The family of Jens Peter Christiansen


Danish ancestors – post 5:
 A search of the Nyker parish register for a few years either side of 1852 doesn’t show up any Jens Peter Christiansens, so we will have to assume the Jens Peter born in Aakirkeby (nowadays Åkirkeby) is the right 
one for now.

His baptism (entry no. 4) appears below and tells us he was born on the 26 May 1852 and baptised in church on 11 July the same year. His father was mason, Christian Christiansen and mother, Maren Margrethe age 37, of Bygade (street in Åkirkeby). The baby was held by the mother at the font and godparents were all of Aakirkeby. Jens Peter was vaccinated (for smallpox) on 13 July 1853 by Dr. Grove.

I don’t know if you can get a close up view of the page, but if you can you will notice from the other entries that this was a time of confusion when it came to naming, and in this parish it seems the parish minister was happy to go with whatever the parents wanted. 

The first child is Niels Clemmend Jensen as in Jensen – son of Jens – his father being Jens Mogensen. This is a patronymic name not a real surname and thus changes every generation. 

The King of Denmark had decreed earlier in the 1800s that Danes adopt set inheritable surnames, but people were slow to come around to the idea and it took most of the century before it was completely adopted all over Denmark. 

It was not a problem for our Jens Peter, as he could take either his father’s christian name and have a patronymic ‘Christiansen’ (son of Christian) and ignore the King, or he could use his father’s patronymic ‘surname’ which he got from his father ‘Christiansen’ (son of Christian), thus being a loyal citizen. We won’t know the answer to that one!
The parents of the last child on the page, Hans Peter Andersen, son of Wilhelm Andersen, are obviously a bit more progressive than others, choosing to make the father’s patronymic surname of Andersen a set surname, and pass it on to the son.

Imagine the confusion this change in system caused, Hans Peter now being ‘Ander’s son’, when his father was actually Wilhelm! Now he is actually named as his grandfather’s son. No wonder the royal decree took a few generations to gain acceptance.
Photo: Danish ancestors – post 5: A search of the Nyker parish register for a few years either side of 1852 doesn’t show up any Jens Peter Christiansens, so we will have to assume the Jens Peter born in Aakirkeby (nowadays Åkirkeby) is the right one for now. His baptism (entry no. 4) appears below and tells us he was born on the 26 May 1852 and baptised in church on 11 July the same year. His father was mason, Christian Christiansen and mother, Maren Margrethe age 37, of Bygade (street in Åkirkeby). The baby was held by the mother at the font and godparents were all of Aakirkeby. Jens Peter was vaccinated (for smallpox) on 13 July 1853 by Dr. Grove. I don’t know if you can get a close up view of the page, but if you can you will notice from the other entries that this was a time of confusion when it came to naming, and in this parish it seems the parish minister was happy to go with whatever the parents wanted. The first child is Niels Clemmend Jensen as in Jensen – son of Jens – his father being Jens Mogensen. This is a patronymic name not a real surname and thus changes every generation. The King of Denmark had decreed earlier in the 1800s that Danes adopt set inheritable surnames, but people were slow to come around to the idea and it took most of the century before it was completely adopted all over Denmark. It was not a problem for our Jens Peter, as he could take either his father’s christian name and have a patronymic ‘Christiansen’ (son of Christian) and ignore the King, or he could use his father’s patronymic ‘surname’ which he got from his father ‘Christiansen’ (son of Christian), thus being a loyal citizen. We won’t know the answer to that one! The parents of the last child on the page, Hans Peter Andersen, son of Wilhelm Andersen, are obviously a bit more progressive than others, choosing to make the father’s patronymic surname of Andersen a set surname, and pass it on to the son. Imagine the confusion this change in system caused, Hans Peter now being ‘Ander’s son’, when his father was actually Wilhelm! Now he is actually named as his grandfather’s son. No wonder the royal decree took a few generations to gain acceptance.

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