Surname Saturday 2.0: The Angells

Surname Saturday 2.0: The Angells

The Angell Family

 

The Angell family is on the Norwegian side of my family tree. I really know very little about it aside from what I have learned from others, though the stories are beginning to build. I do have two about Kaja aka Karen Angell, who married into the Bordewich family. Kaja was my great-grandfather's paternal grandmother, and aside from her marriage to Hans Henrik, I have one interesting fact about her, and one story that has been passed down about her.

Though I do not yet have the facts straight, the book I got from the American Bordewich branch of this tree mentions that she was adopted. I am not sure if Angell was her birth name, or if that was her adopted name. But it is possible it was both. During the period she was born, it was still likely that a child would be most likely to be adopted by relations than strangers, so it is possible that she may have been adopted by an aunt or uncle. But as of yet, I have no experience with adoptions, especially such old adoptions, so that will come later.

The story I have read about Kaja goes like this: Johan Bordewich, her father-in-law, had lost his wife to childbirth thirteen years before, and his daughters had taken up the control of the household in her absence, each in turn as the girls were married off. At the time Kaja married Hans Henrik, Hans's sister Elsie was in charge of the household, and as such, she sat at her father's side at the supper table. When Kaja joined the household, Johan insisted that she take Elsie's place at the table. For the first few meals, Kaja did so, but finally she insisted that Elsie take the place once more, as Kaja felt it was her due. Upon seeing Kaja in a different spot at the table, Johan insisted she return to the spot beside him, but she refused, telling him she was just fine where she was. Johan was not used to being told no, but after a bit more insistence on Kaja's part, he gave in. Though he was not pleased to be told no, he was impressed by his daughter-in-law's ability to stand up to him.

Before Kaja, I have a few more generations, but I know absolutely nothing about them aside from the names and dates I have gotten from others. I hope to learn more as time goes on, as I have learned about Kaja, but only time will tell if that will happen. All I can do is keep researching.

My Angell line for those interested:

* Hans Rasmussen Angel was born sometime before 1740. He married Ingeborg Michelsdatter Hvid. I currently have only one child listed for them. I have no mention of when he died.

* Rasmus Angel was born 1755 in Nordland, Norway. He married Dorthea Hansdatter Ellingsen sometime before 1784, and they had at least one child. He died 1791 in Nordland at the age of 36.

* Hans Angel Gronoen was born in 1784 in Nordland, Norway. He married Rechardina Hendricha Klaeboe sometime before 1834. They had at least three children: Karen Dorothea (aka Kaja), Ida, and Margelie. He died in 1845.

+ Karen Dorothea Angell was born 1835 in Helgeland, Norway. She married Hans Henrik Bordewich 1859 in Nordland, Norway. The couple had nine children: Leonharde Marine, Henrik Bergthon, Eivind Sofus, Richard Angell, Johanna Petrine, Harold Carlos, Alfred, Karen Robertine, and Helga Hagerup. Karen died in 1922 in Oslo, Norway. For details on her family with Hans Henrik, see the Bordewick Surname post.

+ Margelie Angell was born about 1845 in Nordland, Norway. She married Mathias Hagerup about 1862 in Nordland, Norway. The couple had one child I have record of: Karen Dortea Hagerup. I have no other records of their descendants. Margelie died about 1862.

What I don't know:

* Who Kaja's natural parents were.

* I'd also love to know more about this branch in general. What Rasmus and Hans did for a living, how many other children there might be in these two branches, and more firm birth, marriage and death dates.

More on this line:

* Where We're From: Norway

* Surname Saturday: Angell

Where We're From – Norway

To everyone who follows this blog—sorry there have been no postings of late. Things have been kind of difficult for me, and this posting in particular was giving me a rough time. It's all sorted now, though, so hopefully I'm back on track.


Unlike my Irish roots, which I had little information on, the Norwegian lines is one of the best-mapped in my family tree. My grandfather even went so far as to do a bit of research on the German town our name comes from. For the direct line, we can trace back to Germany, but most of the family we know of lived in Norway for many generations. Four generations of the direct line were born there, as well as many Norwegian roots on the female lines on the tree (and a few more German).

Because this line is so well-mapped, I have a good deal of documentation, though I have yet to get through all of it. But it does mean I have more of the stories surrounding the lives of my Norwegian family than many of the others I have already posted.

There actually is more than this, but I have yet to prove that branch for certain, and it gets very murky after a few generations, so I have left it off this list. If, at some point, I ever do confirm some of those connections, I will probably redo this map, but as it is, it's still one of the larger ones I have.


A map of the locations (and do check back at the old maps—I've updated them all to embed them in the entries now):

View My Norwegian Roots in a larger map

1. Oslo
Though my line of the family had left Norway by the time she moved here, this is my most recent connection to Norway. My great-great grandmother, Kaja (Angell) Bordewick moved here. I think she may have done so after her husband's death, though I have nothing at this time to confirm that.

2. Lofoten Islands
Many generations of my grandfather's family were born here, the most recent of which in our direct line was my great-grandfather, Bjarne Bordewick. His family's travels from Norway to Vancouver, B.C, Canada can be read here.

His grandfather, Johan Petter, settled there as a young man and took a job with a man who ran a thriving business in the area. When the man was forced to move on, Johan took over his business, and became quite prosperous. At least three generations of his line after him were born there.

2. Henningsvær, Nordland
This is where my great-great grandfather, Henrick Bergthon Bordewick was born, and where his mother in law, Henrikke (Roness) Bordewich died.

3. Lyngvær, Nordland
This is where Johan Petter Bordewich, his first wife, and his mother all died.

4. Vågan, Nordland
Johan Petter and his second wife married here, as did his son, Hans Henrik and his wife Kaja. Hans Henrik was born here in 1834.

5. Grane, Helgeland
This is where my great-great grandmother Kaja Bordewick was born.

6. Vikholmen
I believe this is where Hans Henrich, the father of Johan Petter, shipwrecked in 1815. He and his men made it to shore, but froze to death awaiting rescue.

7. Bergen
This is where my great-great-great grandmother's mother and grandmother were born, and where both her grandparents died.

8. Trondheim, Sor-Trondelag
This is where most of Johan Petter's mother's family was from for many generations before her.


And that's all I have at the moment, though as I said, I do have a few that I'm currently looking into.

As always, if any of my family reading this knows more about this branch, particularly if you have any records or documentation, I'd love to get together to exchange info.

Next up: Waystations (ie, those places my family lived for a time, but never fully settled in.)

ANGELL (Norway)

Meaning/Pronunciation: Pronunciation: An-jell Meaning: 1. English: from Middle English angel ‘angel’ (from Latin angelus), probably applied as a nickname for someone of angelic temperament or appearance or for someone who played the part of an angel in a pageant. As a North American surname it may also be an Americanized form of a cognate European surname, as for example Italian Angelo, Rumanian Anghel, Czech Anděl, or Hungarian Angyal. 2. German: ethnic name for a member of a Germanic people on the Jutland peninsula; members of this tribe invaded eastern and northern Britain in the 5th–6th centuries and gave their name to England. See Engel. 3. Slovenian (eastern Slovenia): from the Latin personal name Angelus.

Origin: For my family, this come from the Norwegian branch of the family tree.

Variations: So far in my family tree, I've seen only Angell and Angel, though there may be other variations as listed above.

Relation to me: This is my mother's father's father's father's mother.

Ancestors:
i: Angell, Karen, 1835 – 1922, Grono, Helgoland; Hans Bordewick, 5 sons, 3 daughters

ii: Angell, Hans, 1784 – 1845, Rodoy, Nordland, Richardine Klaeboe, 3 daughters

iii: Angel, Rasmus, 1755 – 1791, Heroy, Nordland, Dorothea Ellingsen, 2 sons, 1 daughter

iv: Angel, Hans, ? - ?, Norway?, Ingeborg Michelsdatter Hvid, 1 son known

Looking for:
This line has the privilege of being the first I found any information about online that I didn't already have recorded. I had Karen Dorothea Angell in the Bordewick family tree I was given, but had absolutely nothing before her. The information about Hans and his father and grandfather all came from the Hagerup Family tree site, which got me back much further on both sides of Karen's family. However, I have yet to find sources for this information myself aside from this site. I've sent an email to the maintainer, but I'm not certain if the email still works, so we'll see if he answers.

Either way, I still need information confirming her parents, and his line of descent before her. And I would love information on Hans Rasmussen Angel and his wife Ingeborg. Particularly if they had any other children.