Petersen. Such as

Peter Herman Petersen
Birth abt 1851 in Norway
Death 11 Sept 1922 in Gore, Southland, New Zealand

Annie Laurie Edwards
Birth 15 July 1873 in Tokomairiro, South Otago, New Zealand
Death 17 Jan 1933 in Bluff, Southland, New Zealand

Questin for the OP is,how certain is the birth year of 1851.

For what it is worth. Two trees have his parents as Daniel Petersen b abt 1830, Norway and Jeannie Janssen born abt 1830 Norway

Edited by - AntonH on 23/02/2015 01:16:54
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AntonH
Norway Heritage Veteran

USA
9301 Posts

Posted - 23/02/2015 :  01:06:38  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
Still living at home with family in the 1875 Census.

NHDC 1875
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jpjc
New on board

New Zealand
4 Posts

Posted - 23/02/2015 :  02:04:47  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
Dear jkmarler and lyndal40,

Many thanks for your help, especially with the census records. I’m new to Norwegian records and only speak English, so I appreciate your assistance.

Yes, the Peter Herman Petersen (died Croydon Bush, near Gore in NZ in 1922) who married Annie Laurie Edwards and whose details are posted on Ancestry.com is my ancestor. The posts were made by others working with the same information I have (which is not much).

On the other queries:

1. Peter Herman Petersen’s parents

The available records in NZ provide contradictory information. The entry in the Register of Marriages for Peter Petersen’s marriage to Annie Edwards notes Peter was the son of Peter Peterson, a fisherman, and Jeannie Johnson. See marriage of Peter Petersen and Annie Edwards on 4 Jul 1894 at Gore, New Zealand Register of Marriages, no.2807 of 1894.

That is the only document we have where Peter himself was required to give information about his parents.

The entry in the Register of Deaths for Peter Petersen’s death notes his parents were Daniel Petersen and Jeannie Petersen (her maiden name was listed as ‘unknown’) and gives Daniel’s occupation as ‘music teacher’. See death of Peter Petersen on 11 Sept 1922 at Croydon, New Zealand Register of Deaths.

2. Peter Petersen’s date of birth

Again, we have contradictory information about Peter’s age. The ages he gave at various times indicate he could have been born anytime between about 1851 and 1857.

The entry in the Register of Marriages for Peter Petersen’s marriage to Annie Edwards gives Peter’s age as 39 indicating he was born in about 1855. See marriage of Peter Petersen and Annie Edwards on 4 Jul 1894 at Gore, New Zealand Register of Marriages, no.2807 of 1894.

The entry in the Register of Deaths for Peter Petersen’s death notes he died at the age of 71, indicating he was born in about 1851. See death of Peter Petersen on 11 Sept 1922 at Croydon, New Zealand Register of Deaths.

Peter’s age is given as 38 in the entry in the Register of Births for Peter and Annie Petersen’s daughter Martha Jane, indicating he was born in about 1857. See birth of Martha Jane on 28 Mar 1895, New Zealand Register of Births, no.2077 of 1895.

Peter’s age is given as 41 in the entry in the New Zealand Register of Births for Peter and Annie Petersen’s son Henry Herman, indicating he was born in about 1856. See birth of Henry Herman Petersen on 10 April 1897, New Zealand Register of Births, no.2119 of 1897.

Henry was Peter and Annie’s only son. I’m not sure if Peter followed any Norwegian naming conventions by naming his son Henry.

Peter’s age is given as 47 in the entry in the Register of Births for Peter and Annie Petersen’s daughter Mary, indicating he was born in about 1856. See birth of Mary Petersen on 10 Jul 1903, New Zealand Register of Births, no.3720 of 1903.

Pretty much everything else we know about Peter and his family is just oral tradition.

I’m not sure if this helps, but thanks again for your assistance and suggestions.

JPJC.

JC
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vivi
Senior member

Norway
371 Posts

Posted - 23/02/2015 :  13:52:05  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
Hi

A candidate born 22 aug. 1851 in Vanse, Vest-Agder.

His parents are Peder Daniel Tobiassen and Janniken Jansdatter. (You wrote first Peter as your ancestor's father's first name and later Daniel. The norwegian patronymic is a bit confusing so it is easily assumed that a child has the same name as his/hers father.)

No 92:
Permanent sidelenke: http://www.arkivverket.no/URN:kb_read?idx_kildeid=960&idx_id=960&uid=ny&idx_side=-59
Permanent bildelenke: http://www.arkivverket.no/URN:NBN:no-a1450-kb20060102010059.jpg

Here in the 1865 census:
http://digitalarkivet.arkivverket.no/ft/person/pf01038191001355

There was whaling in the south from Vanse/Farsund area of Norway.

Vivi
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vivi
Senior member

Norway
371 Posts

Posted - 23/02/2015 :  14:10:31  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
Hi

This Peder Herman was a sailor from 1872 (as I understand it) and in aug. 1886 it is noted that he was "i udlandet" meaning abroad.

Here he used the surname Pedersen, no 1807:
Permanent sidelenke: http://arkivverket.no/URN:db_read/db/42338/156/
Permanent bildelenke: http://www.arkivverket.no/URN:NBN:no-a1450-ru20090316710156.jpg

Vivi
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jkmarler
Norway Heritage Veteran

USA
7790 Posts

Posted - 23/02/2015 :  15:37:15  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
Very interesting find, Vivi!

Here is a possible candidate for the elder sister in the 1900 census http://digitalarkivet.arkivverket.no/ft/person/pf01037244000927

Her husband's name is mentioned in her father's probate record below.

Edited by - jkmarler on 23/02/2015 16:39:08
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vivi
Senior member

Norway
371 Posts

Posted - 23/02/2015 :  16:19:56  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
Hi

When Peder Herman's father dies as the last of his parents, there is a probate.

I'm having trouble reading it, but think I read that Peder Herman has been absent for many years and that his adress is unknown.

Permanent sidelenke: http://arkivverket.no/URN:sk_read/35199/233/
Permanent bildelenke: http://www.arkivverket.no/URN:NBN:no-a1450-sk10411109150233.jpg

Vivi
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vivi
Senior member

Norway
371 Posts

Posted - 23/02/2015 :  17:00:04  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
Hi

This Peder Hermann from Vanse must be the correct one.
In an announcement-paper 26 january 1884 there is an inquiry trying to find the absent heirs after Peder Daniel Tobiassen and Janniken Jansdatter.
Here it is written that the last known whereabout for Peder Herman was New Zealand 3 1/2 years ago.

(When I find out how to do it, i'll attach the clip from that announcement-paper)
Here is the link to the actual issue (not sure if this works for computers outside Norway):
http://www.nb.no/nbsok/nb/fd9e79690313b426b4a90092e9edd23f?index=19



Vivi
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vivi
Senior member

Norway
371 Posts

Posted - 23/02/2015 :  17:29:26  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
Hi

Descendants of Peder Herman's sister Anna has an online tree not mentioning any of her siblings. It might be possible to get in touch.

http://www.geni.com/people/Peder-Daniel-Tobiassen/6000000011275580664

Another tree with this family:
http://www.myheritage.no/site-family-tree-142194821/familien-til-jan-carl-reinertsen?familyTreeID=1&rootIndivudalID=1002004

Vivi

Edited by - vivi on 23/02/2015 17:36:51
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jpjc
New on board

New Zealand
4 Posts

Posted - 23/02/2015 :  23:43:58  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
Hi vivi and jkmahler,

That's magnificent - many thanks to you both !

If that is not Peter Petersen, then I don't know who could be. All the fragments of information match - including the approximate date Peter arrived in NZ ! For years, I doubted I'd be able to find out much about this family mystery. But it looks like it's been solved.

We are having a Petersen family reunion in New Zealand in April this year, so i will be able to tell everyone the news. I'd better write to the family of Peter's sister to catch up on 135 years worth of news.

vivi, I think it is time you went up from 'Medium' to ' Veteran'. I've seen some good shots in my time, but this is one of the best. If you are able to send me that newspaper article, that would be fantastic.

Many thanks again to you all.

JC.

JC
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vivi
Senior member

Norway
371 Posts

Posted - 24/02/2015 :  00:23:26  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
Hi

Nice to be able to help.

I have tried to send you a e-mail, but don't know if it worked.
I haven't been able to figure out how to post the clipping from the paper here, so I need an e-mail-address.

Vanse/Farsund/Lista area of Norway is very beatiful.
http://www.visitnorway.com/en/where-to-go/south/farsund-and-lista/

Vivi
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jpjc
New on board

New Zealand
4 Posts

Posted - 02/05/2015 :  01:27:26  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
Hi,

The century-old mystery of the origins of Peter Petersen, my enigmatic Norwegian ancestor, has been solved, thanks to some brilliant research by vivi of this Forum.

I have written a short account of the Petersen family history ‘The Petersens: From Norway to Croydon Bush’.

Their story is a microcosm of New Zealand history, with Peter being involved in the gold rush to Port Preservation and settlement of Croydon Bush, a remote and scenic farming community near Gore in Southland. It is from these individual stories that national history is made.

‘The Petersens: From Norway to Croydon Bush’. is available free at Smashwords at: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/538592

Many thanks for allowing me to post on your forum and for your generous assistance.

Kind regards,

Justin.

JC
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