A LITTLE ABOUT JON AND JUTSA AT FJONE

by Knut Dukane  (This article is interpreted from Norwegian)

People who are interested in their family lineage, try to find its origin as far back as possible. Torjus Loupedalen spoke about descendants. It is a good picture. All such family tree stumps have many and long roots; - family roots. From the first they go hidden from farm to farm and community to community, but then one gets a hold of names and events which helps one find family thread, both backward and forward. It often happens that a family living in a town received inflow from other towns, from other parts of the country and foreign lands. In Nissedal there has been much blood mixture in that way.

From Denmark came first, Jutska to Fjone, little later descendants from Jep Hansen, farmer in Kvislemark, Sjaelland. One Nils Classon Niemand came to Kyrkjebygda. One of his forefathers was Joergen Joergenson von Ansback from Nurnberg. Descendants of Ole Graa and Mandt - we received also. Many of these descendants carried several foreign names to the town. There became many of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. At Borstad there were two girls named Anne Jurine Bloch and Magdalene Falk.

It is common that descendants of Jon Fjone take his and Jutska as a starting point. But one can go much father back so that the family tree gets several links and side branches. For that reason we will stop with the family of Jon Fjone before we speak any more about descendants of his and Maren.

Jon’s forefathers can go back to the year 1400. That shows him there were farmers from Valebjoerg in Fyresdal who settled both at Haatveit and Grovum in Nissedal.

I Joenn in Valeberghe is mentioned in the year 1400. He must have been born around 1350-70. His parents have probably survived the Black Plagues of 1349-50.

II Jon’s son was Helge Jonsson, mentioned in 1447. His son again was

III Jon Helgeson Valebjoerg - married to a daughter of Torleiv Torbjoernsson Svalastoga. Svalastogaetta family is probably the oldest one finds in Fyresdal. In Nissedal there are several with roots from Svalastog, among others at Vestri-Dali, Moen and Rinden. Jon Helgeson and wife had many children, but the one who has interest here is

IV Torleiv Jonsson Valebjoerg, mentioned in 1578. He had among others one son,

V Olav Torleivson Valebjoerg. One of the sons was Kjetil Momrak, Sheriff and farmer in Fyresdal, and

VI Torleiv Olavsson Valebjoerg. He was married to Gro Bendiksdotter Spokkeli, both died before 1623. In a document from that year with regard to Haatveit in Nissedal, one gets knowledge of all the children of Torleiv and Gro. They had been together at Moghus on 8 December 1623, and made a "friendly, Christianlike and just settlement of estate between us regarding the manor that was left empty after our deceased father Tolleff Valbergh and after our deceased mother Gro Bendiksdotter". Those who have an interest in Nissedal are Tallak and Tarjei (hereafter the owners become Telleiv and Tarjei, the usual form in Nissedal).

VII Tallak Telleivsson (born between 1575-1580) at Grovum is not known. But his uncle Jon lived there, he was married to Turid Salomonsdotter. She had inherited one part in Grovum - "Salomonstunna". Tallak’s son,

VIII Telleiv Tallakson, lived on North Tveitane in 1615. He owned two parts there.

IX Tallak Telleivsson Grovum, was born around 1618, died 1690. From 1664 he was registered for both "Upsefione" and Borstad. He was first married to a Astrid Olavsdotter. They had Liv Tallaksdotter, who became married to Torbjoern Austenaa in Tovdal. Second wife to Tallak was Gunbjoerg Torjusdotter Norboe. They had these children; Telleiv died 1685; Torjus Grovum; Olav died around 1685;

X Jon Fjone not of legal age 1692, Helge; Haege, married to Knut Fjone in 1691 and Jurid.

We have now reached him whom many consider the founder of the family, even though it seems his lineage goes 10 links back in olden days.

Jon Tallaksson Fjone died 1720, married around 1699 to Maren Rasmusdotter from Jylland. She died in 1718.

Now one has so much material in traditions and writings of persons it becomes more alive. First a little about Jon. Priest J. L. Qvisling writes; according to community and newspaper articles he was a well to do man, who owned his farm and much more. He was a big and handsome man, cheerful and jesting and funny, as many of his family were. The prosperity was not so great in earlier times. At the fall legislature at Vik 1692 Jon brought his brother, Olav Fjone. They are not so sure that Joergen Hansson in Arendal has as much credit as he had declared during the settlement of the estate of Tallak Fjone. They suggest that a new estate assessment should be done the 1st of October the same year. But the day after, namely 5 October, Jon gave in. He owed Joergen Hansson 774 riksdollar, 2 mark, and 19 shilling - according to the mortgage. Jon gave half part in Ufse - Fjone and Borstad with Horgevikjae with the exception of one half part which the church owned. Joergen Hansson gave Jon the right to chop 100 dozen timber in the Ufse - Fjone forest. If that wasn’t enough, he could chop the rest in Momrak forest in Fyresdal. There he got the right to use two - 2000 square meters of land at Fjone, one 1000 square meters in Tonaakeren and the same of Kjellaraakeren, yearly duty one-half a silver coin.

Then a word about his vitality. At the fall legislature in 1703 he complained about his big need. He had always been crippled in his left foot. He always had to use a cane, he cannot chop wood, plow or harrow, but has to hire it all. The crowd at the legislature confirmed that "How according to God’s Fatherly imposing conditions riddle with a handicap". Jon applies to get one man free probably from the military. Otherwise it seems that he lives like most do at that time. He pleads cases before court, he gets drunk and uses a knife when he thought it necessary. Olav Sannes told in "Drangedal with Tordal" that at a funeral in Tordal he knifed two people. The one was Olav Brosdal, he got the knife in the thigh. A little later Olav attended a wedding at Syftestad in Nissedal, his brother got married. Olav was best man. At the dance the sore broke open again. They fetched Tov Sandland from Brunkeberg. He seemed to be the best community doctor around. But it didn’t help this time. Olav died at Syftestad. The last night, Jon sat beside the sickbed. He asked Olav if he was angry at him, but he wasn’t - they are friends and will reconcile. Jon was acquitted for murder but got fined 27 riksdollar for each of those he had knifed.

In 1697 Jon Fjone and brother Torjus Grovum took Sofrin Norboe to court. They wanted to know if it was true that Sofrin had made their deceased father dishonored by means of the court. Torjus and Sofrin quarreled and fought steadily. Before Sofrin became Sheriff and farmer at Norboe, he called himself Sofrin Pedersen. All evidence suggests that he was the son of bailiff Peder Sofrinson. He owned two of the farms at Romnes in Holla. Sofrin sold them for 999 rikdollar after he received Nordboe by marriage. His wife was Sigrid Jonsdotter. Her sister was married to Alv Gunleiksson Roholt in Vraadal. They had to outlaw him because of jealousy. He had killed his hired boy.

In 1703 Jon was charged because he had hit Tor Findreng at home in Fjone. At the winter court Jon was accused for his naughty way of speaking during being drunk, on the way from church where they had celebrated. It is the priest Otto Stoud who uttered the accused by means of his administrative assistant, Peter Bagge. The case was postponed and later unknown Stoud got so many law suits with his parishioners that it wasn’t so easy to keep order of it all. Either that - it is postponed from court to court, until it got too late. The guilty charged died a couple of years later. At the fall legislature 1719 Jon told that he knows about an old silver mine in Lifjell. It was earlier used by a farmer in Boeherad. He also knows about a silver mine in Fjaagesund. He will show these mines when it becomes demanded, but will make sure he gets lawful pay as the first finder. The tax collector would not let the court give Jon a witness at the legislature. Then Jon answered that he would take the silver from the mine for his own use. No one can find any more about his case. Probably there was not much silver that came to Fjone from Boeherad and Fjaagesund.

Now it is time to stop a little with her who came from Denmark and became farmers wife at Ufse-Fjone. First, a little about the name of the farm she came to - from old, named Ufse-Fjone. The reason is clear; between Uppigard and Nigard is a mountain outcropping which is called Ufsae even today. That which today was called Uppigard, lays on top of this outcropping of Ufse, that which is below is called Nigard. I include this because many are of the opinion that Uppigard was Ufse-Fjone. Uppigard from of old was named Fjone north with Mesel. It is this Mesel that Landstad has talked about in one of his collections.

As a young boy I heard a story about Jutska and Jon. From many storytellers, always there was one flavor, adventure and romance in these stories about that Danish girl who made her home between the mountains in Nissedal.

In the summer of 1965 some of us sat at Fjone and talked of olden days. Among other, Jon and Jutska. Then it was one who asked what especially marked Jutska, because she was remembered so long. I had to owe them an answer. I said that in the document and record book from that time she is mentioned one time, she had witnessed in a case court about a fight. That is in the tradition in which she lives. That which was told, is so written later, among others, by priest Qvisling, Andeas Tveit and it seems in a Telesoga (book about Telemark).

It was told that Jon was on a trip to the town of Aandalen, that was the name the community folks called Arendal in those days. In the Inn where Jon was there was a Danish boat skipper named Rasmus. He had taken his daughter along; her name was Maren. One night they were sitting playing cards. Tradition says - just that Maren won Jon. Pastor Qvisling tells, one time they sat and played cards and joked - she suggested that he should put up so and so many dollars and she would put up herself. That seemed to be a rather obvious hint, but he agreed just for fun. They played and Jon won. Andreas Tveit told about the happening this way; now one knows when they play for fun they could put up boys and girls. So it happened that when this beautiful Danish girl, got put up, the Fjone boy won her. "Yes, now you have won me, and now I am coming soon to Nissedal to you". And she came. The old people told that she came during a bad snow thawing in the spring. She was so sore-footed that the blood water trickled from her shoes when she came to Ufse-Fjone. She set her stick and bag on the steps and said "Here I now put down my bag and stick, and Here I will live until you lay me in the grave!".

It was told that Jon was at the mill when Maren came. His mother, Gunbjoerg sent word for him. She was quite dismayed when the strange girl asked for him. Maren stayed at Ufse-Fjone. The hospitality was great, but any talk of marriage Gunbjoerg would not hear. She didn’t know the girls’ family line and understood little of the language she spoke. But Maren didn’t give in. She started doing different jobs. One time she had gotten a loom ready for weaving, but Gundbjoerg cut the weaving off. Maren didn’t say one mean word, but began to tie the threads together. That showed that Jutska was so good at spinning. It was said that she was the first that came with a spinning wheel to Nissedal. Before that time they used a hand spindle. Gunbjoerg agreed then that if Maren could spin a thread which reached across the Lake, she could get Jon. And she spun a thread which became long enough and strong enough, they say, that the thread reached over the fjord and three times around the church.

Enough about that, Maren and Jon got married. That could be in 1698 or 1699. They got children, and the Rasmus name came in the lineage. That has changed with Rasmus and Jon from generation to generation.

We know little about Maren’s beginning. I asked an investigator one time if he thought that is was possible one could find more about Maren’s lineage in the archives in Denmark. He answered that it was most unlikely. There were so many boat skippers at Jylland whose name was Rasmus that it was like looking for a needle in a haystack. But estate settlement at Ufse-Fjone 1755 tells a little bit. There is a round silver spoon with a flat handle. It says R.S.S.K. - M.P.D.K. 1678. There is a goblet with the initials P.M.B. - P.B. The spoon and goblet are probably inherited goods from Denmark. One can assume that the spoon is from parents and that the goblet had belonged to grandparents of Maren on her mothers side. Otherwise one sees that Rasmus used the place name and not just the "Son of" name. That Maren’s mothers’ name was Margrete is certainly true. The same paper also tells that the family had come up from that economic dip. Brutto ownership is over 1735 riksdollar; the debt a little over 65 riksdollar. If Maren just had bag and stick the first time she came to Fjone, she surely had a "dowry sprit" when she got married. There is yet an oak chest with iron ornamentation, which is called "Jutske Chest". If she is in the community now, I don’t know, but she should have her place at Fjone, that much I do know.

And here I had better stop with myth and stories and come back to lineage again. It was not so long that Maren sat as farm wife at Fjone already, in 1718 there was a settlement of her estate.

Jon and Maren had 5 children who grew up;

XI 1. Rasmus - born 1701

2. Gunbjoerg - born 1702

3. Margrete - born 1703

4. Tallak - born 1705

They probably had a Tallak who died young. Gunbjoerg was married to Sigurd Andersson Heimdal in Treungen. Margrete married Aasmund Bjoenison Vik in Nordbygda. Aasmund died in 1733. Margrete married again to Knut Helgeson. They lived at Liae under Vik. Estate settlement after Margrete was in 1740.

It went bad for Tallak Fjone at a Christmas party at Soegard Fjone in 1728. He fatally hit his house host, Tjostolv Tjostolvson. Court proceeded its way and Tallak fought for his life. But in 1730 the end came. He was beheaded near Nissedal’s Church. This case was like other cases, mean, and free of romance, but one positive feature here; it seems that Tallak had made a sarcastic remark before he had taken his hired boy to the Christmas party. It was that which was one of the reasons that it went wrong. Otherwise it could well have been old neighbor squabble too. Tallak lived at Borstad in those days. Margrete Vik got a baby boy during the time that Tallak was executed. She is so brave and liberated of superstition and tradition that she dares to restore the honor of an executed manslayer.

Rasmus Jonsson became a farmer at Fjone. He was first married to Signe Nilsdotter Stor-Dali in Treungen. As a widower he married a widow of Torjus Bjornsson Noera, Fyresdal, Gro Aasmundsdotter. Gro was a family from Fjalestad-Dali. She and Rasmus didn’t have any children.

Children of Rasmus and Signe Fjone were;

1. Jon Fjone

2. Nils Borstad (see later)

3. Maren, married Holje Haatveit. They were second cousins and had to have royal (or special) license.

Jon Rasmusson Fjone, born 1728. He was first married to Sigrid Leivsdotter. They had no children. Later he married Bergit Hoeyesdotter, born 1753. Bergit’s parents Hoeye Asmundsson and Torbjoerg seemed to be immigrants. The name Hoeye is not known in estate settlement protocol and court register. He was born in 1699, died 1801 - 102 years old. Preacher found the age reasonable according to the data he received. Torbjoerg was born in 1714, died 1788. Hoeye, it seems, to have been a renter. He is mentioned that way by Haatveit and Tveit. That is right for him too. Both in the census and church records in 1801 he was called charity receiver. When his daughter got married to Fjone he lived there.

Jon and Bergit had these children;

XIII 1. Sigrid - born 1780

2. Signe, born 1782

3. Torbjoerg - born 1785

4. Rasmus - born 1787

Sigrid Jonsdotter was married to Knut Nilsson Grimstveit. He was son to Nils Klasson and Taaraand Knutsdotter. They first lived at Toernes, but moved to Nissedal. They were both buried the same day in the spring of 1790. They died from a bad flu. Descendant of Knut was Joergen Joergenson von Ansback, born in Nurnberg around 1550. He came to Skien in 1589, was mayor and farm owner. His daughter Maren married Claus Niemann, also an influential man in Skien. His grandson was Claus Joergensson Niemann, preacher and squire in Drangedal. Knut Nilsson was 10th generation from Joergen von Ansback. Those first years after the wedding, Knut and Sigrid lived here and there, but then the tenant farmer in Krokane died - they moved there and Knut called himself Knut Krokane after that time. Of the many children, we will name two of the girls, Taaraand, born 1814 and Bergit, born 1818. They were married to brothers; Taaraand to Halvor Kjetilsson Kleivane and Bergit to Kjetil Kjetilsson Heggland. The Kleivan children were known as exceptionally smart. One of the sons became non-commissioned officer. He called himself Kleve, and it was from him the family Kleve got its start.

Signe Jonsdotter Fjone was married in 1805 to Gunnar Tarjeison Lonnegrav in Vraadal. He is the 5th link and number 8 of Lonnegrav. They had 8 children - which all became really old - altogether 717 years. That is perhaps the most strange group of siblings which any time were born of Norwegian family. All 8 reached an age of over 80 years, and many were close to 100. Descendants of Gunnar and Signe Lonnegrav are today several hundreds, spread wide around here in the country and America.

Torbjoerg Jonsdotter Fjone was married Aadne Tarjeison Foldsae, Fyresdal.

Rasmus Jonsson became a farmer at the family farm. He was married to Ragnhild Jonsdotter Roholt in 1811. She was from Vraadal. It was in her time that Kjetil Tjov lived in Kvithamar. They had 8 children. Here we just name 3.

XIV Jon, born 1816;

Leiv born 1821;

Bergit born 1824.

Bergit married grandson to the happy singer, preacher Jens Zetlitz. Zetlitz was first married to Maren Elisabeth Bull. Second wife was Christiane Sophie Fasting von Krogh. They got a daughter who was named after the first wife, also Maren Elisabeth Bull. Maren was married three times. The only child in the 1st marriage was Jens. His father was Hans Jonsson from Roholt. Jens and Bergit Fjone were married in 1845.

Leiv bought Soegard-Fjone, the northern place. He married Tone Ibrekk. They had three children;

Ragnhild married Policeman Oystein Graver;

Anna died young; and

Rasmus Fjone, died some years ago - over 90 years old. He was married to Margit Torsdotter Vraa. Her mother was from Nigard-Fjone.

Jon Rasmussen Fjone kept the tradition alive and was a farmer at Nigard. From what we can see, it was he who had thought of marrying one from Valle - Her name was Vilborg. Or was it his grandfather?? Vilborg had been promised to Jon Fjone in Nissedal. Their engagement had been established and all was set. Vilborg was at Fjone and put her shawl on herself as was usual when everything was fine between engaged people. When she went home again to Valle, Jon followed a ways on the road, "You must take a look in the bedroom so you will find something" Vilborg said to Jon when they parted. She had laid the engagement gifts on the bed where she had laid. She married Gunnar Akri. One time Jon came to Valle, when Gunnar was out herding. So Jon was in at Aakri "I saw your shepherd in the hills," Jon said. "No, that was my husband" Vilborg said.

Jon married Margit Olavsdotter Eikland in Skafsaa. Her father was Olav Mikklesson Mandt, born 1799, married 1821, to Ingebjoerg Tarjeisdotter. Margit was the oldest of the three girls at Eikland and born in 1824. In a song, possibly from Skafsaa - it says

"Oh, Margit Eikland, that nice girl,

There out to Nissedal she was fetched,

It was Jon at Fjone who drove forth,

You can believe she got herself an funny man"