DENMARK-L Archives

From: "Rockne H. Johnson" <>
Subject: Danish genealogy
Date: Sat, 22 May 1999 19:32:57 -1000

Dear Subscribers,

Genealogy did not begin with the internet! In fact, I have been given to
understand that it did not begin with microfilm. But it certainly involved
a lot of travelling.

Genealogy involves the reading of records. There are original records;
there are transcriptions; there are microfilms; there are indexes; and
there are computer files. All thes modifications are designed to make the
work easier; but easier may not be better! The further that onedeparts
from the original record, the more likely that mistakes will enter. And a
mistaken ancestor is no ancestor at all.

If you get your ancestry from a computer, you will be inheriting the
mistakes of others. So when you ask for help, you should not be asking
that someone tell you who are your ancestors; you should be asking how to
proceed to find the records. In most cases, this means asking directions
to the nearest LDS family-history center. The problem is that, when you
get there, the staff will not be able to tell you which microfilms to
order. That is where this mailing list should come in!

Where to begin? The family-history center staff will tell you to begin
with yourself and hand you a blank pedigree form to fill in. Most of us
have already done that back as far as our immigrant Danish ancestor.
Usually the greatest obstacle is finding that ancestor's home in Denmark.
The patent solution is to look at the emigration books maintained by the
Copenhagen Police. These are indexed and available on the internet at
http://users.cybercity.dk/~ccc13656/

Five of my direct ancestors came from Denmark to America between about 1870
and 1880 on four separate voyages. I have not been able to find a single
one in the Copenhagen Police records! But if you can find yours, then
their home will be listed and you should be on your way to finding many
generations of ancestors. You will have use of the churchbooks, the
census, military levying rolls, probate records, land-tenancy records, etc.
You will be limited only by your own ingenuity. It will help to know just
a very little bit of Danish language.

I found my grandparents' hometowns by surprise. My sister sent me a
picture postcard of a church and a windmill, which had been saved from my
grandmother's treasures and I was able to work back from the address on the
postcard and from the postmark. Then, while looking for information on my
dad and his brothers, I found that grandpa's hometown had been entered on
Uncle Wally's birth certificate.

So ask the right questions of the DENMARK list but expect to do the record
reading on your own. Actually, it is more fun that way!

Rock
listowner

This thread:

• Danish genealogy by "Rockne H. Johnson" <>