The old genus from Roskilde, Denmark
The name suggests that this genus originates from Germany. In the area of Pommern, lay a small village called Brunnechen, which belonged to the Colbaz monastery. The Colbaz monastery was founded by Danish monks from the Esrom monastery in the 12th century.
The family name occurs early in Denmark in time of Queen Margrethe I. History reports that in the year 1402, in Roskilde, the widow Margrethe “Brünnikini” (the Latin form of the name) died. She seems to have been a wealthy lady since it is said that she had given rich gifts to the cathedral, which is why she is called “vidua bene merite” (a well-deserved widow).
Kantor at the cathedral, one of its prelates, Johannes Brünnikini was possibly a son of this widow. He is mentioned several times in documents from the time of Queen Margrethe I. In 1406 he states that he sells the nuns in Our Lady monastery in Roskilde vats for brewing beer. In a letter from 1411 in the National Archives, Hannes Brünnikeson, Kantor in Roskilde, testifies to the entire chapter that Queen Margrethe I has erected an altar in the cathedral for the soul fair for the knight Abram Brothersen.
Kantor Johannes Brynnikeson died on 11 Nov. 1441 (on the Wednesday of the eighth day before S. Morten Bishops day) and was buried in the choir of the cathedral. His tombstone has now disappeared, but the inscription is preserved in Erik Pontoppodan’s “Marmora Danica” I, 20: “Hic jacet Johannes Brünnikini, cantor roskildensis, qui obiit anno Domini MCDXLI feria qvarta infra octav. S. Martini” ”. From Roskilde Cathedral’s “grave memorials” it says: The stone lay east in the middle Ship “just immediately off the Altar (just West of the Kannik Choir) in the middle of the Floor”.
However, the connection with these old “Brünnikini” and the present living family of Brünniche cannot be documented, although it may well be possible that it is the same family. The legend, on the other hand, also recorded one of the well-known cantor Giessing in 1775 written pedigree that Peder Brünnich, who originated from Rostock/Germany, descended in Roskilde in the year 1600 and became the ancestor of the current Brünniche/Brønniche family members. During a stay in Rostock in 1875, I conducted a survey to see if any of this name was now living in the city, but I found nothing. So I turned to a resident archivist and historian who kindly provided me with help and looked at a lot of old records of the citizens, but he didn’t find the name either. It is conceivable that Peder Brünnich has stayed for some time at Rostock on his way to Denmark.
Kantor Giessing has in the said pedigree of 1775, which Hundrup was used for his pedigree of 1851, a small interesting message, which Hundrup has omitted, but which deserves to be preserved, as it mentions Frederik the 4th Scanian war. There is mentioned a jeweler, Jørgen Winther in Roskilde, born 1671 in Helsingborg, died in 1721. About him Giessing writes that he “was of the faithful Scouts who reported when King Frederick IV went to Skåne and over there he enjoyed the kiln. grace to his death. “
About Peder Brünnich, born in 1660, turning in Roskilde, states more fully than at Hundrup: “In the great fire of 1731 on April 20, he wanted to save his son’s wooden chest, but got up, went home and died the same night”. His and wife, Anne Marcusdaughter’s portraits are in my possession.
Roskilde, den 16. februar 1910. J. Kornerup Professor