Saltum church/ Saltum kirke, Hvetbo herred, Hjørring amt.

Saltum church, ab.25 km south of Hjørring.

Saltum parish, Hvetbo herred, Hjørring amt. 

The large high placed church in Saltum - inaugurated to Sct. John the Baptist and Sct Nicolaus -  has now a longhouse with a tower to the west and a porch to the south. The nave is Romanesque and built in granite ashlars upon a profiled plinth. To the west it was equipped with a tower, which vaulted tower room with large niches to the south and north was connected to the nave in an arcade arch. A simlar arch is seen in the present west wall of the nave. The tower, which possibly reminded about the tower in Hee church, was in 1950 examined by National Museum. In the late Middle Ages the Romanresque choir and apse were broken down, the choir was rebuilt in the same broadth as the nave, but without apse. The curved plinth-stones from the apse were re-used as plinth-stones in the north and east wall of the choir. The walls of the nave were partly rebuilt and enheightened with bricks, and vaults were built in. The original south door is still used, the north door is bricked-up. Some original windows are kept. The Romanesque tower was replaced by a Gothic tower, which was added west of the old tower - and at the same time the Romanesque tower room was incorporated in the nave. The Gothic tower is built in granite ashlars at the bottom, in the upper section in monk bricks, and it has glare-decorated gables west-east. The vaulted tower room, which is separated from the nave, is now used as a burial chapel. Entrance to the upper storey from a stair-house on the west wall. The rebuilt choir is vaulted with a rib vault, the rest of the longhouse is covered in 4 vaults. The nave is lead roofed, the porch and tower are tiled. The church was restored 1959-60.

Frescoes:
The vault of the choir and the north wall are covered with late Gothic frescoes, which were restored in 1911 and 1960. Upon the north wall the Family tree of Christ ("Jesse rod"). In the vault-"caps", which were never white washed, is foliage with flowers and with little jester-pictures (called: "drölerier"), humans, birds etc. Some are rather indecent.

Interior:
A bricked altar ,upon which a large late Gothic crucifix group, restored 1912 with a life-size Christ-figure and lesser figures of Maria and John (Johannes). Upon an earlier chalice from 1685 was an inscription "burned with the vicarage 15/5 1677", a similar inscription upon the dish. Both burned later in 1887 with the vicarage. A Romanesque granite font, the foot is new. A richly carved font-sounding board in Renaissance from ab. 1600. A South German baptismal dish from ab. 1600. A pulpit in oak in Renaissance from the late 1500s with carved reliefs in the fields and with Otto Banner's and Ingeborg Skeel's coat of arms, the priest Niels Nielsen and wife's names and herredsfoged (bailiff) Peder Segelsen's trademark. A contemporary sounding board in pine. The doors of the pews on the women's side are Renaissance work, they are contemporary with the sounding board of the font and likewise made in Aalborg. Upon the north wall of the nave in a new cupboard is placed a late Gothic triptychon. Behind the organ a late Gothic bishop-figure. Bell from 1663, cast by Baltzer Melchior, recast in 1936.

NEWS: The late Gothic triptychon in the cupboard has later been moved to the altar - and the altar crucifix and figures hang on the wall.

Gravestones:
In the choir wall a Romanesque tombstone from ab. 1200 with inscription "Thurgeif pater rvr (= reverendus) iacet sub petra" . In the choir also a gravestone for 1) priest Just Valentinsen Fulda ,+ 1689; 2) priest Jacob Lauridsen Holm (+ 1717) and wife, 3) the same priest's three children. In the choir-floor gravestone for priest Christen Jensen Krabbe, + 1581. At the porch fragments of gravestone for priest Thøger Poulsen, + 1636.


Vestrupgård was originally a peasant farm, which in 1631 belonged to Jørgen Arenfeldt of Rugård and Voergård (+ 1658), but soon after him came Falk Gøye of Bratskov (+ 1643), who 1633 gave Niels Pallesen Friis of Vadskærgård a life's letter of V., where he lived from 1634 until his death 1657, also after Falk Gøye deeded it in 1642 to Knud Enevoldsen Seefeld of Bjørnkær and Lundergård (+ latest 1683). In 1663 he sold the farm -  maybe only formally - to his bailiff Søren Nielsen, whose widow Maren Pedersdatter took it over after his death 1667; but in 1668 two of Knud Seefeld's creditors, dr. med. Niels Benzon in Aalborg (+ 1674) and fru Dorte Daa of Kolbygård etc. (+ 1675), widow after governor in Norway, rigsråd Gregers Krabbe (of Østergård) of Torstedlund etc. (+ 1655), importation in V., who in 1670 was shared between two tenants, one was fru Karen Friis (of Haraldskær), married to above mentioned Knud Seefeld, she had in 1672 to move from her part of the farm. Fru Dorte's daughter Ingeborg Krabbe (of Østergård), married to oberst Holger Trolle of Rygård (+ 1686) sold 1698 his part of V. to herredsskriver Anders Sørensen (+ 1706), who also bought the part owned by Niels Benzon's heirs. He deeded the farm in 1705 to the priest in Saltum Jakob Lauridsen Holm, after whose death 1717 his widow Anne Marie Christensdatter lived at V. until this farm on auction in 1718 was sold to Søren Andersen Westrup in Saltum, a son of above mentioned Anders Sørensen. At his death in 1724 his heirs sold the same year V. with mill and two houses to his sister-in-law Margrethe Kjeldsdatter, who next year married Peder Nielsen of Bolskifte.

Later owners: Jens Svendsen Bondrup; Niels Rasmussen Lund; Conrad Hachild; Jens Andersen Gleerup; Jesper Chr. Østergaard; Johanne Brøndlund; Laurs Svendsen Hviid; Claus Holmer Green; Mads Hastrup and Jens Gleerup; Bartholomæus Hasselbalch; Hans Thorlund Hasselbalch; Niels Chr. Christensen Rendbeck; Niels Rendbeck in 1960.


Saltumgård (in present time also called Storgård) in Sønder Saltum belonged from the late 1400s members of the families Mørk from Saltum and Kjærulf, of whom several were herredsfogeder (bailiffs):  Laurs Mørk (+ latest 1534); Vogn Hansen Mørk (+ 1606), Peder Selgersen (Sørensen) Kjærulf (+ 1631); m. to Inger Mørk. About 1695 1/2 of S. was sold to Valentin Valentinsen de Fulda. In the middle of the 1700s the farm was owned by skudehandler (ships trading)  in Blokhus Jens Svendsen Bondrup, who bought some peasant estate, which made S. into a main farm. He deeded in 1752 farm and estate to his son, ship-trader in Løkken Søren Jensen Bondrup, who in 1756 resided here and died at the farm 1765.
Later owners: Jens Andersen Gleerup; Jesper Chr. Østergaard; Ove Nikolaj Møller; Christen Nielsen Møller; Andreas Agerbech Koefoed; Karen Johanne Kruse; Julius Martinus Nors. (1847) 

Tinghøj, north of Saltum church

At the Tinghøjene on Over Jonstrup Mark (a field) a little north of Saltum kirke was from the end of the Middle Ages until 1688 held a Thing: Hvetbo herredsting, sometimes in bad weather it was held in the church , in the porch (which was forbidden in 1631). Only one hill is kept, the other was demolished 1858 during road work. There is a memorial at the thing place, raised in 1935.





Listed prehistorics: 5 hills, of which the large Tinghøj (1638 Tinghøjene) north of Saltum church and the two Galgehøje southwest of the church.
Demolished or destroyed: 52 hills and a longhill; especially around the church and at Ejersted were many hills. At Vestrupgård was found a stone grave from early Roman period.

Names from the Middle Ages and 1600s: Saltum (1264 Saltum); Nr. Saltum (1452 Nørre Saltum); Sdr. Saltum (1396 Sønder Saltum); Østrup (1464 Østrup); Fårup (1460 Fardrup); Torpe (1456 Thorp, Thorpet); Over Jonstrup (1582 Jonstruppe); Ejersted (1340 Egerstad, 1350 Eyerstet); Bunken (1662 Østrup Buncker); Vestrupgård (1471 Westrup, 1487 Westergaardtt); Drustrup (1610 Druestrup); Villerupgård (1688 Willerup Gård).

   
Source: Trap Danmark, Hjørring amt, 1960.

photo: borrowed from Google earth, 2013, gb.




  


  

Skærvad, Djursland, East Jutland, Randers amt,

Skærvad, ab. 10 km west of Grenå
Ginnerup sogn, Djurs Nørre herred, Randers amt.

Hr. Ture Knudsen of the family Dyre died ab. 1385; he owned Skærvad together with another nobleman by the name of Vilhelm Svave , but had before his death transferred it to queen Margrethe, who in 1386 conveyed it to hr. Jens Andersen of the later wellknown nobility family Brock from Gammel Estrup. He had contrary to his mother Johanne Brock supported Valdemar Atterdag and even been his drost for a while. Queen Margrethe undoubtedly trusted him, and Erik of Pommern confirmed her deed in the year 1400. Jens Andersen died in 1408, and his estates were shared among the heirs. When his son Jens Jensen was killed in 1404, Skærvad came to his son Lave Jensen Brock, who died in 1435; he also owned Clausholm. This farm came with Skærvad to the son Axel Lavesen Brock. Axel Lavesen was not the sole owner of Skærvad, hr. Svend Udsen had also a share, which with his daughter came to her husband hr. Niels Munk (Bjælke-Munk) of Sostrup and Brusgaard (died ab. 1460). Axel Lavesen bought him out in 1455 after having rented out Skærvad a year before to the væbner Niels Munk of Ballebo. Hr. Axel had probably manor enough in the much more prosperous Clausholm - furthermore he owned the manor Græsegård at Sjælland. Skærvad was already in the Middle Ages a secondary manor, where the owners almost never lived.

Hr. Axel Lavesen Brock died 1498 as rigsråd and one of this period's greatest landowners; his only child Pernille Axelsdatter Brock had already died, her husband Albrecht Engelbrechtsen of the family Bydelsbak had also died; but their daughter Mette Albrechtsdatter Bydelsbak inherited Skærvad among much else estate and was the last member of the family Bydelsbak, when she died in 1513. She left heirs in her marriage with the very famous rigsråd and rigens hofmester (master at court) hr. Mogens Gjøe, they had not less than 7 children. The large estate was now being spread. One of the children, fru Elline Gjøe made a fine memory for her parents in 1552 by collecting letters in a jordebog (= with description of estates) , named "Eline Gøyes jordebog" with informations about Skærvad. When comparing other farms it is obvious that Skærvad (the economy) was at least fourfold a large peasant-farm . The original Skærvad was situated at Skærvad Mill, where a castle bank with a moat and outside this another bank is traceable. Here was in the 1700s the bailiff's house, while a half-timbered four-winged farm was east of this; old fish ponds bear also witness of earlier buildings.


Skærvad came to Eline's sister Ide Gjøe, who by marriage brought it to Otte Ottesen Rosenkrantz of Næsbyholm; he died 1557, fru Ide in 1563. Skærvad was inherited by the daughter Sophie Rosenkrantz, who died in 1571; she was survived by her husband, rigsråd Jakob Enevoldsen Seefeld of Visborggård, who died 1599 after in 1586 having bought the manor Sostrup, whic was situated in the same herred as Skærvad. The son Enevold Seefeld owned Skærvad in the first time, then his brother Hans Seefeld, who in 1608 also achieved Sostrup. He sold the farms in 1612 and 1613 to rigsmarsk Jørgen Skeel, who via his marriage to Jytte Brock got part in hr. Eske Brock's large estate, first of all Gammel Estrup with additional peasant-estate. Jørgen Skeel died 1631, Jytte Brock in 1640. Their son Christen Jørgensen Skeel inherited the large estate, where Skærvad was only a smaller main farm, but it came with Sostrup for a long time."Go together like Sostrup and Skærvad" was and expression which probably came from this. The legend says that Hans Seefeld gambled these farms away.

After Christen Skeel the Rich's death in 1688 the son Jørgen Skeel inherited the two farms together with much other estate, which after his death in 1695 came to his son Christen Skeel , who was born in his father's year of death. He founded a grevskab (county) Scheel from the main farms Sostrup, Skærvad, Ørbækgård and Skjern with additional peasant-estate. After this the family in this line called themselves Scheel. The son Jørgen greve Scheel took since over the grevskabet (county); he achieved the highest positions and titles inside the court, and died in 1786. He was probably the one who built the present half-timbered buildings. The county came at his death in 1786 to his paternal grandson Jørgen; the son Christian greve Scheel had died in 1771 as Danish minister in Skt. Petersborg. Grev Jørgen was still under age, but later drew attention to himself by his extravagance and his unwise economy; he is portrayed in a book " En Greve." (author: Hugo Matthiessen). He succeeded in destroying the county after it had existed ab. 100 years.


Both Sostrup and Skærvad was bought by the Danish State, and in 1829 the State conveyed the two manors together with Ørbækgård for 230.000 rigsbankdaler silver to ritmester (captain of horse) Jacob von Benzon. In 1829 was established a new entailed estate named Benzon. Skærvad was in 1840 sold to Chr. Fr.O.v. Benzon, who had the estate a few years only. After some changes of ownership Skærvad came in 1856 to the brothers Christian Frederik Carøe and grosserer Johan Fr. Carøe. Chr. Fr. Carøe took care of the farm management and lived there. He was a skilled and progressive farmer who in his time as a lessee in Vendsyssel had introduced the first threshing machine in 1848 in Vendsyssel. Skærvad was now known for its fine stock of pure Jutland dairy cattle and its fine malt barley. He was one of the leading farmers of the district and the education of young farmers at Skærvad was highly valued, a large circle of these raised a memorial stone for him in Skærvad skov. After this his brother Joh. Fr. Carøe owned the farm, but died already in 1893, and it was taken over by his children, grossererne Nicolai and Carl Johan Carøe, Reverend Martin Carøe and Augusta Christiane Trock-Jansen, née Carøe. In 1912 it was sold to proprietær J.Skriver. In 1920 it was sold to Randers Amts Udstykningsforening (Union for outparcelling), which in 1921 let outparcel 17 small-holdings from Skærvad's land. More outparcelling was done later. Owner in 1957 fru G. Bøystrup.

owners today: Lone and Bror Moldrup

Skærvads web-site:
The farm was in 2006-2008 renovated and rebuilt by Lone Moldrup. The rebuild includes a large riding ground-plan and a manor-stable. From one of the old buildings, where Lone Moldrup in 2007 decided to replace most of the timber framing and the roof - there is a view to the old castle bank, the terraces, the path-system and the old carp ponds, which gave fresh fish to the castle during the winter season.


foto Skærvad Marts 2009: grethe bachmann