Ed's Day Wednesday
Dear FOLKS,
Continuing to learn more of Raymond Emerson (1819-1904), today we'll explore his departure from Norway. Records in Norway tell us that he was born with the name Reinert Ommundsen, the son of Ommund Ommundsen and Anne Malene Sigbjørnsdatter at the Lindeland family farm, Nes, Vest-Agder fylke near the town of Flekkefjord in Norway. Raymond was one of my late cousin Ed's great-grandfathers; his mother's father's father. Last week we retold the story told about Raymond and his life and family during the early days of pioneering in Minnesota. If you would like to read that article, please click here.
Because of this name change, this requires us to search for Norwegian records using the name Reinert Ommundsen and Raymond Emerson. Both names are used to search for records in the U.S., especially right after his arrival here. Not a difficult thing to do once we understand this fact
Of interest to the local Norwegian parish pastors, they accounted for births, deaths, marriages, individuals moving in and out of the parish, etc. They also kept track of when a child was confirmed and vaccinated. It is wonderful that these registers were kept and have been digitized and indexed for our use online by the National Archives of Norway and these are free for our use.
A search of the Flekkefjord parish church register finds a record that tells us that Reinert Ommundsen notified the church officials of his intent to leave the area.
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| IMAGE: Page 428 of the Flekkefjord parish register, #A-5, showing those leaving the parish from 1849 to 1855.[1] |
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| IMAGE: Snippet showing #12 Reinert Ommundsen's entry. |
-------- translation begins --------
Departures from the Parish (including Children) 428
No. 12.
Reported Date of Departure 1855.
Name Bachelor Reinert Ommundsen Lindeland
Age 7 February 1819
To What Place Moving to To North America and ??? on 8th May 1855.
-------- translation ends --------
I noticed that in the Age-column, Reinert's date of baptism is used instead of his birth. Also on entry # 15 and 16, it is entered that Inger Tobine Tallaksdatter Seland (born 11 December 1836) and Ole Atlaksen Lindeland (no birth date given) are leaving for North America on 10 May 1855. These two individuals will travel with Reinert all the way to their common destination in Stearns County, Minnesota. We will learn more of them in a future story.
There is a portion of the National Archives of Norway that provides information of those leaving. It is called the Emigration Register, but I have been unable to find Reinert Ommundsen, spelled in a number of ways, listed there. Nevertheless, Reinert left Norway aboard the sailing ship Espindola.
The SS Espindola was an American vessel built in 1841 in Nobleboro, Maine. In 1854 it was purchased by Hans E. Møller, a citizen of the port town of Porsgrunn, Norway; and for a while it was the largest ship registered in this port. After its first run from Sweden to London, England, it docked in Porsgrunn for the winter and announced it was going to leave for North America in April 1855 with a destination of Quebec, Canada. With that announcement the shipping company began to take reservations. Its captain was J.H. Finnemark. This three-masted square-rigged sailing ship was registered at 741 tons; unofficially it was probably about 220 feet in length and 40 feet in width.
The website, Norway-Heritage.com, states that the Espindola departed Porsgrunn for Quebec on 09 May 1855.[2] If this is true, then the departure date in the church register is the anticipated date for the ship to depart from Norway, not the date an individual would leave his parish. Reinert had reported that his departure date was 08 May 1855 and Ole Atlaksen Lindeland had stated his departure date was 10 May 1855. Since both sailed on the Espindola, there has to be some travel time built into this schedule for the travelers to reach the port. Perhaps the emigrants would report to their pastor two weeks or so prior to the sailing date.
Unfortunately for us, Canadian customs were not keeping records at this time. It is likely we will not locate a passenger list for this trip. Once again the Norway-Heritage.com website comes to our rescue and reports that the Espindola left Porsgrunn, Norway on 9 May 1855 and arrived at Quebec, Canada on 30 June 1855. I calculate that this trip lasted approximately 7 weeks. There had to be plenty of relief and excitement when the passengers were finally able to be on land again. Records found or not, we know that Reinert made it safely to America. This was a time when many Norwegians were leaving their homeland for the relative easy to obtain, inexpensive land that was available in the upper midwest. Is this possibly when Reinert changed his name to Raymond Emerson? We'll discuss this topic again in a future article.
It is uncertain how is was that Reinert/Raymond made the 1500 plus miles from Quebec to central Minnesota. It is possible that he took a second ship that traversed the St Lawrence River and on west across Lake Superior. Then catching a train ride. He immigrated to America much earlier than cousin Ed's other great-grandparents, so it is likely he would have had to travel in a variety of methods; boats, trains, coaches, wagons, on horseback or even on foot.
Records next show us that in 1860, Raymond Emmerson is residing in Stearns County, Minnesota. He is single, living alone and is neighbors with his traveling companions and friends from Norway... Ole and Inger Lindeland. That's right the same persons mentioned earlier as Ole Atlaksen Lindeland and his wife Inger Tobine Tallaksdatter Seland.
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| IMAGE: 1860 U.S. Census snippet showing Reinert Emerson #33 and his neighbor Ole Lindeland.[3] |
Page 59
Stearns County, Minnesota
Merion Post Office
enumerated 26 June 1860
*line 30 - Dwelling 650, Family 514 - Ole Lindeland -- age 31, male, farmer, real estate value $800, personal property value $200, born in Norway
*line 31 - Dwelling 650, Family 514 - Turbeny Lindeland -- age 24, female, born in Norway
*line 32 - Dwelling 650, Family 514 - Josephine Lindeland -- age 2, female, born Minnesota
*line 33 - Dwelling 651, Family 515 - Rymon Emmerson -- age 40, male, farmer, real estate value $800, personal property value $200, born in Norway
------- summary ends --------
I had trouble finding our guy on this census, his first name was indexed as Rymon... and again was he Ommundsen or Emerson? But he was found. The location was actually in St. Martin township, but that township wasn't organized until 1863, until that time it was affiliated with the Merion Post Office.
The next record for Raymond is a land record when he is included with the a Mr. Garland and his son in a bounty land grant. This is the oldest grant document I have worked with and the first military warrant for me too. So let's see what we can discover here.
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| IMAGE: 1812 Military Warrant #84150 issued to Franklin Garland being assigned to Raymond Emerson. [4] |
-------- transcription begins --------
3 of 2
THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,
To all to whom these Presents shall come, Greeting:
WHEREAS, In pursuance of the Act of Congress, approved March 3, 1855, entitled an "An Act in addition to certain Acts granting Bounty Land to certain Officers and Soldiers who have been engaged in the military service of the United States," there has been deposited in the GENERAL LAND OFFICE, Warrant No . 84,150 for 160 acres, in favor of Franklin T. Garland minor, child of George Garland, (Deceased,) Private, Captain Burrs, Company, Massachusetts, Militia, War 1812 with evidence that the same has been duly located upon the West half of the North East quarter, and, the West half of the South East quarter; of Section, thirty three, in Township One hundred and twenty-four, North of Range, thirty-two, West, in the District of Lands, subject to sale, at, St Cloud, Minnesota, containing, One hundred and sixty acres according to the Official Plat of the Survey of said Lands returned to the GENERAL LAND OFFICE, by the SURVEYOR GENERAL the said Warrant, having been assigned to the said Franklin T Garland, to, Raymond Emerson, in where fore said tract, has been located
NOW KNOW YE, That there is therefore granted granted by the UNITED STATES unto the said Raymond Emerson, as, assignee, as aforesaid, and to his heirs the tract of Land above described: TO HAVE AND TO HOLD the said tract of Land with the appurtenances thereof, unto the said Raymond Emerson, as, assignee, as, aforesaid, and to his heirs and assigns forever.
In testimony whereof, I, Abraham Lincoln PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, have caused these Letters to be made Patent, and the SEAL OF THE GENERAL LAND OFFICE to the hereunto affixed.
[seal]
GIVEN under my hand, at the CITY OF WASHINGTON, the First day of July in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and Sixty two, and of the INDEPENDENCE OF THE UNITED STATES the Eighty sixth
BY THE PRESIDENT: Abraham Lincoln
By W O Stoddard Sec'y
J N Granger Recorder of the General Land Office.
-------- transcription ends --------
It is likely that money was exchanged between Raymond and Franklin T. Garland, with Raymond actually purchasing the land that was named in this military warrant. But I haven't any record that proves this.
About one year later, Raymond would sell this same parcel of land to Michael Haupt. The exact date of this real estate transaction is said to be 24 July 1863. Again I have no record to provide evidence of this, but it likely true as records have it that Raymond would soon volunteer to service in the military. But that is a story for another day.
Sources:
1.) "Parish Register Records, Departures from the Parish," online database with images, National Archives of Norway (http://www.digitalarkivet.no : accessed 08 May 2017), Flekkefjord Parish register (official) no. A 5, 1849-1875, p. 428, In- and Out-migrated (1855), line No. 12, Reinert Ommundsen. Quicklink to record: https://media.digitalarkivet.no/en/kb20070525370456
2.) "Emigrant ship database," online database, Norway-Heritage.com (http://www.norwayheritage.com : accessed 09 May 2017), Ship Espindola, Hans E. Møller, owner.
3.) 1860 United States Federal Census, Population Schedule, Stearns County, Minnesota, Marion Township, Page 901, Dwelling Number 651, Family Number 515, Line 23, Rymon Emmerson entry; indexed database and digital images, Ancestry.com (http://ancestry.com : accessed 20 February 2017), citing National Archives Microfilm Publication M653, Roll 574. FHL microfilm: 803574.
4.) U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management, General Land Office Records, online database with images, U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management, General Land Office (http://www.glorecords.blm.gov : accessed 10 May 2017), entry for Military Warrant Number 84150 for Raymond Emerson, Franklin T. Garland, and George Garland, 01 July 1862.
It was fun to learn more about when and how Raymond Emerson arrived in the United States. Thank you for stopping by and I hope you have a good day.
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Copyright (c) 2017, Darlene M. Steffens.
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