Knud Jensen

KNUD and KAREN SOPHIA JENSEN - A FAMILY SAGA. The Jensen family were the second longest lasting Scandinavian family in the Stoney Creek 'Scandinavian Block 1 area, remaining from 1875 to 1979. While some aspects require further research, these are very well compensated by memories passed on by Christian Jensen, who was four when he and his family arrived in New Zealand. Christian's reactions as a so-called 'alien', to anti-German prejudice during wartime, provide a valuable perspective not readily realised by present generations. Knud and Karen Sophia 'Carrie' Jensen were from the former Danish province of Schleswig-Holstein , and like many others preferred leaving their homeland, to remaining there under Prussian domination. Knud was thought to have been from the town of Schleswig, however his naturalisation papers state he was born at Moen, an island on the eastern side of Denmark, now called Mon. His death certificate gives his father as Jens Jorgensen Jensen, a labourer, and his mother as Caterina, nee Jamieson. Karen, nee Moller, is understood not to have been from Schleswig. Her family were said to be shipwrights, however her death certificate gives her father as a labourer. Knud and Karen were both born about 1836 and married in Denmark about 1862. The family sailed from Hamburg on the "Humbolt", on October 19th, 1874. The passenger list described them as 38 years old. Their children were named as Jens 8, Henriette 5, Christian 4, and their second daughter Sangl, 9 months. Christian's childhood memory of the voyage was its length, the scarcity of food, water and fruit, weevil infested biscuits and many related privations. Three months and nine days later they docked at Wellington on January 28, 1875. Of the 387 immigrants on board, 195 were from Denmark and 28 from Schleswig, including Jensens, and the Bufe family who were to live nearby. Christian said that the next stage of the journey was on a smaller boat, which ran onto a sandbank at Foxton and that they "had to swim for it". Ken, Christian's eldest son, recalled that this was the coastal boat "Manawatu", a paddlesteamer which serviced the port regularly. The family lost furniture, luggage and jewellery as a result, presumably during the urgent need to (successfully) lighten the vessel. They only saved more portable items including an old family Bible with locks on it, a jew's-harp and a violin. Their somewhat dishevelled arrival at Foxton on February 1st however, preceded a tram trip to Palmerston North, a luxury compared with the long difficult walk of earlier Scandinavians. The family were then housed at the Feilding Immigration Barracks, in Terrace End, Palmerston North, until they could take up their property, Section 416, Lot 57, in James Line, Stoney Creek. Christian spoke of the family having to cut their way through the bush to get to their slightly undulating, 20 acre farm. They soon built a cottage and began clearing the bush, establishing the farm that was to remain in the family for the following century. Peter (formerly Jens) Jensen was among the first day pupils at Stoney Creek (now Whakarongo) School when it opened on 4th October 1877. However any language difficulties he experienced would not have been distinguishable, as only three of the 24 children "knew their letters", and the diversity of European cultures meant that many of the children could not speak to one another, let alone the teacher. The Jensen children's names were anglicised which has made indentif ication difficult especially in the case of the two sisters, Henriette and Sangl. Only Christian seems to have retained the name used on the "Humbolt" passenger list. Like other pioneering families, the Jensens had to provide their own entertainment which they shared with the Stoney Creek community. Knud was said to be very sociable, a great story teller and raconteur. The family loved music, singing, and played a selection of musical instruments. When the children grew up, all moved elsewhere, at least temporarily. Peter had an entrepreneurial nature and headed for the United States of America to make his fortune. Very little is now known of him except that he did return to New Zealand for a visit, before returning to California to set up a Night Club business. Also showing artistic interest was one sister, by now known as either Kezia or Karen, who went on the stage, much to the displeasure of her strict Lutheran family. Christian disapproved of his more flamboyant siblings and regrettably passed on very little information about them. She may have joined one of the travelling professional dramatic troupes, who passed through the towns of New Zealand. The second sister married a Mr Jepsen from the district and lived in either Ashhurst of Feilding. The situation is complicated by Knud's death certificate not mentioning daughters at all, while Sophia's, five years later, mentions one daughter, although these may be clerical errors. Christian became a timber worker, felling Kauri forests, before setting up his own timber mills. After being first burnt out, then flooded out, he gave this venture up. He was fanatical about personal honesty and truthfulness and did all business on a handshake, - his word was his bond. As a result he made occasional business losses with less scrupulous people. From sawmilling he went into partnership in a large general store in Palmerston North, but without contracts being drawn up, was "taken down" by his partner. From there Christian returned to take over the farm for his ageing father, in time enlarging it with the purchase of 59 acres. He married Alice Elizabeth Smith and they raised four sons, Kenneth Christian, Roy Ernest, Norman and Oscar Howard 'Jim'. The early Jensen family were very strict Lutherans, however, according to family tradition, when a Lutheran Pastor who had trained in Berlin, arrived in the area, many of the Danes, including the Jensens, with memories still fresh of the Prussian takeover of their homeland, opted out of the church. This may refer to tension between the Norwegian Pastor Gaustad and the Danish Pastor Sass. Gaustad was abruptly dismissed by the congregation in the 1880s and the resulting ill feeling caused some families to pull out in sympathy. By the time an 'acceptable' Pastor arrived, the Jensen loyalty had been transferred permanently. There is no tradition however of disharmony amongst the early German and Danish settlers in the area, many of these Lutheran sons-of-labourers probably leaving Prussia for similar reasons to the Danes. Knud Jensen died on 19th April 1905 aged 69 years and Karen Sophia died at home on 22nd April 1909 aged 74 years. Knud and Karen share an unmarked plot in the Lutheran section of the old Cemetery. The family interest in music was passed on to the next generation, and of Christian's sons, Roy played the piano and Jim, the violin. They invited locals to dances in their barn, however when some began drinking and playing up, Christian, a strict teetotaller, felt obliged to discontinue them. This new generation of Jensens rode horses about two miles to Kelvin Grove School and also to Palmerston North Boys High School. The first Kelvin Grove Hall had been built in 1901 and the family took great interest in events held there. At one time Roy and Norman held dance classes there for 3d a lesson. Christian and Norman were elected to the Hall Committee in 1917, Ken beginning a long association with it in 1918. Over a number of years, various members of the family participated in and arranged, a number of social activities held in this Hall, and its eventual replacment after a fire. During World War I, some New Zealanders were very suspicious of "those Danes", especially any from Schleswig-Holstein, which was then part of Germany. Some urged that they be interned, but with two boys, Ken and Roy, volunteering for war service in 1914, criticism in their case must have been silenced. Ken served in France in the Otago Regiment, returning about May 1918. Roy was badly injured, losing half a leg. Both Ken and Roy's photos appear on the Roll of Honour in the Kelvin Grove Hall. The third son, Norman, also wanted to volunteer, but his services were declined due to a leg injury. The youngest, Jim, (born about 1902) remained at home helping his parents run the farm. Christian had a very distinct accent and was very conscious of ill feeling toward 'foreigners' during both wars. He and other Danes found it discreet to become very patriotic and "strongly King and Country" during this period and those who visited him during World War I were told "Here you must speak English! No Danish or German here!" He had a particular wariness of Government servants and was outraged by a report that the New Zealand Government might take over uneconomic farms to push up production of food. Christian became rather paranoid about the security of his property, keeping his farm gate locked and a nasty tempered dog running loose. One day a car with Government plates did pull up, probably quite innocently, however Christian took the precaution of meeting them with his shotgun and ordered them off, which they did at high speed! Christian was a noted clay target shooter and won many trophies at the Manawatu Clay Shooters Gun Club, so possibly his threats were taken seriously. Graeme Jensen, son of Roy, and Christian's oldest grandson, spent a lot of time with his grandfather. Graeme used to urge his grandfather to teach him some Danish, but Christian always refused explaining that "New Zealand is a British country - we must be like them and speak English". Attitudes such as this did irrepairable damage to the language and culture. Graeme recalls that although his grandfather was very straitlaced, he had a broad, and very down to earth Scandinavian sense of humour. He remarked that the family kept getting smaller, he was tall and had married a petite lady, then his sons (and grandsons) did the same. "You can't breed draught horses from ponies"! he remarked. Christian, his wife Alice, and Ken lived on the James Line farm, operating it as a dairy farm. Even in his later years, Christian remained active, splitting wood and feeding out on the farm. He died on 20th November 1959, aged 88 years. Ken, who had never married, finally sold the farm in 1979, to another early James Line family, the Schnells's. He then moved into town and lead a very active life. On 21st September 1988, he died aged 92. The house, in James Line, now about 90 years old, recently underwent a massive renovation, and although dramatically altered, it remains an attractive, preserved, reminder of one of the early Scandinavian families in Manawatu. The old barn where the family held dances, is still standing behind it (1990). Source: Early Manawatu Scandinavians - Scandia 1 (Revised Edition). McLennan, V.L. From Stoney Creek to Whakarongo, Page 28, (based on information Ken Jensen. https://archive.org/stream/EarlyManawatuScandinavians-Scandia1/scan...