Hjerk church/ Hjerk kirke, Harre herred, Viborg amt.

Hjerk church, about 16 km northwest of Skive.

 
 Hjerk parish, Harre herred, Viborg amt.
  
The church in Hjerk has a choir and a nave, a tower to the west and a porch to the south. The choir and nave are from the Romanesque period in granite ashlars upon a bevelled plinth. Upon the north side are kept to bricked-up windows and traces of a third. The north door with a cross-decorated tympanum is bricked-up.  The southside has been rebuilt, but the south door is kept. The very tall Romanesque choir arch has profiled kragsten. The choir and nave have a beamed ceiling. The tower and the porch are late Gothic addititions, both mostly in ashlars, which might origin either from a Romanesque tower or from one of the demolished churches of the district. Several ashlars -many curved - lies on the church yard. The upper section of the tower with gables north-south, is in monk bricks. The tower room has a cross vault and opens towards the nave in a round arch. The partly whitewashed church is roofed with lead. A restoration took place in 1953-54. In the tower room were found frescoes, among others two large pictures of saints (Sct. Jørgen =Georg and Sct. Morten = Martin). They are from the period close to the reformation.

The bricked communion table is surrounded by a panel from the late 1500s. The altarpiece is in Renaissance with two carved coat of arms for Jacob Høeg of Trudsholm (he was vasal at Skivehus 1596-1602) and wife Lisbeth Sehested. The altarpiece - which mid field has a painting - is restored with new decorations in 1954. An altar picture from ab. 1850 hangs now in the tower room (1962). Altar chalice from 1691 with the stamp of royal silversmith Marcus Resenhof and the coat of arms of  Wilhelm Marselius baron of Gyldenkrone. Altar candelabres from the first half of the 1600s. A Romanesque granite font with many close placed round sticks upon the basin. Upon the loft a very destroyed late Gothic crucifix. A Renaissance pulpit with a decoration from 1954. New, closed pews. Bell from 1507, cast by Peder Hansen in Flensborg with inscription. Below the choir was a burial. A Romanesque gravestone with two cross lies in front of the door of the porch.

 


















News from Hjerk church: 
There was a restoration of the church in 1999 where the colours in the church benches were attuned to the special 1770s-painting in the altarpiece. The porch was restored and here are exhibitions each year by local artists. Hjerk church and parish have some very good websites which are easy to find. They tell stories from the parish  (in Danish) and show pictures of from the exhibitions. (source: the parish)  


Bajlumgård was in 1524 owned by Niels Høeg (Banner) of Eskær. In 1594 Steen Brahe exchanged the half of B. to Ludvig Munk and Erik Lykke. The last mentioned's daughter Johanne Lykke (+ 1635) owned it in 1623, but in 1637 Gunde Rostrup sold B. to Jørgen Høeg (Banner) of Todbøl (+ 1656), in 1663 it was owned by Erik Blik of Holmgård, who in 1664 deeded it to Andreas Rhode, whose brother Rudolph Rhode in the 1670s resided here. It came later to their sister's son-in-law High Court Judge Christoffer Bartholin (+ 1714); in 1688 B. is mentioned as "a poorly place and not quite close to being a farm", in 1689-91 it was leased to Chr. Gjedde of Skivehus; Chr. Bartholin complemented the farm in 1700, and his heirs sold it 1727 to their brother-in-law captain Peter Fürst (+ 1732), whereeafter it the same year was sold to his brother-in-law Selio Müller of Lønborggård, who in 1740 sold it to Peder Panderup. He sold it in 1744 to Niels Bang, who 1755 sold it without estate to Niels Stefansen Tang (+ 1789), whose son Stefan Tang owned it till his death in 1827. In an auction after him it was bought in 1830 by Chr. Gjørup in Skive, but in 1836 it belonged to Jens Nielsen Ladefoged  - in 1841 to his son Jens Tang (+ 1865), then to his son Christian Tang (+ 1904), whose son Niels Tang in 1909 sold B. to a consortium, which in 1911 sold it to Peter Hansen Knudsen, whose son Henning Knudsen took it over in 1959.

Vium mølle (mill) was by hr. Niels Nielsen in 1400 deeded to Stig Munk.   

Listed prehistorics: 6 hills among, those Store Tophøj east of Bajlum and a hill southwest of the church, both large.
Demolished or destroyed: 35 hills.

 In Hjerk nor (nor = land tongue) was found an important settlement from the Ertebølle culture and a kitchen midden in the edge of the beach.

Names from the Middle Ages: Over Hjerk (1375 Hernick, 1488 Hyerk, 1494 Offuerhierck); Neder Hjerk (1494 Neyræhierck); Vium (1400 Vyvm); Bajlum (1420 Bodum, 1474 Balum, 1546 Baylom); Gedeløkke (1546 Giedeløche); Bajlumgård (1524 Balom(m)gardt); Viumgård (1500s Wium gard); Vium vandmølle (1463 Viiummøll).


Source: Trap Danmark, Viborg amt, 1962.

photo: borrowed from Google earth 2013, gb

Oddense church/ Oddense kirke, Hindborg herred, Viborg amt.

Oddense church, ab. 10 km northwest of Skive.

Oddense parish, Hindborg herred, Viborg amt.

Contrary to traditions of the local district the church in Oddense is rather large. It lies upon a flat hill in the parish town with a Romanesque choir and nave and a late Gothic western tower and a porch to the north. Choir and nave are built in granite ashlars upon a profiled plinth. From original details is the choir arch kept with profiled kragbånd, the bricked-up east window of the choir and two bricked-up windows to the north, - and the broad south portal of the nave with a flat monolite lintel, which is carried by two free columns with rough capitals. An ashlar with a lion figure in deep relief is inserted in the northern part of the triumph arch. From the northern portal, or maybe from a priest door upon the northside of the choir - which lintel still is on its place in the strongly re-built wall work - origin two high ashlars with elegant column decorations, which bear reminders about the wooden architecture, now bricked-in at the south side of the tower. At the north side of the choir were during a restoration in 1956 discovered foundations from a medieval sacristy. In the late Middle Ages were in the nave built three bays star vaults upon projecting pillars. The tower has smooth gables north-south ; it is built in monk bricks above re-used ashlars from the western gable of the nave. There is access to the other storeys via a free staircase to the north. The tower room, which is connected to the nave by a low, point arched arcade, has an original cross vault, re-walled in 1871. The large porch in monk bricks has a gable with broad point arched glares. In Pont. Atlas 1768 is mentioned two porchs.  The whole church is lead roofed. The porch and the upper section of the tower are white-washed.

Upon the star vault of the nave is a rich decoration of interesting frescoes from the reformation period with inscriptions in Danish and Latin, painted by the same master as the frescoes in Torum church (Salling Nørre herred). There are biblical scenes and folklore legends with devils etc. In the western bay are naive Evangelist pictures,which were painted in 1878, when the old paintings became the subject to a restoration by a local painter, which could be characterized as a ruthless overpainting. Paintings by this restorator are also found below in the eastern vault. 

 

A pretty communion table panel from ab. 1650 with original paintings in the arcade fields. Altarpiece from 1602, painting from ab. 1800 in the big field. Ore candelabres  from 1550-1600. A large Romanesque granite font with roundstick around the smooth basin. Pulpit in rural Renaissance with Evangelist-pictures from ab. 1700 in the big fields. Pretty benches from the late 1800s with new colours. Iron bound fattigblok ( box for money-collection for the poor). Series pastorum in the tower room. Bell 1802, cast by Reimer in Randers, hangs in an old bell frame. In the brick-up in the south door is a large cross-decorated gravestone in Romanesque type. Upon the church yard a large worn out gravestone from the 1700s for a member of the family Sadolin. Neo Gothic portal with driving-gate at the western dike.

Saustrup was in 1455 by Peder Nielsen pawned to bishop Knud in Viborg. In 1519 it was inhabited by a peasant. I 1661 it was divided in two farms, which by the Crown were laid out to hr. Ove Giedde's heirs. His great-grandchild Dorte Giedde (+ 1743) was married to captain Niels Høeg (Banner) (+ 1725), who lived here in 1716, while she as widow lived her in 1728. In 1780 it was divided in Over Saustrup and Neder Saustrup, which by Johs. Hansen were sold to Axel Rosenkrantz Lasson of Astrup, who sold them before 1791. 

Bligård was in 1514 by Henrik Steen sold to bishop Erik Kaas.

Torsmark (earlier Torshøj) belonged from ab. 1850 the family Ladefoged; in 1954 it was taken over by A. Wibholm.

Hindborg herred's tingsted (judicial place for the thing) was possibly before 1688 south of Oddense church (close to the church lies Tinghøj).

Listed prehistorics: one longhill and 19 hills, of which several are rather large: one north of Næstild, two south of Kåstrup, one east of Oddense, two west of Vestergårde, the large Ravnshøj upon  Torsmark, Elsehøj north of Saustrup and Tinghøj south of Oddense.

Demolished or destroyed: 106 hills and longhills; they were placed close in Frammerslev and around Oddense and Saustrup.


Names in the Middle Ages: Oddense (1410 Otenssogen, 1479 Otthensæ); Frammerslev (1464 Frammeszløff, 1524 Frammersløff); Næstild (1410 Nestill, ab. 1525 Nestildt); Kåstrup (1524 Kastrop); Lille Ramsing (1589 Lille Ramsing); Vestergårde (1524 Vestergarde, -gardt); Saustrup (1519 Saustrup); Saustrupgård (1455 Saustrups gard); Bligård (1514 Bligard).

GB

Source: Trap Danmark, Viborg amt 1962. 

photo: borrowed from Google, gb

 
    

Tørring church / Tørring kirke, Skodborg herred, Ringkøbing amt.

Tørring Church ab. 6 km west of Lemvig
Tørring sogn, Skodborg herred, Ringkøbing amt.

The high-placed church in Tørring has a Romanesque choir and nave with a late Gothic tower to the west. The Romanesque building is built in granite ashlar with double plinth. Both doors are bricked-up, besides are two bricked-up windows, one in the south wall of the nave, another in the choir to the north. In the south wall of the choir is a low-placed "spedalskhedsvindue"(leprosy-window) formed by two monolit cover stones. In the south wall of the nave are besides several ashlars with stone mason fields a stone with a pretty engraved cross. The original choir arch has profiled kragbånd. The nave has a beamed ceiling, and in the choir was built a cross vault in the late Gothic period. The late Gothic tower is built in monk bricks, re-used ashlars and granite boulders; it has a cross vaulted bottom room, which is furnished as a porch, since the pointed tower arch is out-walled with a door. A very low flat-curved door in the northeast corner of the room leads to the stair tower. The walls of the tower are mostly face walled, but the north gable still stands with six cut højblændinger(blænding = drawn-back area) and visible foot timber. At the reformation was in the north side of the nave inserted large flat-curved windows while the south side are from the late 1800s, when the gable top of the choir was re-walled in small bricks.



The communion table is covered in a panel from the middle of the 1600s with portal fields and baluster profiled pilasters. The altar piece is a simple Renaissance triptychon from 1601, given by Ove Lykke. It has paintings from 1673 in the wings. In the large field is a simple painting from ab. 1850 and in the top field a painting from 1814. A Baroque chalice from ab.1675, a Viborg-work by Peder Rasmussen. Heavy Baroque candelabres ab. 1650. A Romanesque granite font in West Jutland sepal-type. A small south German bowl ab. 1550-75 . A pulpit in Renaissance, ab. 1625, with volut pillars and portal fields, where in 1922 were painted copies of the Evangelispictures from the pulpit in Bøvling Church. Bell from 1506 with a long minuskelinscription in Latin, which mentions John the Baptist who is the saint of the church. It was probably cast by Peter Hansen. In the foot wall of the tower are two Romanesque granite grave stones and in the tower room two worn-out 1700s grave stones.



Vadskærgård belonged in the 1300s to Christiern Nielsen, who sold it to Jep Olsen Lunge. Later it belonged to Niels Friis, who is mentioned 1522, his son Godske Friis 1540-84 and his son Jørgen F. inherited the farm and bought likewise more estate for it, before he died unmarried 1661. It then went to his brothers' sons Otte Friis of Astrup and Mogens Friis, who later founded Frijsenborg and in 1662 bought Otte's halfpart of V. and some estate. In 1663 he exchanged the farm to rigsadmiral Ove Gjedde's heirs, of whom the son amtmand Knud Giedde (later of Hastrup, + 1707) became the sole owner. Later owners: Lange, Gjerum Holm, Levetzau, Dahl, Vadum, Gleerup, Andrup, Nyboe, Agger. Outparcelled by Jordlovsudvalget in the 1950s. Main parcel was owned by A. Lindemann and F. Lind Pedersen. The main building was built in 1860 by J.C. Agger.

In 1497 Søren Stygge of Søgård at Holmsland gave his rights in his farm "Sø" in Tørring sogn (parish) to Gudum kloster. In 1499 it was owned by Erik Ottesen Rosenkrantz of Boller. in1770 it was under Vadskærgård.

The main farm Sø was situated at the eastern section of Hornsø, where is seen an oblong rise just at the foot of the slope. When building a border dike here were found granite boulders and monk bricks, and at the edge of the lake found oak posts. The visible traces on the spot does not tell anything about the disappeared plan's character. A little east of this was a water-mill.

Upon a field at Halgård was according to Resens Atlas found a sacred well, Hr. Rafns Kild.

In a hill, named "Trollehøy" at Gjellerø (now Gjeller Odde) was said to be found in ab. 1600 a large bunch of "lædermønter" (leather coins) and gold coins.

From disappeared farms in the parish is Stjerneborg (1581 Sternborg); Brandsgård (1642 Brandtzgaard), Sig (1664 Siig); Gamsmark ( 1664 Gamsmarck) and Bremsløv (1664 Bremszløff). Furthermore the house Kneberholm (1688 Kneberholms Huusz). Underbjerg was also earlier named Tørringbjerg (1595 Under Thøringbierigh).


The railway Vemb-Lemvig-Thyborøn runs through the parish

A railway station named Victoria Street Station

Names in the Middle Ages and 1600s:
Tørring ( 1330-48 Tiringh, 1482 Tøring); Balleby ( 1523 Bolliby, 1595 Balbye); Gransgårde (1595 Grandtzbøll, 1664 Granndtzgaard); Underbjerg ( 1642 Under bierig); Lomforbæk (1595 Lombforbeck); Søgårde ( * 1462 Søegaardtz jordt); Kokholm (1547 Kockholm); Kallesø (* 1499 Kalsøø, 1558 Kallidsøe); Vadskærgård ( * ab. 1400 Vaseker, Vasekær, 1531 Waskiergaard, Weskergord); Lykkesgård (1628 Lyckisgaard); Ager (1638 Auer); Halegård (1638 Halgaard); Eskebæk (1638 Eskibeck); Nørkær (1638 Ved Kiær); Sejbjerg (1638 Seibiere); Lindskrog (1664 Lindz Krog); Stor (1664 Stoer); Veje (1614 Veye); Poldbjerg (1604 Pølborrig, 1688 Polborre boell); Bæksgård (1638 Begsgaard); Lovmandsgård ( 1549 Mattis Laamannds gaardt, 1638 Loumandsgaard); Hummersgård (1549 Las Hommers gårde,1638 Hummersgaardt).

Listed prehistorics: 18 hills, mainly on the hills north and east of Tørring Church, partly east and southeast of Kokholm. Several are rather large, like: 3 hills, i.e. Bavnehøj north of the church, Kløvenhøj at Kokholm and 3 hills west of Kallesø.
Demolished or destroyed: 27 hills. - In the small moor Sortkær southeast of Kallesø was found a clay vessel with 1800 amber pearls from the beginning of late Stone Age. In a hill at Nr. Kokholm was found a very rich grave from early Bronze Age, with sword and skaftehulsøkse ( axe) in bronze.

Source: Trap Danmark, Ringkøbing amt,1965.


photo Tørring kirke/ Thyborøn jernbane 2003: grethe bachmann

Skallerup church / Skallerup kirke, Vennebjerg herred, Hjørring amt

Skallerup Church, ab. 10 km west of Hjørring
Skallerup sogn, Vennebjerg herred, Hjørring amt.

Chessboard pattern

Skallerup church is situated a few km from the north sea behind the inland dunes. North of the church was the village Skallerup, which has disappeared like many other villages in the area caused by the sand drift. The church has a Romanesque choir and nave, a western tower, sacristi and porch from the late Gothic period. The Romanesque building is in granite ashlars, the north door is walled-in while the extended south door is still in use. Two round-curved monolit-cover stones from two original windows are placed in the south wall of the choir. A chessboard pattern in the wall of the nave.The round choir arch inside is preserved. The cross vaulted sacristi in monk bricks and ashlars was added in the late Gothic period and at almost at the same time the tower was built to the west. Its bottom room opens to the nave in a pointed arch.The church bells han g in a bell frame. the whole building was restored in 1942. On several occassions , latest in 1910 and 1939, were found badly preserved late Gothic frescoes which were covered in white-wash again.

The communion table in ashlars has a niche for hiding and a reliquary in the top plate. The altar piece is a Lutheranian triptychon from 1600 is placed by Hans Rosenberg like the pulpit from 1605, both probaby from Niels Ibsen's workshop. A half-circular basin upon a round foot. (baptismal font). A fine late Gothic choir arch crucifix, repaired in 1914. A pretty late Gothic cupboard from 1529 with a minuskel-inscription stands in the choir, where is also a large painted anetavle (genealogical table) with 62 coat of arms for the ancestors of Hans Wulf Unger of Villerup and his wife Berete Kaas, who with other members of the family were buried under the choir. Some coffin plates are preserved from the 1600s and 1700s. At the church yard a Romanesque grave stone with a curved top. Bell 1) 1562 2) 1789 from Bakker, Rotterdam, saved in 1875 from the wreck "The Crescent".



Dunes with an access to the sea.

Names in the Middle Ages and 1600s:
Skallerup (* 1413 Skelrum, 1433 Scheldorp); Sønderlev (1325 Synderlyugh); Nørum (*1471 Nørrum); Villerup (*1436 Willerup); Størup (1484 Størop); Hunderup (1355 Hundorp); Klitgård (1662 Klitten).

A Petrus Niclessun de Synderlyngh is mentioned in 1325. In 1438 rigsråd Jakob Nielsen Basse of Nielstrup (Sunds herred)(+ earliest 1439), conveyed Synderleffgaard and more estate in Vennebjerg herred and Jerslev herred to bishop Gert (Gerhardt) of Børglum )(+1452). In 1534 came Sønderlev by law to Børglum kloster estate.
Villerup was already a main farm in the late Middle Ages, and according to tradition it belonged to hr. Stig Pedersen (Skovgaard), who lived in the beginning of the 1300s and was a høvedsmand for Vendelbo ships. From him the farm came to his son hr. Niels Stigsen Skovgaard, whose daughter Kirsten Nielsdatter Skovgaard ( died as a widow earliest 1361) by marriage brought Villerup and Linderumgård to her husband Otte Eriksen Lunov (+ latest 1361). One of their daughters Nille Ottesdatter Lunov was married to Jens Havgaard, who thus got a part of V. ; another daughter seems to have married Henrik Clausen Smalsted (+ earliest 1435) whose son Otte Henriksen smalsted in 1436 wrote himself of Villerup. Various owners: Smalsted, Friis, Kaas (Sparre-K.), Unger, Giedde, etc.

The farms Knolde and Størup belonged in the end of the 1400s to some noble siblings of the family Palnesen, Kalli Palnesen, who already in 1469 lived in K.; the væbner Niels Palnesen (+ latest 1487), who in 1484 wrote himself of K. and then pawned Størup to Økloster; Mogens Palnesen in K. who in 1480 sold his part of Knolde and Knolde estate to Vil Thomesen Galskyt of Odden; Karine Palnesdatter, who in 1486 was married to herredsfoged in Vennebjerg herred Thomas Sivordsen (+ earliest 1515) and Dorte Palnesdatter (+ bef. 1505), married to selvejerbonden Ilfar Eskesen in Brøndum (Kollerup parish). Kalli Palnesens daughter Anne Kallisdatter married Peder Terkelsen who in 1501 conveyed the last family-rights in the two farms. Various owners later.

In 1400 Johannes Nikkelsen (Jens Nielsen?) wrote himself of Nørlev. In 1434 Erik Iversen conveyed a farm in Nørlev to the Børglum bishop. In 1456 bishop Jakob (Jep) Friis gave a Nørlev-farm of Børglum bishopric to Maren Pedersdatter, widow after the væbner Anders Thomesen of Ormholt (Dronninglund herred) and her son Lars Nielsen for life-time, when she gave Ormholt to the bishopric. In 1496 and 1500 is mentioned Christen Berg in Nørlev, he had a rose in his coat of arms. In 1532 Hans Rytsland had livsbrev (stay for life) upon one of the copyhold farms of the Crown in "Nørløng" in Vennebjerg herred.

Niels Jonsen wrote himself in 1380 of Torstrup, he was taken under protection by king Oluf. In 1440 Jes Andersen is mentioned in Torstrup, he was endowed for life with Dalsmølle and Skielledal by Hundslund kloster. In 1480 Boel Jensdatter conveyed Torstrupgård and other estate to the same kloster, and it is probably this farm which is mentioned when Jens Rugtved in 1509 was endowed with Tolstrup/Torstrup by the kloster.

The parish suffered during the 1500s and 1600s by the sand drift. Several towns disappeared completely. The villages Skallerup north of the church , Ajstrup (1506 Aystrup) and Torstrup (* 1440 Tostrup, 1452 Torstrup), and several farms and water mills.

Listed prehistorics: Staghøj, a hill upon the former vicarage-area.
Demolished or destroyed: At Mellemmølle was a stone grave and possibly also some stone graves in the dunes; furthermore 9 hills. - In several places in the dune area to the west are noted settlements from late Stone Age. North of Nørlev a stone grave from early Roman Iron Age has been examined.

Source: Trap Danmark, Hjørring amt, 1960.


photo Skallerup June 2003: grethe bachmann