Leah, Perseverance prevails!!!!! I went back to searching Toten immigration / emigration records and found son PEDER ANTON PEDERSEN GJESTRUMBAKKEN!!!!! He emigrated from Christiania on 24 March 1868... well before the rest of the family... at age 15, birth date matches 12.02.1853...... "http://www.slektshistorielaget.no/Kilder/vtoten/databaser2/VTotenKrkbInnUt1862/index.html" However, I still cannot find him in Oslo's emigrants listings. Happy Hunting! Clark in Japan C&M Pederson wrote: > ...For starters, in the 1865-telling, we find Mathea Martinsdatter living > with Peder Christiansen and his family at Gjestrumbakken. She is > identified as "Lægdslem", which means "welfare recipient." So it would > appear that the family is taking responsibility for Mathea and including > her in their emigration, rather than passing her on to another family. > ((If we dug for Mathea's birth registration, I wouldn't be surprised to > find a family connection between her parents and the Peder Christiansen > family.)).......