The Starr Family of America

The scene shifts to Bergen, Norway, in the late 1500's and early 1600's.Bergen city records show that a number of Rosenkranses emigrated thereduring that time frame. Was Jacob Dircksen one of them? Given hisancestry, it seems likely that Jacob Dircksen would have chosen exile ina Scandinavian country. Were there any other family members/relativesfrom Holland in that group? Again, we do not know.

The church in Bergen burned down in 1674, which destroyed all of thepertinent birth records prior to that date. So we have no direct methodfor linking Harmon Hendrick Rosenkrans with an ancestor in Norway who hadcome there from Holland.

We do know that Harmon Hendrick Rosenkrans came from Bergen, Norway, andwas known as "Harmon the Portuguese" because of his service with acompany of Dutch soldiers in Brazil. Harmon arrived in New Amsterdamsometime during the mid-1600's and married the widow Magdalena DircksVan Dort there in early 1657.

On their wedding day, Magdalena (who was possibly slightly inebriated)made fun of an innkeeper who also happened to be a political appointee(the fire warden). The innkeeper took offense, brought charges againstthe pair, and had them deported to Holland. Harmon received a dischargefrom his military obligations by a special act of the Council, and wassent back to Holland with his new wife.

Fortunately for the hundreds of us living here today, Harmon andMagdalena were allowed to return to New Amsterdam in June of 1658. Theysettled in Mombaccus, near Kingston, NY, and took up farming.

Harmon was a mercenary for the Dutch military. He was living in NewAmsterdam, married a Dutch woman, and was deported to Holland. Thisstrongly suggests that Harmon had some sort of connection with Holland,and thus with the Danish line. There were, however, other Rosenkrantzesliving in Norway at that time who had connections to the Danish branch.

http://www.rosedalesoftware.com/genealogy/genealogy.htm