My 3rd Great-Grandparents: Tjærand Tjærandsen (1778–1858) and Aasa Rasmusdatter (1771–1856)
Download a pdf version of this research, including all documentation, here (48 pages)
Introduction
I am endeavoring to document the lives of my maternal Norwegian ancestors – two sets of great-grandparents, four sets of great-great-grandparents, and eight sets of great-great-great-grandparents. I’m beginning with the ancestors of my maternal grandfather, Charles Hovick (1873–1948), who was born Tjerand Torbjørnsen on the Håvik farm in Skjold Parish, Rogaland County, Norway. After he immigrated in 1888, the name of their former home, Håvik, was adopted as their new surname and Americanized to Hovick. That became my mother’s maiden name, and because I am every bit as much a Hovick as I am a Lohman, I have chosen to take it on as my middle name. So this seems to be a fitting place to start.
I have combed through the available sources: church records, census records, and the uniquely Norwegian phenomenon called bygdebøker – a vast and remarkable collection of local farm histories.
Writing this in early 2021, it was exactly 250 years ago that Aasa was born. I find it remarkable that we can know as much as we do about their lives.
A Note about Names, Pronunciation, and Spelling
Norway, prior to the 20th century, did not use permanent surnames that would be passed, unchanged, from generation to generation. Instead, they employed a patronymic naming system in which one’s last name was formed by one’s father’s first name, followed by a gendered suffix (“-sdatter” if female and “-ssen” or “-sen” if male). (See Norwegian Cultural Background: Last Names.) Therefore, Tjærand Tjærandsen was the son of another Tjærand, and Aasa Rasmusdatter was the daughter of Rasmus.
Aasa is pronounced OH-sah, with the oh formed back in the throat like a good Minnesota oh. And just like everything to do with Tjærand’s name, his is a bit more complicated. The tj combination is pronounced like the h in huge, the æ like the a in hat, and the final d is silent. So it ends up being pronounced something like SHARE-ahn.
Additionally, Tjærand’s name was spelled differently throughout his life by those who created these records. Because the tj, ti, kj, and ki letter combinations could be interchangeable, as were e and æ, and because final d’s are most often silent, variations of his name that appear are Tjærand, Tiærand, Tieran, Kjærand, Kjæran, and Kiæran. Rest assured that they are all the same man. (See Norwegian Cultural Background: Spelling Variations.)
...and yet so many Tjærands!
Adding to the confusion around his name is the fact that men in this family carried that same first name for four generations in a row: his great-grandfather Tjærand Samsonsen (dates unknown), his grandfather, Tjærand Tjærandsen [I] (1726–1795), his father, Tjærand Tjærandsen [II] (1753–1786), and finally Tjærand himself, Tjærand Tjærandsen [III] (1778–1858). And three generations later, Tjærand III’s great-grandson and my grandfather, carried forward the tradition and was named Tjerand Torbjørnsen (1873–1948). (The use of “I, II, III” is an editorial choice of mine to help distinguish between these men. This was not the practice in Norway at the time. If there is no I, II, or III, assume that I’m writing about III.)
With that out of the way, let’s start by looking at the who and the where.
Tjærand and Aasa’s Family Tree
Southwestern Norway
Tjærand and Aasa grew up on the Berge and Førde farms, now in Sveio Municipality, Vestland County, near the southwestern coast of Norway. The farms were situated on a peninsula between the Bømlafjord to the west and the Ålfjord to the east.
Where They Lived and When
Family Farms and Years of Documented Residence
THE LIVES OF AASA AND TJÆRAND
Aasa’s Early Life
My 3rd great-grandmother, Aasa Rasmusdatter (1771–1856) and her twin brother Aslak Rasmussen (1771–1799), were both baptized on 9 June 1771 (their birthdate is unknown). Aasa was one of twelve children born to Rasmus Larsen (1730–1794) and Aasa Eriksdatter (1725–after 1801), and she and her brother Aslak were the second set of twins born to the family. Her father owned a portion of the Førde farm, where the family had lived since at least 1702.
Natural disaster hit in 1792 when a landslide struck the farm. Their houses were threatened, their fields filled with sand and boulders, and the flow of the river was in danger of being blocked. Aasa was 20 when this occurred.
When Aasa was 24 and unmarried, she had a daughter, Malene, with Ole Arielson of Andalen in 1796. This was five years prior to her marriage to Tjærand. Her brother Rasmus Rasmussen (1766–1803) stepped in and became Malene’s foster parent.
By 1801, her father, Rasmus Larsen (1730–1794) had died, and her brother Rasmus bought the farm from the estate of his father. The household was large, consisting of twenty-six people – extended family, foster children, lodgers, and servants. Aasa was one of those servants. Rasmus had two foster children in the household – Aasa’s daughter Malene, age 5, and Rasmus Aslaksen, age 3, the son of Aasa’s late twin brother Aslak (more on that below). Also living with them was Aasa and Rasmus’ 76-year-old widowed mother, Aasa Eriksdatter (born 1725).
Førde was in Fjelberg (now in Vikebygd) Parish, Vestlandet (formerly Hordaland) County, Norway, and now lies in the municipality of Sveio. Førde lies 11 kilometers or 7 miles due north of the Håvik farm in Skjold Parish, a farm that figures prominently in this family’s later history (see map above).
Simon Steinsbø, Gards- og Ættesoge for Sveio, Band III: Lid Skulekrins og Gamle Vestre Vikebydg, (Stavanger: Sveio Kommune, 1987), 303.
Tjærand’s Early Life
Aasa’s husband, my 3rd great-grandfather Tjærand Tjærandsen (1778–1858), was baptized on 17 July 1778 (his birthdate is also unknown). His family lived on the Berge (now Berget) farm, which at different times in history lay in Stord and Valestrand Parishes, and is now in Sveio Parish.
Tjærand was one of five children born to Tjærand Tjærandsen II (1753–1786) and Gunhild Hansdatter (born 1755). He and his male ancestors shared that same first name for four generations in a row (see explanation in the above Introduction).
It was common for children, upon reaching confirmation age (14 or 15), to leave home and begin earning their own living. By 1801, Tjærand, then 21, was working as a servant to the family of Lambrect Steensen on the Axdal (now Aksdal) farm in the neighboring Etne Parish.
The Berge farm lies 8 kilometers or 5 miles north of Førde and overlooks the Bømlafjord.
Simon Steinsbø, Gards- og Ættesoge for Sveio, Band I: Gamle Valestrand Kommune, (Stavanger: Sveio Kommune, 1987), 170.
Aasa and Tjærand‘s Life Together
We shall never know how they met, but Aasa and Tjærand were married on 19 July 1802 when she was 31 and he was 24. He joined her on the Førde farm, where he became a tenant farmer, holding a lease to some land on the wider Førde farm.
In addition to her daughter Malene born earlier, they had five children together:
- Andor Tjærandsen (1802–1846), my 2nd great-grandfather, who would later marry and move to the Håvik farm in Skjold Parish
- Ingeborg Tjærandsdatter (born 1805)
- Rasmus Tjærandsen (1801–1873)
- Hans Tjærandsen (born 1811)
- Sven Tjærandsen (born 1814)
Their oldest son Andor was baptized only four months after their wedding (his exact birthdate is unknown). This would not have been a source of scandal, however. Engagements served as the real formalization of the relationship, while the wedding was a formality and an opportunity to celebrate. Therefore, couples would often begin living together after they became engaged, and it was not at all uncommon for women to be pregnant at their wedding.
Aasa and Tjærand lived the rest of their days on the Førde farm. Aasa died on 25 January 1856, and Tjærand on 23 February 1858. Both died in the winter, and their burials had to be delayed until the ground thawed. They were presumably buried in the cemetery of Vikebygd Kirke. Embalming was rarely practiced in Norway, and as a result, graves would be reused after approximately twenty years and the gravestones destroyed. (See Norwegian Cultural Background: Graves.) After Tjærand’s death, his estate went through probate. His assets were small, and the houses were sold to be dismantled and set up again elsewhere.
Over the years, a number of tragedies struck their extended family. Their son Rasmus (1808–1873) had a particularly tragic life. His first wife, Ingri Torsteinsdatter (1801–1840) died two months after they married. After remarrying to Siri Johannesdatter (1823–1873), their daughter Ingri died in infancy in 1848. Their son Rasmus (1849–1871) drowned in Lake Røykenes in 1871. And finally, Rasmus himself, along with his son Jon (1849–1873), were lost at sea in 1873.
Aasa’s twin brother Aslak (1771–1799) and his wife Anna Andersdatter (1778–1799) died of leprosy within six days of one another. He was 28 and she was 21, and they left a son, Rasmus, born earlier that year.
See pdf version of this research (link above) for all documentation.
Family Timeline
| YEAR | DATE | NAMES AS THEY APPEAR | EVENT | RESIDENCE |
| 1771 | 9 June | Aasa | baptism | Førres [Førde] |
| 1778 | 17 July | Tieran | baptism | Berge |
| 1787 | 14 October | Aasa Rasmusdr | confirmation | Førre |
| 1796 | 29 May | Kieran Kieransen | confirmation | Berge |
| 1801 | 1 February | Aasa Tiærand Tiærandsen | census census | Førde Axdal |
| 1802 | 19 July 19 July 21 November | Tieran Tieransen Aasa Rasmusdr Andor (son) | marriage marriage baptism | Berge Førde Førde |
| 1805 | 29 September | Ingeborg (daughter) | baptism | Førde |
| 1808 | 11 October | Rasmus (son) | baptism | Førdes |
| 1811 | 17 March | Hans (son) | baptism | Førdes |
| 1814 | 26 February | Svend (son) | baptism | Førdes |
| 1818 | unknown | Ander Tiærandsen | confirmation | Førde |
| 1821 | unknown | Ingebor Tiæransdatter | confirmation | Førde |
| 1823 | 23 November | Rasmus Tiærandsen | confirmation | Førde |
| 1828 | 19 October | Hans Tjærandsen Sven Tjærandsen | confirmation | Førde |
| 1856 | 25 January | Aasa Rasmusdatter | death | Førde |
| 1858 | 23 February | Tjærand Tjærandsen | death | Førde |
THE RECORDS
Any editorial remarks, information not included in the original document, are enclosed in [square brackets]. Any words that are illegible are indicated by “[–?–]”.
Baptism of Aasa Rasmusdatter and Aslach Rasmussen (1771)
Fjelberg Parish (Hordaland, Norway), Ministerialbok nr. A 2, 1760–1788, Kronologisk Liste [Chronological List], p. 50, line 1 (unnumbered), baptism of Aasa, 9 June 1771; digital images, National Archives of Norway, Digitized Parish Registers (media.digitalarkivet.no/en/view/11388/44 : accessed 8 February 2021).
Extract and Translation:
Date: 9 June 1771
Father: Rasmus of Førres
Children’s names: daughter Aasa and son Aslach
Notes:
As Aasa and Aslach shared both the same father and baptismal day of 9 June 1771, they were likely twins. Their first names are underlined in the record above. Records from this period often only included the date of baptism, not the date of birth. Because of the patriarchal culture and its patronymic naming system, baptismal records from this time often omitted the name of the mother. Førres is an antiquated spelling of Førde.
Baptism of Tieran Tieransen (1778)
Stord Parish (Hordaland, Norway), Ministerialbok nr. A 4, 1778–1800, Kronologisk Liste [Chronological List], p. 3, 2nd paragraph, baptism of Tieran, 17 July 1778; digital images, National Archives of Norway, Digitized Parish Registers (media.digitalarkivet.no/view/11672/48323/3 : accessed 8 February 2021).
Date: 17 July 1778
Father: Tieran junior [II] of Berge
Child’s name: Tieran
Notes:
For four generations in a row, men shared that same first name: his great-grandfather Tjærand Samsonsen (dates unknown), his grandfather, Tjærand Tjærandsen [I] (1726–1795), his father, Tjærand Tjærandsen [II] (1753–1786), and finally Tjærand himself, Tjærand Tjærandsen [III] (1778–1858). Three generations later, Tjærand III’s great-grandson and my grandfather, carried forward the tradition and was named Tjerand Torbjørnsen (he changed his name to Charles T. Hovick after he immigrated to the United states in 1888). [The use of “I, II, III” is an editorial choice to help distinguish between these men. This was not the practice in Norway at the time.]
Because of the patriarchal culture and its patronymic naming system, baptismal records from this time often omitted the name of the mother.
Confirmation of Aasa Rasmusdatter (1787)
Fjelberg Parish (Hordaland, Norway), Ministerialbok nr. A 2, 1760–1788, Konfirmente [Confirmed], p. 134, line 1 (unnumbered), confirmation of Aasa, 14 October 1787; digital images, National Archives of Norway, Digitized Parish Registers (media.digitalarkivet.no/view/11388/128 : accessed 8 February 2021).
Date: 19th Sunday after Trinity [14 October 1787]
Name: Aasa Rasmus[datter] of Førre
Age: 16
Confirmation of Kiærand Kiærandsen (1796)
Stord Parish (Hordaland, Norway), Ministerialbok nr. A 3, 1778–1800, Kronologisk Liste [Chronological List], p. 105, line 5, confirmation of Kieran Kieransen, 29 May 1796; digital images, National Archives of Norway, Digitized Parish Registers (media.digitalarkivet.no/view/11672/48323/3 : accessed 8 February 2021). For transcription, see Church Book for Stord Parish 1778–1800 (Hordaland, Norway); transcription, Digital Archives of Norway (www.digitalarkivet.no/view/279/pk00000000187831 : accessed 8 February 2021).
Date: 29 May 1796
Name: Kieran Kieransen of Berge
Aasa in the 1801 Census of Norway
A digital image of this record is not yet available online.
Location: Førde
Head of household: Rasmus Rasmussen
Name: Aasa
Age: 30
Role: servant
Marital status: single
Notes:
While a last name is not given, this woman is the correct age and living in the household of her brother, so this is most likely our Aasa Rasmusdatter. She was one of 26 people living on the Førde farm in 1801. The head of this household was Aasa’s older brother, Rasmus Rasmusson (born 1766). Also in this household was a woman named Aasa Eriksdatter, cited as being age 80. This is likely Aasa and Rasmus’ mother, who in actuality would have been 76 at the time. The elder Aasa is listed as a widow receiving a pension that was paid by the current owner (Rasmus) to the former owner (his mother).
Before marrying Tjærand in 1802, Aasa had a daughter, Malene, out of wedlock with Ole Arielson in 1796. [1] A baptismal record for Malene could not be found. [2] However, in this household in 1801 is a girl named Malene Olsdatter, age 5. She is listed as the foster daughter of Aasa’s brother Rasmus, the head of the household. [3] Her age and her patronymic last name are correct, so this is most surely Aasa’s daughter.
[1] Simon Steinsbø, Gards- og Ættesoge for Sveio, Band III: Lid Skulekrins og Gamle Vestre Vikebygd, (Stavanger: Sveio Kommune, 1987), 329.
[2] Fjelberg Parish (Hordaland, Norway), Ministerialbok nr. A 3, 1788–1815, Kronologisk Liste [Chronological List]; digital images, National Archives of Norway, Digitized Parish Registers (https://media.digitalarkivet.no/view/11672/102 : accessed 4 July 2020). Searched 1796. Also Stord Parish (Hordaland, Norway), Ministerialbok nr. A 3, 1778–1800, Kronologisk Liste [Chronological List]; digital images, National Archives of Norway, Digitized Parish Registers (https://media.digitalarkivet.no/en/view/11672/108 : accessed 8 February 2021). Searched 1796.
[3] Digitalarkivet, 1801 census for 1213P Fjelberg, census district 004, rural residence 0025 Førde, transcription; www.digitalarkivet.no/en/census/person/pf01058370002308 : accessed 8 February 2021).
Tiærrand Tiærrandsen in the 1801 Census of Norway
A digital image of this record is not yet available online.
Location: Axdal [now Aksdal]
Head of household: Lambrect Steensen
Name: Tiærrand Tiærrandsen
Age: 24
Role: servant
Marital status: single
Marriage of Tieran Tieransen and Aasa Rasmusdatter (1802)
Fjelberg Parish (Hordaland, Norway), Ministerialbok nr. A 3, 1788–1815, Kronologisk Liste [Chronological List], p. 107, line 1 (unnumbered), marriage of Tieran Tieransen and Aasa Rasmusdatter, 19 July 1802; digital images, National Archives of Norway, Digitized Parish Registers (media.digitalarkivet.no/en/view/11389/107 : accessed 8 February 2021).
Date: 19 July 1802
Groom: Bachelor Tieran Tieransen of Berge in Valestrand
Bride: Maiden Aasa Rasmusdatter of Førde
Baptism of Son, Andor Tjærandsen (1802)
Note:
This record has not been found. [1] However, his confirmation record (see below) reveals his date of baptism as 21 November 1802, four months after his parents were married.
[1] Fjelberg Parish (Hordaland, Norway), Ministerialbok nr. A 3, 1788–1815, Kronologisk Liste [Chronological List]; digital images, National Archives of Norway, Digitized Parish Registers (media.digitalarkivet.no/view/11389/134 : accessed 1 July 2020). Searched baptisms 1801–1803.
Baptism of Daughter, Ingeborg Tierandsdatter (1805)
Fjelberg Parish (Hordaland, Norway), Ministerialbok nr. A 3, 1788–1815, Kronologisk Liste [Chronological List], p. 134, 3rd entry , baptism of Ingeborg, 19 September 1805; digital images, National Archives of Norway, Digitized Parish Registers (media.digitalarkivet.no/view/11389/134 : accessed 8 February 2021).
Date: 19 September 1805
Father: Tierand of Førdes
Child: Ingeborg
Baptism of Son, Rasmus Tierandsen (1808)
Fjelberg Parish (Hordaland, Norway), Ministerialbok nr. A 3, 1788–1815, Kronologisk Liste [Chronological List], p. 168, 3rd entry , baptism of Rasmus, 11 October 1808; digital images, National Archives of Norway, Digitized Parish Registers (media.digitalarkivet.no/view/11389/167 : accessed 8 February 2021).
Date: 11 October 1808
Father: Tenant farmer Tierand Tierandsen of Førdes
Child: Rasmus
Baptism of Son, Hans Tierandsen (1811)
Fjelberg Parish (Hordaland, Norway), Ministerialbok nr. A 3, 1788–1815, Kronologisk Liste [Chronological List], p. 188, 2nd entry, baptism of Hans, 17 March 1811; digital images, National Archives of Norway, Digitized Parish Registers (media.digitalarkivet.no/view/11389/187 : accessed 8 February 2021).
Date: 17 March 1811
Father: Tierand of Førdes
Child: Hans
Baptism of Son, Svend Tiærandsen (1814)
Fjelberg Parish (Hordaland, Norway), Ministerialbok nr. A 3, 1788–1815, Kronologisk Liste [Chronological List], p. 201, 1st entry, baptism of Svend, 26 February 1814; digital images, National Archives of Norway, Digitized Parish Registers (https://media.digitalarkivet.no/view/11389/200 : accessed 8 February 2021).
Date: 26 February 1814
Father: Tieran of Førdes
Child: Svend
Confirmation of Son, Ander Tiærandsen (1818)
Fjelberg Parish (Hordaland, Norway), Ministerialbok nr. A 4, 1816–1822, Konfirmente [Confirmed], p. 243, line 14, confirmation of Ander Tiærandsen, 1818; digital images, National Archives of Norway, Digitized Parish Registers (media.digitalarkivet.no/en/view/11390/153 : accessed 8 February 2021).
Date: 1818
Name: Ander Tiærandsen
Parents: Tiærand and Aasa Rasmusdatter of Førde
Date of baptism: 21 November 1802
Confirmation of Daughter, Ingeborg Tiærandsdatter (1821)
Fjelberg Parish (Hordaland, Norway), Ministerialbok nr. A 4, 1816–1822, Konfirmente [Confirmed], p. 263, line 38, confirmation of Ingebor Tiærandsdatter, 1821; digital images, National Archives of Norway, Digitized Parish Registers (media.digitalarkivet.no/view/11390/173: accessed 8 February 2021).
Date: 1821
Name: Ingebor Tiærandsdatter
Parents: Tiærand Tiærandsen and Aasa Rasmusdatter of Førde
Date of baptism: 29 September 1805
Confirmation of Son, Rasmus Tiærandsen (1823)
Fjelberg Parish (Hordaland, Norway), Ministerialbok nr. A 5, 1822–1834, Konfirmente [Confirmed], p. 202, line 48, confirmation of Rasmus Tiærandsen, 23 November 1823; digital images, National Archives of Norway, Digitized Parish Registers (media.digitalarkivet.no/view/11391/101 : accessed 8 February 2021).
Date: 23 November 1823
Name: Rasmus Tiærandsen
Age: 16
Parents: Tiærand Tiærandsen and Aasa Rasmusdatter
Confirmation of Sons, Hans and Sven (1828)
For Hans, Fjelberg Parish (Hordaland, Norway), Ministerialbok nr. A 5, 1822–1834, Konfirmente [Confirmed], p. 219, line 13, confirmation of Hans Tjærandsen, 19 Oct 1828; digital images, National Archives of Norway, Digitized Parish Registers (media.digitalarkivet.no/view/11391/118 : accessed 2 July 2020). For Sven, Fjelberg Parish (Hordaland, Norway), Ministerialbok nr. A 5, 1822–1834, Konfirmente [Confirmed], p. 219, line 14, confirmation of Sven Tjærandsen, 19 Oct 1828; digital images, National Archives of Norway, Digitized Parish Registers (media.digitalarkivet.no/view/11391/118 : accessed 2 July 2020).
Date: 19 October 1828
Names: Hans Tjærandsen and Sven Tjærandsen
Ages: 17½ and 15
Parents: Tjærand Tjærandsen and Aasa Rasmusdatter
Death of Aasa Rasmusdatter (1856)
Fjelberg Parish (Hordaland, Norway), Ministerialbok nr. A 7, 1851–1867, Døde og Begravede [Died and Buried], p. 276, line 14, death of Aasa Rasmusdatter, 25 January 1856; digital images, National Archives of Norway, Digitized Parish Registers (media.digitalarkivet.no/view/8273/40787/16 : accessed 8 February 2021).
Date of death: 25 January 1856
Date of funeral: 17 February 1856
Date of burial: 20 March 1856
Name: Tenant farmer’s wife Aasa Rasmussdatter
Age: 85
Notes:
Based on her baptismal record, she was 84 at the time of her death, not 85 as cited here. Her cause of death was not recorded. Her funeral was held more than three weeks after her death. The ground must have thawed enough by 20 March for her burial to take place.
Death of Tjærand Tjærandsen (1858)
Sveio Parish (Hordaland, Norway), Klokkerbok nr. C 1, 1851–1865, Døde og Begravede [Died and Buried], p. 52, 1858, line 3, death of Tjærand Tjærandsen, 23 February 1858; digital images, National Archives of Norway, Digitized Parish Registers (media.digitalarkivet.no/en/view/7071/52 : accessed 8 February 2021).
Date of death: 23 February 1858
Date of funeral: 2 March 1858
Date of burial: 20 May 1858
Name: Tenant farmer [–?–] Tjærand Tjærandsen
Age: 80
Notes:
Based on his baptismal record, he was 79 at the time of his death, not 80 as cited here. His cause of death was not recorded. Tjærand died in March when the ground was still frozen. His funeral was held one week later, but his burial had to wait until 20 May when the ground had thawed.
BYGDEBØKER
To learn about this amazing and uniquely Norwegian source of local farm history and genealogical information, see Norwegian Cultural Background: Bygdebøker and A Trip to the Library: Bygdebøker.
Aasa Rasmusdatter’s Birth Family on the Førde Farm, Sveio Parish
[The names of direct ancestors are in boldface.]
Simon Steinsbø, Gards- og Ættesoge for Sveio, Band III: Lid Skulekrins og Gamle Vestre Vikebygd, (Stavanger: Sveio Kommune, 1987), 306.
Translation:
15. Rasmus Larsson of Førde (1730–1794), married Aasa Eriksdatter of Austvik (ca. 1725–1767) [death date is incorrect].
Children:
a. Johannes (born 1751) lived on Myklavoll
b. Malene (born f 1757) lived on Gramshaug
c. Kari (born 1758) [twin of Erik], lived on Alne
d. Erik (born 1758) [twin of Kari], lived on Førde
e. Helvig (1760–1760)
f. Helvig (born 1761) lived on Førde
g. Lars (born 1763) lived on “s” [?] (born 1766), lived on Førde
[The text skips “h.” and “i.” See Notes below.]
j. Aase (1768–1772)
k. Aasa (born 1771) [twin of Aslak], lived on Førde
1. Aslak (born 1771) [twin of Aasa], lived on Førde
Rasmus purchased the farm in 1755 and he was the farmer there until 1794. In 1792, Rasmus received a confirmation from the court that there had been landslides on his farm. The landslide came from further up the mountain, just to the south of the house. Their houses were threatened, their fields were filled with sand and boulders, and the flow of the river was in danger of being blocked. He demanded a reduction in his tax liability.
Together with two neighbors, he owned 1/3 share of nets and fishing equipment, blacksmith equipment for making nails, and one net for catching small fresh-water fish. He was a lay judge of the court.
Notes:
As noted above, all information included in these farm histories is based on other records. Therefore, additional research―finding the original records―is required to verify any information found in a bygdebok.
Aasa was a twin, part of two sets of twins born to this family. The death year of 1767 for Aasa’s mother, also Aasa, is incorrect. Firstly, it is before Aasa’s birth in 1771. Secondly, no Aasa Eriksdatter died in that parish in 1767. [1] Finally, her mother appeared in the 1801 census (see above). But her actual date of death remains unknown. Death records for Fjelberg Parish were searched from 1801–1825.
[1] Fjelberg Parish (Hordaland, Norway), Ministerialbok nr. A 2, 1760–1788, Kronologisk Liste [Chronological List]; digital images, National Archives of Norway, Digitized Parish Registers (media.digitalarkivet.no/en/view/11388/44 : accessed 30 June 2020). Searched all deaths in 1767.
There was sloppy editing in this list of children, a prime example of why information in a bygdebok cannot be taken at face value. In many bygdebøker, children in a family are assigned letters in their birth order. But in this list, letters h and i are omitted, and Lars is said to have been born in both 1763 and 1766. After searching baptismal records between the births of Lars in 1763 and Aase in 1768, two additional children of Rasmus of Førde were found.
Corrected list of children:
a. Johannes (born 1751) lived on Myklavoll
b. Malene (born f 1757) lived on Gramshaug
c. Kari (born 1758) [twin of Erik], lived on Alne
d. Erik (born 1758) [twin of Kari], lived on Førde
e. Helvig (1760–1760)
f. Helvig (born 1761) lived on Førde
g. Lars (born 1763)
h. Andor (born 1764) [1]
i. Rasmus (born 1766) lived on Førde[2]
j. Aasa (1768–1772)
k. Aasa (born 1771) [twin of Aslak], lived on Førde
1. Aslak (born 1771) [twin of Aasa], lived on Førde
[1] Fjelberg Parish (Hordaland, Norway), Ministerialbok nr. A 2, 1760–1788, Kronologisk Liste [Chronological List], p. 21, line 31, baptism of Andor, 20 May 1764; digital images, National Archives of Norway, Digitized Parish Registers (media.digitalarkivet.no/en/view/11388/15 : accessed 5 July 2020).
[2] Fjelberg Parish (Hordaland, Norway), Ministerialbok nr. A 2, 1760–1788, Kronologisk Liste [Chronological List], p. 28, line 20, baptism of Rasmus, 22 March 1766; digital images, National Archives of Norway, Digitized Parish Registers (media.digitalarkivet.no/en/view/11388/23 : accessed 5 July 2020).
Kjæran Kjæransen [III]’s Birth Family on the Berge Farm, Sveio Parish
Simon Steinsbø, Gards- og Ættesoge for Sveio, Band I: Gamle Valestrand Kommune, (Stavanger: Sveio Kommune, 1987), 171–172.
Translation:
25. Kjæran Kjæransen [II] of Berge (1753–1786), married Gunhild Hansdatter of Staupe (born 1755).
Children:
a. Jakob (born 1776), died unmarried
b. Kjæran [III] (born 1778), married and lived on Berge
c. Ingeborg (born 1781)
d. Hans (born 1782) married and lived on Solheim
e. Svein (born 1785)
Gunhild was also married to Gunnar N. of Berge.
Kjæran lived at Staupe until he got a lease to the [Berge] farm in 1784, which he held until he died. He was a storekeeper. [Skiftet etter han vart halde i 1786. The net rent was 19 riksdalar. I buet var mellom anna] 2 cows, 1 calf, 4 [smale], and 3 goats.
Kjæran and Aasa’s Family on the Førde Farm, Sveio Parish
Simon Steinsbø, Gards- og Ættesoge for Sveio, Band III: Lid Skulekrins og Gamle Vestre Vikebygd, (Stavanger: Sveio Kommune, 1987), 329.
Translation:
147. Kjæran Kjæranson [III] of Berge (1778–1858), married Aasa Rasmusdatter of Førde (1771–1856).
Children:
a. Anders (born 1802), married and moved to Håvik, probably in Skjold Parish [correct]
b. Ingeborg (born 1805), married and moved to Førde
c. Rasmus (born 1808), married and lived at Førde
d. Hans (born 1811), married and moved to Færås
e. Svein (born 1814), married and moved to Færås
Aasa had a daughter, Malene, out of wedlock in 1796 with Ola Arielson Andalen.
Kjæran lived for a long time at Berge [before moving to Førde]. In 1858, a probate was held for his Førde estate. His assets were low in value. The houses were sold to be moved away [likely dismantled and set up again elsewhere].
Hovick Lohman History 