It has become a tradition for me to start the new year with an account of my «accomplishments» as an historian and genealogist in the previous year.
Unfortunately the article this time will be rather short, as I have not got published any (printed) articles during 2020. The main reason for this is not that I have been short of ideas or opportunities, but because my work at the Lovdata Foundation, where I started the year as acting editor of The Norwegian Legal Gazette (Norsk Lovtidend) and continued as editor (without the «acting» part) from 17 December, has taken so much time, mainly because of the pandemic. It has proven too difficult to make promises of contributions to various genealogical newsletter, especially Genealogen, the bi-annual newsletter of the Norwegian Genealogical Society (Norsk Slektshistorisk Forening), because I would never know what would happen at work the next day or week. I did proof-read the second edition of Genealogen this year, though, in addition to the three issues of the flagship periodical Norsk Slektshistorisk Tidsskrift. I had 6 photos published in Genealogen no. 2, 2020, by the way, it that counts ...
I have also written many new articles at Slektshistoriewiki, the Norwegian Genealogy Wiki, during 2020 – genealogies, biographies and other articles. The Norsk prestehistorie project («History of the Norwegian clergy») has progressed extensively with many new articles. Unfortunately the website is down at the moment because the server was recently replaced, so at present it is not possible to give a survey of the most important contributions. From what I recall I was quite satisfied with my biographical article about Magnus Sødem (1897–1985), who was my great-grandmother Anne Sofie Ramstad's brother-in-law, and I was also content with my article about Olav O. Haugen, who was mayor of Stokke in Vestfold from 1946 to 1959. I might return with a survey when Slektshistoriewiki returns.
When my time allowed it, I worked on several short-term and long-term genealogy projects during 2020, but as said above I have nothing to show up for it. The little exception is perhaps my genealogical contribution to the article about Knut Borge at Lokalhistoriewiki.no.
Towards the end of the year I also got involved with a large project on the Cappelen family, and I hope to get it done (can any genealogy projects «get done», though?) in early 2021. The short-term goal is to publish a family tree to be printed and sold to the many members of the Cappelen family. But I think the family deserves a new book as well, but that would definitely take a few more years.
In early December I learnt that my great-great-grandfather Ole Tollefsen Hoelseth (1856–1940) had a son born out of wedlock. This son got married and had several children, which means that as soon as I have finished the work on the Cappelen family (for now), I will enjoy working on this "new" Hoelseth line. The son didn't carry the Hoelseth name, but there will be both agnatic and cognatic lines to explore!
In other words, there is a lot to look forward to in 2021, and I hope that I will be able to publish a few printed articles in addition to other work.
Concerning the blog, I wrote 42 articles during 2020, which was 2 more than in the previous year. I hope that I can improve that number in 2021.
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