#52ancestors – Favourite name

This is my contribution to this week’s 52 ancestors in  52 weeks challenge – Favourite name

My grandmother always went by the name of Paula. Her real name though was Pauline Marie. I think this is such a beautiful name. I am not going to tell about my grandmother this time, but rather her grandmother after whom she was named.

Pauline Marie Nilsdotter Ytterli, daughter of Nils Carolus Kristianson Linge and Inger Marta Jonsdotter Rødal, was born on 13 Jul 1844 at the farm Ytterli,  Norddal parish, Møre og Romsdal county. She was christened on 4 Aug 1844 in Sylte church, Norddal parish.  Other names for Pauline were Pauline Marie Hauge and Pauline Marie Vestnes.

The place Pauline was born is in the deep and narrow Tafjord. Arable land is scarce, so the farm are nestled on a plateau high above the fjord. Here is a picture that shows the view of the plateau. The Ytterli farms are not seen in this picture.

Here is the view they had when looking out over the fjord. We can see one of the Ytterli farms in the distance to the right. The village on the other side of the fjord is Eidsdal, where some of you have taken the ferry either coming from, or going to Geiranger.

When Pauline Marie was 18 years old she got a wooden chest. It was customary that young girls started to collect linen and other things they would need when they got married. As my grandmother was named after Pauline Marie, she inherited the chest. The chest is worn and the paint is faded, but it is still a great heirloom to keep.

Pauline married Knut Rasmusson Hauge, son of Rasmus Knutson Korsnes and Kari Pedersdotter Tryggestad, on 14 Oct 1866 in Sylte church,  Norddal parish. Knut was born on 18 Mar 1840 in Nerhus. The picture below shows the village Fjøra in Norddal. Knut’s father Rasmus was a boat builder and had his yard here. Knut also worked as a boat builder so he and Pauline probably lived in this area the first year of their marriage.

Even though this article is about Pauline Marie, we need to talk a little about Knut. He had a son born out-of-wedlock February 14. named Karl Andreas Knutson Selboskar. His mother was Oline Børresdatter Selboskar.

I wonder if Pauline knew that Knut  already had fathered a son, when she got involved with him in the spring of 1866. This was a small village where everyone knew each other. An unmarried girl would not get a child without there being questions about the father. When the child (Karl) was baptised April 8 1866 the “secret” was out and Knut is listed as the father. By this time Pauline Marie must have been pregnant with her and Knut’s son Ole.

Pauline Marie was about seven months pregnant when she and Knut got married in October the same year. Their son Ole was born December 31. 1866.

I have been thinking about the conversations that likely took place in this little village at the time. It was a shame to have children without being married. I find it highly likely that there had been pressure to make Knut and Oline get married. If Pauline was unaware of Knut’s first child, it must have been a very embarrassing situation when she realised that she was pregnant with Knut’s child. I am not proud of my forefather in this situation, because he must have known that he was the father of Oline’s child Karl, when he slept with Pauline.

Maybe the embarassing situation Knut had got them into, was the reason why they the next year in 1867, left Norddal and settled in  Vestnes also in Møre og Romsdal county.

They reason they went to Vestnes was probably that Knut’s brother Martinus had settled there to run his boatbuilding business. Knut and Pauline rented a cotter’s place not far from where Martinus lived.

Children from this marriage were:
i. Ole Martinus Vestnes was born on 31 Dec 1866 in Norddal parish, died in 1954 in Hillsboro, North Dakota. USA at age 88, and was buried in Hillsboro Cemetery #1 Hillsboro Trail county, North Dakota.
ii. Nils Knutsen Vestnes was born on 10 Aug 1869 in Vestnes, died on 27 Apr 1950 in Vestnes at age 80, Vestnes.
iii. Rasmus Knutsen Vestnes, my great-grandfather, was born on 31 Dec 1871 in Bukta,  Vestnes parish, was christened on 31 Mar 1872 in Vestnes church, Vestnes prestegjeld, died on 19 Oct 1954 in Bukta, Vestnes parish at age 82
iv. Iver Vestnes was born on 02 Apr 1874 in Bukta, Vestnes parish.

We don’t know much about their life in Vestnes. At the census in 1875. Pauline and Knut had one cow and four sheep. The sowed a little oat and potato. Knut worked at his brother’s shipyard where they mostly build smaller rowing boats called “Færing”. Most families had one and used them in the same way as we use our cars today.

Pauline died on 04 Dec 1877 in Vestnes parish at age 33, and was buried on 23 Dec 1877 in the cemetery by Vestnes Church. No cause of death is given.

When Pauline passed away, Knut remarried. His new wife was Brit Pedersdatter Hellesylt. She was also from Norddal parish.

Knut died on 29 Jun 1905 in Bukta, Vestnes parish at age 65, and was buried 05 Jul 1905 in the cemetery at Vestnes Church.

I have made contact with Ole Knutson Vestnes’ descendants who live in Minnesota, USA. I am also communicating with the descendants of Knut’s brother Martinus. Read Crossing oceans – bridging my heritage