Historically, the Danes were noted seafarers and Jørgen, a sailor, married Thuridur "Turid" Torina Magnussen at Helgafell, Snæfellsnes, Iceland on 27 December 1836. Thuridur's parents were Magnus Jonsson (born c1775) and Thuridur Thordardóttir, the daughter of Thordur Thordarsson and Gudridur Thorsteinsdóttir. These farming families lived in various parts of Iceland including Keisbakki, Snæfellsnes; Ljarskogur, Hjardarholt, Dala; and Blonduhlid, Snoksdalur, Dala.

Jørgen and Thuridur's Family

Jørgen and Thuridur were parents to two known sons—Christian Magnus (born in Iceland) and Jørgen born in Hundslev on the Danish island of Als. The island lies to the south-east of the Jutland peninsula in the province of Slesvig, formerly a duchy. The census records2 of 1845 for the parish of Notmark, which encompasses Hundslev, have disclosed that Thuridur was widowed by this time, aged only 34 years, and living on charity. Such were the humble beginnings of our early family.

Being a sailor, Jørgen was often away from home for long stretches of time and, according to a family source, he relocated his wife and son Christian from Iceland to his home port of Hundslev pre-1840 so that he could see them more often. Jørgen's good intentions were not well rewarded as I have reason to believe that Jørgen sailed away one day (pre-1845) and neither he nor the ship he sailed on were ever heard of again.

Christian Magnus was born on 18 September 1837 at Snæfellsnessysla, Iceland and married Kirsten Christensen. They were parents of only two known children, being Ellen Magnus (1867-1868) and Jørgen Magnus Bert(h)elsen, born 10 November 1871. The Danish have long been recognised as excellent record keepers and so I was able to obtain the following personal details about Christian from the Augustenborg archives—

• Christian was confirmed at Notmark parish church on 7 March 1852;

• his date of birth is confirmed as 18 September 1837;

• both his knowledge and behaviour were assessed as "very good”;

• his father, Jørgen, was (by this time) deceased;

• his father had a house and leased a small piece of land for farming purposes;

• his mother was Thuridur Magnúsdóttir of Hunslev (old spelling).

War in Europe was never far from the minds of duelling nations and in the conflict that ended in 1864 between the Danes and the Prussians, Christian was wounded in the hind quarters. Family sources relate that his injuries required him to sit on a ring to cushion his behind and the family teased him and jokingly said that he "must have been running away" to receive such an injury! More about his brother, also named Jørgen follows. Read about the Battle for Als.

Bertelsen or Berthelsen?

It is appropriate here to comment on the family name. The spelling raises some questions as earlier records show it to be Bertelsen—without an 'h'. Whether this was due to a literacy problem or erroneously transcribed is subject to conjecture. Jørgen, the son, was found listed as Berthelsen in the shipping records to Queensland in 1871 and again in his naturalisation papers. And so it is by the spelling which includes the 'h', that the name has been perpetuated by the Australian descendants.