Mankell Family History
MAPS OF ANCESTRAL HOMES IN EUROPE
Niederasphe Germany:
Niederasphe Germany is highlighted in yellow. The town, in the state of Hesse in central Germany, is northwest of Marburg am Lahn (also on the map) and east of Cologne. While Marburg is on maps of Germany, Niederasphe usually is not.
Norway:
Northern Norway
Mo i Rana (underlined in yellow), in Nordland area of northern Norway (just south of the Arctic Circle) was the home of Andrew Johnson (aka Anders Jenson) and his father, Jens Jorgens Zachariason who settled in Irving Township, Kandiyohi County, Minnesota. Andrew was the grandfather of Vivian Jordin Mankell. Andrew left Norway in 1882; the Zachariason family left in 1868.
Southern Norway
1. Oppdal in the Oppdal Valley was the home of Iver and Guro Olsen and their daughter Ragnhild. Ragnhild Olsen Johnson was the grandmother of Vivian Jordin Mankell.
2. Fåvang in Gudbrandsdalen Valley and north of Lillehammer, was the ancestral home of the Hjelle family including Bastina Hjelle Christopherson, grandmother of Orlynn Mankell.
3. Ål in Hallingdal Valley was the home of Margit Syversdatter Borgen (who married Sven Borgen while in Norway)
4. Åsberg in Numedal Valley was the home of Sven Gunderson Borgen and his family.
Sven and Margit and their children (Ragnhild, Gunder and Bergit) emigrated from Norway in 1857, arriving in Quebec. They then traveled to Beloit, Rock County Wisconsin. They settled their Kandiyohi County Minnesota homestead (between Lake Mary and Swenson Lake) in 1859.
5. Stor-Elvdal in Osterdalen Valley was the home of Gemine Negaard (who later married Gunder Swenson).
6. Holter and Tangen are located in Nannestad District in the County of Akershus. Holter was the home of Lars Christopherson. Just north of Holter is Tangen, the ancestral home of his wife Anna Tangen. (See map below) Lars, Anna and family (including son August who later married Bastina Hjelle) left Norway in 1868. They arrived in St. Cloud MN, then traveled to Lake Johanna in Pope County, and later to Arctander Township in Kandiyohi County.
This map indicates the Nannestad District of Norway where Holter and Tangen are located.
This map of Fåvang Norway highlights 3 locations relevant to the Hjelle family
2. The Hjelle Seter (summer farm) located in the higher elevations. Bastina Hjelle was a Seter girl, she tended to the animals (cattle and/or sheep) at the summer farm.
3. The town of Fåvang in Gudbrandsdalen Valley, Norway.
This map of Norway identifies the different Valleys (Dalen) in Norway. Many of the Norwegian ancestors are remembered by the Valley in Norway where they lived before coming to America:
- Oppdal--Ragnhild Olsen Johnson and her parents
- Gudbrandsdalen--Bastina Hjelle Christopherson, her parents and siblings
- Hallingdal--Margit Syversdatter Borgen
- Numedal--Sven Gunderson Borgen and Gunder Swenson
- Osterdalen--Gemine Negaard Swenson
- Nannestad (Akershus County, #9 on the map)--Lars Christopherson and son August
Sweden:
This map of Sweden identifies the 25 historic provinces and larger cities.
Numbers on the map indicate areas in Sweden where ancestors lived.
1. Skåne Province in southern Sweden is the ancestral home of the Mortensen family. Vivian Jordin Mankell's grandmother Mary Mortensen was from Onslunda, southwest of Kristianstad. Mary's mother Margreta Nilsdotter was from Onslunda also. Mary's father Ole Mortensen was from the Tryde area which is south of Onslunda. He must of moved to Onslunda to live when married. The family left Sweden in 1871or 1872 and settled in Cosmos (Meeker County) Minnesota.
2. Karlskrona, along the southeastern shore of Sweden, was the home of Johan Herman Mankell after he left Christiansfeld Denmark. Johan and his second wife Helena Svedman had several children born in this city.
3. Stockholm is the capital of Sweden and was the home of organists and brothers, Gustav and Carl Abraham Mankell. Stockholm was also to the home of Julius Mankell, Carl Abraham's son. One of the islands of Stockholm is Lidingö, the home of their nephew Otto August Mankell, the artist.
4. Gothenburg (Göteborg) on Sweden's western shore was the home of Wilhelm August Mankell, his son H.W. Mankell, and HW's wife Elizabeth Olsson. HW left Sweden in 1856, arriving in Pennsylvania and was in Red Wing Minnesota by 1857. Elizabeth emigrated from Sweden in 1857 and settled in Red Wing. They married in 1857 in Vasa, Minnesota.
5. Linköping, southwest of Stockholm, was the home of Friederica Amalia Mankell (daughter of Johan Herman) and her family (Gnosspelius).
6. Härnösand, north of Stockholm, was the home of 2 of Johan's youngest children, Sven Gustaf and Emil Theodor.
7. Alvsborg, Övre Jordalavägen (Upper Jordala Road) west of Mellby in Alvsborg Län (Alvsborg County, also spelled "Elfsborg" and previously known as Västergötland Province). The Jordin family is from Alvsborg, an area known as Jordala, near Mellby. Vivian's grandfather August Jordin and his parents Anders Pettersson and Anna Greta Andersdotter left Sweden in 1880 and settled in Beckville (south of Litchfield), Meeker County, Minnesota. After arriving in the U.S. the family took the name Jordin from the location of their home in Sweden. The Jordin family history had previously placed "Elfsborg" in Skåne Province, but it is now evident that they emigrated from Alvsborg, located northeast of Gothenburg (Göteborg).
Here is a link to a map of Övre Jordalavägen in Elfsborg.
A closer view of southeastern Skåne Province, on the southern tip of Sweden.
Numbers on the map indicate areas in Skåne where the Mortensen ancestors lived.
- Tryde/Everöd was the ancetral home of Ole Mortensen and his parents and grandparents. Ole was Vivian Mankell's great grandfather.
- Onslunda was the ancestral home of the Mary Mortensen and her mother's family (Nilsdotter).
The island of Lidingö is to the east of Stockholm. Indicated on this map is the location of OA Mankell's home, Hermineberg.
This closer view of Lidingö Island in 1890 identifies the homes on the island.
Hermineberg, the home of OA Mankell, is highlighted.