A site dedicated to the preservation of Canadian-Icelandic history.
Welcome! You've arrived at the Solmundson-Davidson Archive — a collection of photos, letters and documents, gathered through the last century and presented here for the preservation of Icelandic family history. We would like to invite you to view our archive, and take a glimpse into the roots of the past.
The Solmundson Story:
Sólmundur Símonarson and Guðrún Aradóttir came to Canada in 1888 with their seven children. The story is that they were on their way to Brazil when a fast talker in Liverpool, where they were changing ships, talked their eldest son, Jóhann (our grandfather) into going to Canada. Jóhann was 17 years old and spoke English. He learned of a ship full of Icelanders who were headed to Canada to a settlement named New Iceland in the newly formed province of Manitoba, where they would be given land, farm tools and a cow. He talked his parents into joining them. The piece of land that they received was on Hecla Island, Manitoba. The rest, as they say, is history. Sólmundur and Guðrún’s seven children were, Jóhann, Margrét (Sveinn Þórvaldsson), Guðrún (Ólson), Júlíus, Guðmundur, Gúðny (Hákon Kristjánsson) and infant Kári who sadly died on the voyage.
Þórbjörg’s Mother’s parents:
Jónas Jóhannesson and Ingibjörg Jóhannesdóttir initially came to Canada with the intention of settling in Manitoba. They stayed with their four children for a few years (exact number unknown to me). Jónas and Ingibjörg had five children. Their first child (Jóhann) died in Iceland (Ísland) in his infancy. The other children were as follows: Ingibjörg (Guðmundur Bjarnason), Jóhann (Ingibjörg þórleifsdóttir). Þórleifur (Sigríður Jónsdóttir), Una Guðrún (Jóhann P Sólmundsson). Jónas and Inigibjörg and their son Jóhann and his wife Ingibjörg þórleifsdóttir went to Cavalier, North Dakota. Some of the surnames that I know of in North Dakota that are cousins are Jónas(s)on, Nelson, Hartje, and Bernhoft. Þórleifur and Sigríður went to an Icelandic settlement in (Elfros? Winyard?) Saskatchewan, one of their daughters married a Sunquist. Una Guðrún (our grandmother) stayed in Gimli, Manitoba and married our grandfather, Jóhann.
