The Kirkman Family Fact & Legend

<body> <p align="left"><font face="Arial"><big><big>THE DANES</big></big></font></p> <table border="0" cellpadding="0" width="100%" height="1"> <tr> <td width="35%" height="96"><img src="images/kirke.jpg" alt="kirke.jpg (16080 bytes)" WIDTH="188" HEIGHT="213"></td> <td width="65%" height="96"><font size="3">The first investigation of the family was conducted in 1931 by Mrs. Mary Fischer, a third generation Kirkman, who wrote a letter to the American consulate in Copenhagen asking for information about the familys Danish roots.<p>Consul Edward Groth forwarded the request to the Rev. Tage Jensen, pastor of a Lutheran church in Kalundborg, Denmark , a small seaport on the island of Sjaelland, 60 miles west of the Danish capitol. Rev. Jensen searched his churchs records and forwarded the following information:</font></td> </tr> </table> <p><font size="3">The family is descended from a Danish fisherman, Neils Albrecht Kirkemann, and his wife Ane Josefine Atchinson Kirkemann of Kalundborg, both born about 1805-1810. They had seven children, all born in Kalundborg:</p> <p>1. <b>Christian Wilhelm Kirkemann</b>, born Aug. 5, 1828.</p> <p>2. <b>Christopher Nielson Kirkemann</b>, born Feb. 17, 1831.</p> <p>3. <b>Frederik Christian Kirkemann</b>, born June 27, 1833.</p> <p>4. <b>Wilhelmine Josephine Kirkemann</b>, born March 17, 1835.</p> <p>5. <b>Nielsine Henriette Kjerkmann</b>, born Jan. 12, 1838.</p> <p>6. <b>Carl Christian Ferdinand Kirkemann</b>, born Aug. 8, 1840</p> <p>7. <b>Caroline Christine Kirchman</b>, born April 2, 1842</p> <p>Besides the obvious facts that Neils and Ane were hung up on names beginning with Christ and spelled the family name three ways, nothing much is known about them. Christian Wilhelm apparently was their only child to emigrate to America.</p> <p>Christian probably left home after a disagreement with his parents or may have wanted to see the world and the sea was his escape hatch. We must also note that 19<sup>th</sup> century Denmark had a class-ridden society which didn't provide many opportunities for its lower class and encouraged immigration.</font> </body>