Chapter 1
Chapter 3
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Chapter 2
Hans Sorensen began his life in 1825. It is useful to review some events and conditions that existed in America and Denmark at this time. The nation of the United States of America, having been in existence less than fifty years, was still recovering from the effects of the War of 1812 and working to establish itself among nations. John Quincy Adams was declared president the previous year, 1824, by the vote of the House of Representatives. In September 1825, in rural New York state, Joseph Smith experienced another visitation of the Angel Moroni, on the second anniversary of his original visit to the young prophet in 1823. In Denmark, the country was in a time of peace, having previously suffered from the effects of the Napoleanic wars some 10 years prior, when Norway was removed from Danish rule. It was a time of rebuilding national identity and pride. The prevailing religion in Denmark was the Evangelical Lutheran church. All vital records were kept by the church in parish records.
Hans Sørensen (as it was spelled at the time) was born on October 2, 1825, in Kragevig, Ørslev, Holbæk, Denmark. 1 At this time in Denmark, most of the people lived in villages and small farms where they worked in various trades. This was true of Hans' family. Søren Nielsen, his wife Karen Jørgensdatter, and their family lived in the small village of Kragevig in the parish of Ørslev. Hans was the seventh (and last) child of the family, though only three of the first children were still living when Hans was born. The family belonged to the Lutheran Church, which was true for most Danes. The parish records mark his christening as being on October 3rd in his home and again on November 6, 1825 in church. He was carried to the christening by Dorthe Hansdatter. Usually the carrier is a girl or young woman, possibly a relative. The godfathers at the christening were Niels Jensen and Peder Knudsen. Also documented in this record is his smallpox vaccination which was administered on September 7, 1826. The Danish people kept very good and detailed records. Those records made it possible to discover so much about Hans and his family.
Søren Nielsen, Hans' father, is listed in the 1834 census as a tenant farmer. 2 At the time of the 1834 census, only two of the children were left at home: Jørgen and Hans. Three of the children died young, two named Lars (aged 2 and 9 at death), and the other a stillborn boy born just a year and a half before Hans was born. Hans' sisters, Anna Greta and Mette Marie, were married and living nearby. Han's mother, Karen, died on January 12, 1836, leaving the 10 year old boy motherless. His father, Søren, died a few years following, on November 5, 1839, making Hans an orphan at the age of 14. Hans' only living brother, Jørgen, was 23 and able to care for himself.
After his parents died, Hans lived with his sister, Mette Marie, and her husband. They all appear in the 1840 3 and 1845 census records. In the Ørslev 1845 census record, 4 Hans is listed as a weaver, a trade he followed until he was about 33 years of age. The military registration record of 1841 for Ørslev, which lists him as 15 years of age, contains a note that he moved to Munke-Bjærgby on 24 December 1841. 5 The Military Levying Rolls were recorded in the birth town of young men, listed under their father's name (even if the father was dead). Though Hans lived and worked in other towns, he is always listed as being in Ørslev in the military records. These records also contain additional notes concerning the whereabouts of the young man in the years following the original record. The records for 1843 and 1846 give more details saying that he was apprenticed or working with Anders Johansen, a weaver in Munke-Bjærgby. It appears that there were several places in the area where he was working in his apprenticeship as a weaver. Hans likely was living in Munke-Bjærgby through these years, which happens to be the place where his future wife lived. In 1843, Hans, at the age of 18 years, is listed in the military record as being 62 1/4 "thumbs" tall. 6 A Danish thumb was a little longer than our inch, so he was about 5 foot 4 inches at the time. According to the 1846 record he had grown a little, being shown as 63 thumbs, or nearly 5' 5". 7 His 1846 Military Levying Rolls record is quite cluttered with a lot of information, mostly unreadable in the current state. The record shows that Hans served as a soldier from December 1, 1848 until June 28, 1849.
Hans married Ane Nielsen on September 9, 1848 in Tersløse 8. In the marriage record, Hans is again listed as a weaver. The "arrivals" records of the Tersløse parish show that Hans moved to Tersløse on 17 Oct. 1848, 9 even though he was already married and living there. Tersløse was fairly close to Munke-Bjærgby where he worked as a weaver (as mentioned in the military records). In Ane's history, it says that the two of them had been friends for several years: "He was a weaver by trade, and had a good clientele of customers. He built them a fine home, with clay floors, and green tinted glass windows which faced the front area." 10 The history also tells of Hans grinding grain and of Ane making large loaves of bread. The history continues: "The story is told that it didn't matter if the bread got old and molded, as it could be washed down with beer. Moldy bread made one strong. Homemade beer was the usual drink as water was generally not fit for drinking." 11
Near this time, on September 23, 1848, Denmark declared war on Prussia over the issue of a dispute of the sovereignty of the Schlesvig-Holstein region between Denmark and Northern Germany. That war lasted until a treaty was signed on May 8, 1852, a victory for Denmark. Hans served in the military in the early part of this conflict, though it is difficult to determine whether he saw any action.
Their first child, Søren Peder was born the following spring, on April 16, 1849. 12 In the christening record, Hans is listed as a weaver. The family moved from Tersløse to Ruds-Vedby May 1, 1849 as recorded in parish records. 13 The 1850 census for Ruds-Vedby shows Hans with his wife Ane and their son, Søren Peder.14 In Ruds-Vedby, their second child, a daughter, Mette Marie, was born on October 4, 1851. 15 She was probably named after Hans' sister, Mette Marie, who died two years before this, on October 30, 1849. Perhaps this indicates that the loss of his sister was difficult for Hans.
This is a map showing the places Hans lived from 1825 until about 1860.
This is in the north-central area of the island of Sjælland. Copenhagen is on the east end of the island.
Parish records show that on November 4, 1852, Hans moved again with his family, this time to Torpegavn, Hallenslev, 16 where on November 9, 1854, their next child, Anders Vilhelm was born. 17 The 1855 census of Hallenslev lists Hans with his family in Torpegavn. 18 In the census, they are listed as belonging to the Lutheran Church.
Already, in just a few short years, Hans and his family experienced many changes and moved several times. This, however, was minor compared to what was in store for them in the next few years.
1. Danish Archives Online (http://www.sa.dk/ao/), Ørslev Holbæk. Parish records beginning 1812, Opslag [image number] 15, page 14, item 6 (fourth item on the page). The parish record specifies that the parents are from Kragevig. Some records use Kragerup as his birthplace.
2. Danish Archives Online, Ørslev 1834 Census (Amt: Holbæk, Sogn: Ørslev) Opslag 11, page 248, house number 69 on the census page.
Søren Nielsen 64 Married tenant farmer
Karen Jørgensdatter 53 Married his wife
Jørgen Sørensen 18 Unmarried their son
Hans Sørensen 9 Unmarried their son
3. Danish Archives Online, Ørslev 1840 Census (Amt: Holbæk, Sogn: Ørslev) Opslag 11, page 546, house number 70 on the census page.
Hans Larsen 33 married tenant farmer
Mette Marie Sørensdatter 33 married his wife
Lars Hansen 5 unmarried their child
Hans Sørensen 15 unmarried foster child, house mother's brother
Mette Kirstine Nielsdatter 17 unmarried servant girl
4. Danish Archives Online, Ørslev 1845 Census (Amt: Holbæk, Sogn: Ørslev) Opslag 19, page 362, house number 69 on the census page.
Hans Larsen 39 married tenant farmer [born] Kirke Flinterup parish, Sorø county
Mette Marie Sørensdatter 38 married his wife [born] Ruds Vedby parish, Holbæk county
Lars Hansen 10 unmarried their child [born] in this parish
Karen Marie Hansdatter 5 unmarried their child [born] in this parish
Hans Sørensen 20 unmarried house mother's brother, weaver [born] in this parish
5. Danish Military Levying Rolls, Ørslev, Holbæk, Denmark, 1841, film 0039725, lægd 67.
6. Danish Military Levying Rolls, Ørslev, Holbæk, Denmark, 1843, film 0510117, item 2, lægd 67.
7. Danish Military Levying Rolls, Ørslev, Holbæk, Denmark, 1846, film 0510120, lægd 67.
8. Danish Archives Online, Tersløse Holbæk parish records beginning 1842, Opslag 155; p 158.
9. Tilgang Index -7 -34 (unable to find this - it was a source written on a family group chart)
10. Ane Nielsen Sorensen history, unpublished, by Margaret Sorensen Peterson, a great granddaughter., p 1.
12. Danish Archives Online, Tersløse Holbæk parish records beginning 1842, Opslag 11; page 8.
13. Danish Archives Online, Tersløse Holbæk parish records beginning 1841 - Tilgangsliste, Opslag 32; (no page number) line 150.
14. Danish Archives Online, Ruds-Vedby 1850 Census (Amt: Holbæk, Sogn: Ruds-Vedby)
Opslag 10, page 9, house number 49 (with another couple listed first).
Hans Sørensen 25 married [born] Ørslev weaver, housefather
Ane Nielsen 28 married [born] Tersløse his wife
Søren Peter Hansen 1 [born] here in this parish their son
15. Danish Archives Online, Ruds-Vedby Holbæk parish records beginning 1849, Opslag 15.
16. Danish Archives Online, Hallenslev, Holbæk parish records beginning 1834, Opslag 85; p 86.
17. Danish Archives Online, Hallenslev Holbæk parish records beginning 1834, Opslag 16 p 13. Name of child: Anders Vilhelm Hansen. Note: Andrew William wrote in his history that his birth date was November 9, 1855. Andrew William's LDS record in Aarhus shows the 1855 date as well. This later dated is used in histories and family genealogy. The parish records show the year as being 1854. That is the year used in this document.
18. Danish Archives Online, Hallenslev 1855 Census (Landsogn: Amt: Holbæk, Sogn: Hallenslev ) Opslag 9, page 252, house number 47. Torpegavn
Hans Sørensen, 30; Ane Nielsdatter, 34; Søren Peder Hansen, 6; Methe Marie Hansen, 4; and unnamed child, 1.