Hjermitslevgård and Tolstrup church, Vendsyssel

Before: Tolstrup sogn, Børglum herred, Hjørring amt
Now: Region Nordjylland, Brønderslev kommune, Tolstrup sogn 


Hjermitslevgaard is the easternest estate in Øster Hjermitslev village. Hjermitslevgaard was  already in ab. year 1400 a noble farm which belonged to Niels Vognsen of a noble family with three blue male heads in their coat of arms. He and his wife Ingerd Hermansdatter Flemming Pennow, (who was widowed in 1425) gave a farm in Øster Hjermitslev to Tolstrup kirke. His son Morten Nielsen Vognsen became the owner after his father. He was written to Hjermitslevgaard in 1444. He had 6 children,who probably all had a part in the estate. Niels Mortensen was probably the first owner. He had a feud with Børglum kloster. Another owner, his brother Vogn Mortensen was in 1491 at the king's court to bring a case against Børglum kloster, but the kloster won. A sister Ingerd Mortensdatter - married to Niels Pedersen Skovgaard of Egebjerg -  had also a part in Hjermitslevgaard, like another sister, Ide Mortensdatter - who was married to Thord Roed of Vaarst. Their daughter fru Maren Thordsdatter  let "occupy" the estate for her and her children. Finally a brother to the first mentioned,  Johan Mortensen Vognsen had a part in the estate, where he lived in 1481, it seems like he outbought his co-heirs.

farm building

Johan was married to Mette Jensdatter Rotfeld and had  two children, a daughter Anne who was married to the above mentioned Thomas Thordsen and a son Morten Johansen who got Hjermitslevgaard. He drowned in Sweden in 1498 together with his father-in- law. Morten Johansen was married to Dorte Jespersdatter Lunov from Aalegaard. She lived as a widow in 1542: She and Morten had three daughters. Kirsten was married to a common citizen Claus Dytmærsk in Aalborg (he could not own free estate) so Hjermitslevgaard went to the two other daughters, Mette and Anne. Anne was married to Svend Orning of Eget, and Mette was married the first time to Bagge Pallesen Griis of Slettegaard, who in 1534 was bishopric vasal at Klarupgaard. When the North Jutlanders rebelled in 1534 under skipper Clement and burnt down both Hjermitslevgaard and Klarupgaard, Bagge wanted to take revenge. He tried during a conversation to encount his daggert into skipper Clement, but Clement wore a breastplate under his doublet, so the attack failed, whereafter Bagge took fligth out of Aalborg. He almost escaped his persecutors, but a shoemaker Peder Beske threw a tile in his head, and shortly after he was found dead in Hasseris kær. (a wet area outside Aalborg.)

The remains of Hjermitslevgaard.

 Bagges widow, Mette Mortensdatter married  after 1537 Jens Thomesen Dan. He was probably from Albjerg in Torslev parish, and he was written of Hjermitslevgaard in 1568 and 1582. Jens and Mette gave the present altar candelabres to Tolstrup kirke, where they probably are buried. Mette had with Bagge Griis a daughter, Karen who died before 1568 and a son Morten Baggesen Griis who died young. Fru Mette resided as an old lonely widow at Hjermitslevgaard, which she sold in 1587 to governor in Norway, Enevold Kruse who died 1621 as the owner of many estateas and manors. He was married to Else Jørgensdatter Marsvin who died in 1632. They probably built the bricked house to the west of the castle yard which still exists, and probably also two timbered houses in the castle yard with towers and spires and surrounded by moats. Enevold Kruse had 10 children. His son Jørgen Kruse inherited Hjermitslevgaard. He was born ab. 1597. During his ownership were three hostile attacks in Jutland which undoubtedly destroyed his economy -although the  tradition says it was alchymi - which as known ruined his son-in-law Valdemar Daa.


In 1668 Hjermitslevgaard was taken over by the Crown, the manor was sold and had various owners, in 1678 the wellknown witch hunter Jørgen Arenfelt of Rugaard. In 1988 Carl Felician Szabad, in 2000 Søren von Dosenrode.


Hjermitslevgaard is listed. 

Tolstrup church

Tolstrup kirke  was built between 1150-1200. Until year 1921 it belonged to Birkelse estate. In 1939 the church is mentioned as newly restored, probably after the new tower was built. The church has a Romanesque choir and nave and a late Gothic porch at the northside and the bottom part of a Gothic tower upon which was built a new tower in 1937. The Romanesque sections are in granite ashlars which on the southern side rests upon a plinth and on the nave with a profiled plinth. The choir had originally an apse and the walls are mostly rebuilt. Above the north door is a tympanum with a carved cross, while a similiar tympanum with a relief cross from the demolished south door stands upon the church yard west of the tower. The nave has a beamed ceiling, the choir a late Gothic eight divided vault..

In the choir was a window in the eastern gable, which outside is bricked up with granite a ashlars, but inside is marked in granite ashlars. The porch is in ashlars and monk bricks upon a profiled plinth. The upper section of the gable with glares and steps is new. The late Gothic tower was probably about 1770 demolished down to the height of the nave, and the church was without tower until 1937, when a new tower was built upon the old tower base.

Interior
Triptycon altar piece createde by Svend Engelund from 1984. The altar piece from the late 1880s is in the chapel. Some late Gothic figures from a disappeared altar piece are now in the National Museum. The chalice was given by Ove Skeel and Sophie Hedvig Rantzau, the baluster shaped ore candelabres were given by Jens Thomesen Dan and Mette Mortensdatter Vognsen, Hjermitslevgaard. The simple Romanesque granite font upon a circular foot stands in the western part of the nave. The pulpit is a good joinery in Renaissance from 1612 with a contemporary sounding board. A late Gothic crucifix. The church bell without signature is from late Gothic period about 1450-1500. Below the choir is a closed burial vault for the owners of Hjermitslevgaard. In the choir a figure stone for jomfru Anne Mortensdatter Vognsen and for manager at Hjermitslevgaard, Christen Christensen  Solholdt. Epitafs for manager Peder Thomsen Kiærulf and wife and for parish priest Niels Ifversen and Jens Jessen.

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

Hune church, ab. 22 km southwest of Hjørring.

Hune parish, Hvetbo herred, Hjørring amt. 

Hune church is inaugurated to Vor Frue (Our Lady). It has a nave, a choir with apse, a west tower and a porch to the south.The nave, choir and apse are Romanesque and built in granite ashlars upon a bevelled plinth, the apse has a double plinth with profiles. The southern walls have newer windows, but the north side has traces after the original, now bricked-up windows. The north, square door is bricked-up after 1642, the south door is still in use. In the north wall of the choir is a low-placed, small, now bricked-up wall opening, which might have been a leprosy window. The tower is mostly built in bricks in the Gothic period, in same broadth as the nave and straight gables west-east. A staircase on the west wall of the tower. The upper section of the tower was later re-walled  and made lower. The overvaulted tower room, which has a pointed arch towards the nave, is now used as a burial chapel and is separated from the nave by a new brick wall. Probably at the same time as the building of the tower the church was overvaulted, and the rather high, vaulted porch was added. The original Romanesque triumph arch divides the three vault-bays of the nave (rib-vaults) from the one vault of the choir. The apse, which original vault is rebuilt in the Gothic period, is a half rib vault is now separated from the choir by a barrier wall and is used as a sacristy. The church was restored in 1937.

Interior:
The communion table is granite. The altarpiece from 1850 with a painting signed Vige 1909. Late Gothic candelabres, chalice and dish from the 1600s. An oblat box in silver, given by Jens Gleerup of Lundergaård in 1760 (with inscription). A Romanesque font with a rope stick. A late Gothic Maria figure is set up in the nave. A late Gothic Christ figure was given to Vendsyssels historiske Museum in 1932. A grey-painted pulpit from the late 1700s. Upon the north wall of the nave hangs the original altarpicture. A late medieval bell in the tower without inscription.

News since 1960: The late Gothic Christ figure which was given to Vendsyssel Museum in 1932 has now returned to Hune church and was in 1992 placed upon the wall above the altar table. 


Memorials: 

Epitaph in marble in the choir for the priest Hans Winde and wife, (both + 1741), set up by Laurids Winde 1772. Under the epitaph is inserted an oak plate, set up in 1774 by the parish clerks Christen and Jens Winde. In the choir a gravestone for ship-trader Svend Bondrup (+ 1789) and wife. A Romanesque gravestone with a carved cross is inserted in the wall of the porch. Another lies south of the nave.

Runestone:
In the tower room stands a runestone from the Viking period, which inscription is: "Hove, Thorkil og Thorbjørn satte deres fader Rumulf den rådsnildes sten." ("Hove, Thorkil and Thorbjørn raised this stone for their father Rumulf the Clever." )




Upon a farm in Hunetorp lived in the 1600s some nobles, like before 1626 Vogn Krag (Kid) (+ earliest 1657) of Nørgård in Svenstrup (Hjortdal parish), m. to Anne Pallesdatter Griis of Slettegård (+ earliest 1653); ab. 1656 lived in H. fru Maren Henriksdatter Krag (+ latest 1669), widow after Bagge Griis of Slette (+ ab. 1635), who was the brother of above mentioned fru Anne. She married since Niels Fredberg of Fredbjerggård and Trinderup (Onsild herred) ( + earliest 1652). Her daughter (of 1 marriage) Kirsten Baggesdatter Griis was m. to John Finlasson Scott (+ 1713), who lived at the farm in H. and probably bought out his co-heirs in ab. 1664. In 1679  they moved from H. , probably to Gundestrup in Skræm parish, their son Jørgen or (Johan) Scott( + 1733), sold in 1727 a farm in H. where he probably had resided.

landscape , Blokhus, photo 2011: grethe bachmann

From disappeared farms of Hune parish: Maegård was in 1611 destroyed by the sand drift, Bjørnsgård even sooner, but it is still mentioned in 1679. Klitgård was the old vicarage of the parish, but already in 1571 much dilapidated by the sand drift; in 1690 it was only a house, the name exists still in 1714. Trudsholm is in 1611 mentioned as a farm, in 1662 as a lesser house, it is probably identical with Storkborg. 
 

Hune kro (inn) was established in 1858,but was in 1892 moved to Pandrup.

Blokhus Mølle ( a weather mill )was mentioned already in 1688. At Blokhus bæk (brook) was until ab. 1885 a small valkemølle (fulling cloth).  

Blokhus 2011, photo: grethe bachmann

At Pirupshvarre was in the beginning of the 1800s upon Lien a guard shack and an alarm pole,  from where was lookout for hostile ships.

In Hunetorp was in 1958 by National Museum brought to light some farm sites from the Renaissance.

Klitgårds badehotel is not a typical representative of the North Jutland farms, but it stands with solid timbered outbuildings, of which the eastern originally was a living house and the western contained store rooms as a memory about the ship-traders' farms in the 1700s and 1800s in the coast cities of Vendsyssel.

In Hune parish were besides the above mentioned farms Bjørnsgård, Trudsholm, (1662 Rruds Holmen), Klitgård (1688 Klit Gaard) and Maegård (1688 Morgaard, 1722 Maagaard) also the farm Løkkegård (1665 Lyckegaard) and the houses mentioned in 1662: Schallebore and Broerbech.    

Blokhus, tourist shop, photo 2011: grethe bachmann

In Aalborg's lensregnskab (the vasalry's account of Aalborg) from the beginning of the 1600s is mentioned "Blokhuset", probably established ab. 1600 as a warehouse for the beginning skudehandel (barge trade) with Norway. It grew quickly into a small town, which in the 1700s was as profitable as Løkken.

The Hune parish was in its time very fertile and well populated with "7 farms resided by aristocracy", but the sand drift had harrassed the parish already 300 years ago, in 1582 is said that the parish "mestendels var ødelagt af sandflugt" ( mostly was destroyed by sand drift). 

Southwest of the church was until ab. 1870 a square stone setting called Tingstedet ,  which  might have been the original Thing place of the parish.

Listed prehistorics: 6 hills, among these are 4 rather large, like Storhøj at Ribergårde. 
Demolished or destroyed: two long dolmens and 39 hills, almost all in the northern part of the parish. At a large stone were found 6 uncut, thicknecked flintaxes, and at Stenmark were partly found a collected find of a spear  head and a pålstav (little axe), partly several early Roman period's stone graves.

Memorial for the author Thomas Olesen Løkken 1957 at the road between Hune and Blokhus.


Names from the Middle Ages and 1600s:  Hune kirke (1400 Hone); Blokhus (1688 Bloch Huusene); Hunetorp (1340 Houetorp/Honetorp); Pirup (1356 Pipetorp, 1471 Pirop); Pirupshvarre (1662 Huarit); Engesgård (1662 Engisgaard); Gl. Ulvholm (1610 Wldholm); Holmegård (1688 paa Holmen); Hedegård (1662 Heegaard); Brogård (1626 Sønderbroegaard, Nørbroegaard); Buj (1463 Nør-, Synder Buye, 1466 Kierling Buye, 1662 Bui); Hvarregård (1610 Huarregaard); Brogård (1638 Brogaard); Krattet (1638 Krattid).


 Source: Trap Danmark, Hjørring amt, 1960.

photo Hune church, borrowed from Google earth 2013, gb. 
photo Blokhus and landscape 2011: grethe bachmann 

Bejstrup church / Bejstrup kirke, Øster Han herred, Hjørring amt

Bejstrup church, ab. 10 km southeast of Fjerritslev
Bejstrup sogn, Øster Han Herred, Hjørring amt.


The tower is rather big for a village church. The bottom part built in granite boulders ends in a fine archade - and the upper part of the square tower is built in 'monk-bricks'. Originally the tower was entirely built in granite boulders. Notice the triangular stone mason mark above the archade.

Bejstrup village church is a socalled 'Forhalskirke' (church with a front hall/vestibule). On occasions the parish priest is arranging evening songs in candle light in the big tower hall, since it invites for special arrangements.
Bejstrup Church was in the Catholic period inaugurated to St. Nicolaus. It has a Romanesque nave and choir, a later added western tower and a late Gothic porch to the north. The nave and choir is built in granite ashlars . Three original windows are on the north side, one in the choir and two in the nave are in use, the north door too, while the south door is an inside glare. The large choir arch with profiled kragsten is preserved. In the late Middle Ages was built a cross vault in the choir. The nave has a flat beamed ceiling. The tower is an interesting piece of Romanesque architecture. The bottom storey is built in granite ashlars upon a profiled double plinth. In several ashlars are carved crosses and other figures. The outer walls are ornamented with slender round arched archade glares. A western pillar portal forms an entrance to the tower room, which is equipped as a front hall and connected to the nave in two round arched arcades, supported by one heavy square pillar. Upon one of the ashlars in this pillar is a carved a swastika.

Stone figures at the bottom of a pillar. On the corner a human face.


Chessboard Pattern
The tower room is vaulted with four cupola vaults. In the northwest corner is built-in a stairway to the next storey, where the original look is unknown, since the upper section of the tower already in the Middle Ages was completely re-built in a mix of granite boulders and bricks. Until 1874 the tower had a gable roof, and upon the south side was the year 1797. Caused by dilapidation the whole tower was demolished in 1874. The bottom section was re-built with retention of all original details, while the upper section was re-newed in red bricks and was equipped with a four-sided pyramid spire. The porch was re-built contemporary, it is mostly in granite ashlars which probably origin from the original upper section of the tower.

An inside restoration was made in 1940. The walled communion table is covered in a pine panel. The altar piece is a protestantic triptychon from the end of the 1500s, in the middle field a painting from 1770. Altar candelabres of a late Gothic type. A Romanesque granite font. The baptismal bowl has the year 1689. A pulpit from 1584 with the name of a priest Thomis Pedersøn. The pews are re-newed from 1940. A church bell from 1640. Gravestones from the 1600s on the church yard, one grave stone with an indistinct inscription, probably from 1379. Several old church yard monuments, i.e. cast iron crosses in the eastern section of the church yard. A grave tree from 1822 and a child's grave tree are now at Nordjyllands Historiske Museum.

The tower room is a big hall to which an entrance leads from outside via a port of pillars. The entrance to the apse goes from the hall through two archade openings. The granite baptismal font is the oldest inventory from the first existence of the church. The pulpit is from 1584.
Upon the granite walls of Bejstrup church are many interesting stone figures and stone mason marks.



Bejstrup church

Names in the middle ages:
Bejstrup (1371 Bysdrop, 1410 Beesthorp); Manstrup (1462 Manstrup); Blegebrønde (1552 Blegebryundtt); Tanderupgård (1458 Tandrvp gardh); Sønderstrup (1477 Soønderstrvp).
The Børglum bishop had in the last half of the 1000s undoubtedly a farm in Bejstrup parish. Bejstrup's medieval name was 'Biskopstorp'. In 1086 Knud IV (den Hellige) stayed at the fortification Aggersborg, from where he wanted to gather a Viking fleet for England, but his hard methods made the Viking chiefs furious, and they chased him out of Aggersborg. Knud took temporary cover in Biskopstorp before he crossed Limfjorden by Aggersund and fled from his pursuers all the way through Jutland and to Odense, where he was murdered in the cathedral.

At Tanderupgård died in 1623 Niels Nielsen Griis. In 1664 it was owned by Knud Seefeld of Oksholm. In 1683 it was used by Niels Jensen Manstrup (+1702), whose widow Else Pallesdatter Griis (of Slettegård) in 1703 bought it from Anders Kjærulf of Bjørnsholm; she died the same year, but was then engaged to Peder Laursen Rod, the above mentioned Niels Jensen Manstrup's brother's son, who took copyhold of T. and ab. 1720 bought it for himself.

Nørgård in Bejstrup village was in 1664 owned by Jens Pedersen Rod and Hans Mandixen, or his widow Birgitte Ladebur. In 1688 it was owned by Laurs Jensen Rod etc., his daughter Karen Laursdatter Rod was married to tenant at Ågård and Ålegård Jacob Baltsersen (+ 1716).

Listed prehistorics: a two chambered long dolmen Grønhøj and a dolmen chamber, both at Bejstrup; at Manstrup one 70 m long longhill, possibly a long dolmen, where the stones have been removed. Furthermore 19 hills of which two at Blegebrønde and Manstrup are rather large.
Demolished or destroyed: 5 long dolmens, of which Mulhøj with a pentagonal chamber, a passage grave with a side chamber at Manstrup and 3 indefinable stone graves, furthermore 30 hills.
Source: Trap Danmark, Hjørring amt, 1960.

photo Bejstrup 170606: grethe bachmann