Can anyone think of a reason?

[Pamela Alley]

Hi

I'm helping a friend do some research on her family and we've run into a bit of a puzzle and I hope someone here can come up with a possible solution. It doesn't really affect the outcome of the research, it's more of a curiosity.

The family is living in Thisted from the late 1700's-mid 1800's. They appear to be very prominent in the community and very well off. At least 6 children are living at the time of the 1801 census and the parents are married and living together. The puzzle is, that only 4 of their children are living with them: a 12 y.o. girl, 10 y.o. boy, 7 y.o. boy and a 1 y.o. girl. The father's name is Jacob Jensen and the 4 children living at home all use the patronym Jacobsen/Jacobsdatter. The other 2 children, a 5 y.o. girl and a 9 y.o. girl, are each living with an uncle (2 brothers of the mother) and these 2 girls are using the last name Jensen. One of the uncles is married with a family of his own and the other uncle is unmarried. Why would they be sent off at such a young age to live with family members, especially a 5 y.o. girl with an unmarried uncle, when money or any of the other usual factors don't appear to be an issue and why would they be known as Jensen when their brothers and sisters all use the father's patronym?

Any ideas?

Thank you

Pam Alley

[Lis B. Jensen]

Hi Pam

First of all I presume it is this Family:

Husstand: Thisted, Hundborg, Thisted Købstad, 1801, 11, Thisted Kiøbstad, Wester Gade 10 Litr. a
Navn, Alder, Køn, Civilstand, Nr. ægteskab, Stilling i husstanden, Kildeerhverv, Kommentar,

Jacob Jensen, 43, M, Gift, 1, Mand, Constituret Amts Sagfører,
Christine Marie fød Holst, 35, K, Gift, 1, Hans Kone,
Friderich Hillemann Jacobsen, 10, M, Ugift, Deres Børn, Efternavn mangler i kildemateriale,
Peder Martine Jacobsen, 7, M, Ugift, Deres Børn, Efternavn mangler i kildemateriale,
Lovise Marie Ungdahl Jacobsdatter, 12, K, Ugift, Deres Børn, Efternavn mangler i kildemateriale,
Scharlotte Amalia Jacobsdatter, 1, K, Ugift, Deres Børn, Efternavn mangler i kildemateriale,
Karen Madsdatter, 17, K, Ugift, Tienestepige,
Albreth Christopher Holst, 70, M, Enkemand, 1, Konens Fader, Paruqvemager,

Efternavn mangler i kildemateriale - means Lastname miss in source. The person who Transcribed this thikns that lastname follows the rules og this time a give them the lastname according to fathers firstname - but they can carry the name Jensen, because the father is a prminent person -  by the christening - have you looked for the baptism in Churchbooks?

While you have not indicated other names it is Quite difficult to know who to look for as living by the uncle.

Jensen is very Common in Denmark.

[Pamela Alley]

Hi Lis

That is indeed the family in question. Mette Frederikke Jensen is shown in the 1801 Thisted Købstad census living in the home of her uncles, Lars and Christian Holst, and Anne Sophia Jensen is shown in the same census living in the home of her uncle, Bertel Holst. Sorry for the confusion. I didn't really give any names in my post because I wasn't looking for research help, I was basically just asking if anyone had ideas why 2 children from a prominent family would have been sent to live with 2 different family members when both parents are alive and well and their siblings remain at home. It looks to me, and I'm probably wrong, that they're all living on the same street, pretty much next door to each other.

I've seen the baptisms of all the children and also the confirmations. Unfortunately, none of them indicate a last name. The Nykøbing marriage of Mette Frederikke, has her last name Jensen. I haven't looked for any other marriages or deaths yet, so maybe that should be the next step for me since from what you said it seems the patronym was added by the transcriber and perhaps they are all Jensens, not Jacobsen/Jacobsdatter as the census states.

Thank you for your help, Lis. It's always gratefully appreciated.

Pam

[Helmer Christiansen]

There is an error in the transcription of the 1801-census.
The children living at home with Jacob Jensen, are listed with no last name and his wife is listed as née Holst in the original 1801-census.
Because they live in a town, it is reasonable to assume that they all have used Jensen as their common family name.

Although the Jacob Jensen household had a maid, it was hardly wealthy. The wife's 70-year-old father, who was a wigmaker, lives with them and I don't think they owned the house.
The family lived in the same house as an important man Lauritz Thagaard, who had the title of Councilor and was a sand entrainment and rural administration Commissioner.
Jacob Jensen did not yet have a permanent office, but was appointed acting county attorney.

I do not think it was unusual for a relatively poor families with many children to place some of the children with childless relatives.
And they all live in the same street in a small town with a total population of 1068.

[Pamela Alley]

Thank you so much for the clarification Helmer

Pam