Søren Lauritsen Family
Denmark

 

Morup Mølle from the stream photo Elroy Christenson 2016	Morup Mølle front photo Elroy Christenson 2016

Søren Lauritsen of Morup Mølle
b. 9 May 1713 Refs Hedegaard, Ydby, Thisted, Denmark
baptized:  Ydby parish, Refs, Thisted, Denmark
d. 13 Feb 1771, Bedsted Søgn, Hassing Herred, Thisted, Denmark (age 58) [Dan Fam. Search p9]

Soren's father: Laurits Madsen
Soren's mother: Else Sørensdatter

m. Zidsel Sørensdatter
engaged 18 Dec 1767, mar. 3 Feb 1768 Bedsted parish, Hassing Herred, Thisted, Denmark [Danish Family Search p.34]
b. July 1744 Bedsted Søgn, Thisted, Denmark
christened: 1 Aug 1744 Bedsted parish, Hassing Herred, Thisted, Denmark [ [Dan Fam. Search p 116]
d. 4 Sep 1820 Morup Mølle, Thisted, Denmark , at age 76 [Dan Fam Search -  Hassing, Bested parish p.248]
buried: 9 Sep 1820 Thisted, Hassing, Bedsted parish   [Dan Fam Search -  Hassing, Bested parish p.248]
her father: Søren Clausen
her mother:Johannne Stiesdatter

her 2nd m. - Mads (Christensen) Møller 18 OCT 1771  
Bedsted parish, Hassing Herred, Thisted, Denmark [Danish Family Search p35]
b. Sep. 17,  1720 Ydby
d. 23 May 1788 Bedsted parish, Hassing, Thisted, Denmark at age 62. [Danish Family Search - Bested deaths p24]

Kristine Sørensdatter may have been born in Morup Mølle(Mill) village but the census records are inconclusive on this point.  It looks from the census that Søren  Lauritzen may have been from another farm.   Certainly Kristine did move to the mill with her mothers second marriage but I doubt she was born here.


This small town on the Jutland Peninsula still has a building on the site of the old mill but it now houses a restaurant and bed and breakfast next the stream. A two lane country road runs in front of the building and crosses the stream with a small bridge. A narrow park with walking path now extends up and down the stream through the hamlet. This was apparently a tourist spot in Denmark during the 1930's and 40's. People were primarily attracted by the nearby Northsea beaches and freshwater lake created by the stream. Because this site is off the main road it seems to have trouble attracting enough business to pay for itself.  Ownership has turned over several times in recent years. [information collected in 2016- EC]


There may be more children in this family but this is all that we have discovered to date.

1713 - Søren Lauritsen is born number nine of at least thirteen children most born in Thisted.  Many probably didn't survive. They are peasants tied to the land of their birth.  Søren apparently worked his way up to miller to operate the Mørup Mill.  He takes a wife, Sidsen/Zidsen Sørensdatter, with whom he has a two children.  The marriage may have been arranged. He dies at the age of 58 leaving his two small children and a widow age 26. [Dan Fam Search - Ydby Parish, 1669-1734, p. 256]

https://www.danishfamilysearch.com/sogn1776/churchbook/source143003/opslag15363634

1720 about - Mads Christensen is born to a family that was given a farm in Sinderup parish. It was located on slopes down toward Nissum Bay.  His grandfather and great-grandfather had been tenant farmers of Ydby Annex parish farm, downstream from the parish church.  [Story of the Ancestors of the First Miller. Chapter 39]

1744 Aug 5 -  Sidsel Sørensdatter was christened in Bedsted, Thisted, Denmark. Her father is listed as Søren Clausen and mother Johanne Stiesdtr. [Dan Fam Search, Bedsted parish, p116 ]       

http://www.danishfamilysearch.com/sogn1690/churchbook/source1164/opslag430246

1767, Dec 18 - Zidsel Sørensdatter and Søren Lauritsen are engaged in Bested parish.  They don't get married until Feb. 3. 1768. [Danish Family Search p34]

http://www.danishfamilysearch.com/sogn1690/churchbook/source131035/opslag14017955

1768 November 28 - Christening records show Kirstine Sørensdatter with parents Søren Larsen and wife, Zidsel Sørensdatter of Morups Mølle 28 NOV 1768   Bested, Thisted, Denmark. some of the witnesses although difficult to read my be other relatives. Lars Sørensen, Griifanns Horsfeld, Anna Jensdatter. Soren Gyrys of Sønderhaae, Peder Legaand (my grandfather's name in 1882), Mads Hansen, Mads Sørenson of Fuglsang,   Kristen Sørensdatter.    [ LDS christening records for Bested, Thisted 1707- 1814] [Danish Family Search p.11]

http://www.danishfamilysearch.com/sogn1690/churchbook/source131035/opslag14017932 p.11

1770 - Christening records show Else Maria Sørensdatter  29 SEP 1770   Bested, Thisted, Denmark  parents are listed as Søren Møller and Zidsel Sørensdatter.  This also identified Søren's occupation as a miller.  
                            [ LDS christening records for Bested, Thisted 1707- 1814]

1771, February 13 - Søren Lauritsen dies at the age of 58 making a widow of Zidsel Sørensdatter.  She was caring for their two small kids at the age of 26.  The mill is one of the few operating in the region. The mill and the adjoining lands were divided up and sold at auction. Most of the land including the mill is operated like it was in the Middle Ages with serfs tied to the land.    Zidsel keeps the mill running with a worker but the landlord doesn't have a responsible person to insure the long term continuation of the mill.  The landlord decided to solve the problem by having his number-one farm hand or overseer, Mads Christensen, take over and buy the mill.  He sells the mill to Mads who was 58 years old but with the stipulation that he had to take the widow Zidsel as his wife along with two kids.  In effect then Zidsel is sold along with the mill to Mads.  Mads takes over the day to day operations of the mill.  The relationship develops. Although rather quickly Zidsel marries Mads however it seems to take a few years for them to have any surviving children between them. 
                                   [Story of the Ancestors of the First Miller. Chapter 39]

1771, February 13 - Søren Møller of Morup Mølle dies in Bedsted Søgn, Thisted, Denmark (age 58) [Dan Fam. Search p 9]

http://www.danishfamilysearch.com/sogn1690/churchbook/source1165/opslag432141

1771, July 31 -Morup Mill belonged to the Tandrup Estate until 1771 previously controlled by the Vestervig Closter when Søren Lauritsen died.   The bailiff in charge of disposition of the land under the Tantrup Estate was Mads Christensen.  He transfers the Morup Mølle, Bedstad Parish to Peder Moldrup after the death of Søren Lauritsen.   I'm assuming that being a "bailiff" was a part-time position perhaps only appointed or elected for a particular task.  He may have been a farmer or miller as well so had some knowledge of the value to be attributed to the property but obviously a respected individual in the community to have this position.

The Tandrup Archives 608, vol 407 as translated by google from Danish.   

Tandrup Archives 608 vol 407

Mads Christensen, Morup Mill, Bedsted Parish. So far, the charge bailiff at Vestervig Closter, I attach Peder Moldrup to him Morup Mølle as the father Søren Lauritsen died. Hp Mill debt 10 td 5 tbsp. He leaves a real widow Sidsel Sørensdatter. In addition, 1 piece Earth in Bird Song Mark Hk 7 skp 1 fc 1 alb Da indf. 10 rd is paid according to Ørum Skioed of 14 March 1739 the land he is left to him.
Signed by Hiermin and Peder Moldrup. July 31, 1771.

"Peder Moldrup is the gentleman at Vestervig monastery, which I suppose was no longer a monastery, but a manor, Mads Christensen Møller was the charge bailiff at Moldrup. It is the same that the Breinholt brothers later take over and tear down, they share it and each get a farm called Vestervig Overgård and the other Vestervig Nedergård. Søren Lauritsen must have been a peasant farmer at Tandrup Estate for which it is written that the mill is sold to Peder Moldrup in 1771. Another information from the Tandrup archives about tiptipoldefather Michel Poulsen Møller he acknowledges for inheritance 398 fol 211 Receipt for inheritance Michel Poulsen, Holmgaard's Mill, Ydby Sogn hereby asserts that the inheritance that my wife Kirstine Sørensdatter has accrued to her Sal's (father) Søren Lauridsen, Morup Mølle 400 rd is me of my wife's mother Sal(father) Mads Christensen's Widow, living in Morup Mølle ( my mother-in-law Zidsel Sørensdatter) paid this inheritance. June 16, 1797."

[http://www.danishfamilysearch.com/sogn1690/churchbook/source131035/opslag14017956]

           This probably means that his name was Mads Christensen but he was also a miller therefore in census records we see Mads Møller.

Mads arrangement with the lord of the manor allowed him a good deal of freedom.  He had ownership of the mill and the lake which was also filled by eels and fish.  He still had to pay a village tax of 53 rigdollars 2 marks each year in addition to a few chickens and some bushels of grain.  He imposed a tax on each bushel of grain processed into flour for the lord of the manor and also an addition for himself.  He proved to be a good and schwud businessman.  [Story of the Ancestors of the First Miller]

1783 - Mads bought Lodberg parish royal grain tithe from the Vestervig Monastery and he could now afford to buy his own farm of almost 10 acres.  It was located on the reverse side of Sinderup where he had grown up.  He may have intended to retire there .

1787 Census - This record doesn't show Søren Lauritsen since he died in 1771.  Zidsel remarried to Mad Møller in 1771 and has several other children.   Her children by the earlier marriage are here.  Mads himself dies in 1788 at the age of 62 leaving Zidsel as a widow with several young children. 

thisted, Hassing, Bedsted, Fuglsang, , , 1, FT-1787

1788 - Mads dies and his will  leaves a considerable estate of two homes, a Bible, several books, a silver cup, 10 silver spons, a vest with three dozen silver buttons and a blue painted stagecoach.  It describes the mill farmhouse with all its rooms and chambers: first , the large living room, then a milk room, and a living room, called "wester room" in addition to a beer cellar, a chamber for girls, a kitchen, a utility room, a chamber- Swedish, a customs house and a small guest chamber. [Story of the Ancestors of the First Miller]

photo from Story of the Ancestors of the First Miller

1788, May 23 - Mads Møller dies and is buried in Bedsted parish,  Hassing, Thisted.  [Danish Family Search p24]
At the time of his death his youngest child is only four years old.

https://www.danishfamilysearch.com/sogn1690/churchbook/source1165/opslag432156

1797, Oct 7 - a marriage is recorded for Zidsel Marie Madsdatter to Jens Christensen in Bedsted, Thisted county, Denmark.   Her father is listed as Mads Møller maker the child of the second marriage.  [LDS marriages]

       

Morup Mølle (Morup Mill), Denmark.
These mill stoned were once part of stream powered grain mill that gave the town its name.  The one on the left is in the park
on the opposite side of the road and the right one is next to the stream at the bridge
photo Elroy Christenson 2016

1805, Oct 19 - There is a marriage of Else Marie Sørensdatter to Peder Jensen Legind in Bested, Thisted county, Denmark.   I don't know if this is the same person as the second daughter of Søren Lauritsen but there are few other choices of the correct age and location.   One other thing that is interesting is that this may be where my own grandfather's middle name started.   My grandfather's name was Peder Legind Christensen.  [LDS records]
Peder Jensen Legind dies on 31 July 1806.  
             Else Marie Sørensdatter marries again to Peder Christensen Stokholm He seems to have died 18 Jul 1828 in Nørhå.
Because Else Marie Sørensdatter inherits the farm Legindgaard she has her nephew Peder Mikkelsen (Legind) manage the farm. 

1820, Sep 4 - Zidsel Sørensdatter dies at age 76 in Bedsted parish.  She is buried on Sep 9.  [Dan Fam Search -  Hassing, Bedsted parish p.248]

https://www.danishfamilysearch.com/sogn1690/churchbook/source1166/opslag435689

1830 summer-

The ad was printed also in No 73 and 74 of " The North Cimbrian Spectator or Thisted
County Royal most gracious privileged Avertissements  Journal "which was the newspaper's full name.
Søren Møller brother, sister Sidsel Madsdaughter and one of his half-sisters was then already
dead . The only thing left was half-sister Else-Marie Sørensdatter , widow of Peter Stok
islet . Thus, the brother 's son Christian Breinholt Moller ( charts 8 ) from North Angle, his
siblings and his cousins ​​by Sidsel Madsdatter the nearest heirs.  [Story of the Ancestors of the First Miller]

From the Records of Søren Hedegaard who has found the records in the manor house archives that:   Succession doc. 283
         1. sister Maren (Lauritsdatter)of Søren Lauritsen. 
                Maren Lauritsdater, Holmgaard Mill Ydby d.1749
         2. brother Mads Lauritsen Refs Hedegaard
         3. brother Christen Lauritsen Odgaard Thyholm
         4 brother Mads Lauritsen, Adefoged Nørhaagaard
         5. sister.   ?        sea (may mean deceased)  Lauritsdatter. probable children - Jens Madsen and  --------- Lauritsdatter Møller
         6. sister Else sea (may mean deceased) Lauritsdatter, probable children - Niels Christenson and Else Lauritsdatter Holmgaard 
         7. sister. Karen Lauritsdatter sea (may mean deceased) Søren Pedersen  and Karen Lauritsdatter Flarup

Jutland History || Elroy's Family Index || Ancestor Chart #2

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