Daniel Rasmusson (1616-1667) and Malene Jansdtr (1620-1688)

 

 

Daniel and Malene are my 9th great grandparents.  They had 10 children.  I am descended from four (4) of them; three through my Hinderaker line and 1 through my Britson line.  I would like to think that there is a good amount of their blood flowing through my veins.

 

Østen Danielsen FOSEN
Jon Danielson HAPNES
Borghild Danielsdtr
Lars Danielsen

   

Rogaland County, Norway

 

Daniel, the son of Rasmus OLSEN and Kathrine KANSDTR, was born in 1616, Rennesøy Parish, Rogaland County, Norway.  His father, Rasmus, was a parish priest

Rasmus was born before 1550 and died in 1616. Rasmus was a parish priest in Norway in the late 1500’s.  This is extraordinary because Martin Luther initiated the Reformation in 1517.  Norway was converted from Catholicism to Lutheranism a mere 45 years later in 1562. Rusmus was, obviously, one of the first Lutheran parish priests in Norway.

During their lifetime, Daniel and Malene owned and lived on many farms in [what is now called] Rogaland County.  Although they occupied many farms, for some reason, they retained the surname Hapnes.  Even in his later years, while owning and living on Fosen Farm, Daniel was still known as Daniel Rasmusson HAPNES.  That is very unique.

Daniel and Malene lived first, from 1639, on Hapnes Gard in Vikedal district (Tysvær).  Malene's father had previously leased it, for the use of his children. They also used Dokskar Gard, somewhat further up in the valley, from 1642. Later they also leased Hamn Gard, down by the fjord.  It was the king who owned all these farms. For Daniel it was surely the "overflow sawmill" at Dokskar Gard which was of greatest interest. (An overflow sawmill is a type of sawmill which could only be used in the spring when enough water was available.)
 
They lived at Hapnes until 1665. Then they moved to Sande in Hjelmeland Parish, which they had purchased in 1652. But in 1666 Daniel made an equal exchange with the parish priest of Hjelmeland Parish.  Daniel obtained all of Fosen farm on Karmøy in Avaldsnes Parish, in exchange, the parish priest got property that had belonged to Daniel in Sande, Lerstøl and Kro (all farms in Hjelmeland Parish). Daniel and Malene then moved to Fosen Gard and took over the whole farm, but in the following year, in 1667, Daniel was found dead in the meadow.

Daniel was the sheriff of the Hetland Viking coastal defense unit, 1640-1661. (which got its name from the Hetland farm just to the east of Fosen).

When Daniel died, his estate included the farm property at Fosen plus property at Vestre farm (in Skjold Parish), Seltveit farm (in Jelsa Parish), Tjørdal farm (in Tysvær Parish) and Øvreland farm (in Vikedal Parish). After Daniel's death, Malene married the next farmer and took over Fosen farm.

Daniel married Malene JANSDTR RAUNES in 1640 in Stavanger, Rogland, Norway.  Malene was the daughter of Jon VILLUMSEN and Magdalena LAURITSDTR.  Malene was born in 1620 on Raunes Gard, Vat Parish, Vindefjord, Rogaland, Norway and died in 1688 on Fosen Gard, Avaldsnes Parish, Karmøy, Rogaland at age 68.

Her father, Jon Villumsen Raunes was born in 1590 in Stavanger, Rogaland, Norway. He died in 1662 on Raunes Gard, Vats Parish, Vindafjord, Rogaland, Norway. Jon was a Citizen of Stavanger, Norway, 1620-28.  In 1628 he gave up his citizenship in Stavanger and took over Raunes Gard.  When Jon bought Raunes, he got the right of inheritance to the farm, as the 1649 record states.

Berge Velde believed that Jon managed a lumber business with a Scotchman.  It was quite common in the district of Ryfylke (see below) at the time.  In 1641, he was sheriff and he continued to be sheriff until 1661. As sheriff, he held the record for collecting the most taxes.  Throughout those years, he purchased and sold much property.

 

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Ryfylke was a district in Norway, located northeast of Stavanger and east of Haugesund. In the east it bordered Setesdal and Sirdal. The district of Ryfylke comprised the contemporary municipalities of Sauda, Suldal, Finnøy, Hjelmeland, Forsand, Strand, Kvitsøy and Rennesøy.

 

The contents of this story were gathered together from biographical sketches in several Bydgebok volumes. It was then translated into English and annotated. This story is a summarized verion of the original biographical sketches.

Hans Eyvind Næss, Tysvær gard og ætt 7 Nedstrand II, 2001, page 73

Arnvid Lillehammer, Avaldsnes II, Bygdebokutvalget in Karmøy, 1993, page 55

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