A footnote to the case
The common ancestor
A curiosity that surfaced along the way. In 1966 Ritt Bjerregaard married the historian Søren Mørch. And the woman who first put the quotation into print — Kirsten Mørch Vaughan — was also a Mørch. The two turn out to share a great-great-great-grandfather — fourth cousins.
The woman who first publicly quoted you for the famous words turns out to be the then Kirsten Mørch Vaughan (20 Feb 1940–, from 1977 simply Mørch, from 15 June 1984 Mørch-Nielsen), your husband's fourth cousin, in that they share the same great-great-great-grandfather Søren Sørensen Mørch (1729–1801, parish priest in Ferslev).
From the letter to Ritt Bjerregaard, delivered 17 December 2017.
Common great-great-great-grandfather
Søren Sørensen Mørch
6 Nov 1729 – 23 Sep 1801 · parish priest in Ferslev · b. Gunderup parish
Søren Mørch's line
Kirsten Mørch Vaughan's line
Bertel Nicolaj Mouridsen Mørchb. 21 Nov 1789 · Ferslev parish
Poul Hassing Mouritsen Mørch31 Mar 1786 – 10 Aug 1832 · priest · b. Ferslev parish
Niels Peter Severin Mørchb. 26 Oct 1830 · Mørke parish
Gregers Winther Poulsen Mørch1 Apr 1820 – 1 Oct 1865 · merchant, Frederikshavn · b. Gunderup parish
Ejvind Mørchb. 22 Feb 1873 · master carpenter · Hillerød parish
Aage Gregersen Mørchb. 13 Aug 1863 · schoolmaster and merchant · Frederikshavn parish
Erik Trier Mørch1 Mar 1901 – 30 Aug 1954 · chief mate · Vor Frue parish, Kalundborg
Helmer Mørchb. 5 Apr 1902 · parish priest in Vester Skerninge · b. Herlufsholm parish
Søren Mørch2 Dec 1933 – 24 Jan 2024 · historian · Brønshøj parish⚭ Ritt Bjerregaard, 22 July 1966
Kirsten Mørch Vaughan20 Feb 1940 – 8 Aug 2023 · teacher · from 1977 Mørch, from 1984 Mørch-NielsenFirst put the quotation into print, 1974.
Both lines can be traced back to the common ancestor, parish priest Søren Sørensen Mørch in Ferslev, through church registers, censuses and the civil register. Poul Hassing Mouritsen Mørch and Bertel Nicolaj Mørch were brothers — sons of the ancestor.
Pictures from the family