Need Help Translating Danish Birth Records into English

Startet af tpool88, 20 Dec 2020 - 21:02

Forrige emne - Næste emne

tpool88

Hello Fellow Researchers,

I have just joined, thank you to Katherine for introducing me.  I reside in America and and would like to ask for some help translating a few old records I found in Danish.  I do not speak Danish unfortunately and in addition to this, the records are in cursive  :o  Any help would be greatly appreciated!  Please see attached a birth records for Charles, Nicolai, Marie & Anna Petersen (father is Frederik Petersen, mother is Christine Nielsen).  You should be able to zoom in on the attached document to view each entry, I cannot read anything past their names and dates of birth. 

Thank you so much! -TP

Lennarth Nielsen

#1
hi TP,

I can see that you're new on the forum, so welcome:) I'll give you my best shot with the first one. Then you can add the links for the rest as it's much easier to have the documents in full size and you don't have to bother with adding the screenshots to a document. When having the link it's possible to navigate back and forth to see similar words or letters elsewhere, if one is in doubt. So, in those cases where you can provide a link to the full documents, you should always do that. And when you get to the stage where you're able to transcribe bits of the text, you should use the original line breaks as it then makes it much easier to follow and correct. Anyway, here's the first one (nouns were with capital letters at the time):

44.

Juli 24de
1854.

Anna Jacobine
Petersen

Septbr [September] 17de
i Kirken.

Murer Frederik Carl
Petersen og Hstr [Hustru] Cæcilie
Christine Nielsen, 25
Aar gl, i Ordrup.

Jfr [Jomfru] Petrine Petersen i Charlottenlund.
Jfr Flora Bagger i Kjøbenhavn.
Staldmester Anders Petersen i Charlottenlund.
Smed Søren Christensen i Ordrup.
Betjænt? [maybe Betjent - I'm a bit in doubt, if that's what it says] Christian Caspersen i Ordrup.

281. 749.

In English

September the 17th
in the Church.

Bricklayer Frederik Carl
Petersen and Spouse Cæcilie
Christine Nielsen, 25
Years old, in Ordrup.

Virgin Petrine Petersen in Charlottenlund.
Virgin Flora Bagger in Copenhagen.
Equerry [responsible for the care of horses] Anders Petersen in Charlottenlund.
Blacksmith Søren Christensen in Ordrup.
Officer Christian Caspersen in Ordrup.

Have a nice day.

Kind regards,

Lennarth

Niels Just Rasmussen

I just want to chime in that technically "Jomfru" means "virgin", but it was used for unmarried women of high social social standing [until it was replaced with the word "Frøken"].
Then Jomfru was used for the middle classes, whereas lower status unmarried women would have been called "pige" meaning "girl" [even if she married for the first time as 40 years old].
A "loose girl" would be called "fruentimmer", a derogatory term.
Through time a lot of changes in the usage happened, so its not clear cut to assume a social standing only based on these words. 

Certain jobs for girls had "jomfru" in the title; such as "bagerjomfru" [= baker-maid] which is still used to this day, and in Sweden I have seen "Mejerijungfru" [= dairy-maid]


Ole Westermann

The other 3:

https://www.sa.dk/ao-soegesider/da/billedviser?bsid=355409#355409,70386583
35 - Born 28 July 1856 -  Nicolai Villiam Petersen - bp. in church 14 Sept. 1856
       Parents: master builder Frederik Carl Petersen and wife Cæcilie Christine Nielsen, 27 y.o. in Ordrup
       Witn: confectioner Sivertsen's wife, Sophie in Cph., miss Sivertsen same place,
       painter Rasmussen, bricklayer J.Jensen and bricklayer P. Ottesen in Ordrup.

https://www.sa.dk/ao-soegesider/da/billedviser?bsid=355410#355410,70386750
39 - Born 14 April 1860 - Marie Augusta Cæcilie Petersen - bp. 10 August 1860 in the church
       Parents: master builder Frederik Carl Petersen and wife Cæcilie Christine Nielsen, 30 y.o. in Ordrup
       Witn: The mother carried the child, miss Augusta Sivertsen in Cph.. bricklayer Ottosen in Ordrup,
                 licenced victualier C. Rasmussen and pensioner Anders Nielsen in Charlottenlund.

https://www.sa.dk/ao-soegesider/da/billedviser?bsid=355409#355409,70386554
48. Born 9 Octbr 1851 - Charles Peder Adolph Pedersen - bp Nov 30 in  the church -
      Parents: mason Frederik Carl Pedersen and wife Cæcilie Christine Nielsen of Ordrup
      Witn: rentier Jochum Jensen's wife of Copenhagen, painter Hans Frederik Rasmussen of Ordrup
               equerry Anders Pedersen of Charlottenlund, mason Jens Jensen of Chp.

Best regards  Ole

Lennarth Nielsen

hi,

I looked at the word again before Christian Caspersen and it says Betjent, which means officer. I found the link and could zoom further in to see the letters better. Here's the link:
https://www.sa.dk/ao-soegesider/da/billedviser?bsid=355410#355410,70386705

Lennarth

tpool88

Thank you all so much!! This is just incredible.  I really appreciate it greatly, without this forum I would have been lost for decades.. if not more.  Thank you, thank you.
Surprising, another member helped me find another child of theirs that I did not know about, Frederikke Petersen (I think a female?) please see the link below:

https://www.sa.dk/ao-soegesider/da/billedviser?bsid=355412#355412,70386924

- does it say or give a physical address?  Would love to know where they resided.. for the day I eventually make it over to Copenhagen to do some exploring :)

Would you be able to help me translate Christine Nielsen's record here here?  I believe this was her death record:
https://www.sa.dk/ao-soegesider/da/billedviser?bsid=150214#150214,24891323

Also a little help translating Frederik Petersen's birth record would be fantastic:
https://www.sa.dk/ao-soegesider/da/billedviser?bsid=440316#440316,79740916

Thank you, this is so helpful.  I hope you all have a happy and safe New Years!
-TP

tpool88

On another entirely different note I would love to hear everyone's thoughts on why Frederik Petsersen's son, Charles Petersen, later used the surame "De La Motte" also seen as "De La Motta".  Charles moved to Australia in the early 1870's and in records over there it is very often that his surname is Charles Petsersen De La Motte.  I have never figured out why he used this as a name.

Here is an article below from Australia when Charles married.  In this news article he mentions his fathers name and position.  I am thinking that Frederik must have gained this title later on in life as from the records above he was a bricklayer, then master bricklayer. 

"Charles P. A. A. de la Motta, M.L., second son of
the Right Hon. Baron F. C. de la Motta,
O.D.D.M, R.N., Commander and Postmaster-Gen-
eral, Copenhagen, Denmark"

Britta Hansen

#7
Hello TP

15 October 1864
Frederikke Caroline Petersen
19 Mai 1864 i Kirken [baptized in the church]
Afdøde[deceased] Muurmester Frederik Carl Petersen og
Christine Cecilie Nielsen
34 Aar i Ordrup

Ordrup in Historical Map

16 April 1899
Engtoftevej 7, 1 Frederiksberg
Sogn
23 April 1899
Gjentofte[Gentofte]
Christine Cecilie Büchler
født Nielsen
Skorstensfejer[chimney sweeper] Henrik Christian Mar-
tin Büchlers separerede[separated] Hustru paa Frede-
riksberg (Engtoftevej 7, 1) født 24. September
1829. Hun havde tidligere været gift
med Murmester Frederik Carl Petersen
i Ordrup, som døde 13 Maj 1884 [he died May 13, 1864]

15. Oct. 1820
Frederik Carl Pedersen
Faderen: Indsidder[tenant] og
Muurmester Peder Jen-
sen, og Moderen hans
Hustru[wife] Jacobine Hans-
datter i Flødstrup
Venlig hilsen
Britta Hansen

britta.hansen12@gmail.com

Ole Westermann

I think, that Charles invented the fantastic story about his father as Baron ...etc...etc..
Here is the death of his father May 13, 1864
https://www.sa.dk/ao-soegesider/da/billedviser?bsid=355424#355424,70388138 bottom
Frederik Carl Petersen - married master builder in Ordrup - age 43

mvh Ole

Britta Hansen

#9
Citat fra: Ole Westermann Dato 29 Dec 2020 - 11:47
I think, that Charles invented the fantastic story about his father as Baron ...etc...etc..

Yes, my guess too – simple pretension.
... or was there a connection? Did any of Charles Peder Adolph's siblings marry a 'de la Motte'-child?
Venlig hilsen
Britta Hansen

britta.hansen12@gmail.com

Britta Hansen

#10
Christine Cecilie Nielsen *Sep 24, 1829 København Vor Frue #144
The parents are:
Arbejdsmand Niels Nielsen
og Ane, fød Nielsen St. Peders-
stræde No 127
Venlig hilsen
Britta Hansen

britta.hansen12@gmail.com

Niels Just Rasmussen

#11
Folketælling 1860: Københavns Amt. Sokkelund Herred. Gentofte Sogn. Ordrup. Et hus.
Frederik Petersen. 40 aar. Gift. Født i Sorø Amt. Husmand, murer, 
Christine Nielsen. 30 aar. Gift. Født i sognet. Hans kone.
Charles Petersen. 9 aar. Barn. Født i sognet.
Anna Petersen. 6 aar. Barn. Født i sognet.
Nicolai Petersen. 4 aar. Barn. Født i sognet.
Oline Olsen. 19 aar. Tjenestepige.
Kilde (s. 32, højre midt, familie 33): https://www.sa.dk/ao-soegesider/da/billedviser?bsid=8730#8730,214181

Folketælling 1870: Københavns Amt. Sokkelund Herred. Gentofte Sogn. Ordrup By. Matrikel 41.
Nr. 65: Niels Peter Ottosen. Murermester.
...
nr 70: Charles Peter Petersen. 18 aar [fejl: 19 aar]. Tyende. Murerlærling. [= mason-apprentice]
Kilde (s. 117, midt): https://www.sa.dk/ao-soegesider/da/billedviser?bsid=53435#53435,11835167
NB: This census was taken the 1st of February 1870.

Udvandreprotokollerne:
Navn:   Petersen, Charles   Stilling:   Maler
Alder:   19   Bestemmelsessted:   Queensl.
Kontrakt nr.:   285800   Forevisningsdato:   12/7/1870
Sidste oph.sogn:   ?   Sidste oph. amt:   ? (Dansker)
Sidste oph.sted:   Ordrup   Bestemmelses land:   Australien
Bestemmelses by:   ?   Bestemmelses stat:   Queensland
Skibsnavn:   Indirekte
IDkode:   I6971P3810
NB: Interesting that he is occupation is listed as "maler" [= painter; must be a mistake as he is a murer-lærling in the census].

Niels Just Rasmussen

#12
Probate after his mother in Frederiksberg Birk:

Retten på Frederiksberg, Straffe- og Skifteret.
Register til sagliste og skiftebog (1891-1951).
1899-1900: nr. 74: Büchler, Christine Cecilie, Født Nielsen. App III 200 S. 871.
Kilde (s. 14, 4-top left): https://www.sa.dk/ao-soegesider/da/billedviser?epid=14868141#129938,33817157

Retten på Frederiksberg, Straffe- og Skifteret.
Skiftesagliste (1890-1959).
1899: nr. 74. Frasepareret Christine Cecilie Büchler, født Nielsen. 69 aar. Died 16th April 1899 at home [Engtoftevej 7]. Reported 17th April 1899.
"Afdøde efterlader frasepareret Mand forhenværende Skorstensfejermester H.C.M. Büchler, Stolpegaarden og efterlader med ham et fælles Barn: Heinrich ? Büchler, Murmester, Skovshoved.
Af et tidligere ægteskab med Murer- og Skorstenfejermester Frederik Petersen, død i 1863 [fejl: 1864] i Ordrup og efterlader afdødes 4 Børn:
1) Charles de la Motte, Ny Syd [= New South] Wales, Australien.
2) Anna Petersen, gift med Gartner P. Andersen, Meilgaard pr Grenaa. [Meilgaard Gods]
3) Nicolai Petersen, murmester i Ordrup.
4) Frederikke Petersen, gift med anmelderen" [anmelderen = Charles Casper Leisner, handelsfuldmægtig, Engtoftevej 7]
Kilde (s. 203, nr 74): https://www.sa.dk/ao-soegesider/da/billedviser?epid=14868137#129909,33811637

Stiftebog for 1899 is not yet online.
See: https://www.sa.dk/ao-soegesider/da/billedviser?epid=14861939#469412,33789358

So he is recognised by that "de la Motte" name in the probate after his mother.

tpool88

Thank you all who have responded with again, such wonderful information!  I really appreciate it, every hint helps me build my Danish tree and will inevitably help me when I one day visit your wonderful country on a fun ancestry tour.  To answer your questions, please see below, but first a few questions of mine -

What does it mean when you see Mason before the names?  Master Mason, Mason.. is that literally a bricklayer mason or a Freemason's Mason?
I am assuming when I see Christine Nielsen with the Buchler name that was from her second marriage to which they had one child?  But she was born Christine Cecile Nielsen.
Thanks.

Ole & Britta, I was starting to think the same thing..that this Baron and De La Motte name was a big ruse. He moved to Australia and wanted to make something out of nothing, but perhaps not.  In Australia all the records there do not point to him obatining that name in Australia.  However, all 10 children that he had there carry the "Petersen De La Motte" surname on their birth certificates, and the name carried on there since in generations to proceed him. He's only referred to De La Motte from his father.  I do not know if any of his siblings married a De La Motte, most unfortunately I will not be able to carry out that research on my own. I just cannot navigate the site that well.  Charles married a French woman in Australia, but her surname was Lavorel out of Savoie, France but surely Charles would not include that name on his father's name from Denmark?  Who knows.

Niels, I do think that could be accurate, him being listed as a painter, because when he came the the Australian colonies there's many old newspaper articles that reference his mechanical drawings, he also advertised himself as being an architect and surveyor.  He was big in school because he basically became a school teacher and later headmaster.  He then, towards the end of his life, became an inspector of agriculture and often sites Danish agriculture in his articles.  It's cool I can actually read all his writings online that were published, that's the fun part.  I have, of course, scoured those articles for any clues to the past. From a teachers application from 1882 he mentions he's been there for 12 years, so indeed he arrived in 1870.

On Charles' death certificate his wife mentions that his father Frederik was a captain, I believe it says Mariner after that.  Just to confuse things more :)

Britta Hansen

#14
Tegan,

None of his siblings were married to a 'de la Motte'-person. (There were a couple of de la Motte-families in CPH)

Mason = bricklayer mason

One child in her second marriage:
Hendrik Christian Büchler *March 30, 1866 – first entry

We can only guess why he used the 'de la Motte' name. Any guess is as good as mine. Was he inspired by the German novelist Friedrich Heinrich Karl de la Motte, Baron Fouqué?
When marrying a French woman he should have a 'proper' name – who knows?
I suppose that you could call yourself whatever you like down under.

Claiming the father being a captain/mariner in Copenhagen in the death certificate - hmm......... the answer is 'blowing in the wind'.

Happy New Year
Venlig hilsen
Britta Hansen

britta.hansen12@gmail.com

Niels Just Rasmussen

#15
Murer = mason/bricklayer, one who does masonry.
A "freemason" is in danish "frimurer" [the secret society].

Lærling = Apprentice.
Svend = Journeyman. [You passed an exam and was given a "svendebrev" - a letter of trade].
Mester = Master. [to become a master you also had to perform a "mester-værk" = master-work to be approved as such].

The "Laug/Lav" = guild's controlled the education, prices etc. until 1857 with the Law of "næringsfrihed" [freedom of trade]. After that date you could still be member of a laug, but it was voluntary.
Some of the guild's books are delivered to Rigsarkivet or local archives and can be viewed online, while others are not.

So it does really support it being the right guy I found [also the 1882 info of him being in Australia for 12 years]!
Perhaps he was tired of masonry and "fled" from his apprenticeship to instead become a painter and Australia gave him that opportunity. He didn't seem to have any time to have any "formal education", so he must have coped on mere talent (which apparently was not negligible).

PS: It is correct he should be 18 years old in the census of 1st of February 1870 as he was born in October 1851.

Niels Just Rasmussen

#16
Gippsland Times (Victoria: 1861 - 1954) 
Wed 21 Mar 1877. Page 1. Advertising.

On the rightmost column under "Educational" we have 2 entries of Mr. C. Petersen de la Motta.
First one is "Evening Classes in the Sale State School."
Second one is on "Licensed Drawing Master" under the department of Education.
Address is listed as Marrydale in Maffra, Victoria State [around 200 miles east of Melbourne].
Source: https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/61828414?searchTerm=de%20la%20motte

So at this point in time he uses both "Petersen" and "de la Motta"!  [later changed to de la Motte]

The advertisement first appears 31st of January 1877 in Gippsland Times.
Source: https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/61827967?searchTerm=petersen%20de%20la
Last entry for the advertisements is 20th of February 1878.

Niels Just Rasmussen

#17
He then relocates to Melbourne area and now calls himself "Charles de la Motta".
Advertisement from  The Argus (Melbourne, Victoria: 1848 - 1957).
Wed 20 Mar 1878. Page 1. Advertising.

"First Class visiting Master, teaching English, German, French, Spanish, Latin, Greek, mathematics, drawing, painting, DISENGAGED,
Adress: Charles de la Motta, A.R.A 41 Albert Street, Windsor
." [Windsor is a suburb of Melbourne].
Source: https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/5925641?searchTerm=charles%20de%20la%20motta
NB: That's some skills he claims to possess!
No longer uses Petersen.

According to this entry in familysearch he arrives in Melbourne, Victoria from Adelaide the 10th of August 1878 on the ship Aldinga.
C. De la Motta age 36 [actually he is only 26, so either he lies about his age or it is a result of bad handwriting].

Australia, Victoria Coastal Passenger Lists, 1852-1924:
Name:   C De La Motta
Event Type: Emigration
Event Date: 10 Aug 1878
Event Place: Victoria, Australia
Event Place (Original): Victoria, Australia
Gender:   Male
Age:   36
Occupation:   Gent [meaning Gentry? or "Gentleman" in the meaning of being an amateur with financial means to have hobbies instead of working for a living?]
Birth Date:   1842
Departure Port:   Adelaide
Arrival Date:   1878
Arrival Year:   1878
Arrival Port:   Melbourne
Ship Name:   Aldinga
Source: https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:DSWB-GGT2

Niels Just Rasmussen

#18
The Australasian (Melbourne, Vic. : 1864 - 1946):
Sat 31 Aug 1878 Page 26  Family Notices.
Deaths:
"On the 27th [August 1878] at Dandenong [suburb of Melbourne] Francis Amelia, the beloved wife of Charles P. de la Motta, and daughter of John and Elizabeth D. Dobson. Deeply Regretted.
Source: https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/143314301?searchTerm=charles%20de%20la%20motta

So he managed a shorter trip to Adelaide, but were back in Melbourne for his wife's death.  So it is not from his wife he got the de la Motta/Motte name either!
Here Charles P. is for his first names Charles Peter and he doesn't use the surname Petersen anymore.

Other newspapers inform that she was 28 years old.
See: https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/70011300?searchTerm=charles%20de%20la%20motta

So between his wife's death in 1787 and this next entry from 1883 he relocates from Victoria to New South Wales [he is listed as living in New South Wales in the probabte of his mothers death].

Names of Head Teachers at Schools in the Marrar District, New South Wales:
Yathella
Opened as a provisional school in November 1880.
Charlotte Johnstone 27/11/1880

Changed to Public School in May 1881.
Charlotte Johnstone 5/5/1881
Margaret Thomson 15/2/1883
Charles de la Motta 3/10/1883
Annie L. Hamilton 16/5/1887
Source: https://www.oocities.org/marrarhistory/MBook16.htm

tpool88

Niels - Isn't it interesting?  He did have a large career, then later in life he dropped his postition as head school master and became an inspector of agriculture, mentions Danish farming habits in a few articles, so he was likely very bright.  Initially I had a harder time navigating all the records in Australia because of his name variations.  He later married Ada Lavorel and they had like 10 children. At least he kept his legacy going in Australia, but most took on that De La Motte surname in future generations, it's interesting. I am thinking of putting the Petersen name back into a middle name with our next child :)

Britta - I think you're right people back then must have changed their names frequently if they wanted to for whatever reason.. especially when moving overseas.  I saw this with another ancestor I was researching from France.  However Charles definitely takes the cake on name variations!  Sorry for my long reply, over the holidays I was off my emails for quite some time.  I want to thank you all again for taking your time to help me, I really appreciate it.  Discovering my Danish ancestry has been on my bucket list for over 5 years now since I was at a stalemate with it until now, thanks to you all :) one day I cannot wait to come over there and explore on foot.  Happy New Year!