Help Tracing Norwegian Ancestor(s) + Immigration/Travel to United Kingdom

[Ellen Charge]

Hi,

I am from England and discovered that I likely have some previously-unknown Norwegian ancestry, particularly in Hedmark and possibly a more distant line in Finnmark. Through MyHeritage, I have determined the existence of ~3 distinct triangulating match clusters, which are outlined in the attached Excel spreadsheet. I have also identified, using the more extensive trees of some matches, two couples that are the shared ancestors of a few of my matches: one from Hedmark (Matthias Halvorsen Vestby [b. 1822, d. 1897 + Marthe Christoffersen b. 1823, d. ?], the other from Finnmark and Troms (Hanne Zakariasdatter Bork/Borch [b. 1820, d. 1869]  + Jens Johan Bork/Borch [b. 1812, d. 1886]). I have yet to identify such a couple for my third cluster, called N4 in my Excel spreadsheet. I am trying to find out how I came to be connected to these matches, and who my shared ancestor with them is. My closest matches are 3rd cousins 1x removed. I am certain the Norwegian ancestry is on my father's side as my half-sister via my mother does not share these matches. 

The trees I've shared below use some of my more distant matches, unfortunately, as those happened to be the ones with more extensively-built trees, but they highlight common ancestors between them. My hypothesis is that these shared ancestors; or else a parent, sibling, or aunt/uncle of these ancestors is my ancestor who ended up in England at some point. My family are from Hertfordshire, very close to London, so I suspect they arrived via London in the late 18th century or early-mid 19th century. 

Here are my trees:

1. Finnmark Group (Matches in Red)

Anchor Ancestor: Hanna Regine Zakariasdatter (b. 1820 – d. 1869)

└── Child: Nora J. Jensdatter (b. 1841 – d. 1910)

• Branch A (Mikkal K. Mikkelsen line):

  └── Mikkal K. Mikkelsen (b. 1866)

  • Jakob Mikkelsen ➔ Albert Mikkelsen ➔ Jacob Mikkelsen (16.7 cM) ➔ Marit Mikkelsen (8.2 cM)

  • Erling Mikkelsen ➔ [Unknown] Mikkelsen ➔ Nina Sletnes (8.6 cM)

  • Erling Mikkelsen ➔ Berit Mikkelsen (8.2 cM)

  • M. Mikkelsdatter (b. 1912 – d. 1997) ➔ Herleif Johansen (b. 1940 – d. 2014) ➔ Ole Johnny Johansen (b. 1960 – d. 2023) ➔ Alexander Johansen (8.2 cM)

• Branch B (Ingebrigt E. Larsen line):

  └── Ingebrigt E. Larsen (b. 1863 – d. 1945)

  • Ingeborg Larsen (b. 1899 – d. 1988) ➔ Ingebrigt Berg (b. 1927 – d. 2004) ➔ Turid Marianne Berg (15.5 cM)

  • Solveig Kramvik (b. 1907 – d. 1976) ➔ Ingebrigt Pedersen (12.8 cM)

2. Hedmark Group (Matches in Green)

Anchor Ancestor: Mathias Halvorsen Vestby (b. 1822 – d. 1887)

• Branch A (Oline Mathiasdatter line):

  └── Oline Mathiasdatter (b. 1855 – d. 1929)

  └── Magnus G. Braskerud (b. 1893 – d. 1987)

  └── G. O. Braskerud (b. 1919 – d. 2009)

  └── Terje Græsmo (b. 1950 — 36.5 cM)

• Branch B (Marie Mathiasdatter line):

  └── Marie Mathiasdatter (b. 1867 – d. 1894)

  └── Bertha Olafsdatter (b. 1894 – d. 1980)

  └── Ole Banken (b. 1926 – d. 1999)

  └── [Unknown] Banken

  └── Jan Roger Midtskogen-Banken (10.6 cM)

• Branch C (K. Mathiasdatter line):

  └── K. Mathiasdatter (b. 1849 – d. 1924)

  └── Martin Haugen (b. 1888 – d. 1965)

  └── Jenny Haugen (b. 1912 – d. 1941)

  └── Hjørdis Berg (b. 1940)

  └── [Unknown] Sandberg

  └── Levi André Havu Nuet (9.5 cM)

If anyone could help me to figure out the connection to England and whom my Norwegian ancestors might be, it would be most appreciated.

Thank you!

Norwegian_DNA_Search_Angel_Colour_Coded (1).xlsx

[Anton Hagelee]

A difficult search indeed. I wonder if you might have tried searching from the English side. 

 

I see that you have received some information from your post (I assume it is your post?) on Reddit. Reddit is not the easiest site to use so I posted a link but also some of the thread as well. 

 

https://www.reddit.com/r/Genealogy/comments/1vlms6n/can_anyone_please_help_me_identify_my_norwegian/

 

Reply to your query:

 

"So common would be around 3x great grandparent range? Have you been able to narrow it down to a grandparent branch? " 

 

Your reply:

 

"Absolutely! Thank you for your reply.

I'm not sure which of my paternal grandparents it is through, unfortunately. My paternal grandfather's great grandfather was recorded as being illegitimate, but a hint in his middle name suggests an English neighbour as the father. That said, as my paper trail and my DNA don't match, I still suspect we're looking at an NPE of some kind."

 

Can you provide the part of your Family Tree that leads back to a Norwegian Ancestor or the Tree that leads back to your best guess as to where your Norwegian Ancestor comes from. 

 

 

Endret i går, 15:53 av Anton Hagelee

[Ellen Charge]

@Anton Hagelee Thank you for your reply! Sure, here is a tree I made with 3 of my matches who trace back to the Hedmark couple. I have one for the Finnmark couple in image format showing some of the matches who trace back to them (I since found a couple more). 

The large tree stems from one match called T Græsmo, but also shows the paths to two other matches: J.R. Midtskogen-Banken, and L A Havu Nuet. Each stems from a separate daughter of Mathias and Marthe, shown most clearly in the "Mini Trees" doc. Please let me know if anything else would be useful. I have a spreadsheet of all my matches from either cluster, who presumably descend from the same couple (but lack trees with the necessary information).

And yes, that was my post! I'm considering it might've been an NPE. Let me see if I can share my own tree with you in a separate comment.

EDIT: Here is the link to my tree on Ancestry: https://www.ancestry.co.uk/invite-ui/accept?token=R2bxD1LIUx2726nd1F1568Hi9wYgbTUmxjmT7tnZqG8=

FamilySearch Tree.ged Mini Trees.docx

Endret i går, 21:17 av Ellen Charge

[Anton Hagelee]

Ok, since I have an Ancestry.com member I was able to see your Family Tree under the guest membership. That is a good start. 

 

Mini Trees.doc.x worked fine, so I now have the Norwegian info 

 

The FamilySearch Tree.ged gave me this info. Hopefully I will not need it. 

 

“Family Tree Maker 2017” is damaged and can’t be opened. You should move it to the Trash.

 

 

 

 

 

Endret i går, 21:49 av Anton Hagelee

[Ellen Charge]

@Anton Hagelee That's great! About the tree not working, I can invite you to view it as part of a "family group" via this link:https://www.familysearch.org/groups/family?groupId=9MMF-SS3&inviteId=MMMN-STV

[Anton Hagelee]

Let's see if we need it. I do not have a Family Search subscription so that might complicate things and you have given me a lot to look at. 

[Anton Hagelee]

I took a quick look at the Family Tree you have provided me through Ancestry.com shared tree system. I was of course looking for any Norwegian names in the Tree. I did not find any, which is probably not too surprising to you since you did mention the possibility of an NPE event. 

 

I will take a  more depth look at the Tree again tomorrow looking for some family members whose parentage has some doubt. We would then focus the search on those few but finding true parentage of those born about 1780 to 1830 will not be easy. 

 

If we run into a dead end there we may have to try and pick a few of the Norwegian families with close DNA ties to you and search the Bygdebøker that cover the relevant parishes of Hedmark. 

 

Norwegian parishes published exhaustive local history books documenting every farm, house, and family line for centuries. A search could be made of these books looking for family members who the books report as settling or living in England. 

 

We will need some Norwegian help for that as researching those books usually requires a Norwegian IP address. The books can be accessed at The National Library of Norway (Nasjonalbiblioteket) most easily online but only with a Norwegian IP address. 

 

For those readers curious about what we mean by NPE event. Here is a link

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Non-paternity_event

 

 

 

 

[Ellen Charge]

@Anton Hagelee Thank you for the work you've done so far! If it's of any use, I am aware of one confirmed illegitimate ancestor: William Higgs Eborn (b. 1826). He was the last child of Fanny Eborn (b. 1790), married to a James Ebbern (the similar surnames seem to be a coincidence, as Fanny's father also had the surname Eborn). He was listed as illegitimate on his baptism record. That said, I found a neighbouring Thomas Higgs on a census, which suggested to me that he, or a member of his family, may be the father due to the surname and proximity. However, I can't be certain. Thomas was 16 years Fanny's junior, so it seems a slightly implausible, albeit possible, union.  

Of course, not all NPEs will be recorded, so there could be others. I am also missing a few people from my tree. Due to the issue of non-recorded NPEs, I was aiming to work forwards from the Norwegian side instead of backwards from the English side. Even finding a link to London or SE England would be a huge discovery for me. That said, I trust your process completely and will happily help in any way I can. Thank you for helping me with this! 

[Anton Hagelee]

Yes, after looking at your Tree today, two families struck me as being worth some extra effort from the English side. One of them is the family you have highlighted above. The family of William Higgs Eborn and Fanny Eborn. 

 

The other family that seems to be worth more effort is Jesse Sturman (b 1836) mother Mary Sturman and father Jesse Washington. 

 

I will do a little more in the English area but  i suspect that you are far more qualified to try and find the true parentage of these two, William Higgs Eborn and Jesse Stuman. 

 

Probably time to turn my efforts to the Norwegian side. 

 

 

Endret 8 timer siden av Anton Hagelee

[Anton Hagelee]

On 8/11/2026 at 1:37 PM, Ellen Charge said:

I have determined the existence of ~3 distinct triangulating match clusters, which are outlined in the attached Excel spreadsheet. I have also identified, using the more extensive trees of some matches, two couples that are the shared ancestors of a few of my matches: one from Hedmark (Matthias Halvorsen Vestby [b. 1822, d. 1897 + Marthe Christoffersen b. 1823, d. ?]

 

So from the DNA results you feel that this couple from Hedmark are good candidates to be part of your Norwegian Ancestry. I find them interesting also since they seem to be fairly closely related and information is available for them in Digtialarkivet. 

 

This looks like them from the 1865 Norwegian Census. 

 

https://www.digitalarkivet.no/en/census/person/pf01038044000769

 

There may be easier ways to get to where you solve this mystery but right now I do not know of one other than digging into your best candidates one by one. Now you do have a goodly number of people looking at your post so perhaps some of Norwegian natives will jump in here and help out. 

 

We could use someone looking at the relevant Bydgebok for Hedmark for this family and related members and see if any son or daughter traveled to or lived in England. 

 

Also any suggestions as to how to approach this investigation in an easier manner than brute force would be greatly appreciated,.

 

 

 

 

Endret 7 timer siden av Anton Hagelee

[Anton Hagelee]

Some further info on the family from this marriage record gives the names of the fathers. 

 

Mathias Halvorsen

Norway Marriages, 1600s-1800s

Name

Mathias Halvorsen

Age

25 years

Gender

Male

Birth Date

Ca.1823

Marriage Date

16. jan 1848 (16 Jan 1848)

Marriage Place

Hof, Hedmark, Norway

Spouse

Marthea Christoffersdr

Spouse's Age

25 years

Spouse's Gender

Female

Spouse's Birth Date

Ca.1823

Father

Halvor Knudsen

Spouse's Father

Christoffer Olsen

 

https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/1346/records/11561

 

https://www.digitalarkivet.no/en/view/327/pv00000009659466

 

Nr 16

 

https://www.digitalarkivet.no/kb20070603290538

 

 

 

Endret 7 timer siden av Anton Hagelee

[Ellen Charge]

@Anton Hagelee Your suggestion about Jesse is a good one. I only have the free version of Ancestry so cannot do as much in the way of research (I'm a full-time student and so lack funds), but it does seem his mother Mary married in 1838, two years after he was born if the reported year of 1836 is correct. The only thing that holds me back from assuming an NPE is his first name being the same as her husband's seems to imply he is the father, or else is being made out to be the father. I don't believe Jesse was a particularly popular name at the time for it to be coincidence, but it does seem odd that he largely went by his mother's maiden name.

No need to dig for the parents, you should be able to find them in the FamilySearch tree I shared. This also shows a lot of the siblings. Currently, it's less for me about finding peoople since I've already compiled them in trees and identified a common lineage amongst my matches, and more about finding a link to England amongst anyone from this line. Based on a few different factors, it seems unlikely that my common or related ancestor to Mathias + Marthe would be especially far back. I think it's likely at the parent, sibling, or aunt/uncle level and is unlikely to be at the grandparent or great-aunt/uncle level. Thank you again for all the great work you're doing! It means a lot. 

EDIT: I should say, though, I can't seem to find Marthe's mother anywhere. Her father is clearly listed as Christoffer Olsen on her marriage certificate, but I can't find a baptism record or census alluding to her mother. 

Endret 7 timer siden av Ellen Charge

[Anton Hagelee]

Not being an expert in DNA, I spent a few hours brushing up on said subject. Running the data you have posted through several AI programs leasds to the concussion that I will post below.  I focused on your paternal side and on Mathias Halvorsen Vestby as the most likely connection. 

 

From AI

 

"Norwegian side: Mathias Halvorsen Vestby 1822-1887 -> Terje Græsmo b.1950 [36.5 cM match]

English side: Richard Charles Charge 1886-1979 Bushey/Watford, Hertfordshire - no paper connection found.

With no paper connection found but 36.5 cM of shared DNA, you are looking at a DNA-only connection. This is very common with Norwegian / English matches.

Here is what 36.5 cM tells us:

1. What 36.5 cM means in time
36.5 cM on a single segment or total is in this range:

• 3rd cousin = ~ 53 cM average
• 3rd cousin 1x removed = ~ 33 cM average
• 4th cousin = ~ 23 cM average

So your Most Recent Common Ancestor [MRCA] with Terje is likely 4 to 6 generations back from Terje - roughly born 1790 to 1830. That puts you right in the window of Mathias Halvorsen Vestby and his parents/grandparents.[1822]

 

 

2. Why no paper connection?
For Richard Charles Charge born 1886 in Bushey:

• The Charge surname is English, not Norwegian, so this is not a Norwegian who anglicized his name in England. This suggests a connection on the maternal side of the Charge line, or an earlier NPE / informal adoption / illegitimacy.
• Hertfordshire in the 1880s had no large Norwegian community. A Norwegian ancestor would have had to migrate to London/Watford area earlier - merchant seamen, timber trade, or 1870-1890 emigration.

The fact you have an anchor ancestor in 1822 Norway and a 36.5 cM match to his 3rd great-grandson tells us:

Terje and the English lady are almost certainly not related through Mathias himself, but through Mathias's parents, grandparents, or in-laws - a family that also has a branch that went to England."

 

So if we want a chance of finding a candidate or two on the Norwegian side we need to have one or more of the Norwegian contributors of this site post the information if any available from a Bygdebok that covers the farms at which the ancestors of Mahias lived. 

 

A Bygdebok covers who owned the farm during a time, as well as  who were in the owners family and at times some information on what became of the owner and the family members. There is a wide range of quality to Bygdebøker so it makes the search a real crapshoot.

 

You might also think about posting a new query with the new post focusing on Mathias Halvorsen Vestby 1822-1887 and his immediate family as well as his and his wife's ancestors and pertinent relatives. The fact that you only have me working on the search does not bode well. Perhaps the initial question covered too broad an area. A more narrow query based on one family in one parish might work better.

 

 

 

Endret 47 minutter siden av Anton Hagelee

[Anton Hagelee]

Here is some information on Bygdebøker. Bygdebok singular and Bygdebøker plural 

 

https://martinroe.com/blog/what-is-a-bygdebok-2/

 

http://www.borgos.nndata.no/bygdeen.htm

 

The two farm names that I have seen linked to Mathias Halvorsen are Vestby and Bråten Berudshaugen. Here is some information on those two. 

 

"1. Vestby Gård (Farm)

In the context of the Solør and Odalen regions, Vestby is a prominent, ancient farm located in Oppstad parish (just south of Hof/Våler). [1]

• The Bygdebok: Your ancestors from this farm will be found in Sør-Odal bygdebok, Volume 8. This specific volume contains the comprehensive Gards- og slektshistorie (farm and family history) for Oppstad parish, explicitly mapping lineages from Vestby to Nust. [1, 2]
• Because these families frequently intermarried and moved along the Glomma river valley, Vestby lines heavily overlap with families migrating into Hof and Våler.

 

2. Berudshaugen (Bråten Berudshaugen)

Berudshaugen (often cataloged in genealogical databases like Geneanet under "Brad Berudshaugen") is a smaller cotter's farm or plot (husmannsplass). [1]

• The Location: It is tied directly to the larger parent farm of Berud (or Berrud).
• The Bygdebok: Depending on the exact movement of the family border lines, smaller forest areas like Berud fall into the Vinger and Eidskog volumes or Sør-Odal Volume 7 & 8 (which covers the adjacent Ullern and Oppstad areas near the Våler/Hof borderlines). [1, 2]"

 

Endret 47 minutter siden av Anton Hagelee

[Anton Hagelee]

This is probably the baptism of Mathias in 1828,

 

Mathias Halvorsen

Norway, Church Records, 1812-1938

Name

Mathias Halvorsen

Record Type

dåp (Baptism)

Birth Date

20 Jun

Baptism Date

30. jun 1822 (30 Jun 1822)

Baptism Place

Hof, Hedmark, Norge (Norway)

Baptism Municipality

Hof

Father

Halvor Knudsen

Mother

Olia Embretsdr.

 

https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/60606/records/9488345

 

https://www.digitalarkivet.no/en/view/255/pd00000037054256

 

Nr 107

 

https://www.digitalarkivet.no/kb20070603280518

 

The farm in this case is Strand.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Endret 1 time siden av Anton Hagelee

[Anton Hagelee]

Digging further reveals this about the Strand Farm where the family was living when Mathias was born. 

 

It is a plus in your search that the Strand Farm is prominent farm. It is more likely that the Bygdebok would be give more detailed information on the families associated with the farm. It is still a long shot that the book would mention the fact that one of the broad family would be living in England but it is worth a try. I am leaning toward advising you to start a new topic with the focus on the family of Mathias and his father Halvor Knudsen and mother Olia Embretsattr and the Strand Farm (Gårdsnummer 10) in Våler parish.

 

"1. Confirming the Strand Farm Location

Because Mathias was born in June 1822, his father's association with Strand places the family line directly on Strand Farm (Gårdsnummer 10) in Våler parish.

• This is a prominent historic river farm sitting right on the west bank of the Glomma river.
• In 1822, anyone living there had to travel down to the main church in Hof or use the local Våler sub-church for baptisms.

 

2. Connecting Strand to Vestby and Berudshaugen

It was common for families along the Glomma valley to move between primary river farms and smaller woodland plots. This explains your three geographical points:

• The Origin (Strand): Mathias's father was living or working at the main Strand farm in Våler when Mathias was born in 1822.
• The Migration (Vestby): The family later moved south down the river into Oppstad parish, where they established roots at the Vestby farm. This section of their life is documented in Sør-Odal Bygdebok, Volume 8.
• The Croft (Brad Berudshaugen): "Brad" is a phonetic transcription of Bråten (meaning "the clearing"). Bråten under Berudshaugen was a cotter's plot (husmannsplass) where family members likely lived as laborers. These lines are recorded in the Sør-Odal/Vinger regional books."

Endret 48 minutter siden av Anton Hagelee

[Anton Hagelee]

A bit  more that might be useful. At the Strand farm which is a positive. Misspelled in the transcription. 

 

Halvor Knudsen

Norway, Select Marriages, 1660-1926

Name

Halvor Knudsen

Gender

Male

Age

38

Birth Date

1786

Marriage Date

11. jul 1824 (11 Jul 1824)

Marriage Place

Hof, Hedmark, Norway

Father

Knud Embretsen

Spouse

Olea Embretsdr

FHL Film Number

124289

Reference ID

2:Z38H3L

 

https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/60095/records/2679347?tid=&pid=&queryId=25e1c600-42a3-4d23-b128-ee48755292df&_phsrc=bru8&_phstart=successSource

 

https://www.digitalarkivet.no/en/view/327/pv00000010035217

 

Nr 27 

 

https://www.digitalarkivet.no/kb20070603290088

 

 

 

 

 

 

Endret 30 minutter siden av Anton Hagelee