Peder Sorensen: Older brother to Gedska

Birth, Gronbaek parish register, page 73. Birth of Peder Sorensen to Soren Hermansen and Maren Pedersdatter on April 30, 1806. He was the second child born to Soren and Maren, the first being Anne Marie three years earlier in Thorso parish, just south of Gronbaek. At the christening he was carried by Gedske Hermansen from Vindum, the sister of Soren. Also present were Mads Jensen, ?, and ? daughter Anne ?.

Confirmation, Vindum parish. Peder Sorensen was confirmed in 1823. His birthdate is correctly listed as April 30, 1806. No parent names are listed, and his father, Soren, had passed away by this time.

Departure, Vindum parish register, page 133. Peder Sorensen, age 24, leaving to Hojberg parish. He was the 11th person listed as leaving in the year 1829. Hojberg was immediately south of Vindum parish.

Marriage, Lysgaard parish register, page 82. Peder Sorensen of Gronbaek, 23 or 24 years old marrying Maren Jensdatter, age 35 1/2 years of Lysgaard on January 3, 1830. Scott and I searched about 10 parish registers before we found the marriage record. We knew he was married around 1830 because we found him in the 1834 census that follows, married, and with a 4 year old child.

1834 Census, Elsborg parish, page 5. Peder Sorensen age 28 and Maren Jensdatter age 41 living in the home of another family. He is an "Inderste og Dagleie." They have a 4 year old daughter, Inger Marie Pedersdatter.

Departure, Elsborg parish register, page 187. Peder Sorensen and Maren Jensdatter are leaving Elsborg parish for Vindum parish and do so May 27, 1840. Listed in the same column as Peder's name is a Peder Hermansen who may be his father Soren's brother. Peder is 32 and Maren is 44.
1840 Census, Vindum parish, page 15. Peder is 33 and Maren is 45. They have 2 children now, Inger Marie age 10, and Soren Pedersen age 6. They are living with Peders mother Maren Pedersdatter, a widow who is 72 years old. Peder is a tenant farmer or "Huusmand og Dagleier." The 1840 Census happened after May as this is when they moved from Elsborg to Vindum.

1845 Elsborg census, page 11. Peder and family have moved back to Elsborg and will remain here through his and his wife's deaths. Maren Pedersdatter, his mother, is not with them. Peder is 39, Maren is 51. Inger Marie is 15, and Soren Herman is 11. Inger Marie was born in Vium parish while Soren Herman was born in Elsborg parish. Here we learn that Maren was born in Viskum parish and her age would put the year around 1794.

1850 Elsborg census, page 8, family #37. The search for Peder Sorensen might have ended here as his name disappears from the census and registers. In looking through this census, Scott and I discovered his daughter Inger Marie who was married and had several children (future post). In looking further I found a Peder Hermansen, age 46, with a wife, Maren Jensdatter, age 56 living in the same village as the prior Peder Sorensen's I had found. Maren was born in Mammen. Also living with them was a Christen Nielsen age 8, who is described as an "almisslem." Coupled with a departure record of his daughter with her father listed as Peder Hermansen and the death record we later find demonstrating his name Peder Sorensen (Hermansen) we concluded that Peder had changed his last hame to his father's last name. Around this time in Denmark Patronymics was giving way to the Western/English way of keeping the last name. Who knows why he chose to do this midway through his life but nonetheless that is what he did--and it almost through us off.

1855 Elsborg census, page 18. Peder Hermansen age 49 and Maren Jensdatter age 62. Maren's birthplace is Viskum. The family listed above them is their daughter Inger Marie and her family. They are Lutheran.

1860 Elsborg census, page 5. This is the last census prior to the deaths of both Peder and Maren. Peder is 54 and Maren is 60 (She was 62 in the last census so she is 67). Maren's birthplace is Mammen parish which was directly south of Viskum where she was born. I find the census takers to do this often and it may be that boundaries of parishes changed over time or lazy census takers perhaps, I'm not sure? The second family above them is their daughter Inger Marie and her family.

Death, Elsborg parish register, page 132. Maren Jensdatter dies September 2, 1862 and is buried September 7. Under her name is writing that I think says born: Lille Thosager as the place of her birth. Her husband is listed as ? Hermansen of Vinkelsbek, Elsborg parish. She was 68 years old.

Death, Elsborg parish register, page 124. On February 17, 1866 Peder Sorensen (Hermansen) dies and is buried on February 25. He was from Vinkelsbek village and it says he was born in Vindum in 1806. He was 60 years old.