Hello again,
Thanks to Werner, Hans-Georg, and Gerold for your help and interesting ideas.
Besides these clues, I also have new information that might help.
The father that I mentioned in my previous note, Joan Bernd SCHRÖDER, was
actually born as Johann Bernard BORMENKEN-SCHRÖDER in 1745. His parents were
Johann Heinrich SCHRÖDER and Catharina Adelheid BORMENKE STRIEKER.
This tells me that there must have been a BORMENKE farm that Catharina
inherited, and Johann took its name. Also, either Catharina's father was
BORMENKE-STRIEKER, or he was just STRIEKER and her mother was BORMENKE.
Regardless, with this new information, it sounds to me less like an
exotic origin (the Norwegian Count story) than a simple, customary
inheritance
name change. I guess the family story will have to remain just a legend.
But it still doesn't answer where the name BORMENKE/BORGEMENKE came from.
Werner mentioned "olle Borg" referring to the Dersaburg castle. I assume
that is Plattdütsch for "alte Burg"? Does "Borg" in Borg(e)menke,
Borg(e)mann, etc, then come from "Burg"? Does "Landerhöhung" also mean
castle or is it more like an estate? Ans is "Menke" the same as "Mann" in
this case?
If Borg(e)menke never was a real name in that area as Werner says, and there
wasn't ever a Bormenke/Borgemenke property, then the name must have popped up
to distinguish between two different Strieker families. Possibly one came
from another town, like Burmönken bei Wittmund or some other "Borg" as
Hans-Georg suggested.
Thanks again for all your helpful comments and suggestions.
Bryan Kercher