Paul Christian Christoffersen (Frisvold) Friswold (1860 - 1917)

Born 29 Aug 1860 in Molde, Møre og Romsdal. Norway

Ancestors

Died 30 Apr 1917 at age 56 in Sculcoates, Yorkshire, England

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Biography

Paul Christian Frisvold was born on August 29, 1860 in Molde, Møre og Romsdal. Norway. His parents were Kristoffer Pedersen Frisvold and Beret Olesdtr Haarsgaard. He married Mary Jane who died 21 June 1936. They had at least four children listed below. Paul died on April 30, 1917 in Sculcoates, Yorkshire, England

Children:

1. Herbert Friswold
2. Frank Friswold
3. Muriel Friswold
4. Pauline Friswold

Note

Excerpt from letter written by “Jenni” to Pauline I., her daughter, documenting her family genealogy.

“All I know about Uncle Paul Christian is he married an English lady and lived in Hull, England.”

“Uncle Paul I know had 2 girls & 2 boys. May was the oldest, she was a Governess they called her. Don’t remember the other girls name.

Herbert was the oldest boy I think. Frank the younger. Did you meet him when he was in Oregon?”

From Correspondence Geoff to Gail:

We know that Paul Christian Frisvold came over to the UK as a steward on a ship trading with the Welsh port of Swansea, probably for the coal that was produced in the Welsh valleys, and settled in the UK. There is still a Norwegian community in that part of Wales, with their own church and a group of family names that reflect their Norwegian ancestry. He would have met my grandmother, Mary Jane Bowen, in Swansea and they were married in 1889 in Liverpool. Although he had been a ship's steward on his arrival, he set up as a marine photographer in Liverpool, taking pictures of passengers and crew of the ocean liners visiting what was then the busiest port in the UK dealing with US sailings. He is shown in the trade directory from that time in the Liverpool suburb of Bootle.

Paul anglicized his surname on marriage, becoming Friswold instead of Frisvold. He and Mary had four children in Liverpool: William, who died shortly after birth, May, Herb, and Frank. In about 1903, they moved from Liverpool to the port of Hull on the north east coast of England. Hull deals with the Scandinavian sailings, and we believe his ability to speak the Scandinavian languages helped get business with the crews from those countries. In 1911, he is listed as a journeyman photographer in the Hull trade directory: by then he no longer had a studio, but as the equipment was light enough to be carried around he was able to take everything on board the ships.

In Hull, he and Mary had two more children: Muriel born 1906 and my mother Pauline, born 1912. Paul Christian died in 1917 aged 57 - my mother was only 5 at the time, but recalls that her father had, by this time, become a regular drinker and was quite abusive to his wife.

Going back to the other Friswold children, Herb and Frank both followed maritime careers and also emigrated to the US. Herb rose to be a ship's captain with the United Fruit Company and eventually retired to Poughkeepsie, NY, where he died in 1985. Frank was a ship's purser, and he retired back to the UK where he died in 1970. May also died about that time, and Muriel sadly died of cancer in 1966. Herb and his wife Winnie had one daughter Beverley, who also died young in 1966; Frank and his wife Ethel had three children.

Sources

• "Norway, Baptisms, 1634-1927," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:NCGC-JFM : accessed 19 July 2015), Kristofer Frisvold in entry for Paul Christian Frisvold, 29 Aug 1860; citing ; FHL microfilm 124,852.
• 1865 census for Ålesund. Christopher is person #20 and they are family #6
• Jennie (Skillingstad) Hoiseth letter to Pauline Hoiseth
• "England and Wales Marriage Registration Index, 1837-2005," , FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:2DXK-QZY : accessed 13 August 2015), Paul Christina Frisvold, 1889; from “England & Wales Marriages, 1837-2005,” database, findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com : 2012); citing Marriage, Liverpool, Lancashire, England, General Register Office, Southport, England.
• "England and Wales Census, 1891," , FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:7323-5MM : accessed 13 August 2015), Paul C Friswold, England; from "1891 England, Scotland and Wales census," database and images, findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com : n.d.); citing PRO RG 12, Lancashire county, registration district, WALTON subdistrict, The National Archives of the UK, Kew, Surrey.
• "England and Wales Census, 1901," Database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:X9KL-3Y8 : accessed 21 June 2015), Paul C Friswold, Litherland, Lancashire, England; from "1901 England, Scotland and Wales census," database and images, findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com : n.d.); citing county, registration district, Litherland subdistrict, PRO RG 13, The National Archives, Kew, Surrey.
• "England and Wales Census, 1911," Database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:X7T3-BWY : accessed 21 June 2015), Paul Christian Friswold, Sculcoates, , Yorkshire (East Riding), England; from "1911 England and Wales census," database and images, findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com : n.d.); citing PRO RG 14, county, registration district, subdistrict, The National Archives of the UK, Kew, Surrey.
• "England and Wales Death Registration Index 1837-2007," Database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:2JH9-N9D : accessed 21 June 2015), Paul C Friswold, 1917; from "England & Wales Deaths, 1837-2006," database, findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com : 2012); citing Death, Sculcoates, Yorkshire, England, General Register Office, Southport, England.
• Find a Grave memorial page for Paul C Friswold (unknown–30 Apr 1917), Find A Grave: Memorial #137614770, citing Hedon Road Cemetery, Kingston upon Hull, Kingston upon Hull Unitary Authority, East Riding of Yorkshire, England