This is my first post here and I'm hoping someone with more familiarity with Norway place names can help me. My 4x great grandfather Martin Larson was born in Norway but moved to Sweden as a young man. I've been fortunate enough to find Martin on several Swedish church records and many of them specifically say he was from "Ostmarken, Norge." I've had a little trouble identifying exactly where this is: there is the forested area around Oslo called Ostmarka, but I can't tell if that's what the area would have been called in the 1870s when the records I'm looking at were written. Then there's an area in Trondheim in the Lade district that seems to be called Ostmarken, but that seems so specific (wouldn't he have just told the person filling out the Swedish church records he was from Trondheim?). Does anyone have any ideas?
Also, one record seems to have a more specific place name along side Ostmarken, but I can't make it out. It could maybe be Holwaland or Kolwaland? I realize that probably doesn't help much but thought I should mention it anyway.
Thanks for the info Kåre! Martin's last name was Larson on all the records I have (I don't have a non-patronymic name). So is Østmarken/Østmarka a pretty common place-name throughout Norway then?
I added a screen shot of the record I have with the additional place name written in to my Google photos (link below). I really have no idea what it says, I can't even make out the first letter! Any guesses would be greatly appreciated since I feel like this may be the key to working out which Ostmarken Martin was from.
I do have Martin's birth date (the records are indeed very specific and consistent about that): 16 Oct 1854. I did find one baptismal record that matches exactly for a Martin Larson with the same birth date who was baptized on 14 Jan 1855 in Vinger, Hedmark but I couldn't find any connection between that place and anywhere called Ostmarken. I also found a record where a Martin Larson was *baptized* on 16 Oct 1854 in Trondheim, but I don't know how likely it is that Martin mixed up his baptism date with his birthday.
Marriage of Martin Larsen parents Lars Larsen and Marthea Tostensdtter 26 Dec 1853. Father of Lars Larsen is Lars Børresen and father of Marthea Tostensdatter is Tosten Tostensen who is also listed as a witness at the baptism of Martin Larsen in 1855 in Vinger, Hedmark.
Everyone, thank you so much for all of this! I agree, I think Austmarka and the "Ostmarken" mentioned on Martin's Swedish records are probably one and the same. Along with that birth record, it seems pretty perfect. I'm new to Norwegian research so I very deeply appreciate the additional records posted. I'm very excited to add Martin's parents and grandfathers to my tree!
From the 1865 Norwegian Census posted by Einar you can see that Lars Larsen father of Martin was born abt. 1830 and from his marriage record you can see that his father was named Lars Børresen. A likely candidate for his baptism is
Lars Larsen in the Norway, Select Baptisms, 1634-1927 Name: Lars Larsen Gender: Male Birth Date: 11 apr 1830 Baptism Date: 9 mai 1830 (9 May 1830) Baptism Place: Vinger, Hedmark, Norway Father: Lars Borresen Mother: Anne Arnesdr FHL Film Number: 124481 Reference ID: 5173
Original baptism record is number seven down on the left hand page.
A good candidate for the marriage of Lars Børresen and Anne Arnesdatter
Lars Borresen in the Norway, Select Marriages, 1660-1926 Name: Lars Borresen Gender: Male Age: 22 Birth Date: 1796 Marriage Date: 29 mar 1818 Marriage Place: Vinger, Hedmark, Norway Spouse: Anne Arnesdr FHL Film Number: 124481 Reference ID: 1131
Since the marriage record gives the birth year of Lars Børresen as 1796 one can hunt for him in the 1801 Census. His farm name appears to be Billingsboe. Here is a good candidate in the 1801 Norwegian Census along with his family. Father is Børre Haagensen and mother is Gubiør Sørensdatter.
Børre Haagensen and Gubiør Sørensdatter were married Oct 29, 1786.
Borre Haagensen in the Norway, Select Marriages, 1660-1926 Name: Borre Haagensen Gender: Male Marriage Date: 29 okt 1786 (29 Oct 1786) Marriage Place: Eidskogen,Hedmark,Norway Spouse: Gubior Sorensdr FHL Film Number: 124280
Finding the original record is made a little more difficult in that it is found in the records for the engagement of the couple, called trolovede in Norwegian.
See the ninth record down right hand page. Billingsoe farm name appears again.
Lars Børresen's wife was named Anne Arnesdatter. The marriage record for her and Lars indicates she was born about 1796 and she is listed with the farm name of Østgaarden. With that in mind here is an Anne Arnesdatter born abt 1796 with father Arne Oudensen and mother Berthe Olsdatter and living on the Østgaarden farm in the 1801 Norwegian Census.
Arne Oudensen was born in 1754. Farm is Østgaarden.
Arne Oudensen in the Norway, Select Baptisms, 1634-1927 Name: Arne Oudensen Gender: Male Baptism Date: 30 apr 1754 Baptism Place: Vinger, Hedmark, Norway Father: Ouden Klemetsson Østgaarden Mother: Kari Pedersdatter FHL Film Number: 124480 Reference ID: b 3 p 15
Original record fifth record from bottom left page
Disaster on Lake Erie in 1852 - Altogether 67 Norwegian emigrants lost their life when the steamboats "Ogdensburg" and "Atlantic" collided on Lake Erie in 1852
Ostmarken?
Posted - 31/05/2017 : 21:03:05
