John E. Vangsness' Birth Records

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

A 2 (1844-1866), Birth and baptism records 1852, page 21.

The actual Parish register, p 21, Arkivverket Risksarkivet Og Statsarkivene

Detail

Our ancestor, John E. Vangsness' birth record in Norway.
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He is No. 39.
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1. Birth date: 13 July
2. Baptism date: 18 July
3. Name: John
4. Whether Legitimate or not: He is not. But, underneath it mentions that his parents married in 1853.
5. Parent's names: Ungkari / bachelor- Iver Endreson, Pige / unmarried woman or girl - Unni Andersd. Vangsneas
6. Sponsors:  Viking Endresen Nissestad (obviously his father's brother listed as Wiking on John G.'s family tree records) and his other 4 sponsors all live at Vangsnes.
7. Note about being illegitimate: It has Erik (something like Pe) derson Vangsneaes. It could be that Erik Anderson Vangsnaes could be the babies grandfather. He may be vouching for the couple. (The ae in that name looks like an o.)

About Baptismal Records

-For baptismal records the year usually will be written at the top of the page.

-The left hand column is the chronological number of that baptism for that year, starting with #1. 

-Usually the next column will be the birth date, and the next column is the baptism date, then the child's name, next whether it is a legitimate birth, next the parents' names and residence. 

-Next, usually on the second page, are the baptism sponsors, often 5 in number, with the oldest or most important man listed first, then the other men, and then the women. 

-There may be a column for stating if there was a home baptism and by whom. 

-There may be a last column for remarks, such as explaining why the parents aren't married. 

-Some baptism records separate the boys from the girls, either with the boys on the left page and the girls on the right, or with the boys at the top of the page and girls at the bottom.

If you can't tell by the name the sex of the child; a boy usually has 3 male sponsors and 2 female, while a girl has 3 female sponsors and 2 males. Almost always the male sponsors are listed first, oldest or more important first, and then the youngest, often the last is newly confirmed = circa age 16.)

Thank you to Wilda Obey for finding this material and sharing it with us AND translating the Norwegian. AND for her detailed instructions on how to find the correct page in the Parish Records so that I could download it.