Saturday 22 May 2010

Anton Thorsen

There are two more "Thorsens" to write about: Anton and Peder. Of one I have very little information, the other a lot - he was my great grandfather. Let me start with Anton.

Anton was the fourth child of the family, and the last of the kids to be born on Megrund May 7th, 1862. He was christened on June 29th that year in Gausdal church. Two years later, the family moved to the south coast of Norway, to Langøy near Kragerø (Telemark), where his father got work as a miner. He confirmation is recorded in the Skåtøy church records for October 22nd, 1876, where his knowledge of religion, his attentiveness and his behaviour is described as excellent.

And that is the last information I have of Anton. I have found him registered as available for military duty as a sailor in the records for the years 1868-1892, but found no more details. No record of any marriage, no record of his death - my guess is that he, like his brothers, went to sea as a sailor shortly after confirmation, and was lost at sea.

His fate remains a mystery and no picture of him has been identified as yet.