Pedigree

Birth, Death, Marriage

Magnus Ferdinand Elchior Riedell was born on 1 July 1836 in Toftlund, Schleswig, Denmark.1,2 
He married Catherina Dorothea Naugardt, daughter of Peter Thomas Naugardt and Anna Johanna Hansen, on 8 September 1867 in Melbourne, Victoria.3,4 
He died on 2 July 1924 in Shepparton, Victoria, at age 88.5,2 

Family

Catherina Dorothea Naugardt b. 31 Jan 1843, d. 19 Aug 1908
Children

Story

Magnus Ferdinand Riedell was born in Toftlund in Denmark in the duchy of Schleswig.

His third name has several different spellings including Elchior (naturalisation), Elkjer (marriage registration) and Elka (daughter Lillian).1,4,6
 
Turbulent Schleswig
Schleswig is an area connecting Denmark and Germany. It has been disputed for hundreds of years.

In the early 1800s, Aastrup, Toftlund and Flensborg (German spelling: Flensburg) were all part of Denmark.

In the First Schleswig War 1848-1851, the Danes repelled the Germans. Laust Larsen, Magnus Riedell, and Anna and Catherina Naugardt were all children.

Following the 1864 Second Schleswig War, Schleswig became part of Prussia (within the German Empire). So Aastrup remained in Denmark, but Toftlund and Flensburg were now part of Germany. Laust Larsen was 21 years old, Magnus Riedell 27, Anna Naugardt 16 and Catherina Naugardt 21.

See map showing Aastrup, Toftlund and Flensburg. Aastrup is about 45 km north of Toftlund. Toftlund is about 50 km north of Flensburg.7,8,9
 
Military Service
According to the Constitution of Denmark, every Danish male over the age of 18 had to complete military service.

Magnus was in a mounted regiment, the 9th Hussars, and at one stage they were guards for princess Alexandra. A photo taken in full dress regimentals complete with plumed helmet survived the trip from Denmark to Fryers Creek, but not from there to Congupna.10,6,11
 
Emigration and Victorian Goldfields
During his time in the military, Magnus would have heard stories of men forced to fight against their own family and friends during the previous full scale conflict, especially those near the Danish-German border. By 1863, he could perhaps see another war looming.

When adding the lure of picking up gold nuggets in the Victorian goldfields, emigration to Australia must have seemed like a good option.6
 
In 1863, Magnus left his friend Catherina at home while he headed to Australia to make his fortune. He would not have known that Catherina was pregnant.

He first traveled to Liverpool where he boarded the Greyhound in September before landing in Melbourne 11 or 12 December 1863.

From there he went to the Fryers Creek mining area near Castlemaine.1,12,6
 
A settlement near Campbell's Creek had so many Danes working there it was called Copenhagen. Danes also ran a hotel and the general store making it an ideal meeting place.

Laust Larsen and Magnus Riedell struck up a friendship that would last a lifetime and soon see them brothers-in-law.13,14
 
They worked their separate diggings for around ten years and made enough for houses and a comfortable living.

The map below shows where the Larsen family lived in New Year's Flat, near Vaughan. The Riedell family lived at Chokem Flat, less then a kilometre north. For a current map of the area, see this goldfields area map.6
By the mid-1870s the gold was running out. And they heard of Crown land opening up about 140 km north-east in the Goulburn Valley.6
 
Naturalisation
Laust Larsen and Magnus Riedell believed that if you lived in a country and earned a living there, you should become a citizen.

On 20 May 1871, both men wrote letters applying for naturalisation. As an address for communication they gave the Campbells Creek Post Office.

Both applications were granted 12 June 1871.15,6,1
 
Marriage and Family
Catherina had just stepped off the ship when she and Magnus were married at the Lutheran church in Melbourne in September 1867.

Son Magnus, known later as Manna, was born in Denmark. Magnus (snr) had left Denmark not knowing Catherina was pregnant. Five children, three girls and two boys, were born in Fryers Creek/Vaughan. Two more girls and a boy were born in the Shepparton area.4,16
 
Their early married life on the goldfields must have seemed totally foreign. Not only were they now in an English-speaking country, but the immediate area was host to large communities of Chinese, Irish and Italians. This 1868 photo of nearby Vaughan is as they would have seen it.17
Vaughan 1868
Image: Shire of Mount Alexander
From Goldfields to Farmland
In the summer of 1876-77, the Larsen and Riedell families travelled by wagon from Fryers Creek to Congupna. Laust and Anna Margaretha had two children, Anna Caroline and Andrew. Magnus and Catherina had six children, Magnus jnr., Wilhelmina, Peter, Charles, Annie and five month old Matilda. As well as twelve people, the wagons were loaded with all the posessions of two families plus supplies for the approximately 180 km journey.6
 
Family Life
Magnus had prepared sites and basic accommodation in Congupna, but with two growing families, work began on more substantial homes.6
 
Magnus named his property Toftlund after his place of birth.6,18
 
On 29 June 1877, within a few months of arriving in the area, Laust and Magnus were signatories to a petition to the Minister of Education calling for a school in the Congupna parish. Petitioners included their children between the ages of four and fourteen who would attend.

The small school, Congupna State School No. 2164, was opened in July 1879.

All the Larsen and Riedell children attended the Congupna township school.19,20
 
Farming in Congupna
In November 1874, while still in the goldfields, Laust applied for the lease of 200 acres of Crown land in Congupna adjoining that of Magnus Riedell.

Part of the application included the declaration:
I, Laust Larsen of Fryers Creek miner make oath and declare that on the 28th day of November 1874 at 9am o'clock, I dug a trench not less than two feet long, six inches wide, and four inches deep in the direction of the continuing sides, and placed conspicuous posts or cairns of stones with notices thereon, at the corners of the allotment hereunder described, and for which I hereby make application

The declaration was made two days later at the Campbells Creek Post Office and his allotment was described as 'East of M Riedell'.

The lease licence was effective 1 April 1875.21
Riedell & Larsen land, 1887
Riedell & Larsen land, 2017
Being the more skilled builder, Magnus loaded two pack horses with supplies and implements and set off to Congupna. Here he cleared a suitable area near a water supply and built basic accomodation. Laust meanwhile, worked the two diggings and looked after the two families. When accommodation was ready, Magnus returned to Fryers Creek.

In late 1876, they sold up and headed to Congupna where they began their new farming life.6,22
 
Congupna Properties
Magnus and sons Manna and Charles had many different farming properties in the Congupna area. As well as the first 200 acre Crown land property, Magnus also had 120 acres of Crown land to the east. A further 199 acres belonging to 'Magnus Riedell' in 1898, is most likely Manna's as Magnus snr was living in Melbourne by this time.23
 
Shepparton rates show Riedells owned or leased ten different properties ranging from 11 to 519 acres between 1885 (when rate records start) to 1924. Names include Magnus FE, MFE, Magnus F jnr, Magnus F, MF, 'Bros' (likely Manna and Charles), Magnus and Charles.24,25
 
Around 1897, Magnus, Catherina and youngest daughter, nine year old Lillian, moved to Melbourne to live. Lilian had finished at the one-roomed Congupna school and continued her education in Melbourne.

In a 1975 letter to her family, Lilian said it was a bit of a lonely time coming from a big household in the country to be only three in the big city. After about four years, Catherina bought a nearby property and built a spacious house. They were not there long as Catherina's health began to fail. So they built yet another house, this time in Tallygaroopna where Minna and Anna and their families lived.6
Magnus Riedell family home, Tallygaroopna
Image: Tallygaroopna Times & Tales 1990
It has been reported that Magnus and Catherina built the home for their retirement and lived there until their deaths. The house still stands [1998], next to the school.26
 
Intelligence request
In May 1918 a request was sent by the Department of Defence, Melbourne to the Intelligence Section.

An application under the War Precautions (Land Transfer) Regulations has bean made by Magnus Ferdinand Elkejer Riedell of Tallygaroopna for consent to his acquiring certain land adjoining his present residence.

Will you please inform me whether anything is known against the above-mentioned person by you, also whether you see any Military objection to a person of enemy origin acquiring land in the district referred to.

There was no objection.27
 
Magnus died in Numurkah 1924. He was 87 years old.5
 

Citations

  1. [S167] 'Magnus Ferdinand Elchior Riedell', A712 Letters received, no. 1871/Z7141, naturalisation, 1871.
  2. [S474] Magnus Riedell & Catherina Naugardt, family history, 1999.
  3. [S270] Victorian Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages, registry and index, 'Magnus Ferdinand Ell' Riedell and Catharina Naugardt entry, marriage registration no. 3237, 1867.
  4. [S457] Magnus Ferdinand Elkjer Riedell and Catharina Naugardt, marriage registration no. 3237, 8 September 1867.
  5. [S270] Victorian Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages, registry and index, 'Magnus Ferdinand Elkyen' Riedell entry, death registration no. 11566, 1924.
  6. [S89] The Riedell Family, letter, 1975.
  7. [S246] 'First Schleswig War', Wikipedia, online, webpage, Wikimedia Foundation, viewed 12 December 2017, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Schleswig_War
  8. [S246] 'Second Schleswig War', Wikipedia, online, webpage, Wikimedia Foundation, viewed 12 December 2017, https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_Schleswig_War
  9. [S246] 'Flensburg', Wikipedia, online, webpage, Wikimedia Foundation, viewed 12 December 2017, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flensburg
  10. [S246] Wikipediawebpage, online, Wikimedia Foundation, 14 December 2017, viewed https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexandra_of_Denmark
  11. [S246] Wikipediawebpage, online, Wikimedia Foundation, 16 December 2017, viewed https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conscription_in_Denmark
  12. [S40] Unassisted Passenger Lists 1852-1923, online index, PROV, 'M Riedel' entry, Greyhound, 1863.
  13. [S2] 'History of immigration from Denmark', Origins: Immigrant Communities in Victoria, Museum Victoria, 2015, viewed 16 December 2017, https://museumsvictoria.com.au/origins/history.aspx?pid=13
  14. [S2] 'Fryers Creek, Vic', eGold: A Nation's Heritage, Cultural Heritage Unit, The University of Melbourne, 2015, viewed 16 December 2017, http://www.egold.net.au/biogs/EG00250b.htm
  15. [S168] 'Laust Larsen', A712 Letters received, no. 1871/Z7135, naturalisation, 1871.
  16. [S40] Unassisted Passenger Lists 1852-1923, online index, PROV, 'Madam Ridel' entry, ship Lightning, 1867.
  17. [S481] Heritage Study of the Shire of Newstead, Stage 2: Section 2, Environmental History, report prepared by Phil Taylor, May 2004.
  18. [S220] 'Marriages: Riedell-Gifford', The Argus, 1848-1957, newspaper, Argus Office, 11 September 1926, p. 17, viewed 13 December 2017, https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/3808510
  19. [S79] The Centenary of Congupna Schools and District 1884-1984, Congupna Centenary Committee, 1984, p. 5.
  20. [S79] 'The early days of the Larsen family: Congupna', The Centenary of Congupna Schools and District 1884-1984, Congupna Centenary Committee, 1984, p. 19, story by Ursula Reynolds.
  21. [S451] 'Laust Larsen', VPRS 626 Land Selection Files by Land District, no. 1045/19.20, land files, 3 March 1885.
  22. [S1] Matilda Riedell was the last child born in the Vaughan district in 1876, and Karen Larsen was the first born in the Shepparton district in 1877.
  23. [S316] Congupna Parish Plan, Imperial measure 2423, VPRS 16171 Regional Land Office Parish and Township Plans Digitised Reference Set, plan no. 2423, map, 1881.
  24. [S233] Shepparton Shire & Town Rates Index, 1885-1939/1941, computer file, Shepparton Family History Group, Reidel/Reidell/Riedal/Riedel/Riedell entries.
  25. [S1] Property sizes in the Shepparton rates are 11, 80, 120, 199, 200, 240, 293, 320, 398 and 519 acres.
  26. [S237] Early Families of Shepparton and District, Shepparton Family History Group, 1998, Pell, Margaret, 'The Riedells', p. 144.
  27. [S501] 'Magnus Ferdinand Elkejer Riedell', MP16/1 World War I Intelligence section case files, no. 1918/717, intelligence file, 1918.
  28. [S131] Under Different Skies, book, p. 225.
  29. [S270] Victorian Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages, registry and index, Peter Frederick Riedell entry, birth registration no. 19943, 1870.
  30. [S270] Victorian Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages, registry and index, Charles Riedell entry, birth registration no. 12720, 1872.
  31. [S17] Tallygaroopna and District Times and Tales: Published to mark the occasion of the centenary of Tallygaroopna primary school 3067, 1890-1990, Tallygaroopna school council, 1991.
  32. [S270] Victorian Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages, registry and index, Matilda Riedell entry, birth registration no. 26425, 1876.
  33. [S270] Victorian Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages, registry and index, Eda Riedell entry, birth registration no. 5514, 1879.
  34. [S3] Victorian Pioneer Index 1836-1888, CD-ROM, Macbeth Genealogical Services, 1998, birth registration no. 5480.