Help with Danish probate record

Jeniann Nielsen

Can I get help interpreting this probate for Mette Pedersdatter please? https://www.sa.dk/ao-soegesider/da/billedviser?epid=22918953#487886,86865976

It begins on the right side of the page. So far I think it says this:

Probate of Mette Pedersdatter, wife of Niels Jensen of Thorup

Mette died 21 April 1777

I think it says that her children from a previous marriage are:

Hans Marcussen, 36 years old, living in Tomerup

Lars Marcussen, 29 years old, living in Evertoft

Witnesses are Niels Mortensen of Thorup and Jacob Jorgensen of Kongsgaard

I think I'm seeing the words "moder" and "broder" in there, but I'm not sure what that's referring to or if I'm missing something.

Thanks in advance!

Norm Baker

I believe that the probate lists Hans Marcusen and Lars Marcusen as "joint owners" (I presume of the farm where Niels Jensen lives). Niels is listed as a "Huusmand", which is a cottager-someone who either has a house and no land of significance or a small plot (husband med jord) which is not large enough to support a family. No relationship to Mette Pedersdatter or Niels Jensen is mentioned. That's not to say that they are not Mette's children from a previous marriage, but the probate doesn't say they are.

It looks like the parish sheriff, Niels Mortensen, and Jacob Jørgensen are the men who oversaw the probate.

21 April 1777 is not the date of her death. Rather, I think it is the date that the property was inventoried. Her death occurred on 16 April 1777. See here for that record (the 6th entry in 1777): https://www.sa.dk/ao-soegesider/en/billedviser?bsid=206240#206240,39147139.

I didn't see the word "moder" in the probate. The word "broder" occurs once, but I think it is talking about one (or both) of the Marcusens-Hans and/or Lars.

I found Hans' and Lars' birth records. Their father is Marcus Hansen, but the mother's name is not given in either record.

Hans (right page, 3rd from the bottom): https://www.sa.dk/ao-soegesider/en/billedviser?bsid=206240#206240,39147010

Lars (left page, 11 May): https://www.sa.dk/ao-soegesider/en/billedviser?bsid=206240#206240,39147020

I am going to ask @Charlotte Noelle Champenois to look at this. She can answer your questions better than me.

Jeniann Nielsen

@Norm Baker , thanks! I think that's what I needed. I appreciate your help!

Charlotte Noelle Champenois

@Norm Baker is correct that 21 April 1777 is the date the property was inventoried; Mette Pedersdatter was buried on 16 April 1777.

The first section of the probate states:

"Ao 1781, den 16 July blev efter Tillysning og indkaldelse paa Arresøegaard forretaget Skifte efter Huusmand Niels Jensens Hustrue Mette Pedersdatter af Thorup, emellem Enckemanden og Børnene som ere:

"Hans Marcusen Landsoldat 36 Aar gl: Indsidder i Sommerup

"Lars Marcusen Skræder 29 Aar gl: Tienende i Evetoft."

This roughly means: On 16 July 1781, after announcement and summons, a probate was conducted at Arresøegaard [Arresøgaard] for the cottager Niels Jensen's wife, Mette Pedersdatter of Thorup, between the widower and the children, who are: Hans Marcusen, soldier, age 36, tenant in Sommerup, and Lars Marcusen, tailor, age 29, serving in Evetoft.

So, Hans and Lars are Mette's children. Since they have the surname Marcusen, their father's given name was Marcus, meaning Mette was married to a Marcus before she married Niels Jensen.

Based on the children's baptisms Norm found, I located the 1744 marriage of soldier Marcus Hansson and Mette Pedersdaatter of Hald (2nd entry at https://www.sa.dk/ao-soegesider/en/billedviser?bsid=206240#206240,39147113).

There is also a 4 July 1774 probate for Marcus Hansen (https://www.sa.dk/ao-soegesider/da/billedviser?epid=22918953#487886,86865899), which references his property having been inventoried on 25 October 1772 and states that his widow was Mette Pedersdatter and that her husband now is Niels Jensen, cottager in Thorup; 5 children of the deceased Marcus Hansen are listed: (1) Hans Marcusen, age 30, in Thorup, a bachelor; (2) Lars Marcusen, age 22, ditto; (3) Peder Marcusen, age 13, ditto; (4) Johanne Marcusdatter, married to Knud Jensen, tenant in Eretoft; and (5) Magretha Marcusdatter, married to the soldier Hans Pedersen at Ryegaard gods [Ryegaard estate].

Marcus Hansen was buried on 25 October 1772, the same day his property was inventoried, after dying at age 58 (I believe his burial entry is the very last one at https://www.sa.dk/ao-soegesider/en/billedviser?bsid=206240#206240,39147138).

The bachelor Niels Jensen and the widow Metthe P[e]d[e]rsd[atter] of Thorup were married on 17 April 1774 (see the third entry at https://www.sa.dk/ao-soegesider/en/billedviser?bsid=206240#206240,39147118 ).

1774 marr.PNG

Jeniann Nielsen

@Charlotte Noelle Champenois , thanks so much for taking the time to research this for me. I really appreciate it!