Denmark Estate Records - FamilySearch Historical Records

Denmark

What is in This Collection?
This collection contains records of Danish estates ranging from the year 1436 and ending in 1964. Some estates cover multiple counties. Estate owners were granted broad powers by the government to act in several official functions. They maintained their own records of military conscription, probate, tax, and land usage.

This collection includes the following records:


 * Court
 * Estate accounts
 * Land (copyhold and land usage)
 * Military conscription
 * Probate
 * Tax

Reading These Records
These records are written in Danish and German. For help reading these records see the following:


 * Denmark Handwriting
 * Danish Genealogical Word List
 * Denmark Language and Languages
 * German Genealogical Word List
 * German Language and Languages
 * Germany Handwriting

Collection Content
The records usually contain the following information:


 * Name of the estate
 * Date of event
 * Name of persons involved (who may or may not be resident on the estate)

How Do I Search This Collection?
To begin your search it is helpful to know the following:


 * The name of the estate
 * The county where the main building of the estate is located

The Wiki article Danish Gods explains more about Danish estate records.

View the Images
View images in this collection by visiting the 


 * 1) Select County
 * 2) Select Estate
 * 3) Select Record Type and Year Range to view the images

Indexes are available on some of these groups of images. If indexes are available, check these for the name first. Indexes are usually located at the beginning of a group of images or at the end. They maybe alphabetized by the first name or the last name. Find your ancestor’s name and look for the locator information next to the name (such as page, entry, or certificate number). This will help you find the record you are looking for in the collection.

How Do I Analyze the Results?
Compare each result from your search with what you know to determine if there is a match. This may require viewing multiple records or images. Keep track of your research in a research log.

What Do I Do Next?
When you have located your ancestor’s record, carefully evaluate each piece of information given. Save a copy of the image or transcribe the information. These pieces of information may give you new biographical details such as a title, an occupation, or land ownership. Add this new information to your records of each family. You should also look for leads to other records about your ancestors.

I Found the Person I Was Looking For, What Now?

 * Use the information to locate census, christenings, marriage and land records
 * Make sure to fully transcribe and cite the index entry record for future reference. See below for assistance in citing this collection

I Can't Find the Person I'm Looking For, What Now?

 * Consult the Denmark Record Finder to find other records
 * Try viewing the original record to see if there were errors in the transcription of the name, age, residence, etc. Remember that there may be more than one person in the records with the same name
 * Collect entries for every person who has the same surname. This list can help you identify possible relations that can be verified by records
 * Look for variant spellings of the names and nicknames
 * Search the records of nearby counties
 * You may not be sure of your own ancestor’s name.
 * Your ancestor may have used different names or variations of their name throughout their life.

Research Helps
The following articles will help you in your research for your family in Denmark.
 * Denmark Guided Research
 * Denmark Record Finder
 * Research Tips and Strategies

Citing This Collection
Citations help you keep track of places you have searched and sources you have found. Identifying your sources helps others find the records you used.
 * Collection Citation: "Denmark Estate Records, 1436-1964." Images. FamilySearch. http://FamilySearch.org : 14 June 2016. Rigsarkivet, København (National Archives, Copenhagen).