Norwegian Census

[emeloe1]

Hi Kaysii,
Thank you very much for all these resources!    You are so kind!!  I was checking today through the parish registers and felt like I was spinning my wheels as my Norwegian is so poor. Although I know the birthplaces of most of my relatives, I did not know the parishes.

I think that is my grandmother Hilda Larsen in 1910 in Bergen.  My father was born there and 1886 is her birth year and I know her birthdate to be 3/31 so it's close enough.

It's ironic that her mother's maiden is Johannesen, because that is my sister's married name!

Thanks for the further information on my great great grandfather Isak Anderson.  So my great grandfather is named Johan Nils Isaksen Melø  And my grandfather is Isak  Melø.

This may be asking alot-you have been so helpful -but how did the  Melø come in?? Was  Melø a farm of some sort? or and island?  You had mentioned that sometimes they use a patronymic.  Not sure what that is?

I can't thank you enough for all of your help-you have helped me get started to get a glimpse of my father's side of the family that I am excited to pursue!
Erica

[kaysii]

There is a place Meløy in Kristiansund. I found it by magnifying up the area on the map here
http://beta.norgeskart.no/#5/227633/7071852/+land
I guess Isak Andersen your gg grandfather took the surname Melø at some point between 1865
http://digitalarkivet.no/cgi-win/WebCens.exe?slag=visbase&sidenr=5&filnamn=f61503&gardpostnr=205&personpostnr=2190&merk=2190#ovre
and 1885 http://digitalarkivet.no/cgi-win/WebCens.exe?slag=visbase&sidenr=12&filnamn=f81503&gardpostnr=266&personpostnr=3078&merk=3078#ovre
I don't know if he was born there or was living there at the time.
If he had taken his patronymic Andersen (son of Anders) as a surname that would mean that Johan would be Johan Nils Andersen and his son Isak (your grandfather) would also be Isak Andersen.

[emeloe1]

Hi Kaysii,
Thanks for the clarification.  My grandmother's line is becoming a bit clearer-I will have to search more for her father Haldo.

The only thing I have a question or need clarification is:  Is in the 1865 Census, my great great grandfather, Isaac Anderson used his name Anderson. But in the 1885 census, he used the name Isaac Melo.  I am wondering if that is the same person.  The birth dates fit.  So it would seem so.

It just makes it very confusing when they keep changing their surnames like that! 

Thank you!

Erica

[kaysii]

Many people did not use a surname at this period and in the late 19th century most families adopted a surname either using a patronymic or a place name. Your gg grandfather chose to use a place name. In 1865 you can tell that he has not yet adopted a surname as his wife is using her patronymic Olsdatter (daughter of Ole) and their children are using Isaksen/Isaksdatter as their patronymic. If he was using Andersen as a surname all of them would be called Andersen.

[kaysii]

If you look at your g grandfather Haldo Larsen. You can see that in 1865 (the link provided before) he is living on a farm Aftretsaasen in Selbu with his father Lars Thomasen and his mother Ingebor Nielsdatter as you can see that they are using patronymics only.

In 1875 he is in Trondheim and his name is written as Haldor Larsen Aftved, (he's an apprentice glass worker).
http://digitalarkivet.no/cgi-win/WebCens.exe?slag=visbase&sidenr=2&filnamn=f71601&gardpostnr=413&personpostnr=5459&merk=5459#ovre
There's a ? after his name I assume because the transcriber was not sure of the name. As the farm name is a bit awkward, I can only assume he chose to use the surname Larsen eventually.

[kaysii]

If you are wishing to research your grandmother's line, you can find her father's Haldo's marriage 18 Nov 1883 in Domkirke in Christiania (Oslo) on family search. It gives their birth dates 22 June 1856 for Haldo and 12 July 1865 for Amanda and their fathers' names Lars Thomasen and Johan Olsen. It also means it will be quite easy to find the marriage record in the parish register. Likewise the registers of Selbu seem to be transcribed and the ones I've had a quick look through seem to be undamaged compared to those of Kristiansund.

If you need any help locating them let us know and we can help. Kaysii

[kaysii]

I've found on a Norwegian forum board from a few years back a discussion on Lars Thomasen's family http://www.disnorge.no/slektsforum/viewtopic.php?p=231053&highlight=haldo+larsen#231053. The one who started the thread was researching the ancestors of a colleague of his who was descended from Haldo and Amanda Larsen.

[emeloe1]

Hi Kaysii,
Thank you again for all of your help!  Now I am beginning to understand how the last names are used!  I am going to do some searching this weekend.  I am on family search.org but have often found them to be not so helpful, but maybe my search parameters were not so specific. The same with ancestry.com. The Norwegian side of my family has been difficult to find with them.  My mother's side, who is Irish, was far easier! 

I truly appreciate your help-I can't thank you enough for helping me achieve a glimpse into my Norwegian  family that I would not have been able to get without your help! My father was born in Bergen, 1922 (Torleif Meloe)  and would love to get a look a his birth certificate along with his siblings. He has since passed away-I do not know the parish-what would be a good parish register to check under? I have been checking but have found nothing. But certainly I have not exhausted all resources just yet!   

I checked out the link that you sent on who was researching Haldo and Amanda Larsen and it was 2005. That was most interesting for me, because whoever was looking for them could be related to me.  But it was so long ago and it was on a Norwegian forum and I, of course, do not speak the language. 

Millions of thanks!
Erica

[kaysii]

No easy way to find the right parish unless you know their address and guess where they may have baptised the baby. But I did find it here no 132
http://www.arkivverket.no/URN:kb_read?idx_kildeid=2103&idx_id=2103&uid=ny&idx_side=-133