Born 21 October 1810 Millinge, Svendborg, Denmark Dead 28 April 1886 Balsamgade, Copenhagen	Parents Hans Jørgensen 1784 Sophie Rasmusdatter approx. 1784
	Wife Ane Margrethe Hansen 1814-1895
Siblings Anne Hansdatter 1813 Karen Hansdatter 1816 Hans Hansen 1822 Pauline Hansdatter 1826 Peter Hansen Millinge 1829	Children Carl Johan Henrik Ditlev Hansen Millinge 1845-1881 Clara Hansen Millinge 1849-1923 William Hansen Millinge 1853-1921
Grandchildren Margrethe Augusta Millinge 1888	Great-grandchildren Ingrid Regitze Scheitel 1906 (stepdaughter) Elisabeth Millinge Scheitel 1921

Rasmus was born in Millinge Fuen in 1810 as the first child in the relation between Sophie Rasmusdatter and Hans Jørgensen. The parents were not married at the time of his birth, but they married in November 1811 and got more children between 1811 and 1829.

As seen from his military papers, Rasmus spent his childhood and adolescents in Millinge.

On the draft board in 1830 he was drafted to be a Royal Foot Guard for the King and he was to start his service 30 June 1831. From the papers we can see that he is quite tall 68½ inches i.e. 4½ inch above average at that time.

A royal resolution from 28 December 1817 prescribed that only men above 67 inches could be drafted to the Royal Life Guard at Foot.

In the census 1834 he is not found at Rosenborg Barracks where the King’s life guards usually lodged during their military service. I can find a soldier in Næstved Barracks who could be him, same name and age, but as Rasmus Hansen is a quite common name, it is only a hypothesis that he stayed there during some of the time. At least his wife Ane Margrethe Hansen whom he married in 1837, came from Næstved, so it is possible that they might have met in this way.

 

 

 

Later he must have returned to Rosenborg Barracks where he served as batman for C. F. v. Holten, who was a young cadet at that time.
Holten, who later in his career became General, mentioned in his Memories that a person called Millinge was decorated with the Silver Cross of the Order of the Dannebrog because he with great courage had captured a dangerous prisoner.
There are no other persons named Millinge who received the Order of the Dannebrog during this period, so it must be Rasmus Millinge he referred to. Rasmus was decorated with the Silver Cross on 24 March 1834.[source]

Kongelig Lakaj – Royal Footman

After he ended his soldier service he ran into a problem as it was at that time not allowed for a person decorated with the Silver Cross to work for private people.

In the Census 1840, we find him and his wife in Gothersgade No 143, 3 floor lodging with a guarder and his family. As occupation he is “Reservegarder” (Reserve Life Guard), this means that he did not really have a job. According to Holtens Memories, Rasmus received a very small pension (10 rix-dollars per month).

At a time, between 1840 and 1845, a Footman number became available and Holten remembered his old batman and persuaded the King to take Millinge as a footman – according to Holten a very popular occupation with many candidates.

Rasmus worked as a footman for the rest of his life, all in all approx. 40 years of service. Unfortunately the archives do no tell us whom he was working for, if it was for the king himself or other members of the royal family.

Children and Grandchildren

Rasmus and Ane Margrethe got 5 children together of which 2 died as babies.

Carl Johan – Clara and William

The oldest son Carl Johan Henrik Ditlev Hansen Millinge born 1845 died only 36 years old from tuberculosis, he did not get any children.

The daughter Clara Hansen Millinge born 1849 never married but continued to live with the parents until they died, then she moved to live with her youngest brother William until he died, the last year of her life she lived alone. She died 74 years old.

The youngest son William Hansen Millinge born 1853 was quite famous within the business world of Copenhagen. He was educated chemical engineer and worked for De Danske Sukkerfabrikker (the Danish Sugar Factories). In 1877 William went to St. Croix to work for the Sugar Factories as manager for the new filial. He stayed there for 7 years and married Annie Roebuck Behagen. The marriage was childless and Annie died only 2 years after the marriage.

William returned to Copenhagen and in 1887 he married Elizabeth Herbert Armstrong and in 1888 their daughter Margrethe Augusta Millinge was born. The family lived for some years in Hellerup. William was promoted several times and became the Technical Director of the Danish Sugar Factories in 1897.
In 1903, Elisabeth died only 43 years old of chronic nephritis. William and his daughter Margrethe moved to Copenhagen and Williams sister Clara joined their household after the death of Rasmus and Ane Margrethe. William died in 1921.[source]

Grandchild Margrethe Augusta Millinge and Greatgrandchild Elisabeth Millinge Scheitel

In 1920 Rasmus’ grandchild Margrethe married Oscar Scheitel, a Danish-American businessman, who was a Director and a rich Merchant, 19 years older than Margrethe. Oscar had a daughter of first marriage Ingrid Regitse Scheitel born 1906.

In 1921 Margrethe gave birth to Elisabeth Millinge Scheitel and only 4 years later Oscar died at the age of only 57 years, so Elisabeth Millinge Scheitel is the only blood related relative descending from Rasmus Hansen Millinge.

 

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