Anders Hansen (1754 - 1827)

Born 1754 in Rørup, Vends, Odense

Ancestors

Husband of Catrine Nomensdatter — married 19 Dec 1781 in Sct. Knud, Odense, Odense

Descendants

Died 5 Feb 1827 at about age 73 in Grøbrødre Hospital, Odense

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Biography

Mad' Anders "Traes" Hansen came from Rørup. Born and baptised in Hækkebølle in 1754. Son of Hans Gormsen and Maren Andersdatter. The county proprietor in Erholm had given them a copyhold farm which they operated very well indeed. Anders Hansen was the youngest in a crowd of three. The father, Hans Gormsen died aged 29, when the small son was but one year old. The father's death devastated the family.

In order to keep the farm going the young widow married farmhand Jørgen Hansen who had served under the rural dean in Gelsted. Reading the probate court report is impressive: Each child received twenty rix dollars right away, a bed of their own, a chest of drawers and a cow. From this information one can gather that it was a rather wealthy estate. Since all the children were minors the value had to be tied up in the estate until further notice.

As the older brother - according to tradition - would take over the farm it was only natural for Anders Hansen to become a craftsman and head for the market town. It was there he met the future grandmother of H.C. Andersen. In the first sentences of Levnedsbogen H.C. Andersen accounts for the disaster, which struck down on the small farm family, stating the reason for being sick livestock. It had the 'desired' effect: hardship resulted in H.C. Andersen's grandfather becoming deranged.

Storyteller Andersen tells us that Anders Hansen's wife, Anne Cathrine Nommensdatter, was a noble grandmother from Kassel. But due to love of a "comedian" the young lady had eloped thus heading straight for poverty. This was not quite the case. Anne Cathrine's grandmother was a poor girl from Assens named Karen Nielsdatter; she did not elope with a comedian but married town post-rider Søren Jensen.

However, the poet's great-grandmother - child of the above Karen and Søren - Karen Sørensdatter did marry Nomen Nommensen from Schleswig in Kappel in November 1742. Nomen Nommensen was a very poor hatter who later on, upon arriving in Odense, assumed the humble yet secure position as troop drummer. And the claimed poverty was correct. The family was indeed extremely poor.

After the death of Nomen Nommensen in 1787 his widow and five children lived with an older daughter and son-in-law in Pogestræde. Karen Sørensdatter died a pauper at Doctors Boder in 1799, so poor that there is no record of her in the parish register or the probate court.

This sad story is coming to an end but let us draw attention to the blossom planted by H.C. Andersen on his family tree, and the joy he brought into so many homes across the entire world because of his stories. It is very happy news that H.C. Andersens Hus most likely is the birthplace of the poet. We are so pleased of having been made aware of new information about his maternal family.

Further investigation into the lineage of H.C. Andersen has now been made possible and if one intends to study the family tree further, many will be able to flaunt their relation with the great poet.

Sources

Census 1787:

Odense, Vends, Gelsted, Taarup, , 21, FT-1787, B7714

Navn: Alder: Status: Stilling i familien: Erhverv: Fødested:

Anders Hansen 31 Gift mand huusmand og skoemager

Kathrine Marcorsdatter ?? 44 Gift hans kone -

Hans Andersen 5 Ugift deres søn af første egteskab -

Niels Hansen 78 Enke - indsidder og betler

Census 1801:

Odense, Odense Kiøbstad, PogeStrædet, 591, FT-1801, B9037

Navn: Alder: Civilstand: Stilling i husstanden: Erhverv: Fødested:

Jacob Funch 41 Gift huusbonde bogtrykkersvend

Karen Larsdatter 48 Gift hans kone

Karen Pedersen 49 Enke(mand) huusmoder ernærer sig ved haandarbeyde

Ole Janebse?? 7 Ugift pleyebarn

Karen Andersdatter 66 Enke(mand) logerende ernærer sig ved haandarbeyde

Matthias Fuhrmann 41 Gift huusbonde corporal

Karen Christiansdatter 35 Gift hans kone

Anders Hansen 45 Gift huusbonde skoemagersvend

Cathrine Nomensdatter 56 Gift hans kone

Maren Pedersdatter 41 Ugift logerende ernærer sig ved haandarbeyde

• The Lineage of Hans Christian Andersen. Askgaard, Ejnar Stig. htps://museum.odense.dk/en/knowledge/knowledge-hans-christian-andersen/publications-on-hca-/the-lineage-of-hca

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