Can there be two principal persons on a Norwegian Probate Card?
I have come across a couple of confusing records in the batch Norge—Tinglysningskort, 1640–1903 [Del C][MMHT-2HK], specifically images 4 and 5.
Usually these indicate the principal person by showing a cross by their name (indicating they're deceased) with any spouse/former spouse shown underneath them. Image 5 says "transfer requested by Christen Sirusen and wife Guri Gulsdatter" The "and wife" (abbreviated) is one line below the husband's name. Nobody has a cross by their name. Should both of these be indexed as a principal person or only the husband who is listed first. If they are both principal persons, this creates a problem with their relatives. The children are okay since they would be indexed as children to both of them, but it also lists some of the husband's relatives, for example his father, which is of course her father-in-law. If they are both principal persons, would he need to be indexed twice, once as father and once as father-in-law?
To make matters worse, image four is similar, where both the husband and wife (Niels Halvorsen and Siri Larsdatter) are apparently still alive, but her first husband (Ole Olsen, listed below her) is deceased (cross by his name). As I said, usually the one with cross is the principal, but in this case it appears he's not. This one appears to list children from each of the two husbands, based on their last names, so they are all apparently her children but some are Niels' children and some his step children, so again how would they be indexed?
The easiest thing would be to index the living husbands (Christen Sirusen and Niels Halvorsen) as principals and the wives and deceased husband as relatives and proceed as normal, but is that the right thing to do?