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Matthias Andersen (Mathis Andersson)

1823-1895

 

The ancestor of Andersen-family in Larvik is Matthias Andersen. His ancestry is described here. He was born on the farm Erlandsröd in Skee Sockn (Sweden) in 1823. The farm is located at the Strömsvannet, a few kilometers east of Strömstad city center. The area belongs to the Bohuslän, which was Norwegian territory up to 1658. The landscape is reminiscent of the coastal area of Vestfold, hilly, with ice scoured rocks that here and there are sticking up of the shallow soil.

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Mathis Andersson was born 16. november 1823, in Skee Sockn.

Erlandsröd had two farms, probably somewhat bigger than what we call small farm in Norway. In 1978 they were both discontinued as unprofitable, and Strömstad municipality had taken them over to development. The houses stood, however, still in 1978; the farmhouse was simply well maintained (see picture).

Father of Mathis was Anders Persson Erlandsröd. He was a sailor in his younger days, and until today (1978) the family in Sweden still tell about how he jokingly told about "the förtjusande flickorna in Barcelona". Mathis had to look for work immediately after his confirmation, as was normal at that time. He was probably in blacksmithing in Strömstad, and lived with the master. Later, he was in Borre, and settled later in the Larvik around 1852, together with his wife Pernille. Mathis visited his father's farm on Erlandsröd several times after he became a Larvik-man, and Mathis had repeatedly had visitors from Erlandsröd.

It was possibly Fritzøe Jernværk on Langestrand that attracted Mathis to Larvik. Mathias and Pernille moved into a small apartment in Strandgaten 26 on Thorstrand in 1852. Just next to the property was the forge that Mathias used (Søgaden 7), with "Smistranda" close by, and where they finally found him dead. It was demolished around 1950, swallowed up by the "Soya" factory. Mathias bought a lot already in 1861; which is now called Strandgt. 9, where there was a "smediebygning" (forge); here he built a new house in the same year, and the family moved there.

He ran the forge in Sögaden until he went bankrupt in 1895. This was, of course, a huge blow for Mathias. In addition, he had lost Pernille, who died in 1894. Mathias died in the forge 1895, 72 years old.

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Mathias and his son Alfred (to the left) in the forge (from "Larvik før og nå", by Per Nyhus)

 

From blacksmith to workshop owner

Excerpt from "Alfr. Andersen 1851-1951. A levnetstegning" (Øyvind Næss, 1951)

Once in the middle or the end of the 1840s, a man by the name of Mathis Anderson from Sweden came to the Horten district. Handovers tell that he came from the Strömstad area. He was a solid and good guy, a deft and skilled craftsman who was a specialist in file cutting. At the naval academy orlogsstasjon with the shipyards and the mechanical workshop was established1841-47. The, naval station was moved from Stavern to Horten in 1850. This led to significant business in Horten. Therefore, it was not difficult for Mathis Andersson, who was educated blacksmith, to obtain work here.

Here he met the Swedish emigrant a clever, and ferm girl named Pernille Thorsdatter, born in Ringsaker 1829. Her father was Thor Johnsen. Mathis was 28 and Pernille 22 when they got married in the Borre church 3. October 1851, the same day that their firstborn was carried to baptism, and received the name Alfred Theodor. He was born 24. august 1851.

Pernille had come to the house with her sister who was married to the well-known wagon manufacturer Sørensen and the wedding was celebrated at her brother-in-law.

Over time they got nine more children. After having lived for some years in Borre, Mathias Andersen (which he had now norwegianised his name to) traveled to Larvik. Here there was significant shipping, and ships were built in Hølen, Rekkevik, on Torstrand and on Jordfallen. Moreover, Fritzøe Jernverk (Ironworks) was still in operation. It seems like Mathias Andersen a time had a job on the Ironworks.

Later, Mathias Andersen settled in Torstrand where he established blacksmith business.. The nearby was called "Smiestranda" (Forge beach). The name was given after Mathias Andersen's forge. Here he also had the house, Strandgaten 26 (see map here), which still stands as an excellent residence. However, it has been modified from the original appearance. It was also a beautiful garden that went all the way down to the beach.

Mathias Andersen, master blacksmith, is said to have been selected to be a member of the city's representatives in 1877. It tells about the position he had in Larvik.

On the "Smiestranda", his son Alfred apprenticed with his father, who was an able ships blacksmith, and delivered the work to building vessels and otherwise received repairs when the ships came home and should be repaired or overhauled.

   

Strand street 26 (see map here)

Strandgaden 26 and Mathias'/Rudolf's forge. Original photo from Per Nyhus, "Larvik før og nå«

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Det ser ut til at Mathias Andersen eide Strandgata 26 fra 1885 til 1887.

Strandgaden 9, Larvik

The picture is from Torstrand, taken from the church tower around 1930, and shows how the beaches along the Torstrand was divided with fences down to the sea. The brick building in front of the left of the pipes was the forge that Mathias Andersen had in the "Smiestranda" (no 1). The long dark building (no 2) to the left is Rudolf's forge after he moved from the forge as Mathias had. No 3 shows the location of 'Fram båtbyggeri', established by Eilif Andersen. Original photo from "Larvik før og nå" by Per Nyhus. Tap to see the bigger picture.

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From the church records in the Larvik – Matthias's death

It is now more than 150 years ago since Mathias Andersen established a forge and plumber company in Strandgaten – 30. may 1854. In Mathias Andersen's time plumber work involved adding water from the main water pipe in the street to a waterpost in the yard. A lot has happened since then, and his son, authorized master plumber Rudolf Andersen and his son, authorized master plumber and engineer, Eilif Andersen, took part in a rapid development.

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Pernille Thorsdatter

1829-1894

Pernille Thorsdatter was born in Ringsaker, 23. november 1829. Her father was Thor Johnsen and was from the Lower Havig, Brøttum in Ringsaker. Her mother was Ingeborg Larsdatter from the Upper Havig in Ringsaker. Upper Havig has a nice location, with the hill in the east and nice view to the lake Mjøsa and Biristrand in the west. The main building on the Upper Havig, shown in the picture below, was built around 1735.

The Havig farm, as pernille came from, is mentioned already in 1398. By the cadastre in 1903, it was the Gnr. 402, bnr 1, and had a.o. summer mountain pasture at Sjusjøen. The family further back were farmers from both sides of the lake Mjøsa, Ringsaker and Biri. Pernille had 6 older siblings.

The main building of the Upper Havig (photo by Hans Andersen)

Mathis was 28 and Pernille 22 when they got married in the Borre church 3. October 1851, the same day as their firstborn was carried to baptism, and received the name Alfred Theodor. He was born 24. august 1851. See church records for Borre for 1851 below; marriage and baptism documentation.

 

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> go to Jenny Aagot and Rudolf

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Reference
Slekten: Andersen Larvik (Hans Andersen, 1986)