Anders Petersen (historian)
Encyclopedia
Anders Petersen was a Danish school teacher and author of a range of historical, genealogical and statistical books.
Peter Nicolaisen and wife Marie Nilsdatter Bech.
He grew up with his family in the residence of the deacon
of Bjæverskov, where his parents worked for the unmarried deacon. Since rural deacons were often school teachers as well, this may partly explain why he later became a teacher.
In 1842 he was confirmed
as first in his class.
The deacon who had employed his parents died in May the same year, two months later at the age of 14 Anders Petersen started as an apprentice as a weaver in nearby Slimminge.
In May 1845 Anders Petersen had completed his apprenticeship. During the following years he worked as a weaver in various nearby villages except for November 1846 where he lived in Copenhagen
. In November 1849 he returned to his parents in Bjæverskov. Since his father was over 60 and working as a day labourer he may haved moved back to support his parents.
In 1850 he volunteered for the army and soon became a non-commissioned officer
in the artillery
.
The following year his father died, six years later his mother died.
Seminarium on a stipend from Count Brockenhus Schack of Giesegaard to become a teacher and in 1855 he graduated.
On 12 June 1857 he married Olivia Anine Vilhemine Ømann in Copenhagen.
From 1857 to 1886 he was a school teacher in Vallø by.
While living there he and his wife had (at least) four children, Petrine Marie Isabella Petersen (19 February 1858), Agnes Theodora Elna Petersen (22 April 1860), Olga Dagmar Nicoline Petersen (14 June 1862) and Thora Astrid Vilhelmine Petersen (19 September 1873).
0n 25 June 1879 he was a Dannebrogsmand i.e. he had been awarded the Cross of Honour of the Order of the Dannebrog.
In 1886 when his daughter Agnes married a teacher he vouched for her eligibility for marriage as teacher and church singer.
In 1890 he had been awarded the silver medal of merit (fortjenstmedalje) and lived in Køge
as a retired teacher with his wife and two unmarried daughters of whom the oldest (Petrine) was herself a teacher.
After he retired Anders Petersen remained an active author.
as author and teacher.
The Danish National Archives
has preserved some of his mail correspondence.
In 1991 a group of Danish historians lead by J. Ingemann Pedersen raised the funds to reprint Anders Pedersens book Sjællands Stifts Degnehistorie, which is very useful to genealogists but which had become very rare.
Early Years
Anders Petersen was born in Bjæverskov as the youngest of four children of farmerFarmer
A farmer is a person engaged in agriculture, who raises living organisms for food or raw materials, generally including livestock husbandry and growing crops, such as produce and grain...
Peter Nicolaisen and wife Marie Nilsdatter Bech.
He grew up with his family in the residence of the deacon
Deacon
Deacon is a ministry in the Christian Church that is generally associated with service of some kind, but which varies among theological and denominational traditions...
of Bjæverskov, where his parents worked for the unmarried deacon. Since rural deacons were often school teachers as well, this may partly explain why he later became a teacher.
In 1842 he was confirmed
Confirmation (Lutheran Church)
Confirmation in the Lutheran Church is a public profession of faith prepared for by long and careful instruction. In English, it is called "affirmation of baptism", and is a mature and public profession of the faith which "marks the completion of the congregation's program of confirmation...
as first in his class.
The deacon who had employed his parents died in May the same year, two months later at the age of 14 Anders Petersen started as an apprentice as a weaver in nearby Slimminge.
In May 1845 Anders Petersen had completed his apprenticeship. During the following years he worked as a weaver in various nearby villages except for November 1846 where he lived in Copenhagen
Copenhagen
Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...
. In November 1849 he returned to his parents in Bjæverskov. Since his father was over 60 and working as a day labourer he may haved moved back to support his parents.
In 1850 he volunteered for the army and soon became a non-commissioned officer
Non-commissioned officer
A non-commissioned officer , called a sub-officer in some countries, is a military officer who has not been given a commission...
in the artillery
Artillery
Originally applied to any group of infantry primarily armed with projectile weapons, artillery has over time become limited in meaning to refer only to those engines of war that operate by projection of munitions far beyond the range of effect of personal weapons...
.
The following year his father died, six years later his mother died.
Family and Career Years
In 1852 he entered JonstrupJonstrup
Jonstrup is a town in the outskirts of Furesø Municipality. The town is separated from the town of Måløv by Mølledalen, Møllemosen, and Værebro å. This town houses the Jonstrup seminarium and academy of officers. Furthermore all entrance examinations for joining the army takes place at the military...
Seminarium on a stipend from Count Brockenhus Schack of Giesegaard to become a teacher and in 1855 he graduated.
On 12 June 1857 he married Olivia Anine Vilhemine Ømann in Copenhagen.
From 1857 to 1886 he was a school teacher in Vallø by.
While living there he and his wife had (at least) four children, Petrine Marie Isabella Petersen (19 February 1858), Agnes Theodora Elna Petersen (22 April 1860), Olga Dagmar Nicoline Petersen (14 June 1862) and Thora Astrid Vilhelmine Petersen (19 September 1873).
0n 25 June 1879 he was a Dannebrogsmand i.e. he had been awarded the Cross of Honour of the Order of the Dannebrog.
In 1886 when his daughter Agnes married a teacher he vouched for her eligibility for marriage as teacher and church singer.
In 1890 he had been awarded the silver medal of merit (fortjenstmedalje) and lived in Køge
Køge
Køge Municipality is a municipality in Region Sjælland on the east coast of the island of Zealand approx. 40 km. southwest of Copenhagen. The municipality covers an area of 255 km² , and has a total population of 56,637...
as a retired teacher with his wife and two unmarried daughters of whom the oldest (Petrine) was herself a teacher.
After he retired Anders Petersen remained an active author.
After his Death
Anders Petersen has a posthumous entry in the 1914 issue of Kraks Blå BogKraks Blå Bog
Kraks Blå Bog is the Who's Who of Denmark. The first edition was published in 1910 by Ove Krak and included 3,000 "life stories", while the 2009/2010 centennial edition contains life stories of 8127 living Danish, Faroe Island and Greenland women and men...
as author and teacher.
The Danish National Archives
Danish National Archives
Danish National Archives is the National archive of Denmark. The primary purpose is to collect, preserve and archive historically valuable records from central authorities, such as ministries, agencies and national organisations and make them available to the public...
has preserved some of his mail correspondence.
In 1991 a group of Danish historians lead by J. Ingemann Pedersen raised the funds to reprint Anders Pedersens book Sjællands Stifts Degnehistorie, which is very useful to genealogists but which had become very rare.
Further reading
- Dahl, Svend and Engelstoft, P. (1926) Dansk biografisk leksikonDansk biografisk leksikonDansk biografisk leksikon is a Danish biographical dictionary that has been published in three editions...
, III, p. 83 (in Danish, online)
