On the previous page we noted that Elen Tesli married Iver F. Iverson in Chicago on 10 December 1882. Here we will explore the Iverson lineage in Norway.
Who was Iver F. Iverson? He was born Ivar Frithjof Iversen on 26 July 1857 in Oslo, and christened at Oslo Domkirke (Oslo Cathedral), Church of Norway.
Who was Iver F. Iverson? He was born Ivar Frithjof Iversen on 26 July 1857 in Oslo, and christened at Oslo Domkirke (Oslo Cathedral), Church of Norway.
Ivar Frithjof’s birth record. Here, Johanne's middle initial appears to be "F." The columns are Birth Date, ?, Child's Full Name, Legitimate or Illigitimate Birth, Parents' Full Names / Civil Status / Place of Residence, Godparents' Names, Baptism?, ?. Source
Ivar Frithjoff Iversen’s confirmation record at Gamle Akre (Old Akre) church, Oslo, March 1872. Source
[Despite the numerous spelling variations, I will from here forward use the name "Iver F. Iverson," as that is how his name appeared in almost all subsequent American records.]
Built in 1080 under the rule of King Olav Kyrre, Gamle Aker is the oldest building in Oslo that remains standing today.
Built in 1080 under the rule of King Olav Kyrre, Gamle Aker is the oldest building in Oslo that remains standing today.
Iver F.’s parents were Elling Iversen and Johanne Johnsen, married 19 September 1856 at Oslo Domkirke.
Marriage record of Iver’s parents, Elling and Johanne. Source
Mother Johanne was born 22 July 1820 in the Eivindvik village, the municipal center of Gulen in Sogn og Fjordane county. Her parents were Nicolai Joensen and Kari Ottesdatter.
Birth record of Johanne Johnsen. Source
Confirmation record of Johanne Nicolaisdatter. Notice the shift in cultural naming traditions around this time. In one record Johanne is given the patronym of father Nicolai; in the other she is given his surname, Joensen. Source
Johanne’s mother, Kari Ottesdatter, was born 14 November 1780 in Gulen to father Otte Olsen Undertun and mother Halfri Boltofsdatter.
Birth record of Johanne’s mother, Kari Ottesdatter. Source
A year after Kari’s birth, Halfri was widowed and living with daughters Kari, Britte, and several servants at Underturn farm.
We find that Kari married Nicolai Joensen of yttre (outer) Midthun on 8 July 1806 in Gulen.
We find that Kari married Nicolai Joensen of yttre (outer) Midthun on 8 July 1806 in Gulen.
Marriage record of Kari Ottesdatter and Nicolai Joensen. Source
Johanne’s father, Nicolai Joensen, was baptized 5 October 1780. His parents were father Joen Ellingsen, Berge and Anna Olsdatter, Liehoug, married 10 July 1781 in Gulen. He appeared to be their first and eldest child. As of the 1801 census, Joen was listed as a skate bonde (translated to “tax farmer”) and there were six other siblings living in the home: Eli, Ole, Elling, Orloug, Anders, and Johanna. All took the patronym “Joenssen” or “Joensdatter.” Nicolai had moved out of the family home and was working as a tiener or servant for a prestegjeld or parish.
1801 census showing the parents and siblings of Nicolai Joenssen’s family at Berge Nedre. Source
1801 census showing Nicolai Joenssen at Fondevig. Source
A later burial record indicates that Nicolai was a gaardemand, or farmer. Nicolai and wife Kari gave birth to seven children: Halfri, born 17 February 1807; Joen, born 23 July 1809; Marie, born 19 April 1812; Otte, born 3 June 1815; Elling, born 30 November 1817; Johanne, born 22 July 1820; and Hans, born 9 May 1824. The surnames in the birth and confirmation records vary from Nikolaisdatter to Nikolaisen (for both the sons and daughters) to Joensen. Johanne is my direct ancestor, and I have not yet searched the records for all of the other siblings but plan to do so in the future.
Iver F.’s father was Elling Iverson. Elling was born 19 September 1818 in Fana, in the Hordaland region of Norway.
Birth record of Elling Iverson. Source
Elling’s father, Iver Johnsen (/Joensen), and mother Guri Olsdr (/Olsdatter), both of Store Milde (also in Hordaland), were married 24 November 1816 in Fana. Their first son, Elling's older brother, was Joen Iversen, born 18 July 1817. Unfortunately, he died 14 days after birth, as indicated in the church record book. As indicated on Joen's death record, Iver was a forpagter or tenant at that time, so I am uncertain of his profession, if any.
Marriage record of Iver Johnsen and Guri Olsder. Source
Death record of Joen Iversen, 31 July 1817.
Store Milde main building (built 1723) as seen from the courtyard today. Source
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Interior painting from 1786.
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Sometime by the 1850s both Johanne Johnsen and Elling Iverson had moved to Oslo. Johanne had likely moved alone, as in the 1865 census she was the only person in the entire city of Oslo born in Eivindvik (/Evindvig)! Indeed, we find that her mother Kari had died on 1 January 1832 at age 51, and her father Nicolai had died on 4 June 1847 at age 66.
Death record for Johanne's mother, Kari Ottesdatter. Source
Death record for Johanne's father, Nicolai Joensen. Source
The occupations of Elling and Johanne were of an intellectual nature. Elling graduated from the Norwegian University in 1843, attaining a level 4 of study, which appears to be the highest.
Graduation record of Elling Iversen in Norske studenter: der har absolveret examen artium ved Christiania universitet eller de artiumsberettigede skoler; Paul Botten-Hansen, 1893. The title translates roughly to "Norwegian students who have completed the exams at Christiana University, and their current profession." Source
An additional record confirms Elling's academic history and position as forstander (principal) at Toftes Gave in 1851.
Educational record of Elling Iversen in Fortegnelse over filologer, realister og mineralogerfra norges universitet 1813-1884 (Registration of Philologists, Scienctists and Mineralogists from the Norwegian University 1813-1884). The opening paragraph of chapter 4 reads: "List of Academic Citizens, [without?] Civil Service Exam, has sacrificed himself for the Teaching profession or for scientific activities in philological or athletic direction." The record for Elling is found on page 39.
Toftes Gave was a residential academic and training institute established in 1844 by Oslo mayor Andreas Tofte as a "rescuing institution for morally corrupt children.” It was designed to house, “rescue,” “improve,” educate, and train boys who came from neglectful families or had behavior problems such as truancy and theft. During his time as principal of Toftes Gave, Elling carried out a research study on the conditions of Oslo's poor, the findings of which were compiled and published in a book by Eilert Sundt, regarded as Norway's founding father of sociology.
Writes researcher Marius Bjornson Hofstad,
"Sundt's studies of poor conditions in Christiania began towards the end of his 25 year research career. [...] The materials in the survey were not collected by Sundt himself, but by the student E. Iversen, who was principal of Tofte's Gift, an agency for neglected and abandoned children. Iversen's work with children and young people in this area were probably important as much of the survey focused on child-rearing and health situation. One of the major issues concerned whether public schools did a good enough job or the reasons for students' low performance could be explained on the basis of other factors.
Toftes Gift institution was built and operated since 1844, located at Munkedamsveien 31 in Pipervika [a neighborhood in Norway]. [...] Its location at Pipervika and Ruseløkkbakken was probably crucial for Sundt's seeking a partnership with this institution. Knowledge of area residents streamlined the process and allowed Sundt to initiate research/analysis at a much earlier stage than otherwise. Sundt contacted school masters in the affected areas to get records of all homes with school-age children. The project was conducted as a door-to-door campaign in the summer and autumn of 1855. The procedure was adopted from similar studies done in London. Sundt had great faith that Iversen was a person with a certain confidence in the areas. This would enable him to provide additional information beyond the facts about children's school and education, such as parents' economy and standard of living. Sundt could be satisfied with the conduct as he evaluated the project. Iversen had largely been received with courtesy by the residents, who gave him the information he requested. Early in 1856 he left the protocols to Sundt, which formed the basis for the two published studies.
[...]
The bulk of the material Iversen collected showed that the worst distress existed among the disabled, the old, the sick, and unemployed without a safety net. From the public point of view such poor were not to blame for the situation they were in, but Sundt's inferences were drawn in a different direction. His explanations for poverty went more in the direction of simply immorality, '... husbands and housewives, both showing carelessness and laziness.' Tofte's Gift annual report, published since 1864, shows that they largely shared this view of the poor. Their special focus on children was motivated by the idea that one had to intervene early in young people's lives, to save them from the social heritage. The institution children were put through hard physical work and discipline, as well as close monitoring of academic book-learning. The problem, in their view, lay in the children's parents. The inexorable social heritage often referred to thought they had a link to alcohol abuse, debauched lifestyle, and ignorance.
The figures from the survey on which Toftes Gift and Sundt had worked together, however, showed that only a minority were poor due to alcoholism. The public was partly held responsible for the lack of scholarly knowledge in homes. This was caused mostly by a low quality of parental schooling, Sundt said. But the criticism was largely aimed at the poor, because they were the root of the problems.
These conclusions were obviously colored by Sundt's evolutionary worldview that man evolved from a primitive to an ever more advanced stage. [...] Sundt's views meant that he proposed to limit poor payments and instead promote the will to self-sufficiency and self-responsibility. [...]"
-[Translated from Norwegian by Google Translate, with my interpretations.] Source: Eilert Sundt: Om fattigforholdene i Christiania
Writes researcher Marius Bjornson Hofstad,
"Sundt's studies of poor conditions in Christiania began towards the end of his 25 year research career. [...] The materials in the survey were not collected by Sundt himself, but by the student E. Iversen, who was principal of Tofte's Gift, an agency for neglected and abandoned children. Iversen's work with children and young people in this area were probably important as much of the survey focused on child-rearing and health situation. One of the major issues concerned whether public schools did a good enough job or the reasons for students' low performance could be explained on the basis of other factors.
Toftes Gift institution was built and operated since 1844, located at Munkedamsveien 31 in Pipervika [a neighborhood in Norway]. [...] Its location at Pipervika and Ruseløkkbakken was probably crucial for Sundt's seeking a partnership with this institution. Knowledge of area residents streamlined the process and allowed Sundt to initiate research/analysis at a much earlier stage than otherwise. Sundt contacted school masters in the affected areas to get records of all homes with school-age children. The project was conducted as a door-to-door campaign in the summer and autumn of 1855. The procedure was adopted from similar studies done in London. Sundt had great faith that Iversen was a person with a certain confidence in the areas. This would enable him to provide additional information beyond the facts about children's school and education, such as parents' economy and standard of living. Sundt could be satisfied with the conduct as he evaluated the project. Iversen had largely been received with courtesy by the residents, who gave him the information he requested. Early in 1856 he left the protocols to Sundt, which formed the basis for the two published studies.
[...]
The bulk of the material Iversen collected showed that the worst distress existed among the disabled, the old, the sick, and unemployed without a safety net. From the public point of view such poor were not to blame for the situation they were in, but Sundt's inferences were drawn in a different direction. His explanations for poverty went more in the direction of simply immorality, '... husbands and housewives, both showing carelessness and laziness.' Tofte's Gift annual report, published since 1864, shows that they largely shared this view of the poor. Their special focus on children was motivated by the idea that one had to intervene early in young people's lives, to save them from the social heritage. The institution children were put through hard physical work and discipline, as well as close monitoring of academic book-learning. The problem, in their view, lay in the children's parents. The inexorable social heritage often referred to thought they had a link to alcohol abuse, debauched lifestyle, and ignorance.
The figures from the survey on which Toftes Gift and Sundt had worked together, however, showed that only a minority were poor due to alcoholism. The public was partly held responsible for the lack of scholarly knowledge in homes. This was caused mostly by a low quality of parental schooling, Sundt said. But the criticism was largely aimed at the poor, because they were the root of the problems.
These conclusions were obviously colored by Sundt's evolutionary worldview that man evolved from a primitive to an ever more advanced stage. [...] Sundt's views meant that he proposed to limit poor payments and instead promote the will to self-sufficiency and self-responsibility. [...]"
-[Translated from Norwegian by Google Translate, with my interpretations.] Source: Eilert Sundt: Om fattigforholdene i Christiania
Eilert Sundt's book Om Piperviken og Ruseløkbakken: Undersøgelser om Arbeidsklassens Kaar og Sæder i Christiania ("Studies of the Poor") was published in 1858. Its subtitle states, "The survey was conducted in the summer and fall of 1855 by student E. Iversen, ruler of upbringing institution Tofte's Gift, by a questionnaire prepared by Sundt."
Title plate of Eilert Sundt's publication, Om Piperviken og Ruseløkbakken. Source
The opening pages of the book give additional credit to Elling Iversen for his contributions to the research. Writes Sundt,
"In Piperviken lies Institution 'Toftes Gift', one upbringing institution for abandoned or neglected children, and the director of the Institution's students, E. Iversen. This man undertook to obtain the information which was needed. He contacted the early schoolteachers of the Piperviken and Ruseløkbakkens commoners school districts and got lists of all school-age children, and then went to each house to visit their parents and get some explanations.
While this was agreed by the board of the Society for General Education and Mr. Iversen, I understood from outside that when you send a man in such an errand around the houses, he could immediately collect explanations for something more than than just children's schooling and upbringing, such as the family economic status, housing, etc. This was also immediately adopted, and consistent with this, a fairly large number of matters listed, which might be sought and answered for each family's case.
It was during the summer and fall in 1855 that Mr. Iversen performed his house calls. No doubt the people wondered that a strange man came to them and asked so many inquiries, but he explained exactly who had sent him, and what was intended, and the result showed that it went quite well, and he told me that in just a few exceptions, he was greeted with courtesy and friendly accommodation. Iversen carried ink and pen, and on the spot he recorded the information in his notebook. Since then he typed it all in two protocols. These include a total of 294 families, listed by street names and house numbers where they lived, so as to have begun with the houses in Piperviken which lie closest to Christiania, and later connected with the outer houses on Ruseløkbakken. For each family he listed husbands and housewive's name and age, schoolchildren's name and age, and all the other tasks in no less than 50 boxes.
In late 1855 and early 1856, Iversen finished his work, and the protocols were handed to me when I had taken it upon myself to do the necessary extracts and thus produce the collected information in such a context and order that it might be fairly easy read. Here I owe first to testify that I have found Mr. Iversen's toil done with all the care and exactness as in such a case can be expected. Probably all the missions in all parts are not quite complete, but the blame for this lies in the conduct of those who would give explanations or did not know to give a response."
-[Translated with Google Translate, and my interpretations.]
"In Piperviken lies Institution 'Toftes Gift', one upbringing institution for abandoned or neglected children, and the director of the Institution's students, E. Iversen. This man undertook to obtain the information which was needed. He contacted the early schoolteachers of the Piperviken and Ruseløkbakkens commoners school districts and got lists of all school-age children, and then went to each house to visit their parents and get some explanations.
While this was agreed by the board of the Society for General Education and Mr. Iversen, I understood from outside that when you send a man in such an errand around the houses, he could immediately collect explanations for something more than than just children's schooling and upbringing, such as the family economic status, housing, etc. This was also immediately adopted, and consistent with this, a fairly large number of matters listed, which might be sought and answered for each family's case.
It was during the summer and fall in 1855 that Mr. Iversen performed his house calls. No doubt the people wondered that a strange man came to them and asked so many inquiries, but he explained exactly who had sent him, and what was intended, and the result showed that it went quite well, and he told me that in just a few exceptions, he was greeted with courtesy and friendly accommodation. Iversen carried ink and pen, and on the spot he recorded the information in his notebook. Since then he typed it all in two protocols. These include a total of 294 families, listed by street names and house numbers where they lived, so as to have begun with the houses in Piperviken which lie closest to Christiania, and later connected with the outer houses on Ruseløkbakken. For each family he listed husbands and housewive's name and age, schoolchildren's name and age, and all the other tasks in no less than 50 boxes.
In late 1855 and early 1856, Iversen finished his work, and the protocols were handed to me when I had taken it upon myself to do the necessary extracts and thus produce the collected information in such a context and order that it might be fairly easy read. Here I owe first to testify that I have found Mr. Iversen's toil done with all the care and exactness as in such a case can be expected. Probably all the missions in all parts are not quite complete, but the blame for this lies in the conduct of those who would give explanations or did not know to give a response."
-[Translated with Google Translate, and my interpretations.]
Elling Iversen was forstander or principal at Toftes Gave, and wife Johanne appears in a later census as one of two forstanderinde, or headmistresses. As indicated above, Johanne and Elling were married 19 September 1856 at Oslo Domkirke, and son Ivar Frithjof Iversen was born 26 July 1857. Notice that Ivar has been given the surname rather than the patronym.
Unfortunately, Elling Iversen died at Toftes Gave 26 April 1858, when Iver F. was only 9 months old. The cause of death was nervefeber, or typhoid fever.
Unfortunately, Elling Iversen died at Toftes Gave 26 April 1858, when Iver F. was only 9 months old. The cause of death was nervefeber, or typhoid fever.
Death record of Elling Iversen. Source
Widow Johanne continued to run the institution. She appears in the 1865 census with Ivar, who is incorrectly listed as a boarder.
1865 census. Source
Johanne and Iver again appear in the 1875 census, living at the grounds of the institute. Note that at this point, Iver’s occupation is now identified as a sømand, or sailor. Their address at Munkedamsveien is within a few blocks from the docks of Oslo.
1875 census. Source
Historic map of the Pipervika borough of Oslo, showing the location of Munkedamsveien. Source
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Iver F. Iverson left for the United States on 28 March 1879 aboard the steamship Domino. He arrived in New York on 14 April aboard the White Star Line's steamship Republic. Johanne stayed behind in Oslo for the time being.
"Frithjof" Iverson emigration record. Note that Iver's occupation is described as a styrmand at this point, an advancement to botswain's mate / navigator over his previous role as a sailor. Source
Iver's immigration record.
As indicated on the previous page, Iver met Elen Marie Tesli and they were married 10 December 1882 in Chicago.
On the next pages we will trace the family's path through Chicago and Brooklyn. Click here to continue.
On the next pages we will trace the family's path through Chicago and Brooklyn. Click here to continue.