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Many central Telemark families are descendants of this FJÅGESUND family, including Sonja Haraldsen, the current Queen of Norway. Folklore claims that BIRGIT was descended from royalty, going back to King Harald I Haarfager (Fairhair), the first king of Norway, the last Saxon king of England, and first ruler of the unified Norway. This latter part has not been substantiated. It is said that TOR was a wealthy and prominent landowner, possessing some twenty farms. Equally wealthy and prominent was Mikjel Halvorsson NESS of Flaabygd. Two of TOR's daughters married two of Mikjel's sons. Many people in the Flaabygd/Lunde area have ancestry in these two families. The Ættesoge for Kviteseid provides no information regarding the parents of BIRGIT ROLVSDOTTER. Her father was married twice, first to _____ Larsdotter TORDENSTJERNE, and second to Dorthe Jonsdotter GVANNES of Sauherad. It is unclear which was her mother. The Ættesoge contains an apparent error regarding the date of death of TOR STEINARSSON. The introductory narrative states that he died about 1690. The entry, Fjåegesund 7, says he died about 1640. The latter appears more accurate. In fact, he must have died before 1638, because by that year BIRGIT had married Aslak Sveinungsson FOSSSHEIM of Bø, and they had their first child, Tor Aslaksson FOSSHEIM. There is a discussion of this line in Volume I - Emigration, of the Telemark to America series, by Telelag of America (1989). This publication documents a continuation of this line for three more generations and then points out some conflicting information beyond that. The KLEVAR farm was one of the largest farms in Sauherad. It ls located to the west of Heddalvatn (Lake Heddal). Lake Heddal was a pathway for the emigrants of the nineteenth century as they made their way south from the northern areas of Telemark. Lake Heddal connects with the Sauar River, which flows into Lake Norsjø, to the south. Today, the village of Klevar lies not far from where Highway 360 crosses Lake Heddal via the Nautesund bridge. |
born | marr | died | |
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all children born in Kviteseid, Telemark, Norway. | |||
STEINAR TORSSON
wife EGELEIV OLAVSDOTTER |
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Kjetil wife Kari Eivindsdotter |
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Aslaug husband Torbjørn Gudmundsson |
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Gro husband Gunnulv Mikkelsson husband Halvor |
-1633 |
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Aaste husband Torleiv Mikkelsson |
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Gunnar wife Hedvig Pedersdotter |
-1633 |
-1656 |
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Farm Names | |||
farm name | born | died | reference |
Tor Steinarsson FJÅGESUND + Birgit Rolvsdotter KLEVAR |
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about-1638 about-1675 |
FJÅGESUND 7 |
Steinar Torsson FJÅGESUND + Egeleiv Olavsdotter |
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FJÅGESUND 8 |
Kjetil Torsson FJÅGESUND + Kari Eivindsdotter |
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FJÅGESUND 9 |
Aslaug Torsdotter FJÅGESUND + Torbjørn Gudmundsson UPPSUND |
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FJÅGESUND 10 UPPSUND 2 |
Gro Torsdotter FJÅGESUND + Gunnulv Mikkelsson NES + Halvor OVASTRAUM |
1633 |
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FJÅGESUND 11 |
Aaste Torsdotter FJÅGESUND + Torleiv Mikkelsson TVEITAN i LUNDE |
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FJÅGESUND 12 |
Gunnar Torsdotter FJÅGESUND + Hedvig Pedersdotter PAUS |
1633 |
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FJÅGESUND 13 PAUS 6 |
Translations from the Kviteseid Ættesoge |
Fjågesund |
From the years around the time of the Black Death [1349] we have ancient writings about Fjågesund and Kilen, about Bishop Øystein, Steinar Roarsson and Nikuls Grjotgardsson. Against a background of church, crucifix and incense emerges from documents and legend, bishop, peasant, murderer, and the omen of the vibrating clink and ring of the broad ax trembling until dusk of the Middle Ages. But the events of this time, the spirit, the mood, the atmosphere belong in the farm's legend. Here we shall read about the family and descendants which gives a broad sketch of the farm's history. Steinar Roarsson from Fjågesund is mentioned in a court case between Østenå and Kilen in 1402. He was alive before the Black Death. It may be he was Harde-Steinar "Strongman Steinar" of legend. We have no lineage from Steinar up to Svein Kjetilsson in 1436. From Svein one can put together four generations up to the 1590's. Whether they are father and son in all generations is doubtful. They are included here. But one must look more closely at the farm history. Where documents and tax rolls give solid evidence, we encounter Steiner at Fjågesund. He is listed as a freehold farmer in 1611 and paid out saltworks and work taxes in the years 1593-1620. Then comes Tor Steinersson. After he died [literally, succeeding him] there was a probate and information about all he owned as a freeholder: farms and farm parts in several parishes from Heddal to Drangedal, altogether 36 tønne land, certainly the richest farmer known in Kviteseid. He died about 1690 [sic, should be 1640, see Fjågesund 7]. His widow, Birgit Rolvsdotter, remarried to Aslak Sveinungsson Fossheim, sheriff in Bø and a great landowner. At Fjågesund there is an old Jesper Brochmand's book of sermons where three generations of the old family are written down, spouses and children, dates and years. Steiner Torsson is the first. "In the year 1662 my Daughter Dorte Steenersdotter is born at Nordgaarden in Seljord." Eight children are recorded. Of 13, 2 died. "God grant that my aforementioned children who are now living can so conduct and handle themselves on this earth that we might live together in eternal happiness. - Steener Tordsen Fiaagesund." |
Translations from the Drangedal Ættesoge |
Homleid, p. 466 Eide Homleid. Tor Steinarson Fjaagesund eide gårder og gårdsparter i mange bygder, alt i alt omkring 36 tønner jord, og han er den rikeste bonden i Kviteseid på den tiden (bygdesoga), og en av de rikeste i hele Telemark på den tiden. Han eide blant annet gårdene Austad, Lauvstad og Tveit i Tørdal. Tor Steinarson Fjaagesund eier Fjaagesund fra 1618-1641. Hans enke Birgit Rolvsdatter giftet seg igjen, med Aslak Fosheim fra Bøherad. (Aslak Sveinungsson Fossheim fra Bø, i følge Kviteseid bydesoge). Paret drev fra 1648 - 1675. Sønnen til Tor Fjaagesund og enka Birgit Rolvsdatter, Steinar, fikk gården etter Aslak Fosheim og moren. Han hadde gården til 1691, da hans arvinger overtok. Av de var sønnen, Gunnar Fjaagesund, gift med Kari Tykesdotter Tveit (fra Bø, Bø i Drangedal eller Bø?)
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