| Progress Report: 25 March 2002 |
| 25 March 2002 Ragnild Juulsdatter: Again, a progress report on Hellene Hansen Bjerkebakken’s mother, Ragnild Juulsdatter: In prior report we were left only with verifying Ragnild’s birth in northern Aurdal I have done this. I have seen the record that Hamar Statsarkivet drew its information from. I believed them, of course, I just wanted to see what else I could find. I have a digital photo of Ragnild’s birth record, it is not good copy and would be better if I had a more sophisticated digital camera, I suppose. The record, naturally, is in norwegian but this is what I could decipher: From FHL Film #0125516, Northern Aurdal, 1808-1815, page 41 (bottom of the page, 2nd up), we have the birth of RAGHILD. It appears to be in the Ulness subparish; Born to Juel Knudsen Bassum og (and) ____ Sigir Thoresdatter: Witnesses - Niels Thoressen Ulness; Ole Knudsen Bassum; Kari Knudsdr Bassum; Agathe Olsdr Bassum; (og) and Ingeborg Olsdtr Hilmens (or Hilmer). Raghild was baptized on 26 December 1811, born 18 December 1811. From other review, including 1801 census records and tradition at these events, it is likely that of the witnesses to this baptism, Niels Thoressen is a brother of the mother (Sigir) of the child (Raghild); Ole Knudsen is a brother of the father (Juel) of the child (Ole is age 26 in 1801), Kari Knudsdr is a sister of the father of the child (she is age 14 in 1801); Agathe is a niece of Juel’s mother (Agathe is age 10 in 1801); and Ingeborg may also be a niece of Juel’s mother. Juels mother is Seborg Ingebretsdtr. I have found the confirmation record for Ragnild (20 August 1826 in northern Aurdal); and her sister Sebjor (Sebbjor) - born 8 April 1809, confirmed 20 July 1823, also in northern Aurdal. We know a sister (of Ragnild) was born 29 August 1802, Kari, and another Kari, 26 December 1803. It is likely the first Kari died as an infant. A brother, Knud, is born 3 August 1806, and another sister, Agathe on 5 March 1815. Two things remain to verify Ragnhild or Raghild: find where she ends up in in Toten and when; decide whether the inconsistency in the naming of Ole Hansen and Ragnhild’s children (Ole is her future husband) is acceptable. Ole & Ragnild had nine children that I know of, seven girls. Ole being the son of Hans, one would expect the first boy to be Hans. The first boy is Johan, but he is the 6th child. By then, they probably thought they would all be girls. The second child is Johanne, a girl. Close enough? There are no Juul named children, but one of the daughters is Julianne, the 4th child. There is no child, no daughter, named after Ragnild’s mother, Sigri (Sigir), or anything close. We don’t yet know the parents of Ole Hansen. We know that twins by Ole and Ragnild were named Ole and Johanne. There is also a Kari. Could it be that Ole and maybe his parents thought poorly of northern Aurdal names such as Juul, Seborg, Knut and such? Could it be that they didn’t fit the Toten Parish area? We know this for sure, the grandchildren of Ole Hansen and Ragnild Juulsdatter does include at least one Ragnild, the first daughter of Hellene Olsdtr & Syver Madsen. But, why no Sigri or Sigir or anything close for children of Ole and Ragnild? Could we be missing a child? There is a Valborg in the grandchildren....? Fred Matson |