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.

Falslev church / Falslev kirke, Onsild herred, Randers amt.

Falslev Church; photo stig bachmann nielsen, naturplan.dk

tympanum with two lions

Falslev church has a Romanesque choir and nave with late Gothic additions: a tower to the west and a porch to the south. The Romanesque section is in granite ashlars upon a bevel plinth. Both original doors are preserved, the bricked-up south door has a tympanum with a flat relief with two elegant lions -  it seems the north door is earlier with a lion and a bear in each of the fields, framed by narrow round sticks with band decorations. Similar decorations are seen on the windows of the choir to the east and north; the north window was bricked up in the Gothic period with a frescoe inauguration cross in the brick -  a round arch window in the north wall of the nave is bricked-up. In the south wall of the nave is an ashlar with a chessboard decoration. The choir arch inside has profiled kragbånd. The nave has a beamed ceiling, while the choir in the late Gothic period had a cross vault, probably almost contemporary to a tower of re-used ashlar material and red monk bricks. The flat-lofted bottom room of the tower opens to the nave in a present re-opened round arch. It was originally open to the west in a tall pointed arch. From the same time as the tower is the porch with a flatcurved door in a pointed mirror. It has to the west and east small flatcurved windows , bricked- up to the west. The building was repaired in 1952, there were fragments of a frescoe, dated 1574.

Romanesque communion table

Upon the Romanesque ashlar communion table stands a carpenter neo-Romanesque altarpiece with a painting of Christ, a copy from the late 1800s. The altar chalice is in Renaissance (new cup), probably contemporary to the desc, which was given in the 1600s by Niels Nielsøn and Sille Johannesdatter. Slender Baroque candelabres in brass. A Romanesque granite font with a smooth basin on a foot shaped as a cubic capital with animal heads in the corners. South German bowl from ab. 1575. The pulpit is a simple work in late Renaissance with a painted flower decoration from 1701. A money tablet from 1701 with a picture of Lazarus. Church ship: a schooner from 1892.

Ballegård belonged for a long time to the family Kruse. In 1430 it was owned by Mikkel Kruse, 1459-72  by Laurids Pedersen Kruse, then in 1479-83 by his son-in-law Anders Lounkjær and his son Peder Lauridsen Kruse 1493. The last mentioned's son Enevold Kruse was married to Kirsten Ovesdatter Reventlow, who in 1520 is written "of Balle".  Their son Christoffer Kruse, who still lived in 1543, also owned the farm, which then went to his son High Court judge Peder Kruse (+ 1562) and his children Viffert Kruse (+ 1565) and Laurids Kruse (+ 1597), who in 1582 built a halftimbered building to the farm. It was inherited after him from father to son: Mogens Kruse (+ 1624), Otto Kruse (+ 1628), Tyge Kruse (+ 1650),  his widow Margrethe Vincentsdatter Steensen pawned the farm in 1652, and the son Otto Kruse (+ 1699) sold it in 1684 to Chr. Jensen at Vivebro, who the next year sold it to Eva Margrethe Pentz, later married to the above mentioned Otto Kruse, who in 1697 conveyed B. to manager Hans Axelsen Steenberg (+ 1698), his widow Mette Graa (+ 1717), married in 1701 to Jakob Bastrup, who in 1707 conveyed B. to Anders Laursen of Tørrild  (+ 1716).

Later owners: Niels Hvass (+ 1799), Knud Høyer, Jørgen Quitzow (+ 1805), Peder Bonne, Niels Winther (+ 1852), Christoffer Berg, (+ 1855), Joh. Fr. Neckelmann (+ 1853), family Glenstrup from 1879, owner in 1963: G.V. Røien.

In Assens lived from 1467 the væbner Jep Henriksen (Kirt?). In 1494 he conveyed his farm to Mariager kloster and had in return a "life's letter" on the farm. His sister's sons Mogens and Mads Knudsen (Benderup) lived in A., where they are still mentioned in 1511. In 1520 is mentioned Knud Madsen (Benderup) in A., and in 1546 he sold the farm to his relative Peder Kruse of Ballegård, whose son's son's widow Dorte Vestenie in 1634 from her daughter-in-law Sophie Staverskov had a "life's letter" on a farm in A.

Northwest of Ballegård at the fjord a sacred spring, another spring Thekilden in the garden.

In the parish was earlier mentioned Rødehuset (1688 Røehuuset). It was by auction conveyed to kancelliråd Severin Bendtzen of Havnø by the Crown.

Listed prehistorics: At Ballegård a passage grave with a chamber with 8 supporting stones and one big cover stone and with a 6 m long entrance. And 5 longhills, 23 hills and a stone circle. All hills, of which 5 are rather large, are placed south of Assens, where is a close group of 11 hills, while 7 are more spread.

Demolished or destroyed: A dolmen chamber and 23 hills.  

In several places along the coast are or were kitchen middens. From Simons Moor origins a strange sacrifice find from early  Bronze Age, consisting of 9 bronze bowls and an arm ring with spirals. In the Cementfabric Dania's chalk pit was found a settlement from early Roman Iron Age.

Names from the Middle Ages and 1600s:
Falslev (1371 Falckløff, 1463 Falsløff); Assens (1371 Asensz, 1478 Assnes); Ballegård (1430 Baligh, 1479 Balle, 1559 Ballegaardt); Blæsborg (1634 Bleyesbierrig, 1664 Blesberig). 


Source: Trap Danmark, Randers amt, 1963.

photo January 2012: grethe bachmann and stig bachmann nielsen, naturplan.dk