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Subject: Amsterdam Fortune - SABO/SKAANEVIG; IOM,UK>RO,NOR/HO,NOR/HOL; 1717-
Date: Thu, 12 Jun 1997 13:26:11 -0700
Subject: Amsterdam Fortune - SABO/SKAANEVIG; IOM,UK>RO,NOR/HOL; 1717-
I found the following story in a letter to my great aunt. It concerns
three siblings James, Elizabeth and Berte SABO who were washed away from
the Isle of Man and shipwrecked on the Island of Skudenes in Norway.
Elizabeth m. Torgles SKAANEVIG [prob. of HO,NOR]. James later was
shipwrecked in Holland, where he made a fortune and died without
children, leaving his money to the 6th generation descendants of
Elizabeth.
Among her descendants were Anna Karina Thorsdatter, b. 1796-1800,
Finnoy, RO,NOR. She d. 1871, bur. Fillmore, MN,USA. She m. Ole
Sorensen Faa, 4 April 1820, Finnoy, RO,NOR. They came to USA in May
1860, settled in Fillmore, MN,USA. (In America, some of descendants
took family name OLSON, others FAA.)
Supposedly this story appeared in the "Fargo Forum", March 1938, I
checked the "Forum" of Fargo, ND,USA March 1938, on microfilm, but was
not able to find the article.
One of my aunts thinks this story is an Urban Legend - does anybody
recognize it as such?
Any further information on these folks would be appreciated,
especially help in finding ancestors of Elizabeth, or her spouse. Can
you suggest other avenues to pursue in checking this story?
More details of the story are below.
I have cross-posted, this query, as the story involves three
nations. Please direct follow-ups to s.g.nordic, since known
descendants were in Norway. Thank you
--
Michael Hanson
e-mail: michaelh @scn.org
Please do not just reply to this message, it was sent from a different
account.
---
"The Amsterdam Fortune"
This story is from letters from Ruby BIRCH of Minneapolis, MN,USA.
Written in 1960
As a child, Anna Karina FAA heard this story, which was taken from
the "Fargo Forum" - March, 1938 -
"The Amsterdam Fortune" as it is known, was left in 1764 by James
SABO to the 6th generation of his sister.
"The estate was to be settled Dec. 31, 1926. The Bank of Amsterdam
sought heirs thru newspaper adds, but as far as was known, none of the
money, supposed to total $600,000,000 was ever paid out. The story of
the families has been traced.
It began on the Isle of Man in 1729 when James SABO lived with his
2 sisters Elisabet and Berte. They pastured cows on a nearby island. A
storm caught them one evening as they rowed to the island to milk and
after 10 days were cast up on the Isle of Skudenes, Norway near Wickre
Landing. [I have not located this place, although it could be near
Skudenshavn on the island of Karmoy in Rogaland, Norway.] Natives were
afraid of them but Elisabet made the sign of a cross to show they were
Christians and they were taken in and nursed back to health. There they
lived until the 2 girls married. Then James started back to the Isle of
Man, was wrecked off the coast of Holland and rescued by a Dutch
nobleman who made him, later on, a partner in a business that
flourished. Berte died childless. Elisabet, who married Torgels
SKAANEVIG gave birth to 2 sons. James' will left his fortune of
65,000,000 guilders - about $25,000,000 to the 6th generation of
Elisabet. This was done because of the unkindness of Elisabet to him
and he wanted it willed so far into the relationship."
This bit of a tree was included (I have added further information about
m., d.)
born
1st Gen Elisabet SABO 1717
2nd Gen Ludvig Torgelson Skaanevig 1762 (or prob. ca. 1740-1750)
3rd Gen Karen Ludvigsdatter Lemvig 1782 (or ca. 1768)
m. Thore Mikelsen Hageberget ca. 1771
4th Gen Anna Karina Thorsdatter 1800 (or ca. 1796),
5th Gen Ludvig FAA Aug 25, 1830
6th Gen Anna Karina Feb 21 1871
7th Gen Ruby BIRCH July 12, 1896
"One of our relatives went to over there to investigate it and it
is true she said but the Holland government had said to her "try and get
it!"
"Oh, by the way somewhere in my effects is a copy of this will --
and it is quite fantastic in places, Museums & silk factories, etc.
Provisions are also made for their upkeep and how the oldest son of each
generation is given the keys - provisions are also made for an
administering board, etc. And how at the death of a member of this
board, how one is chosen."
My Notes:
I checked through microfilms of the Fargo Forum, from Fargo, ND. For
March 1938 - could not find this item. Also, a cousin did a similar
search and could not find the item.
I have more information on Ole Sorensen/OLSON FAA and Anna Karina
Thorsdatter and their descendants.
Anna Karina Thorsdatter and her parents appear in the 1801 Norway
census.
In looking through queries relating to the Isle of Man, Sabo does
not appear to be a common name there. There are several places named
Sabo in Norway, so that may be a name that James and his sisters
adopted in Norway.
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