Christensen Family of Manawatu, NZ

The Danish Family of Perine Martine Østerbye (Dahlström)

From left: Perine, Lydia and Ola, between 1900-1913

Perine Martine Østerbye, the adoptive mother of Lydia Nicoline Christensen (daughter of A.C. & M. Christensen), was born on 15 October 1845, at Tanterup, on the island of Samso on the south-east coast of Arhus province, Denmark. 

Her father was Niels Pedersen Østerbye (born about 1803 at Assens, Fyn or Faaborg, Fyn), a shoemaker. Her mother was Oline Sophie Margrethe Olsesen (born about 1820 at Horsens). 

Danish records show that Niels and Oline moved from Horsens (Jylland) in 1838. They settled in the village of Pillemark, in Onsbjerg parrish, Samsø. By the time of the 1840 Census, the couple, aged 37 and 20 respectively, were parents of one-year-old Anne Kirstine Østerbye. She was born on 15 December 1839 and had been baptised on 29 January 1840. They also had a 29-year-old man, Kjel Chrstensen working for them.

By the 1845 Census they had moved to Tanderup, another village in the same parish. Their family now included another child named as, Ane "Mette" Østerbye, although her name was in fact Ane Bolette. She had been born at Pillemark on 15 October 1842, and was baptised on 13 November 1842. Presumably Oline was also pregnant with Perine by this time.

Kjel Christensen was no longer there by this Census, but the family had been joined by Oline's mother and brother. They were named as Ane Bolette Olsen (Svane), a 55-year-old widow from Nøgeltorn parish in Viborg county, and Christian Anton Olesen, aged 16, who had been born at Horsens. Oline's mother was described at a housewife who was provided for in the house, while the son was a shoemaker-apprentice.

Perine's birth on 15 October 1845, had been followed by her home-baptism on 15 November 1845. Next came Oline Sophie, born on 24 July 1848 and baptised on 24 October that year.

The 1850 Census found the family still in Tanderup, with Perine now being 6-years-old and Oline Sophie was now two. Ane Bolette Svane (Olsen), described now as being from Thorum parish, Viborg county, was still there.

The family had also been joined by six other people: [1] Sarachetichye, a 64-year-old widower from Aahuus, who was a journeyman-shoemaker; [2] Søren Sørensen  43-year-old married man from Onsbjerg parish, a tenant and day-labourer; [3] his wife, Bodil Marie Jensdatter (39) from Tranebjerg parish; and their three children [4] Jens Jørgen Sørensen (9 yrs); [5] Christian Sørensen (6 yrs) and [6] Frederik Sørensen (3 yrs).

The records show that in1852, the family left Samsø for Voerladegaard, in Jutland. Niels and Oline were then aged 49 and 32 respectively. Another child, Anthonie, their first son, had also been born on 14 January 1851 and baptised on 16 May that year. The children's ages were as follows:

Ann Kirstine Østerbye                          12 years

Ann Bolette Østerbye                             9

Petrine (Perine) Martine Østerbye       7

Oline Sophie Østerbye                           2

Anthonie Østerbye                                  1

There was no mention of the whereabouts of Oline's mother, whose death was not traced in Samsø and did not remain mentioned in the church book. She is assumed to have left with the family and to simply have been omitted from the list.

There is then seemingly a gap of 18 years until Perine's next appearance, however, some additional details are known, and will be added later - when the family member who researched them returns from Scandinavia in January 2001 to decipher the notes and photocopies!!!

On 7 August 1870, Perine married Ola Persson Dahlstrom, a Swede, at Brabrand church, in Arhus province, Denmark. The couple appear to have subsequently returned to Sweden, before migrating to New Zealand, via Copenhagen, in 1875-6. 

The records at the Viborg Archives indicates that Perine's mother, Oline Sophie Margrethe Olsesen, married for the third time (one husband temporarily being misplaced in the NZ paperwork!) on 23 June 1871. Her new husband was Christian Heinrich Theodor Both. However, she and her two daughters left Brabrand Parish on 18 October 1871, with no mention of what became of her new husband - who certainly did not leave around the same time.

Last updated 17/12/2000