Immigration and Saints

Stavanger is the port that my father, like many immigrants, departed Norway to come to the United States.  I spent the morning at the Norwegian Immigration Center.  Norwegian immigrant history is documented and commemorated, but upstairs there is everything you need to trace your ancestors back to Norway.  In three hours, I found my Dad’s christening record from the churchbook in Ferkinstad, which I had visited to see my grandparent’s graves, the 1910 census showing my grandparents and who lived in the household—all 11 of them, details on Dad’s immigration, and the Farm Book that in three large volumes traces back ownership of all farms in Norway further than I cared to go!  I’ll leave all of that to my cousin, Oskar.  He has the advantage of having time, patience, and the ability to read Norwegian!  I did find the history of my maternal grandmother’s family farm, and traced it back pretty easily to the 1500s—they have sources there that my cousin doesn’t have access to, so I sent the info to him.  The morning was a lot like the internet in that I could spend lots of time and have very little to show for it!  My father, newly named Hans S. Davidsen,  left Stavanger Feb. 21, 1930 via Southampton to New York City on the Cunard’s “Beregaria” and arrived in NYC March 4, 1930.  There is plenty more to research because then Dad left NYC on Dec. 14, 1934 and arrived in Bergen Dec. 16, 1934.  But lots more to see and I have to meet my cousin this afternoon.



The Domkirken (Cathedral) was started in 1125 and Stavanger was chosen as the site, because even though it was just a small cluster of wooden houses at the end of an inlet, it was the only recognizable settlement along the southwestern coast. In spite of being close to 900 years old, occasional fires, remodels to update in 1272 to Scottish Gothic, it is among the best preserved medieval cathedrals in Europe.  During with the Reformation, it lost holy relics of St. Swithun  (whoever he is) along with it’s bell and several towers.  The church is the usual mixture of stained glass, gothic columns with capitals carved with Norse dragons and griffins, but the highlight is the ornately carved pulpit which is one of the best examples of Baroque art in Norway.  It was here that I met my 33 year old 2^nd cousin, Monica.  She said, “there is something I want to show you.”  We walked outside the cathedral and as I was staring up at the square twin towers and a mammoth porch adorned with four saints, each in their niche, she handed me a book and said, “I think you will find this interesting”.  I didn’t quite get it at first, but there was my Dad’s name followed by my brother, and me, including our children up to Jack, who is now 10.  She pointed to one of the saints and said, “that is Ste. Bridget” and she is one of our relatives and this book is her story.  I don’t know much about Ste. Bridget except Monica said she was Swedish, lived in the late1200s and saw Jesus come alive on the cross and he spoke to her.  I’ll have to see if the book is translated into English when I get home.  Guess if I’m related to a saint, I should know something about her.  Monica said we’re also related to Knut, the Holy.  At least I know that he was king of Denmark.  I wonder if I’m too American for all of this?