Østergård, Salling, North Jutland, Viborg amt.

Østergård, ab. 19 km north of Skive
Åsted sogn, Harre herred, Viborg amt.

Queen Margrethe I spent the first half of the year 1408 in Jutland, where she with a large entourage of trusted men went from place to place. Whereever she came, new crowds of clericals and secular gentlemen joined her entourage for a shorter or longer period, partly to bask themselves in her favour , partly to settle important business, which was not always of the most pleasant sort. In the month of January the queen stayed in the old royal town Viborg. From here she crossed Thy, where she guested Ørum castle and the now long gone Hillerslevhus - and after having visited Børglum Kloster she arrived in Hjørring in the month of March, from where she continued her travel south to Ålborg, Randers and Århus. At Midsummer-time queen Margrethe was back at Zealand, probably very satisfied with the achieved results. She had won back much royal estate, which was lost during the turbulent times, and she had secured the friendship of the clergy by giving them costy gifts.

Among those who had to show up at the meeting with the queen in Viborg was "Niels Mikkelsen of Nissum, a knight called Krabbe" - he probably did not meet up voluntarily, since he had much on his conscience. His men had broken the church-peace at Kobberup church, and he had himself together with his maternal uncle Niels Kaas and several others repeatedly broken the thing-peace on Fjends herreds Thing. (district-thing.) He therefore had to make amend, but the "the gracious Lady" let him go, if he gave her some estate in Fiskbæk and elsewhere, which unlawfully had been taken from the Crown. If hr. Niels could have lived for another 100 years, he would have enjoyed to see that one of his descendants, rigsmarsk hr. Tyge Krabbe won back this estate by not so fine means - his greatgrandfather would probably have liked that.

Hr. Niels Krabbe returned to Nissum very bad tempered, it was not the first time the queen had been pursuing him. His fortificated castle could not secure him against her and his mighty family neither. The castle was placed north in Salling. The theory is that the small square castle bank, rising steeply from the slope east of Hinnerup Å (river) at Åsted village, which later was called Holmshøj or Sallingholm castle, was his home. It is not easy to see, why he is called "from Nissum", since this village is placed upon the other side of the river and earlier was divided from Holmshøj by both a river and a meadow. From the castle bank a road dam leads northwest out into the meadows where still are seen weak rises ; here were found heavy, driven in poles - the rests of a pile castle, which might have been the successor of the castle bank inland.

The family Krabbe is old in Salling, where it besides Nissum or Østergård owned several manors, like Lundegård at the island Fur, Hostrup, Bustrup, to which the rigsmarsk (Tyge Krabbe) wrote himself, and several others, aldso Krabbesholm. Much indicates that the old members of the family was an unruly and violent flock, who reminded about the family Brock at Gammel Estrup. This nature is also recognizable in the family's most distinguished member Tyge Krabbe, but else made the family their mark by indisputable competence and later also by having spiritual interests. The family was connected to Nissum for a long period. Niels Mikkelsen Krabbe was hardly the first member of the family who lived there - the earlier generations are fairly known - but he wasn't the last. Both his son Morten Krabbe, who was a High Court Judge and owned a rich estate, (+ ab.1483), and his son Glob Krabbe, also named Lucas Krabbe, lived in Nissum, but the old castle was abandoned. Glob Krabbe established the farm (manor) Østergård south of Åsted upon the other side of the river and built the heavy Gothic building, which still stands today. It is one of few manor buildings from the time before the reformation, which has kept its look almost unchanged up till the present.


The manor was built upon a flat, square bank, surrounded by banks and moats, which were kept water-filled by dams. The building is four-winged and includes a small yard, only 8,75 m each square. It is built in late Gothic style in bricks upon a high plinth of raw granite boulder and with a cellar under the whole two-storeyed building. It is said that an inscription was upon a beam in the yard saying that Lucas Krabbe put down the first stone for this foundation in 1516. On the gables of the south wing were earlier a couple of hanging bays , possibly "hemmeligheder" (secrets = toilets). Behind the 2-3 feet thick walls the unruly Krabbes could feel secure towards wronged class companions and peasants. When the peasants in Grevefejden (civil war) ravaged in Salling and let "the red cock"crow (fire) on the castles of their oppressors, they probably also wished to chase the squire of Østergård away from his home, but if they tried to, they probably failed. Later was no need to have a fortificated castle like this, but banks and moats were kept until the 19th century. Now is only a small rest left.

Glob Krabbe died a few years after the reformation (1543)and was buried in Åsted church, where his wife was also buried, and where a head stone reminds them. He had feuds with his peasants till the end. Their son Iver Krabbe (+ 1561), who in his youth had the family's hot blood in his veins, became a rich man, rigsråd and the holder of several important vasalries. He and later his widow bought much estate in exchange with the Crown. This estate was situated near the farm, and he also achieved free birkeret (judicial rights) of all estate in the parish a year before his death. This right followed Østergård until 1688. He probably built the last two wings of the manor.

After his death his widow fru Magdalene Banner kept the farm, she followed her husband to the grave in 1597 and was buried by his side in Åsted kirke. She had given vaults and a new pulpit to the church. It seems that she before her death gave Østergård to her daughter Anne Krabbe, who from 1580 was widow after rigsråd Axel Viffert and later was married to Erik Kaas of Vorgård in Himmerland (+ 1598). She died childless in 1625, but the heirs did not accept the inheritance. Østergård was not taken over by strangers though, it came to her sister's daughter Otte Lindenov of Borreby's widow Anne Tygesdatter Brahe, (+ 1636), and when her son Otte Ottesen Lindenov's widow fru Vibeke Clausdatter Podebusk (+ 1645) - who had a livsbrev (ownerrights for life) on the farm - in 1639 married hr. Knud Ulfeldt of Svenstrup, who was killed in the war 1657, the farm came to him and then to his stepson, kammerherre Christian Lindenov,who was amtmand (district) in Norway and the last of the Krabbe-descendants who owned the old family-farm.


Åsted church

Østergård was in a bad state after the war; 9 farms in Nissum village were destroyed. Christian Lindenov pawned Østergård to the wellknown priest at Vor Frue Kirke in Copenhagen, magister Erik Olufsen Torm, whose widow Søster Worm, a daughter of the famous professor Ole Worm, in 1673 took over farm and estate, which was confirmed by the Supreme Court two years later. The saga of the old nobility was over, and middle-class families moved into Glob Krabbe's old castle. During the latest century it had often been uninhabited and neglected, sometimes owned by people, who lived far away, and sometimes by poor people, who could not pay their bills. Søster Worm managed the farm by a tenant, and after her death in 1685 it came to her son-in-law Jens Henriksen, but times were unfortunate, and he ended up in big debts. He had to pay his peasants with corn and give them horses. This was expensive and he never got anything back.

In 1694 Jens Henriksen had to give up. He sold Østergård to tenant Anders Hansen Høyer at Astrup. He was an indebted man, who had 19 children with three wives, whom he hardly could give food and clothes. He stayed however at the farm until his death in 1727, and the estate went to one of his creditors, the rich mayor Christen Jensen Basballe in Århus, who let it manage by a tenant for about 20 years. It was said that when he grew old, he was so stingy that corn and bullocks piled up at the farm, because he wanted over current price for both this and that. After his death Østergård had several owners. In 1758 it was sold to Niels Andersen Qvistgård.

Qvistgård died only 5 years later, and his widow Johanne Marie Batum brought the farm to her second husband Christian Kjærulff, who in vain tried to sell it. When both he and his wife had died in 1777 in Nykøbing (Mors), where they lived for several years, Østergård was bought by his stepsons Jens og Anders Nielsen Qvistgård. The last mentioned was sole owner in 1786, since Jens had bought a farm in Himmerland. Anders Qvistgård was dependent on alcohol and once caused a scandal when drunk in Åsted kirke, but else he was seemingly a solid Jutland farmer, who took care of his estate and tried to introduce improvements. In order to have disposal over the water - which run in abundance through his meadows and moors - he outbought at a costy expense the copyholder of Nissum Water Mill and let it replace by a wind mill. This showed to be a profit, but else were his improvements hardly radical enough.


Farm buildings close to Østergård, disfiguring the old medieval castle
The ferry to the island Fur north of Åsted and Østergård.

The farm was managed by villeinage until 1805, when all the estate was sold. The main part was already in Iver Krabbe's time in Åsted parish, another part in the neighbouring parishes. While the estate was still complete, the added tiender (taxes) changed all the time. Knud Ulfeldt had a couple of churches added to the farm in 1640, but they were lost in 1673. In 1699 Anders Høyer got a deed on Åsted kirke from the king, but this did not follow the farm permanently. Anders Qvistgård owned the kirketiender (church taxes) of Åsted and Nautrup parish and held the royal taxes of the same parishes, but in 1806 only the two churches were part of the farm. Anders Qvistgård died already in 1792; the following year farm and estate came on auction and sold to Thomas Thomsen of Vindum Overgård. He had moved to Jutland from Funen some years ago, and he gradually became the owner of several big farms in Jutland.

In the beginning of the following century it was told that Østergård, Eskjær and Astrup were the only manors in Salling with a dairy. Thomsen had been a co-owner of Eskjær, the other part belonged to his relative. In 1804 Thomsen sold the whole estate, for which he had paid 42.ooo rigsdaler, to three speculators, who paid 100.000 rigsdaler. After a royal licence they sold the copyhold-estate and let in 1806 the main farm and the taxes go back for 56.500 rigsdaler to the previous owner, who kept it until his death in 1823, after which the wellknown studefeder (he was making bullocks fat!) Nis Nissen of Spøttrup became the owner. After him followed kammerråd Hans Tørsleff (1836-46). During the next 100 years the farm had several owners: kammerherre Ernst Emil Rosenørn (1855-71), Johan Chr. Brinck-Seidelin (1871-85), Erik Oscar Julius Hedemann of Nyholm (1885-90), Vallø Stift, who sold it in 1906 to lieutenant Axel Lemming Froberg, who owned Østergård for more than 36 years , until he sold it in 1943 to greve Adam Cyrille Knuth, Hesselbjerg. In 1945 Østergård was bought by a consortium, where J.M.Skov became the sole owner. Owners in 1966 Kristen and Kjeld Skov.

Source: Danske slotte og herregårde, bd. 12, 1966, Nordvestjylland, Østergård, by arkivar, cand.mag. S. Nygård.

Østergård i dag:
In the summer 1998 was the Danish State ready to take over the very decayed buildings. Restorations started in June 2000 with an expected finish in the castle's 500 years jubilee in 2016!


photo Østergård og Åsted 2004: grethe bachmann

Lindenborg, Himmerland, North Jutland, Ålborg amt.

Lindenborg, ab. 15 km south of Ålborg
Blenstrup sogn, Hellum herred, Ålborg amt.

Lindenborg is the main residence in the earlier grevskab (county) Lindenborg. It is the largest estate in the northern Jutland and is situated in the broad valley, where Lindenborg å (river) runs towards Limfjorden, just south of the bridge, which leads the road Ålborg-Hadsund across the river. The castle is surrounded by moats and sheltered by old trees and a thick planting against the windy weathers of Himmerland.

Lindenborg river now runs surrounded by broad meadow areas, but originally was an arm of the sea or a fjord stretching into the land. Still in the 18th century was the river much broader. Upon the narrowest part of the valley, where the road crosses the river, was ferry traffic between Ålborg and eastern Himmerland until the middle of the 18th century.

The first evidence about a farm here by the ferry place in the valley origins from 1367. The name of the farm was Næsholm and the owner was Niels Kirt. It was placed in Næs parish, which existed for a long time together with Blenstrup parish - and as it happened in many other places the large farm swallowed the whole town and became a manor. It was possibly a man of the family Kirt, who in the 14th century built a fortificated farm on an islet in or by the river. In 1376 Niels Kirt conveyed Næsholm, now called Næs, to his sons Jakob and Palle Kirt. The first became the sole owner and gave in 1416 the main farm Næs with adjoining estate in the parish to Viborg bishopric, on the condition that masses were held in the cathedral for the salvation of his own, his wife's and his parents' souls. In the gift letter Jakob Kirt probably reserved the farm for his own lifetime.


Lindenborg Å

Until the reformation the estate now belonged to Viborg bishopric, and the bishops had officials and priests there, thus is mentioned Sti Vestenie at Næs in 1480 and Mikkel Krabbe in 1499 and 1503. In 1504 Mogens Thomesen Kaas of Næs had a case about a field boundary. These three men were probably the bishop's vasals at the farm. In 1534 Næs shared fate with many other North Jutland farms, when the hated manors were put on fire. In the northern wing of the present main building are well-preserved cellars and in the eastern wing considerable rests of a building, which has survived the fire.

At the reformation Næs came to the Crown, and in 1544 Iver Friis of Haraldskær had the farm as a pawn for 1.500 joachimsdaler, which he had lent to the king. Iver Friis also got some of the peasant-estate from the Crown, which earlier belonged to Hald. Iver Friis died in 1557. He was the brother of the last Catholic bishop in Viborg, Jørgen Friis. Already before his death the king's stable-master Holger Tønnesen Viffert was allowed to redeem Næs, but because Friis died the relief did not happen. Holger Viffert had the farm in an exchange with the Crown in 1561; he exchanged Næs with his maternal estate in Skåne. He took part in the Ditmarsker War and got a bullet in his arm, but he did not die from this - he succumbed to a disease in Landskrona during the Nordic Seven Years War. He had been engaged to Anne Gyldenstierne, a daughter of the rich Knud Gyldenstierne of Vosborg. After his death his brother Corfitz took over both his fiancé, whom he married in 1571, and the farm Næs.

Blenstrup church, foto stig bachmann nielsen, Naturplan.dk

Corfitz Viffert was one of the influental noblemen of the country. He achieved important vasalries, in 1565 Katsløse, later Hald, Helsingborg, Malmøhus, Lundegård and finally Kalundborg. In 1586 he became a member of rigsrådet. (state council). In the time of his ownership the adjoined estate of Næs was increased considerably. He bought by exchanges with the Crown in 1579 and 1583 31 farms, 6 bol (small farms) and 2 houses in Blenstrup parish and surrounding parishes. To these he added in 1591 kongetienden (taxes) from Blenstrup, Fræer and Brøndum parishes. He also gave the farm a new main building, which was finished in 1583, and from this pretty building is the main wing kept in a somewhat changed condition.



Corfitz Viffert died in 1592 at Kalundborg castle, where he was a vasal. When his widow Anne Gyldenstierne died in 1595 the daughter Christence, who was the only child, became the owner of Næs. She was first married to Henrik Bille of Mogenstrup and then to rigsråd, statholder in Copenhagen Breide Rantzau, who was one of the biggest landowners in Denmark. When fru Christence died in 1604, the son Frantz Rantzau inherited her estate, also Næs, and after the father's death in 1618 also some of his estate. Frantz Rantzau's estates gave him a yearly income of 20.000 rigsdaler. A rich man like that had of course political power and influence. Already when young he was highly promoted, he became rigsråd, statholder and rigshovmester, the last title in 1632, but this joy was short, the same year he got extremely drunk in a party at Rosenborg castle by Christian IV and drowned in the waterfilled moat, only 28 years old.

The farm went to Frantz Rantzau's halfbrother Cai Rantzau's widow Anne Lykke, who was observed for her open advances of the heir to the throne and later was married to Knud Ulfeldt of Ulfeldtsholm. He sold Næs in 1637 to rigsmarsk Jørgen Urne, who owned the farm until his death in 1642. The next year his widow Margrethe Marsvin let paint a picture of her blessed husband, herself and their 13 children, 5 sons and 8 daughters. In order to show that one son had died, he was painted in white clothes. The painting is an important work, it hung earlier in the chapel of the parish church, but was later moved to Lindenborg. Margrethe Marsvin finished some exchanges, among others with the Crown, and the peasant estate of Næs, and in 1647 she got jus patronus of Blenstrup church. She died in 1650 at Marsvinsholm at Turø, (island south of Svendborg, Funen), but was buried in Blenstrup church beside her husband.

Memorial stone for the various owners of Lindenborg, raised at Blenstrup church in 1955.

At her death Margrethe Marsvin left a large debt, and in order to meet this the children had to sell Næs, which was bought by rigsråd Jørgen Seefeld, landsdommer at Zealand and vasal at Ringsted kloster. He was the son of Christoffer Lauridsen Seefeld of Refsnæs, a neighbouring farm of Næs. He was born in 1594. His offices made him stay at Zealand, and he probably had little time for his Jutland manor. He was noticed for being a misogynist and bibliophilic. He was famous for his large book-collection, more than 26.000 volumes, which he had at Ringsted kloster. It was however lost during svenskekrigene, (Denmark's wars with Sweden) when Corfitz Ulfeldt made the Swedish king give him the book-collection and later let it bring to Malmø.


Lille Vildmose at Høstemark skov.

Jørgen Seefeld extended the adjoined estate of Næs considerably. He advanced the king with large sums in cash and provisions in the 1650s, and he got landed property as a pawn. He bought his maternal farm in Tustrup from his brother, and it was attached to Næs for a period. Some of the pawned estate he had from the Crown were Dronningborg, Hald, Ørum, Skivehus and Kalø vasalry. He earlier owned much more pawned estate, when he a few years before his death had economic difficulties and had to repawn several estate to his creditors. His rich estate seems to have rested upon an unstable base, and winding up the estate showed that he was ruined. Svenskekrigene had also contributed to this, for when the Swedes marched across Zealand towards the capital, Jørgen Seefeld had to take flight to Copenhagen , where he lived until his death by auktionsforvalter Caspar Rollufs, whom he got indebted to. About 50 creditors signed up at the estate after Jørgen Seefeld, of which only Corfitz Ulfeldt was a nobleman, the rest were civils. The main farm was divided between magister Hans Zoëga from Københavns Universitet and his brother-in-law Caspar Rollufs. They owned Næs, until Claus Olufsen Daa of Borreby and Vedtofte bought it in 1671-72.

Claus Daa changed the name of the farm to Daasborg, and at the same time he renamed Vedtofte into Brahesholm after his mother Anne Brahe. In 1674 Daa was married to Sophie Amalie Lindenov, who was a daughter of Hans Lindenov of Iversnæs and Christian IV's daughter with Kirsten Munk, Elisabeth Augusta. Both main farm and peasant-estate were in a bad condition after the svenskekrigene. Daa succeeded in a few years to collect most of the earlier adjoined property again, but his economic situation was bad and his marriage was worse. The conflict ended, when Sophie Amalie according to all accounts let her husband murder in 1678 by a sniper, when they drove together home to Daasborg after a visit in the neighbourhood. The murder was never solved, and the murderer never found. The common opinion was that it was "the evil lady", who had instigated the crime. On her deathbed however she was said to have confessed to be the instigator of the murder of Claus Daa.



The only child of the marriage was a one year old son, who died shortly after his father's murder, and the young widow now owned Daasborg completely to herself. Just as energetic she apparently had been getting rid of her husband, just as active she was now in order to extend and manage the estate. In the years after 1678 she bought much property in various parishes. Via a patent she was in 1681 admitted in the friherrestanden (barony) as friherreinde (=baroness) of Lindenborg, since Daasborg contemporarely was established to be a friherreligt vasalry by this name. The condition was that she did not marry again - and that Christian V's illegitimate son Christian Gyldenløve had to be installed as an heir of the barony. It seems difficult to understand, why Sophie Amalie Lindenov, who with cause was under suspicion of being a murderess, had earned the distinction as baroness. However it was decisive that the king in this way secured his illegitimate children. The following years the baroness continued to collect estate and enjoyed in this the full attention from the Crown. She owned jus patronus of several churches, and in 1683 she bought the right of still some churches from the Crown, which in the following period gave her still more income, in all at least 7000 rigsdaler.

As to her private life the legend has spun a yarn of painterly stories. The merry young widow did not live the life of a nun, but whether the number of her lovers, illegitimate children or daily misdeeds were as big as the gossip told, is probably doubtful. It was told about her last days that she was pregnant as so many times before and had problems in giving birth, and she was brought to a doctor in Ålborg. She could not endure the vibrations from the waggon and was transported in a horsecloth, which was stretched between four horses. An orchester followed her on the travel and played in order to drown her screams. However, her life could not be saved, and she died in terrible pain. Since then she has haunted Lindenborg, her grey figure walks stairs and corridors with flowing hair and clacking slippers at night. Reality hardly matches the dramatic legend. In the beginning of July 1688 she became ill at Lindenborg, and a month later she died in assessor Thøger Lassens Gård at Nytorv in Ålborg, where she had an apartment. The cause of death was "vattersot og hidsig feber" (dropsy and hot fever). In the exchange her possessions, furniture, clothes etc. was in all 1.254 rigsdaler.

Sophia Amalia's dramatic life and unhappy marriage is now described in a novel by Bodil Brændstrup. Historic facts about places and persons are correct, but BB has been adding a little more to the story which really rises a doubt about Sophia's guilt. After having read this book I don't think Sophia was gultiy in the murder of her husband Claus Daa. No one knows the truth, but Bodil Brændstrup has done a thorough research and contributed to a much more nuanced image of the beautiful and unhappy woman, Sophia Amalia Lindenov, who was the grandchild of Christian IV and Kirsten Munk.

The book is available (in Danish) on Forlaget BB-Kultur, Øverødvej 13-1-14, DK-2840 Holte.
the book's website: www.bb-kultur.com







After fru Lindenov's death the barony went to grev Christian Gyldenløve of Samsø and after his death to his son, the wellknown book collector Christian Danneskiold-Samsøe. Since Lindenborg did not mean more than a name and a yearly income, the farm and the adjoining churches fell into decay in this period. Neither Christian Danneskiold-Samsøe's son Frederik Christian Danneskiold-Samsøe showed interest in Lindenborg, and after a royal accept he abandoned and sold the barony in 1753. The barony-rights were kept for the estate as long a Danneskiold lived. Frederik V's influental councillor grev Adam Gottlob Moltke of Bregentved took over Lindenborg. In his time as owner the ferry across Lindenborg river was replaced by a bridge. In 1759 the king gave Lille Vildmose to his favorite on the condition that Moltke started a cultivation of the moor, and already the next year this work begun. The work by drying out the four lakes in the middle of the moor was almost finished, when Moltke in 1762 sold Lindenborg to Schimmelmann.

The new owner Heinrich Carl Schimmelmann managed through 20 years the economic politics of the Danish state and performed as a financier all transactions necessary for his politics. When he died he left a fortune of between 5 and 10 million rigsdaler. He was born in 1724 in Demmin in Pommerania. After being educated as a merchant he followed in 1774 Frederick II's army into Bohemia, established later a chemist's shop in Dresden and took over in 1756 the provisions of the Preussian army. In the middle of the Seven Year's War he suddenly fled in 1759 with his large fortune and took up residence in Hamborg. In 1761 he got attached to the Danish resident in Hamborg with right to be his successor. After in 1762 having provided large loans to the Danish government, he became the same year a member of the overskattedirektionen (=first office of taxes) etc. In 1768 he achieved the title of skatmester, and in 1759 he bought the Rantzau-family estate Ahrensburg, which was situated on Danish land outside Hamborg. In 1762 he bought the estate Wandsbeck in Holstein and Lindenborg in Jutland. He owned plantations in the Danish West-Indies and run a sugar refinery at Christianshavn (in Copenhagen) and a small-arms factory in Hellebæk. In Copenhagen he held a small court in his palais in Bredgade.



In 1764 Schimmelmann had Lindenborg established into a barony. He showed great interest in the management of the estate and bought more estate, but he was careful and did not buy until he knew the price was right. He bought several farms and peasant-land, and in 1773-80 he bought Fræer, a whole village. 150 peasants and 122 husmænd (small-holders) belonged to the estate. He was interested in the technical progress of the farming and carried through various improvements in the management of the main farm. Lindenborg's peasants had to work in the fields of the main farm, but also as work-reserves in his industrial activities. In 1781 a linen spinning mill was established, which later achieved a considerable size. In 1779 Schimmelmann was elevated to greve( count) and two years later Lindenborg became a lensgrevskab. (vasalry county). Schimmelmann died in 1782, and his eldest son took over Lindenborg.

Heinrich Ernst Schimmelmann, who was born in 1747, managed the Danish monetary matters as finansminister in 1784-1813. He became therefore one of the men, who was given a coresponsibility for the national bankruptcy, which ended this period. He had more sense of cultural phenomenons than his father, but as a landlord he was a supporter of the reform efforts of the period. He followed his father's footsteps at Lindenborg, but he seldom visited the castle. Ab. 1784 a gardener was employed to assist the peasants of the estate to lay out kitchen gardens, planting of hedgerows, potato-cultivation etc. The gardener also had to raise fruit trees, which were given to the peasants in order to promote the fruit growing. The spinning mill was extended. When Schimmelmann and his wife visited the estate in 1783, there was served a meal to the guests, only to the farmers and not to the peasants. Schimmelmann arranged a popinjay shooting and let dish out prizes "what was a great joy for the poor good people" his wife grevinde Charlotte Schimmelmann wrote in a letter to grevinde Reventlow.



Through the years a large renewal happened of the peasant-estate and the farms, but the reforms did not happen without problems. In a large village like Fræer the implementation was especially difficult. In 1798 Schimmelmann bought Gudumlund and some peasant-property. Around 1800 the reforms at Lindenborg were fairly established. After having taken over Gudumlund Schimmelmann continued for some years the large industrial plan, in 1805 he established a stoneware factory and a glass work, but they run economically bad and had to close. Besides the linen spinning mill at the grevskabet, which achieved good results, were in the beginning of the 19th century 8 blacksmiths living at the estate, who besides the blacksmith- and metalworker-work made hay scythes and knives, which were sold far and wide. There were also 20 potters, who were allowed to sell their pottery at all markets for many miles around.

In order to promote the health service Schimmelmann engaged a physician at Lindenborg and furnished a hospital for free use for the peasants at the estate. The educational system had his special interest, and he established a new school system at Lindenborg. The Schimmelmannske Schools, which built on the new Rousseau -methods of upbringing, were approved by royal respolution of 1876. Grev Schimmelmann engaged a school-inspector J.C.C. Claussen during the first years, and he succeeded in overcoming the resistance, which this "new thing" awoke by the peasants. The agricultural crisis, which followed the Napoleonic wars, meant hard times for the peasants at Lindenborg. And these years showed that Ernst Schimmelmann had not been able to stabilize or increase the immense riches he had inherited after his father. The fortune crumbled away, and after his death in 1831 it showed that his estate was insolvent.

When Schimmelmann died childless Lindenborg went to his brother's son Joseph Frederik Carl Schimmelmann, but he died already in 1833, and grevskabet was taken over by his son Ernst Conrad Ditlev Carl Joseph Schimmelmann. He was in 1853 allowed to sell the peasant-estate for free property. After his death his son Carl Gustav Ernst Schimmelmann inherited Lindenborg. He restored the castle, which for long had been uninhabited. At his death in 1922 the estate was taken over by lensgreve Heinrich Carl Schimmelmann, to whom the grevskabet in 1923 became free estate, where a piece of land was transferred for outparcelling. The northern section of Lille Vildmose was in 1936 sold to Statens Jordlovsudvalg.


Lille Vildmose at Portland

Upon the main wing's octagonal tower inside the castle yard is a tablet above the door with an inscription, which says that honest and velbyrdig (of noble descent) man Corfitz Viffert and Anne Gyldenstierne let build this house in 1583. A legend describes about the building that Anne Gyldenstierne, who actually had no deep feelings for Corfitz Viffert, imposed as conditions for the marriage that he had to build a building in the swamp at Næs. This condition was met to her great surprise, and a magnificent building raised from the marsh. The legend is a typical urban legend and is probably only connected to Næs because of the difficult spadework, which was necessary to make the moist meadow-land bear the large building.

The large house, which Corfitz Viffert built, was raised in two storeys, above which was placed a low half-storey. The building was in bricks and rested upon a heavy granite plinth. Under the house were large vaulted cellars. At the southeast and southwest corner were two circular corner towers and to the south was the passage flanked by two bay towers. In the castle yard was an octagonal spiral stair tower. All windows had sandstone frames and in the triangular window recess were sandstone sculptures. The facade was probably originally red or red-painted wall. The eastern wing of the main building is the oldest, but its age cannot be completely decided. It has wall work from the Catholic period, but an older description claims that it was built by Jørgen Urne. His and Margrethe Marsvin's names were found in 1769 upon a walled gate between the eastern and southern house. The northern wing was built by Corfitz Viffert contemporary to the southern house.



It seems that the buildings already in fru Lindenov's time were badly kept, and in the following time they were completely in decay. The owners did not stay at the estate; it was managed by farm bailiffs. In a description of the conditions in Himmerland in 1735 it is said about Lindenborg, that it is very much in decay but " it was once a pretty building, which was brick-built even in the horse stables." In March 1715 a violent storm swept across Himmerland, and the buildings at Lindenborg were badly damaged. The repair, which was made the same year, cost 525 rigsdaler. There are no informations about the interior of the farm at that time. In 1764 H.C. Schimmelmann let the main wing have a thorough repair, and the building got mainly the look it has today. Corfitz Vifferts fine Renaissance building lost its proud raising by these changes. In 1925-27 the owner of the castle let do a thorough restoration of the inner castle, which partly brought it back to its old look. Among the inventory is much valuable furniture from the 18th century and a French writing desk, which according to tradition belonged to queen Christina of Sweden. From the collection of paintings is a Madonna by Rafael.

Source: Danske slotte og herregårde, bd. 11, Himmerland og Ommersyssel, 1966, Lindenborg af cand. mag. Jens Sølvsten.

Lindenborg today

photo Lindenborg og Lille Vildmose: 2003/2006/2009: grethe bachmann

Aunsbjerg, Mid Jutland, Viborg amt.

Aunsbjerg, entrance with gate-building.

Aunsbjerg, ab.12 km south of Viborg
Sjørslev sogn, Lysgård herred, Viborg amt.

Steen Steensen Blicher wrote "Skytten på Aunsbjerg", about the French nobleman, who died alone and abandoned out in the heath. In his childhood Blicher often stayed at Aunsbjerg by his great-uncle etatsråd de Steensen and wife, a sour old great-aunt, who told little Steen that his will was in her pockets.

Aunsbjerg is an old farm, mentioned for the first time in king Oluf's rule, when it belonged to Niels Eriksen of the family, who in the first half of the 16th century - when it was dying out - took the name Løvenbalk after its coat of arms. The family Løvenbalk, who for more than 150 år owned Aunsbjerg, was said to have royal blood in their veins and to descend from Christoffer II and a lady of the family Lunge, and the blue lion in the family's coat of arms indicates that it is a probability. It fits in with that Niels Eriksen's father 's name was Erik Christoffersen and that he owned Aunsbjerg in 1340.

Niels Eriksen was married to a daughter of the knight Johan Rantzau, Sophie Johansdatter Rantzau. They only had one child, the son Jens Nielsen (Løvenbalk), who was the next owner of Aunsbjerg. He became landsdommer in Nørrejylland and rigsråd and was known for his killing Jens Jensen (Brock) of Clausholm. He died very old ab. 1438 and left a large family , of whom a son became the ancestor of the Løvenbalks at Tjele, another, Erik Jensen, became the owner of Aunsbjerg, which then for a long time belonged to his sons, Peter, who died early and hr. Erik Eriksen (Løvenbalk), who later became the sole owner of Aunsbjerg and still lived at the end of the century, but must have died soon after. The economic deroute of the family begun with him. He had pawned a part of his estate to Niels Clementsen, and after his death his son Gert Eriksen (Løvenbalk) and four daughters continued these pawnings, which became deeds of conveyance. During the years 1509-12 Niels Clementsen was handed over two thirds of Aunsbjerg as his property and much adjoining estate; the last third went to hr. Predbjørn Podebusk of Vosborg. There were troubled times at Aunsbjerg.


Aunsbjerg, en skam at en smuk gammel bygning gemmer sig så godt!

Niels Clementsen is one of the most enigmatic personalities of that time. He was sometimes described as a noble man, and sometimes as a not free man: king Hans entrusted him with important vasalries, made him landsdommer in Nørrejylland and rigsråd, and Christian II gave him the important Aalborghus vasalry; but soon after his death in 1518 his considerable estate was impounded by the Crown; a large part was shortly after given back to his heirs, but his part of Aunsbjerg became a royal vasalry. One of Niels Clementsen's sons was Rasmus Clementsen, a raw and brutal man. He was married to a daughter of Mogens Kaas of Damsgaard, who achieved fame when Christian II after his death had his body digged up and hung in a gallow. He died in 1529 and his widow survived him for some years. After this Aunsbjerg again experienced some troubled conditions.

Rigshofmester Mogens Gjøe bought some parts of the farm, and after his death in 1544 his heirs became the owners of farm and estate, which was taken over by the son Christoffer Gjøe, who became unpopular, when he tried to invalidate the foundation Herlufsholm, which his sister Birgitte Gjøe and her husband Herluf Trolle had founded. There was a dairy at Aunsbjerg while he was the owner, where cheese of all kinds were produced. It seems that the sheep were taken good care of. Both Danish and English wool is mentioned. Furthermore were turkeys at the farm, which was a rarity at that time. There are detailled informations about all this and much more in Christoffer Gjøe's and his wife Birgitte Bølle's correspondence. When Mogens Gjøe was the owner, Aunsbjerg was an important farm. Two water mills and several houses and 53 peasant-farms belonged to the estate. Christoffer Gjøe increased the estate, partly with property far away. After his death in 1584 his widow kept the farm, where she died in 1595. They left no children.

The next wellknown owner was Peder Marsvin. He was a son of Jørgen Marsvin of Hollufgård and Karen Ottesdatter Gyldenstierne, and a sister-daughter's son of Christoffer Gjøe. Peder Marsvin was very young, when he inherited Aunsbjerg (born 1578) and an orphant. He had inherited the newly built, magnificent Hollufgård at Odense after his parents. He was married to Mette Axelsdatter Brahe; he participated in the Kalmarkrigen and died already in 1614, a half year after his last child was born at Aunsbjerg. When his widow followed him to the grave eight years later, her only surviving son Jørgen Marsvin inherited the farm; he was still a child (born in 1609). He established in 1654 a small main farm Marsvinslund on the other side of the forest, and in Sjørslev and Vium churches are memories about him and his wife Anne Helvig Gyldenstierne. Jørgen Marsvin died 1671 and his wife about 20 years later in Øster Han herred at Ålegård, which she had bought after her husband's death, but before this they had lost all their manors.

In 1655 was Aunsbjerg and Marsvinslund sold to rigsmarsk hr. Anders Bille of Damsbo, who handed them over to his son Erik Bille, who died the next year. His widow Mette Rosenkrantz, who after this was married to hr. Niels Krabbe of Skellinge for some years, sold in 1669 both farms to Christoffer Ulfeldt of Alslevgård, but when he died in 1670, his widow Sophie Amalie Ottesdatter Krag (+ 1710) brought it in her second marriage to grev Otto Rantzau of Rosenvold. In his time the estate was well collected; to Aunsbjerg belonged in 1688 28 farms and 14 houses in Sjørslev and Vium parish and farms in Hørup. He died a very rich man in 1719, whereafter the two farms went to his son baron Otto Rantzau, who in 1732 sold them to Steen Jørgensen; and with this they disappeared from the hands of the old nobility.

Steen Jørgensen had been a lessee at various Funen manors and was 55 years old, when he moved to Aunsbjerg with his family. He was a widower since 1722, but the year after he had married Marie Katrine Balslev, who died in 1744 after having born 5 sons and 5 daughters. One son inherited Aunsbjerg, another became landsdommer in Nørrejylland and the most wellknown became a general in Russian service. 4 daughters were married to priests. Steen Jørgensen sold Marsvinslund to a former lessee of Aunsbjerg. He died in 1754, but two years before he had handed over Aunsbjerg with all estate for 30.000 rigsdaler to his eldest son Steen Steensen. He was according to Blicher a friendly man, but not a simple man like his father. He was appointed kancelliråd already before his father's death; in 1760 he was enobled and got the name de Steensen; in 1774 he became etatsråd. After a marriage to jomfru Moldrup (not from the noble family) in which they had a child who died, he married in 1759 frøken Mette Elisabeth Schinkel, an old maid of about 50 years and a sister of the mad kammerherre at Hald. She was this great-aunt of St.St. Blicher, who taught him to say that his will was in her pocket, while the boy in return teased her dog Manille.

Steensen introduced several necessary improvements. He improved the meadows, he laid out roads through the fields, partly with avenue-trees, at the farm he planted hop and in the forest he planted young trees. And he continued the started plan of a beautiful garden in French style, which Blicher later complained was declining. In his old age he several times put in vain the large estate for auction. In 1793 he succeeded in selling it and moved with his wife to a parcel-farm Liselund, he had established in the western outskirts of the forest, where he lived his last days in quiet and sometimes had visits from the poet, who was named after him. He died in 1800, she died the year after. They are buried in a hill at Sjørslev church yard together with his father and other family members.

See Sjørslev kirke


Aunsbjerg in summer!

Aunsbjerg went in 1793 to Hans Amnitzbøll, who earlier had owned Holbækgård. He was the last, who owned the whole estate. After 5 years he and birkedommer Erik Christian Müller of Møllerup, who owned a part of the farm, sold Aunsbjerg and all estate for 106.000 rigsdaler to a consortium, which began dividing the property, and in 1802 its fate was totally sealed, when it was sold to generalauditør Hans Jacob Lindahl, who was one of that period's most eager manor-slaughters. During about 20 years he mutilated a manor almost each year. In 1805 he had come so far that he could sell the remaining main parcel, but this business and several later were broken off. Still at the time of his death he was the real owner of the farm. Not until several years after Lindahl's death his widow Maren Svinth (who owned Vestervig kloster) succeeded in selling Aunsbjerg's main parcel and Sjørslev church to Laurids Christian Djørup, who was a skilled farmer.

Djørup sold Aunsbjerg in 1832. After this it came to various owners, until Peter Christopher de Neergaard bought it in 1853 for 116.500 rigsbankdaler. He was a son of Peter Johansen de Neergaard of Gunderslevholm and several other manors; he was a skilled farmer and built a part of the farm buildings. He was in 1842 married to Ida de Neergaard, née Laussen, who took over the farm when she was widowed in 1870. She also made some improvements, and the agriculture of Aunsbjerg was up-to-date, when her two youngest sons Harald and Peter Johansen de Neergaard at her death in 1907 took over. The last mentioned was later the sole owner.


Aunsbjergvej

Aunsbjerg was in its first beginning built close to the moor, which is not visible today. The pretty gate building is the remains of the farm buildings, which burnt down in 1911, and a fine old lime avenue leads up to the castle yard, which is shielded by forest to the east and west. The farm has existed here on the same place from time immemorial upon a castle bank, which bears witness about the Middle Ages; it consists of two islets, surrounded by moats, partly water-filled. The northernest of the islets was the place of the castle in the Løvenbalk-family's time, and still earlier it might have been placed a few hundred meters to the west where is an overgrown earth-plan, which looks like a castle bank. It seems already from the early Middle Ages that it was only the southern islet, which was used for building, here was for a long time a castle- and farm-building.

Nothing is known for sure about Aunsbjergs older main building. During a thorough restoration of the building in 1897 a new pediment was put up. When de Neergard took it over in 1853 he wanted an addition, a guest-wing. The new house was built in the years 1917-18 in red monk bricks partly upon old foundations. The dining hall in the old building was decorated with among other things the coat of arms and names of the owners of Aunsbjerg upon the dark oak-beams; there are a couple of pretty iron-oven from Steensen's time with the years 1758 and 1776. In the dining hall is a fire place, where was used some relief-carved sandstones, where a piece with the names and coats of arms of Peder Marsvin and Mette Brahe from the beginning of the 17th century earlier had been placed above the entrance-door.

In 1921 a tramp put the farm building on fire, and in 1925 the inspector-building burnt down, but both the buildings were re-built, and Peter Johansen de Neergaard owned Aunsbjerg till his death in 1940; it was taken over by his daughter fru Bodil Vibeke Preetzmann and her husband, J. Preetzmann. Owner today: the grandson Holger Preetzmann.


photo Aunsbjerg 2005/2006: grethe bachmann

Sjørslev Church and Aunsbjerg Manor, Lysgård herred, Viborg amt.

Sjørslev Church, ab. 12 km south of Viborg
Sjørslev sogn, Lysgård herred, Viborg amt.

Steen Steensen's grave hill in the church yard

Sjørslev Church has a Romanesque choir and nave and a western tower from ab. 1500-1550, but the church is marked outside and inside by rebuilding in 1768-72. Both doors were probably formed as pillar portals - they were destroyed in 1768 and together with other ashlar material re-used as a foot upon Steen Steensen's burial mound northwest of the church. Here are monolite coverstones and ashlars from at least three windows and bases from the door with pearl-rows, akantus leaves etc. The choir has an octagonal vault. In 1768-72 the eastern, western and southern wall was rebuilt with small bricks and the tower got a curved spire with a weather vane, and its bottom floor was furnished as a porch with a western entrance. The tower is built in granite and monkbricks and has a cross vault contemporary with the walls and a round arcade to the nave. On the west side of the choir a profiled wooden beading with rocaillekartouche, the year 1772 and a biblical inscription.

After 1915, when Peter de Neergård took over Aunsbjerg, the choir and nave got new red-tiled roofs, wooden windows and an inside repair. The frescoes from 1550 are restored Renaissance ornaments in rather strong colours - and around the windows are frescoe Rococo frames from 1768-72. Gothich frescoes are below the present frescoes on the choir vault. The nave with a medieval storey-work got a board ceiling and is in four large sections with coat of arms and gilt initials SS MES and the year 1768 in the middle. The ceiling is in blue, red and white colours.

The pretty inventory is marked by Rococo and Classicism. The earliest inventory is the Romanesque granite font , one of the main works among "the Lion Fonts". A choir crucifix is from ab. 1475. Or else the inventory is Rococo and Renaissance. The stools are partly Renaissance and Rococo . The pulpit is Rococo. From a Gothic pew-set from Karup Church are preserved some gables. A large fine bronze chandelier. A klingpung (small purse or bag placed upon a long stick, used for collection ) given 1706 by Samuel Olufssøn. Two iron cast wooden money boxes from ab. 1775.

Upon the church yard was in 1938 built a chapel inspired by an oriental mosque.

Source: Trap Danmark , Viborg amt, 1962.
photo Sjørslev kirke 2006: grethe bachmann.

Aunsbjerg Herregård/Manor


Aunsbjerg, 12 km south of Viborg
Sjørslev sogn, Lysgård herred, Viborg amt.

Information from "Danske slotte og herregårde":
Aunsbjerg is an old farm/manor, first mentioned in king Oluf's time, when it belonged to Niels Eriksen of the family which took the name Løvenbalk after its family-coat of arms. (A blue lion above golden beams) The family Løvenbalk owned Aunsbjerg for more than 150 years. The family was said to be of royal blood, descending from Christoffer II and a lady of the Lunge-family, and the blue lion in the coat of arms suggests that it might be the truth. This seems probable since Niels Eriksens father was named Erik Christoffersen - he was the owner of Aunsbjerg in 1340.

Niels Eriksen had with his wife Sophie Johansdatter Rantzau only one child, a son hr. Jens Nielsen Løvenbalk, who became the next owner of the Aunsbjerg. He was landsdommer (High court judge) in Nørrejylland and rigsråd , mostly known for his killing Jens Jensen Brock of Clausholm. He died very old ab. 1438 and left a large family, of whom one son was the ancestor of the Løvenbalk-family at Tjele, another was Erik Jensen Løvenbalk who was the owner of Aunsbjerg, which later belonged to his two sons, Peder, who died early, and hr. Erik Eriksen Løvenbalk, who later became sole owner of Aunsbjerg and still was alive at the end of the 1400s, but died soon after. (Note: One of Jens Nielsen Løvenbalk's daughters Marine Jensdatter Løvenbalk was married to Jens Kaas of Kaas.)


at Aunsbjerg

The family's economic deroute began with Erik Eriksen Løvenbalk. He had from time to time pawned a big part of his estate to Niels Clementsen and after his death his son Gert Eriksen and four daughters continued these mortgages, which gradually became sheets. In the years 1509-12 Gert Eriksen Løvenbalk and his two sisters Sophie and Pernille had two thirds of Aunsbjerg handed over with much adjoining land, but the last third came from the other two daughters to hr. Predbjørn Podebusk of Vosborg.

Aunsbjerg was split in several inheritances after 1609. One of the owners in the middle of the 1500s was Mogens Gjøe, who build the pretty half-timbered main building upon a medieval motte. The name of the manor is known as a part of Danish literary history thanks to Steen Steensen Blicher's novel "Skytten på Aunsbjerg" ( The Gamekeeper at Aunsbjerg). Blicher was named after his uncle Steen Steensen who in 1752 inherited Aunsbjerg after his father. He was ennobled with the name de Steensen. When he was a child Blicher often stayed at Aunsbjerg where his aunt taught him that his "will was in her pocket". Aunsbjerg was in 1838 sold to Peter C. Neergård.

The main building - where the old wing is listed in class B - is placed upon a big motte; the old moats are partly preserved. The big cross house was probably a three storey building, but was reduced in the beginning of the 1800s by the godsslagteren (the manor slaughter) Lindahl. The north wing is built 1917-18. In the dining hall is a fireplace with the coat of arms of Peder Marsvin and Mette Brahe.

Source:
Danske slotte og heregårde, Midtjylland, bd. 13; Trap Danmark, Viborg amt;
Jytte Ortmann: Slotte og herregårde i Danmark; Niels Peter Stilling, Danmarks slotte og herregårde, 1998.


at Aunsbjerg

Names in the Middle Ages and 1600s:
Sjørslev (* 1430 Siørsløff, 1498 Sørsleff); Demstrup (* 1429, 1499 Demstrup); ØsterVandet (* 1477 Østeruandett); Mellem Vandet (1683 Middel Wandet, Mellom Wandit); Vester Vandet (1498 Vanneth, * 1512 Westerwandett); Aunsbjerg ( * 1377 Awænsberg, 1396 Awendsberg); Humle vandmølle (* 1425 Homelmølle).

In the parish was a village Skovstrup (*1329 Skoustrop marck) which was abandoned in the 1500s. The land came under Aunsbjerg. North of Demstrup was a farm Kistrup (* 1511 Kiistrup). Furthermorer is in the parish mentioned the farm Lille Medelhede (* 1496 Medelby,
* 1543 Lidell Melhede) and the house Graverhus (1683 Grafver Huus March ).

Listed prehistorics: 10 hills, of which Egenhøj at VesterVandet is rather large.
Demolished or destroyed: 85 hills, mainly in the northern part of the parish, and at several places large groups, like at Brødløsgård north of Sjørslev and northwest of Demstrup.

Source: Trap Danmark, Viborg amt, 1962.


photo Aunsbjerg/Sjørslev 2006/2008: grethe bachmann

Kettrup church /Kettrup kirke, Vester Han herred, Thisted amt.

Kettrup church in 2006, usually the tower is white-chalked.


Interior


Granite baptismal font from 1100s


Pulpit from 1573


Chessboard

Kettrup church has a Romanesque apse choir and nave, a late Gothic tower to the west and porch to the south. The Romanesque building is in granite ashlars. The granite part of the church is from the 1100s like the granite baptismal font, tower and porch in bricks are from ab. 1500.
Both doors are preserved, the south door round-arched, the north door straight. The original windows are kept in the apse and in the north wall of the choir. The apse has inside a later built monk bricks vault, while the re-walled apse arch has Romanesque kragsten. (profiled edge stones) The circular choir arch has a profiled Attic base and profiled kragsten. The Triumph wall is partly dressed in ashlars. About 1500 a late Gothic tower of the same broadth as the nave was built in re-used ashlars and yellow monk bricks. Its bottom room has an octagonal cross vault and a pointed tower arch. A door in the middle storey stands without a stairway. The smooth gable and the faced walls are probably from 1801 and the porch is very likely from the same time as the tower but without details. The building was restored in 1923-24 ( plus renovations in 2006) .On the southern wall are two chessboard patterns.

The altar piece from 1612 is a højrenæssance High Renaissance (in DK ab. 1580-1610) with Tuscany pillars . In the middle field is placed a small house altar piece from 1561, a Netherland work with biblical alabast reliefs. The Romanesque chorus arch is preserved, the stools are from the 1600s. In the middle of the altar piece is a small house altar from 1561 in alabast reliefs from the Netherlands, given to the church by the owner of the manor Aagard, who also gave the pulpit in 1573. A Romanesque granite font with a pyramid foot with archades and animal ornaments. A south German baptismal basin from ab. 1575. The pulpit is from 1573 and likely aa Aalborg-work, in ungrenæssance, early Renaissance(in DK from 1400-1500) with the coat of arms of Henrik Gyldenstierne, Lisbeth Brahe and Mette Rud. Pews from ab. 1600.-25, the upper pews with Ionian pilasters. A large, probably late Gothic coffin with heavy iron mounting and lock. A church bell from the 1300s, no inscription, Gothic shape.


Names in the Middle Ages and 1600s:
Kettrup (1401 Kætthorp, 1447 Kæætrop); Øslev (1470 Øsløff); Husby (1467 Hwsby); Trustrup (*1487 Trudstrup); Drøstrup (1458 Drostrup, 1477 Drøstrvp); Korsholm (*1320 Korsholm); Øster & Vester Keldgård ( 1488 Kielgard, 1552 Westre Kieldgaard, 1664 Øster Kieldgaard); Kragholm ( 1467 Kraagholm, Kragholm); Skærpinggård (1466 Skyerping) Studsgård ( 1664 Stubsgaard); Siggård( 1467 Siigord).

Ågård belonged for a long time to the family Gyldenstierne. The ex-marsk Erik Nielssøn Gyldenstierne of Ågård is mentioned in 1355, where he had to give the king most of his estate, while he still had Han herred and Næsbo fjerding as a vasalry of the Crown. His son Niels Erikssøn died ibefore 1388, his widow Christine was the owner of Å. in 1388. The son Peder Nielssøn (+ between 1409-1412) inherited Å., but also his brother Erik Nielssøn Gyldenstierne of Tim wrote himself as the owner of Å. in 1423 and 1426. He possibly only had a part of Å. and administered it for his brother's son, Niels Pedersøn (+ ab. 1456), who possibly was not yet of age. In the rebellion in 1441 Å. was burnt down and a contemporary tting-witness tells that Niels Pedersen "kom aff sin gardh icke wthen meth en staff i sin handh" (he was completelty ruined). He wasn't a poor man though, since he inherited much estate, i.e. in Han herred and Hannæs, and his son, rigsråd Mourits Nielssøn of Ågård (+ 1503 or 1504) was an eager collector of estates, he owned about 600 farms; i.e. in the nearby area of Ågård he inherited 76 farms. His widow Margrete Turesdatter Bielke died in 1507, and Å. went to the only child Anne Mouritsdatter, widow after Oluf Stigsøn Krognos. A few years later she married Predbjørn Claussøn Podebusk (+ 1541). Anne died in 1545, and in the division of the estate after her in 1550 her son of first marriage Mourits Olufsøn Krognos got one half of Ågård, the other half went to her only child of second marriage Jytte Predbjørnsdatter Podebusk. Her husband, the last Catholic Odense-bishop Knud Henriksøn Gyldenstierne (+ 1568), gathered Ågård estate by buying his brother-in-law's half-part. After this came the son admiral Henrik Gyldenstierne (+ 1592) and his son Knud Gyldenstierne, + childless in 1627. His widow Sophie Lindenov sold in 1630 Å. to her mother Margrete Rosenkrantz, widow after Hans Johansen Lindenov. Later various owners: family Rantzau, Benzon, Hviid, Mylius, Roulund etc.

Between the country road and the main building of Ågård is an overgrown voldsted (castle bank), a large medieval work of two almost square banks with moats, surrounded by a moor
(originally a lake), which was diked by still partly preserved dikes.On the northern bank are still raw boulder foundations and monk bricks. Probably origins from a four-winged plan, but it has not been possible to decide whether these ruins are from the building which was burnt down in 1441. In the moor are some driven in posts. The plan can be registered as a castrum-curia-plan.

In a letter from 1320 is said the Korsholm is owned by the monks of Vitskøl.

In 1467 it is witnessed that Kragholm and all its estate was given to Vor Frue altar in Kettrup Church for masses, which Mourits Nielsen Gyldenstierne of Ågård's ancestors established in the old days.

South of Kettrup is a hillside named Skt. Jørgensbjerg, where was a battle 6/6 1441 between Christoffer of Bayern and the rebellious north Jutland peasants. The peasants, who was lead by the nobleman Henrik Tagesen Reventlow, suffered a bloody defeat. A folksong accuses the morsingboer and tyboer (people from Mors and Thy) of having let down the vendelboerne (people from Vendsyssel), but this cannot be proved. 15/7 1945 a memorial was raised in Husby Hole.

Listed prehistorics: a long dolmen without a chamber at Vester Keldgård, a passage grave Klovenhøj with a 3 1/2 m long chamber with two cover stones south of Kettrup and 19 hills, of which two at Husby are rather large.
Demolished or destroyed: Not less than 126 hills, most of them on the hillside in the eastern part of the parish.

At Husby Hole was a sacred spring, Skt. Jørgens Kilde.

Source: Trap Danmark, Thisted amt, 1961.

photo 16 June 2006: grethe bachmann