Discovering My Danish Roots

After looking at the Social Security Application and Claims Index, I was also able to confirm her birthplace of Funder, Denmark in the Social Security Application and Claims Index.

Other Types of U.S. Records for Danish Birthplace Sources

For Danish ancestors, there are many record collections on Ancestry^® that can help you locate their birthplace in Denmark.* Examples include: 

• Immigration records
• Naturalization records
• Death records
• Obituaries
• Military records

If the ancestors were still Lutheran (State Church of Denmark) when they arrived in the United States, the U.S. Lutheran church records on Ancestry may give birthplaces and names of parents.

Examining Passenger Lists to Track Departures and Arrivals

During this time, it was common for many emigrants from northwestern Europe to first travel by ship to Hull, England, and then by train across England to Liverpool. Danes would usually first travel to Copenhagen, the Danish capital, before boarding a ship to Hull.

I then searched for Margrethe in passenger lists and found that she arrived on 11 October 1907 in Quebec, Canada, aboard the SS Canada. That ship had sailed from Liverpool, England. I next located her in the border crossing records from Canada to the United States. That record identifies her as Miss Margrethe M. Abildskov, age 18, last residing in Funder, Denmark.

My next step was to search for the other members of the family who traveled in 1909. By coincidence, they traveled on the same ship, the SS Canada. They left Liverpool on 4 February, arriving in Portland, Maine, on 14 February 1909—a 10-day voyage. 

Using Danish Records to Go Back Further in Time

The Ancestry^® partnership with the Danish National Archives, Rigsarkivet, means Ancestry members can access digitized Danish Lutheran church records and Danish Census records—both wonderful records for the 19th century, my targeted era for research. 

• Parish records date back to 1812, when church parishes were required to keep two copies of their records in different locations, which means it’s unusual for there to be no parish records after about 1814, when most priests complied with the record-keeping rules.
• The Danish census started in 1787, naming all members of the household. Beginning with 1845, the census recorded birthplaces.

By exploring church records, I saw my great-grandmother’s Lutheran baptism for the first time in color. (Indexes are helpful, but I’d much rather see images of actual records.) The image I found shows that Magrethe [sic] Marie Abildskov was born 8 April 1890 and baptized 15 June 1890 in the church. Her parents were householder Johan Frederick Christensen Abildskov, and his wife, Ane Marie Pedersen of Funder.  Ane is described as 28 years old.

The image below is my great-grandmother with her family in the 1901 Denmark Census.  My key findings from this census record:

• Margrethe’s father’s occupation is listed as “Næstformand ved banen.” This means he was next to (nearest employed or second) to the track chairman, or supervisor, at the train station.
• The census states the couple had six children, though only five are listed. This tells me one died young. A stillborn child is also reported in the census.
• For Margrethe’s mother, Ane Marie Petersen, the census tells us she moved to the parish in 1885 from Ikast.
• Margrethe’s widowed paternal grandmother is living with the family, Marie Margrethe Abildskov, maiden name Pape.

In the Danish church burial records, I learned that Margrethe’s father died a couple of years before she immigrated to the United States. This record is rich with detail:

• Johan Frederick Christensen Abildskov died in the hospital in nearby Silkeborg on 30 January 1905. He was 47 years old.
• His occupation was “next to the supervisor” at the Funder station.
• Johan was the son of the deceased Christen Jesen Abildskov and his wife Marie Margrethe Pape.
• He was born 30 April 1857 in the house Grøndalsgaard in Funder parish.
• Johan was married to Ane Marie Pedersen.

Going back further in time, a search of church marriage records revealed:

• Margrethe’s parents married on 17 March 1885 in Funder.
• Her father, Johan Frederick Christensen Abildskov, was unmarried, born 30 April 1857, and son of Christen Jensen Abildskov of Grøndalsgaard, Funder.
• Her mother, Ane Marie Pedersen, was an unmarried maiden, daughter of Peder Lauridsen of Graamose, born 9 October 1862.
• The witnesses were Ingelius Pedersen, a brother of Ane, and the groom’s father.

Deciphering Danish Names

The Abildskov surname is unusual in Denmark in that it does not have patronymic roots. Most Danes have a surname ending with -sen, which was taken from the first name, also called Christian name, of their father. Andrew Jensen, for example, would be a son of a man named Jens. Historically, daughters were given surnames ending with -datter. This went on until the 1850s to 1870s, when most Danes used surnames that did not change with each generation. Keep this in mind when researching pre-1880s’ Danish records.

Pro Tips for Others with Danish Roots

By looking to discover more about my great-grandmother and the Abildskov family’s journey to the U.S., I found new details about their lives using a combination of U.S. and Danish records. If you have Danish roots, I hope my examples might help you make your own satisfying personal discoveries.

Family history research can open the door to a wealth of information about the lives of your ancestors. An Ancestry^® membership can give you access to many resources that can help you learn about your family’s journey and uncover their stories.

*Access to some record collections may require an Ancestry^® World Explorer membership.