Friis, Ellen and Jens Jensen

[Barbara Dobson]

Hello
I am once again on the search for information about Ellen Andresen Friis, born 1831, Hostrup.
I have found an entry on FamilySearch Film no 007472269, image 108, for Ellen which seems to be for a "move". She was orphaned while still a child, and in 1845 is living with foster parents. But I am not sure to what this move refers.

Ellen married Jens Jensen in 1854...in Emmerlev, Tonder, but what became of them later in life? Did she have children?

I hope that maybe there are new records available and someone can help me find her.

Many thanks
Barbara
Australia

[Inger Toudal]

Your posting from 2013 - 2015 about the couple: https://www.slaegtogdata.dk/forum/index.php/topic,64686.0.html

Since then, the 1860 census for Hjerpsted parish has been transscribed and indexed: https://www.dis-danmark.dk/kipkort/fronta-e.php
-  but I don't find Ellen there.

The marriage record 1854 from Emmerlev reveals that Jens Jensen was 30 years old: 
https://www.sa.dk/ao-soegesider/da/billedviser?epid=17216256#201330,38132482 - No 5

Ellen in the 1845 Census, Agerskov parish, Haderslev county: https://www.danishfamilysearch.com/cid5963199

Possibly Jens in the 1860 Census, Emmerlev parish: https://www.danishfamilysearch.com/cid14326150

Could you please link to the record you've found?

Venlig hilsen
Inger Toudal

[Paul Løndahl-Smidt]

Here is Ellen's confirmation.  https://www.sa.dk/ao-soegesider/en/billedviser?epid=17215996#200876,38039187

[Søren Juul Mikkelsen]

Hi Barbara

your great great grandfather Johan Peter Andresen Friis has a daughter Anna Margrethe Friis born in 1861 in Hostrup parish:

http://ao.salldata.dk/vis1.php?bsid=201747&side=7&height=990

One of the godparents are Ellen Friis. I assume this is the sister you are looking for.

As far as I can read, it says "Ellen Friis fra Nørdige", meaning that she lives in a place called Nørdige in 1861.

I think this is the same as Nørredige (German: Norddeich), which is in Rødenæs parish:

https://da.wikipedia.org/wiki/R%C3%B8den%C3%A6s_Sogn

Unfortunately the church books for this parish, which today lies in Germany, are to my knowledge not available online.

Kind regards
Søren

[Inger Toudal]

I agree with Søren's reading Nørdige: https://www.sa.dk/ao-soegesider/da/billedviser?epid=17216934#201744,38238574 - No 19

Rodenäs is just south of the present border between Denmark and Germany: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roden%C3%A4s

The church books can be seen against a fee at archion.de: https://www.archion.de/en/help/

https://www.archion.de/en/browse/?no_cache=1

- Landeskirchliches Archiv der Evangelisch-Lutherischen Kirche in Norddeutschland

- Kirchenkreis Nordfriesland

- Rodenäs

Venlig hilsen
Inger

[Barbara Dobson]

Thank you all for your help...I appreciate your assistance and will follow up on the links you've sent.

Barbara

[Barbara Dobson]

Can someone please translate into English  the headings at
  https://www.sa.dk/ao-soegesider/en/billedviser?epid=17215996#200876,38039187

[Søren Juul Mikkelsen]

Confirmerede Piger = Confirmated Girls
Confirmandens Navn og Opholdssted = Confirmand's Name and Residence
Forældrenes eller Huusbondens, Plejeforældrenes - Navn og Bopæl = Parents or Head of Household, Foster-Parents - Name and Residence
Confirmands Alder efter Dag og Datum udviist ved Døbe-Attest = Confirmand's Age by Day and Date as shown on Baptism-Certificate
Dom angaaende Kundskab og Opførsel = Verdict regarding Knowledge and Behavior
Naar of af Hvem vaccineret = When and by Whom vaccinated
Hvor anført i det almindelige Jævnførelses-register = Where to find in the ordinary Register of events

I hope this answers your question.

Kind regards
Søren

[Barbara Dobson]

Thank you for the translation.
I am curious that it lists her parents names when I believe she was an orphan...the 1845 census has her living with foster parents.
However, I've not been able to find the death dates for her parents. Perhaps I should start another post on that query.

Regards
Barbara

[Søren Juul Mikkelsen]

Hi Barbara,

it is my experience that the Confirmation records normally just gives the names and residence of the parents as it was registered when the child was baptized.

Johan Peter Andresen Friis is also confirmated in Agerskov in 1844:

http://ao.salldata.dk/vis1.php?bsid=200871&side=74

Number 16 - last on the page.

The record reads the following about his parents:

"Moder Margrethe Conrads af Hostrup, Fader Christen Andresen Friis af Rangstrup."

Mother ... in Hostrup, Father ... in Rangstrup.

But this (to my opinion) just reflects the fact that the parents were not married and stayed at the mentioned places when he was born and baptized: (number 11, right side)

http://ao.salldata.dk/vis1.php?bsid=201740&side=101&height=990

and not where they live in 1844.

They were married December 6, 1829 in Hostrup:

http://ao.salldata.dk/vis1.php?bsid=201741&side=149

Now the big question is - what happened to them after the birth of Ellen. They do not seem to appear in any census records 1834/1835 or later.

Kind regards
Søren

[Barbara Dobson]

Yes - that is the big question! I would very much like to know what became of them. Thanks for the links.

Regards
Barbara

[Søren Juul Mikkelsen]

I just realized that you never got a response on the image you first referred to in this posting:

https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-L9ZX-QJ6Z?i=107

You are right that it is about a "move".

The church record shows Ellen Andresen Friis arriving at Visby parish, Tønder amt.

It says that she on Nov, 24, 1850 arrives to the parish and is going to serve at Trøjborg estate.

She arrives from "Bulderup".  I think this must the same as Bylderup parish, which is close to Hostrup parish.

Kind regards
Søren

[Søren Juul Mikkelsen]

I have found Ellen, her brother and mother in the 1840 census in Agerskov:

https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CS21-599B-P?i=1304&cc=2778651

It is family number 100 on the right side in the middle.

Grete Fries, age 42, widowed
Peter Fries, age 13
Ellen Fries, age 9

So Christen Andresen Fries/Friis dies before February 1840.

Kind regards
Søren

[Ole Westermann]

Ellen Andresen Friis, born Sept.7, 1831, Hostrup.
https://www.sa.dk/ao-soegesider/da/billedviser?bsid=201740#201740,38238048
Her father Christen Andresen Fries had run away, so the mother Anna Margaretha Conradsdatter was left alone with her.

That her mother at the census 1840 claims to be a widow is not necessarily true. I have seen that before.

Ole

[Søren Juul Mikkelsen]

Hej Ole,

can you read the exact German phrases "weggelauf..." ?

Thanks.

Søren

[Ole Westermann]

Yes, that is: weggelaufenen - bortløbne - run away.

[Søren Juul Mikkelsen]

It was also the word just after that puzzled me. But comparing with the other entries in the church book, I can see that it is used many times, and must be the word "häuerinsten", meaning that they rent the house they live in.

Kind regards
Søren

[Ole Westermann]

Yes, the same as 'häuerling', see https://wiki.dis-danmark.dk/index.php/Tysk_ordliste

[Søren Juul Mikkelsen]

Grethe Friis dies July 6, 1840 in Agerskov: (third from the top)

http://ao.salldata.dk/vis1.php?bsid=200876&side=137&zoom=71.42857142857143

Regarding her position and residence it says:
"Huusenke paa Baulund Mark", that is she is widowed and living in a house in Baulund Mark.

Under remarks ("Anmærkninger") it reads:
"Druknede sig i en Mergelgrav i sindssvag Tilstand", which means that she drowned herself in a marl pit because of insanity.

Kind regards
Søren

[Barbara Dobson]

What??? Drowned herself? That's awful. But why is it suddenly giving her name as Grethe rather than Anna Margrethe?

Actually the Friis family had many suicides down over the years. Johan Peter Andresen Friis, son of Anna Margrethe hung himself at the age of 81 in New Zealand! As did his son Lauritz who was my great grandfather.

Thank you both for your conversations...keep up the good work!

Regards
Barbara

[Søren Juul Mikkelsen]

Hi Barbara

It is a bit unusual that the death record lists her name as Grethe Friis.

Looking at the other records, you can see that it is normal to give the full maiden name for the dead women.

For example number 3 and 4 in 1841 on the same page as Grethe:

Mette Godeliksen, "Kromand Jes Lausten Jensens hustru i Faarhus"
Anne Kirstine Klinge, "Kaadner Nicolai Henrig Greens hustru paa Vellerup Mark"

If it wasn't for the fact that we also have her listed as "Grethe Friis" in the 1840 census, I would have been in doubt if it was the right person, but I consider it very unlikely that another Mrs. Friis should live in Agerskov with 2 children named Ellen and Peter and with matching ages.

Maybe they did not know her full name.
Her age is also a bit off in the death record, where it says 44 years. The 1840 census just 5 months before has her at 42 years.
I am quite sure that she is born in August 1797:

https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XY89-WD6

In the Burkal church book she is listed as number 21 born in 1797 (right side):
http://ao.salldata.dk/vis1.php?bsid=201171&side=112

Note that her parents are also named Peter and Ellen, just as her children.

3 generations of suicides. I hope you broke that trend.

I can see your great grandfather Lauritz on Ancestry with 11 children, and he dies in 1909 before the youngest daughter is born.

Who of the 11 is your grandparent?

Kind regards
Søren

[Barbara Dobson]

Hi Soren
Thank you for your response. Yes, I'm sure she was born in 1897 too.

My grandfather was Bertie William Friis. His is a story with a happy ending, unlike several of his brothers.

Make that 4 generations of suicides as Bertie's brother Alfred committed suicide in his 50s, largely it seems due to alcoholism brought on by his ww1 experiences. One brother, Franklyn was killed in WW1, another, Ernest, never recovered psychologically from the war. Bertie was wounded and was sent home to New Zealand, along with his English bride.

Are you related in any way to this family? I have a couple of stories written about them if you are interested.

PS I'm still on the hunt for what became of Ellen, although it seems she was in Germany so I'd best look into that.
Also date of death fro Christen, her father?



Thanks again
Barbara

[Barbara Dobson]

Another question...
in this 1801 census record https://www.danishfamilysearch.com/cid1629752 the children of Anders Pedersen and Maren Christiansdatter are all named Friis.
Why would this be?

Ever on the search for answers!
Barbara

[Søren Juul Mikkelsen]

In 1771 Struensee started to reform the Danish conventions of naming children, by deciding by law that children born in Schleswig should use a family name instead of the traditional patronym, where you were called Andersen (son of Anders) if your father was called Anders.

This reform did not reach the rest of Denmark until many years later, because Struensee was executed in 1772.

Most families just continued with the father's patronym, so Anders Pedersens children were also named Pedersen.
In some cases people wanted to keep the tradition of the patronym, so the children were named with 2 last names like Andersen Pedersen.

In other cases like the Friis family, they added a new family name. Often it was a name saying something about the place they lived or their origin.

The name Friis or Fries means a person coming from Friesland.

The Agerskov church book showing the baptism of Christen Andersen Friis as number 20 in 1794:

http://ao.salldata.dk/vis1.php?bsid=200869&side=20&zoom=100

I am not related to the family - as far as I know.

I think that Ole is right about it being not very certain that Anna Margrethe was a widow in 1840, although the census and the death record from the same year says so. If Christen left the family it can be difficult to find him.

Kind regards
Soren