Iver Endreson & Unni Andersdattor Marriage

Wilda Obey searched the Balestrand bygdebok, read the Norwegian and found the following:

Sogn og Fjordane county, Balestrand, Parish register (official) nr. 

A 2 (1844-1866), Marriage records 1854, page 159.

Background information

Vangsnes is now in the Vik administration unit and it is part of the Vik mainland. In the past Vansnes was considered part of Balestrand Parish which is across the Sognefjord. In the days before roads were built, it was easier for government and church officials to go across the fjord by boat than to hike over the mountains. Thus, the Vangsness farm is in the Balestrand bygdebok.

On Find a Grave, we have photos of John E's grave stone listing his birth as July 13th, but the Balestrand church book (1844-1866) lists his birth as July 12th, 1852. (see my blog entry John E. Vangsness' Birth Records.) His parents were not married at the time but they did marry in December 1853. They went to America in 1854, most likely in April. We are a little puzzled about the two birth dates being different. One would think that John E. would know his own birthday! But we have been told that mistakes do happen on gravestones....

John was born at the Vangsnes farm. His father was Iver Endreson Nissestad and his mother was Unni Andersdatter Vangsnes. At their marriage, Iver is 35 and Unni is 30 years 6 months.

Marriage Records  http://www.arkivverket.no/

Detail

See Item No. 24

Explanation

• No: 24
• Date: either December 1st or 17 (hard to read), 1853
• Brudgommen's Nave (Bridegroom's Name) Ungkari = bachelor Iver Endreson, Oppholdssted (Residence) next possibly that he was born in Nissestad in Vig (Vik) and possibly saying he is now residing in Vangsnæs. Age 35. Brudgommens Far: His father is Endre Hansen Lie; 
• Bruden’s Navn (Bride's name) Pige = unmarried woman or girl Unni Andersdtr, Oppholdssted (Residence) from Dale, Age 30 1/2. Bruden’s Far: Her father is Anders Erikson Vangsnæs.
• Forlovernes (witnesses or best men or Sponsors) are Niels Monsen Vangsnæs and Anders Eriksen Vangsnæs. (Anders is most likely her father, so Niels would be a friend or relative of the groom.)
• Tillysningsdagen (date of the wedding announcement): The next column could be the dates for the 3 banns dates where the marriage has to be announced in advance. The dates are hard to read.
• Naar Havt De Naturlig Koppar, Eller Vaccineret? Attest Derom (Have they had smallpox naturally, or if not, have they been vaccinated? Attest thereto): Answer: yes. * Iver's is hard to read, ???, 1827 and Unni's is 5/4 25, meaning most likely 5 April 1825.

*I will write about this later, but small pox etc. was a big problem. In the early 1800s everyone had to be vaccinated before marriage.

Click here to see an enlargeable version of the page.

A reminder of where the farms are:

Unni's home farm is not shown on any of the maps I have put on the blog:: New Map of Vik and Area. But look at the map with Vik at the south edge with Balestrand across the fjord. You can see Vangsnes and the ferry routes. The Berge farm in Balestrand is further north. Follow the ferry route north along the bit of the fjord called Fjaerlandsfjord. Wilda Obey says that the farm is close to Mundal where US Vice President and ambassador to Japan Walter Mondale had ancestors.

The second map shows the southern part of Vik. There you can find the Le or Lee farm and the Nissestad farms.