How to trace your How to trace your ancestors in Norway?ancestors in Norway?

Pearl Torii

What do you have at home?What do you have at home?

An old Bible?

A diary?

An old letter from Norway?

A picture?

It could give you a name, a farm name, an address etc.

Sources in the country they Sources in the country they settledsettled

Marriage or Death Certificates – any trace of place of birth?

Obituaries

Immigration Records - Passenger Lists and Naturalization Records.

◦ Passenger list – the port of departure?◦ You could find the Naturalization application form.

Censuses ◦ 1900 US census – how many years they have stayed in US.◦ From 1920 US census – listing the year they arrived.

Norwegian Lutheran Church Records in US◦ Membership Lists

Emigrant RecordsEmigrant RecordsYou will find Registers, Ship’s lists, Pass

registers.◦ Some of the early records are found at

http://www.norwayheritage.com/

From 1867-1930 - the Emigrant Registers.◦ You could find their name, home address, date of

departure, name of ship and destination.◦ You could find them in The Digital Archives

http://www.digitalarkivet.no/. Choose “Database selector” and “Emigrants”.

◦ Not all of the records are online! They will be in archives in hand written books.

See if you could match sources from US/Canada with Norwegian sources.

The Digital Archives (http://www.digitalarkivet.no/) includes:◦ Emigrant protocols.◦ Passport records.◦ People moving in and out from the parish.◦ Norwegians in US Census (“utlandet”).◦ Norwegians in US Church records (“utlandet”).◦ Martin Ulvestad; Nordmænd i Amerika.

Some Norwegian Ports of emigration:◦ Oslo (Kristiania), Bergen, Stavanger, Ålesund,

Kristiansund, Trondheim, Arendal, Larvik, Sandefjord and Kristiansand (S).

Emigrant Records IIEmigrant Records II

Nowegain Censuses Nowegain Censuses (Folketellinger, manntall)(Folketellinger, manntall)Some

Census

Years1900189118851875186518011701

(Manntall)1664-66

(Manntall)

• Restriction 100 years on Censuses• 1660´s and 1701 – only men are

recorded (manntall).• 1801 – first census including

everybody – also how many times marriages a person has been married.

• 1865, 1875 and 1900 – included “place of birth”.

• 1885 – only for cities.• You could find censuses at

http://www.digitalarkivet.no/

Church Records (Kirkebøker)Church Records (Kirkebøker)The first records from 1623, Andebu in Vestfold

district.From 1730 Church Records are found in most

parishes in Norway.1812 – the Church Records are standardized.You could find births, deaths, confirmation,

vaccination, arrivals/departures, membership.The Norwegian Church Records have restrictions

–80 years from the ones who are online.Originals are found at

http://www.arkivverket.no/URN:kb_readSome searchable records are available at

http://www.digitalarkivet.no/

An example of Church Record and Gothic Script An example of Church Record and Gothic Script 18171817

Column headings could be found in bottom at http://homepages.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~norway/na20.html

Source: Biri Kirkebok 1814-1828, folio 25 a.

Gothic scriptGothic script

The degree of difficulty depends on:◦ Ink◦ Paper◦ Handwriting◦ Period

An older script can be easier to read than a newer one! ◦ Spend time to get aquantinted with a persons hand

writing.◦ Try to learn the gotihc alphabet.

Gothic script – http://www.hist.uib.no/gotisk/

Secondary sourcesSecondary sourcesBygdebøker (country books).

Norske gårdsbruk – old and new books in one.

Genealogy books.

Articels.

Internet – family trees.

LanguageLanguage

Different pronunciation than in the English language.

Special letters after a-z is “æ”, “ø” and “å” (“aa”).

Danish spelling in old papers.

DictionariesDictionaries

Dictionaries:◦ English/Norwegian Dictionarie from Vega

Forlag – book with CD (for sale in Norway).◦ http://www.ordbok.com/engelsk/oversetter.ht

ml

◦ http://www.tritrans.net/

Special words: ◦ http://homepages.rootsweb.com/~norway/na

17.html

Norwegian genealogy onlineNorwegian genealogy online

How to trace your ancestors in Norway - http://digitalarkivet.uib.no/sab/howto.html

Research outline (LDS) - http://www.familysearch.org/Eng/Search/RG/images/34090_Norway.pdf

Riksarkivet - http://www.arkivverket.no/english/sources.html

Genealogy societies, forums, e-mail Genealogy societies, forums, e-mail listslists

http://www.genealogi.no/ (The Norwegian Genealogical Society)

http://www.disnorge.no/ (The Genealogy Society of Norway - DIS)

http://www.digitalarkivet.no/ (The Digital Archive) - The User´s forum

http://www.norwayheritage.com/ http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/,

Norwaylist etc.

Maps Maps Finn - http://www.finn.no/ - “kartsøk”

Hvor - http://www.hvor.no/ - “Søk”

Norgesglasset - http://ngis.statkart.no/norgesglasset/default.html

Google - http://maps.google.com

Air photos - http://www.norgeibilder.no/

Pontoppidan’s map 1785 - http://da2.uib.no/pontopkart/Pkart_oversikt.htm

Help from professionals? Help from professionals? It is no certification of genealogists in Norway. Some education at Universities – check education and

reputation of the one offering you help (Local history from Sogn og Fjordane University College, Genealogy studies at Volda University College).

Do not make payment to a private account – get an invoice!

Professionals at NSF - The Norwegian Genealogical Society´s webpage - http://www.genealogi.no/Annonser/oppdragsforskning.htm - has been discussed at a board meeting before published on webpage.

The Norwegian American Genealogical Center and Naeseth Library, Madison, WI - http://www.nagcnl.org/