Erickson
First - Norwegian Naming Conventions
You cannot simply trace a surname back through time in Norway. Before getting into the tree below, it's necessary to give some background on how Norwegians named their children.
Surnames
In the old days, Norwegians were identified by their Christian (given) name and their "patronymic," i.e. their father's name plus the appropriate gender suffix. The suffix "sen" for sons and "datter" for daughters was added onto the father's name to create their surname. To illustrate, I'll use the example of our 2nd great grandfather Erik.
Example: Erik Jorgensen's son would be Andreas Eriksen and his daughter would be Tonje Eriksdatter. In writing, the suffixes were usually written as abbreviations such as Eriks. and Eriksd. (Sometimes Eriksdtr or Eriksdr). Some had middle names, some either not recorded or had none.
Also, women did not change their surname with they married. They kept their patronymic surname for life.
Farm Names
In addition another name was added to distinguish where the person was from or, more accurately, what farm they lived on. This last name does not necessarily identify a family or even a relationship but signified where they lived. This "surname" wasn't really a name but rather an address. I have found some of our ancestors with this farm name added on but not all. This doesn't mean the others weren't known by their farm name. It just means that a lot of the information I've found are Norwegian censuses which list by farm. It wasn't neccessary to add the farm name because they were on the list by that farm.
Example: Karen's father was known as Knud Andreas Torstensen Lonvik. This meant his first and middle names were Knud Andreas and he was the son of Torsten and he lived and worked on the farm called Lonnevig.
Given Names
Generally Norwegians would give their children the names of their parents according to tradition.
The Change
All of this went merrily along until 1925 when the Norwegian government enacted a law that said they had to choose a surname and stick with it. I suppose they figured the country had enough Ole Olsens already. So families chose names and many chose the husband's last name, as in our case of Eriksen. Many others however, chose the farm name!
Fitting In
In our case, Andrew and Karen had already chosen Eriksen as their surname but many Norwegians before them chose while in America. Many chose either the farm name or a farm name of where they once lived or even made up names. The important factor was whether it could be pronounced and written in English. For an example, Andrew's maternal grandfather was known as Tjøstel Knudsen Lejuldstadeiet with the last being a farm name. I wonder if anyone chose that farm name as a surname in America. I'm guessing not.
There are numerous Norwegian surnames in the United States with the suffix changed to "son" instead of "sen." The simple answer is that son is English. They wanted to fit in. As an aside, I work with a teacher who's last name is actually Andersen (son of Anders), but this is really not prevalent.
You cannot simply trace a surname back through time in Norway. Before getting into the tree below, it's necessary to give some background on how Norwegians named their children.
Surnames
In the old days, Norwegians were identified by their Christian (given) name and their "patronymic," i.e. their father's name plus the appropriate gender suffix. The suffix "sen" for sons and "datter" for daughters was added onto the father's name to create their surname. To illustrate, I'll use the example of our 2nd great grandfather Erik.
Example: Erik Jorgensen's son would be Andreas Eriksen and his daughter would be Tonje Eriksdatter. In writing, the suffixes were usually written as abbreviations such as Eriks. and Eriksd. (Sometimes Eriksdtr or Eriksdr). Some had middle names, some either not recorded or had none.
Also, women did not change their surname with they married. They kept their patronymic surname for life.
Farm Names
In addition another name was added to distinguish where the person was from or, more accurately, what farm they lived on. This last name does not necessarily identify a family or even a relationship but signified where they lived. This "surname" wasn't really a name but rather an address. I have found some of our ancestors with this farm name added on but not all. This doesn't mean the others weren't known by their farm name. It just means that a lot of the information I've found are Norwegian censuses which list by farm. It wasn't neccessary to add the farm name because they were on the list by that farm.
Example: Karen's father was known as Knud Andreas Torstensen Lonvik. This meant his first and middle names were Knud Andreas and he was the son of Torsten and he lived and worked on the farm called Lonnevig.
Given Names
Generally Norwegians would give their children the names of their parents according to tradition.
- first-born son named after paternal grandfather
- second son named after maternal grandfather
- first-born daughter named after paternal grandmother
- second daughter named after maternal grandmother
The Change
All of this went merrily along until 1925 when the Norwegian government enacted a law that said they had to choose a surname and stick with it. I suppose they figured the country had enough Ole Olsens already. So families chose names and many chose the husband's last name, as in our case of Eriksen. Many others however, chose the farm name!
Fitting In
In our case, Andrew and Karen had already chosen Eriksen as their surname but many Norwegians before them chose while in America. Many chose either the farm name or a farm name of where they once lived or even made up names. The important factor was whether it could be pronounced and written in English. For an example, Andrew's maternal grandfather was known as Tjøstel Knudsen Lejuldstadeiet with the last being a farm name. I wonder if anyone chose that farm name as a surname in America. I'm guessing not.
There are numerous Norwegian surnames in the United States with the suffix changed to "son" instead of "sen." The simple answer is that son is English. They wanted to fit in. As an aside, I work with a teacher who's last name is actually Andersen (son of Anders), but this is really not prevalent.
1st Great Grandparents
Andrew Erickson
born Ole Andreas Eriksen Tvedestrand, Aust-Agder, Norway 22 May 1875 - 1961 Andrew's Line |
Karen Thompson
born Karen Thalette Thorstensdatter Tvedestrand, Aust-Agder, Norway 10 Feb 1875 - 1951 Karen's Line |
Aust-Agder, Norway
Ole Andreas Eriksen, Andrew, was born the fifth of six children to Eric Jorgensen and Ragnild Tjøstelsdatter on 22 May 1875. He was born in the coastal village of Tvedestrand, in the "county" of Aust-Agder, Norway and baptized on 27 Jun 1875 in Gjerstad, also in Aust-Agder (Aust means East). In the 1885 Census of Norway, Andrew is 10 years old and living on Strannehaven 197 in "Farmhouse Vaaningshus" in Tvedestrand. His father was a cabinet maker. When he was 16, he was a sailor on a ship that went to Philadelphia and back. I don't know how many times he went to sea but he lists in one of the census' in the US having been to the US in 1891.
Karen Talette Thorstensdatter (also called Carrie and sometimes spelled Karin), was born the youngest of seven children to Knud Andreas Torstensen (Lonnevig) and Thalette Andrea Tellefsdatter on 10 Feb 1875 in Dypvåg, Aust-Agder and baptized on 17 May 1875 in Dypvåg. Note that in Norway, due to the severe winters, parents had at least six months to have their children baptized. Carrie's father was a sea captain and I remember my father many times mentioning "Captain Thorstensen." Her mother Thalette died 12 days after Carrie was born. We know this from the letters written to his daughter Anne Pederine (see Karen's pagents page).
I don't know for sure but it's quite possible that Andrew was even a sailor on Captain Torstensen's ship. Karen had even traveled with her father because on her immigration, she states that she had been to the US previously to New York.
It's unknown to me why Karen would ever need to list a maiden name while in the US but I see some places where her children listed her maiden name as Thompson. One document is my grandmother's application for Social Security where Alberta said Thompson as her mother.
I don't know for sure but it's quite possible that Andrew was even a sailor on Captain Torstensen's ship. Karen had even traveled with her father because on her immigration, she states that she had been to the US previously to New York.
It's unknown to me why Karen would ever need to list a maiden name while in the US but I see some places where her children listed her maiden name as Thompson. One document is my grandmother's application for Social Security where Alberta said Thompson as her mother.
Carrie and Andrew married in Tvedestrand in Sep 1899. They lived on Strannhaven 197, Farm Vaaningshus, Tvedestrand. During he 1900 census, Carrie is living on the farm with Andrew's family while his "temporary residence" is listed as Newport and his occupation is a sailmaker. Andrew's brother Tjostle is also on the census with a "temporary residence" in Australia.
These two travelled back and forth to Norway and the US and give alternate dates for when their actual immigration was. I will just list what they say on the census. On 1910 US Federal Census, Andrew states his immigration was 1902, Carrie says 1906. On the 1920 US Federal Census, Andrew says 1891 and Carrie says 1902. It stands to reason that perhaps they misunderstood the question for one of those reports. There is a ship's passenger list for Carrie and two her three children, Tjostal (Charles) and Alberta, arriving on the ship Havorford on 17 Jun 1907. The oldest son, Adolph, was not with them and is listed on the 1920 US Federal Census as immigrating to the US in 1908.
These two travelled back and forth to Norway and the US and give alternate dates for when their actual immigration was. I will just list what they say on the census. On 1910 US Federal Census, Andrew states his immigration was 1902, Carrie says 1906. On the 1920 US Federal Census, Andrew says 1891 and Carrie says 1902. It stands to reason that perhaps they misunderstood the question for one of those reports. There is a ship's passenger list for Carrie and two her three children, Tjostal (Charles) and Alberta, arriving on the ship Havorford on 17 Jun 1907. The oldest son, Adolph, was not with them and is listed on the 1920 US Federal Census as immigrating to the US in 1908.
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Baptism record 7 April 1912 for Walter, Randolph and Clara Marie Erickson
In any case, they set up house at 518 Quarry Street (rear), in Philadelphia, with three children: Charles age 8, Alberta age 7 and Walter age 1, and Andrew working as a cement mixer. They have their three youngest children baptised on the same day, 7 Apr 1912, in the Eleventh Street Methodist Episcopal Church.
Camden, New Jersey
According to the December 1918 World War I registration card, at 43 years of age Andrew is employed as a Ship Carpenter at the John H. Mathis Ship Building Company at Point and Erie Streets in Camden. They live at 921 Point Street in Camden. He only had to walk down the street to get to work! Whoever filled out the WWI registration card spelled Erickson with two R's - Errickson - however, Andrew signed his name on the card with one R.
In 1920, they moved to the diverse Cramer Hill section of Camden, New Jersey, taking up residence at 1028 North 25th Street. This is the house that my father recalled. The 1920 census shows all of their children now, with the 3rd through the 7th being born in Pennsylvania and Evelyn, the youngest, being the only one born in New Jersey.
Also on that census of 1920, Alberta, my future grandmother, is 16 years old and working as a wrapper in a soap facotory and living with her parents at 1028 North 25th Street. Andrew and his two oldest sons report that they work in the shipyard, Andrew and Charlie as carpenters and Adolph (John) as a machinist. Alberta works as a wrapper at a soap factory.
Meanwhile, at 1032 North 25th Street, my future grandfather, Lester John Grossmick, at 23 years old is living with his parents and working as a helper in the shipyard. The 1920 census was taken on 2 January of 1920 which was unusual because they are usually in June. I do not have a specific date for John and Alberta's marriage but later censuses tell us that he was 23 years old and she was 17. Their first child, my Aunt Marion, was born on 20 Oct 1920. So very soon after the census date, their first child was conceived.
The 1930 census shows that Andrew, Carrie, Adolph and Charles all immigrated in 1907. Andrew, at 54, is working as a carpenter in the shipyard, and Carrie is 55 and still a homemaker. They still live at 1028 North 25th Street and some of their adult children are living with them. Their son Adolph (John) is 29 and widowed, working as a machinist in the shipyard. (Adolph changed his name after World War II because of Adolph Hitler.) Charles is 27 and single, working as a carpenter in the "oil works." Randolph, at 19 and single, works as a laborer in the shipyard. The rest of their children, Thelma at 16, Edward at 14, and Evelyn at 11, all are with them and do not work. Edward and Evelyn attend school and the block for Thelma for attending school was first written as No, then crossed out and written as yes. Also living with them is Carrie's sister, 69 years old and widowed, Annie Larsen. Annie's immigration date is 1909. Also, at the top of the next page is Stella Grossmick (Lester's mother), living alone at 1032 North 25th Street. Also of note, for those of us who attended Sharp School in Cramer Hill, you might remember the name Fusskeller. The Fusskeller family is recorded as living at 1046 North 25th Street.
Also on that census of 1920, Alberta, my future grandmother, is 16 years old and working as a wrapper in a soap facotory and living with her parents at 1028 North 25th Street. Andrew and his two oldest sons report that they work in the shipyard, Andrew and Charlie as carpenters and Adolph (John) as a machinist. Alberta works as a wrapper at a soap factory.
Meanwhile, at 1032 North 25th Street, my future grandfather, Lester John Grossmick, at 23 years old is living with his parents and working as a helper in the shipyard. The 1920 census was taken on 2 January of 1920 which was unusual because they are usually in June. I do not have a specific date for John and Alberta's marriage but later censuses tell us that he was 23 years old and she was 17. Their first child, my Aunt Marion, was born on 20 Oct 1920. So very soon after the census date, their first child was conceived.
The 1930 census shows that Andrew, Carrie, Adolph and Charles all immigrated in 1907. Andrew, at 54, is working as a carpenter in the shipyard, and Carrie is 55 and still a homemaker. They still live at 1028 North 25th Street and some of their adult children are living with them. Their son Adolph (John) is 29 and widowed, working as a machinist in the shipyard. (Adolph changed his name after World War II because of Adolph Hitler.) Charles is 27 and single, working as a carpenter in the "oil works." Randolph, at 19 and single, works as a laborer in the shipyard. The rest of their children, Thelma at 16, Edward at 14, and Evelyn at 11, all are with them and do not work. Edward and Evelyn attend school and the block for Thelma for attending school was first written as No, then crossed out and written as yes. Also living with them is Carrie's sister, 69 years old and widowed, Annie Larsen. Annie's immigration date is 1909. Also, at the top of the next page is Stella Grossmick (Lester's mother), living alone at 1032 North 25th Street. Also of note, for those of us who attended Sharp School in Cramer Hill, you might remember the name Fusskeller. The Fusskeller family is recorded as living at 1046 North 25th Street.
Their Children:
(I have not done a descendants search for these families except for my own.)
1. Tjostle (Charles) A Erickson - 1901 - ?
Unknown spouse and children
2. Alberta Petrine Erickson - 25 Mar 1903 - 25 Mar 1976 (see Grandparents on the German page)
Married Lester John Grossmick and had six children: Marion, John (Jack), Wlater, Eleanor, Lester and Edward
3. Adolf (John) Erickson - 1904 - ?
Married Julia ?, unknown children
4. Walter Erickson - 23 Jun 1908 - 23 Dec 1987
Married Veronica Frances Hungridge, 1909-1992, and had ? children
5. Randolph (Randy) Erickson - 1910 - 1976
Married Margaret Whipple (They lived next door to my Uncle Lester Grossmick on Harrison Ave in Cramer Hill)
6. Clara Marie Erickson - Feb 1912 - Feb 1981
Married Joseph Cross, unknown children
7. Thelma C Erickson - 11 Nov 1913 - 28 Jan 2002
Married Charles L Brown and had at least one son, Lybrand N Brown. I remember "Aunt Thelm." They lived at 927 North 33rd
Street in the Cramer Hill section of Camden.
8. Edward Erickson - abt 1916 - ?
Married Ruth ?, unknown children
9. Evelyn Erickson - abt 1919 - ?
Married ? Scobolinksi, unknown children
(I have not done a descendants search for these families except for my own.)
1. Tjostle (Charles) A Erickson - 1901 - ?
Unknown spouse and children
2. Alberta Petrine Erickson - 25 Mar 1903 - 25 Mar 1976 (see Grandparents on the German page)
Married Lester John Grossmick and had six children: Marion, John (Jack), Wlater, Eleanor, Lester and Edward
3. Adolf (John) Erickson - 1904 - ?
Married Julia ?, unknown children
4. Walter Erickson - 23 Jun 1908 - 23 Dec 1987
Married Veronica Frances Hungridge, 1909-1992, and had ? children
5. Randolph (Randy) Erickson - 1910 - 1976
Married Margaret Whipple (They lived next door to my Uncle Lester Grossmick on Harrison Ave in Cramer Hill)
6. Clara Marie Erickson - Feb 1912 - Feb 1981
Married Joseph Cross, unknown children
7. Thelma C Erickson - 11 Nov 1913 - 28 Jan 2002
Married Charles L Brown and had at least one son, Lybrand N Brown. I remember "Aunt Thelm." They lived at 927 North 33rd
Street in the Cramer Hill section of Camden.
8. Edward Erickson - abt 1916 - ?
Married Ruth ?, unknown children
9. Evelyn Erickson - abt 1919 - ?
Married ? Scobolinksi, unknown children