GENERATION 12

GENERATION 11

Tor Steinarsson FJÅGESUND
born:                                                          
marr:about-1623  
died:about-1638  
father:Steinar Torsson FJÅGESUND
mother: 
 
Birgit Rolvsdotter KLEVAR
born:                   Sauherad, Telemark                      
marr:about-1623 
died:about-1675  
father:Rolf Amundsson KLEVAR
mother:



Biography

Map of this Area

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.




Children

  born marr died
all children born in Kviteseid, Telemark, Norway.
STEINAR TORSSON
  wife EGELEIV OLAVSDOTTER
                 
 
                 
 
                 
 
Kjetil
  wife Kari Eivindsdotter
 
 
 
 
 
 
Aslaug
  husband Torbjørn Gudmundsson
 
 
 
 
 
 
Gro
  husband Gunnulv Mikkelsson
  husband Halvor
 
-1633
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Aaste
  husband Torleiv Mikkelsson
 
 
 
 
 
 
Gunnar
  wife Hedvig Pedersdotter
 
-1633
 
-1656
 
 

Farm Names
 
 farm name born died reference
Tor Steinarsson FJÅGESUND  
 + Birgit Rolvsdotter KLEVAR  
 
 
about-1638
about-1675
FJÅGESUND 7  
   
 
Steinar Torsson FJÅGESUND  
 + Egeleiv Olavsdotter  
 
 
 
 
FJÅGESUND 8  
   
Kjetil Torsson FJÅGESUND  
 + Kari Eivindsdotter  
 
 
 
 
FJÅGESUND 9  
   
Aslaug Torsdotter FJÅGESUND  
 + Torbjørn Gudmundsson UPPSUND  
 
 
 
 
FJÅGESUND 10  
UPPSUND 2  
Gro Torsdotter FJÅGESUND  
 + Gunnulv Mikkelsson NES  
 + Halvor OVASTRAUM  
 
 
1633
 
 
 
FJÅGESUND 11  
   
   
Aaste Torsdotter FJÅGESUND  
 + Torleiv Mikkelsson TVEITAN i LUNDE  
 
 
 
 
FJÅGESUND 12  
   
Gunnar Torsdotter FJÅGESUND  
 + Hedvig Pedersdotter PAUS  
 
1633
 
 
FJÅGESUND 13  
PAUS 6  






Translations from the
Kviteseid Ættesoge




Fjågesund
from the Kviteseid Ættesoga, p.122

    Frå åri kring Svartedauden hev me gamle brev om Fjågesund og Kilen, om bisp Øystein, Steinar Roarsson og Nikuls Grjotgardsson. Mot ein bakgrunn av kyrkje, krusifiks og altarljos stig dei fram av dokument og fråsegn, bisp, bonde, dråpsmann, omen av dirrande spjotodd og klangen i bile skjelv i skyming av millomalder. Men hendingane i denne tidi, nerva, fargen, stemningi høyrer gardens sogu til. Her skal me sjå på ætt og ættetåttar som kan gjeva kontur i kring og tråd i gardssogo.

    Steinar Roarsson frå Fjågesund er nemnd i ei åstad-sak millom Østenå og Kilen i 1402. Han livde fyri Svartedauden. Det kan vera han som er Harde-Steinar i segni. hev ingen tråd frå Steinar og framtil Svein Kjetilsson i 1436. Frå Svein kan ein byggje upp fire led fram til 1590-åri. Om det er far og son i alle led er uvisst. Dei er rekne med her. Men det fær ein sjå nærare på i gardssogo.

    Der papir og skattelistur gjev fastare grunn, møter me Steinar på Fjågesund. Han er førd som odelsbonde i 1611 og reider ut saltverk- og arbeidsskatt i åri 1593-1620. So kjem Tor Steinarsson. Etter han er det skifte og upplysningar om alt han eig som odelsbonde: gardar og gardpartar i fleire herad frå Heddal til Drangedal, i alt kring 36 tunnur jord, vel den rikaste bonden som er kjend i Kviteseid. Han døde i åri kring 1690. Ekkja, Birgit Rolvsdotter, gifte seg att med Aslak Sveinungsson Fossheim, lensmann i Bø og stor jordeigar. - På Fjågesund er ein gamal Jesper Brochmands Huspostille der tri ættled av den gande ætti er nedskrivne, ektemakar og born, data og år. Steinar Torsson er den fyrste. - «Anno 1662 er min Datter Dorte Steenersdotter fød på Nordgaarden i Seljord.» 8 born er skrivne. Av 13 døde 2. - «Gud give at Førnefnte mine Børn som nu lever kunde således skikke og forhandle sig udi denne Verden at vi maatte samles udi den Evige glæde. - Steener Tordsen Fiaagesund

English translation

    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




from the Drangedal Ættesoga
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?)

English translation

Owned Homleid [10 km. north of Bø in Drangedal]. Tor Steinarson Fjaagesund owned farms and farm parts in many small villages, in total about 36 tønner (amount of land measured in terms of crop size) of farmland, and he was the richest landowner in Kviteseid at the time (bygdesoga), and one of the richest in all of Telemark at the time. He owned, among other things, the farms Austad, Lauvstad and Tveit in Tørdal.

Tor Steinarson Fjaagesund owned Fjaagesund from 1618-1641. His widow Birgit Rolvsdatter married a second time, to Aslak Fosheim from Bøherad. (Aslak Sveinungsson Fossheim from Bø, according to the Kviteseid bydesoge).

The couple worked from 1648-1675. The son of Tor Fjaagesund and widow Birgit Rolvsdatter, Steinar, acquired the farm after Aslak Fosheim and his mother died. He had the farm until 1691, when his heir took over. From then it was his son, Gunnar Fjaagesund, married to Kari Tykesdotter Tveit (from Bø in Drangedal).



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