Skals church / Skals kirke, Rinds herred, Viborg amt.

Skals church, ab. 10 km north of Viborg.

Skals parish, Rinds herred, Viborg amt. 

Skals church has a Romanesque choir and nave with late Gothic additions: a tower to the west, a porch to the south and a cross arm to the north. The Romanesque building is in granite ashlars upon a karnis-profiled plinth. Under the roof overhang are kept some strange wooden planks with carved round arch friezes. The rectangular side door is still in use while the north door is bricked-up. In the choir are kept three re-opened  arched windows with monolith-lintels and a couple of other lintels are inserted in the eastern dike of the church yard. West of the south window of the choir is inserted a picture ashlar with a male head, which reminds about the head upon the font. Choir and nave have beamed ceilings. and the choir arch (without kragsten)  is extended. The late Gothic west tower in re-used ashlar material and monk bricks has a vaulted bottom room and opens in an earlier bricked-up round arch towards the nave. Its walls are facing-walled
(on the southside are iron numbers A K K V 1737 - Andrea Kirstine Kjærulf), and it is finished by a leaden pyramid spire. The porch in monk bricks is without any special details, like the facing-walled cross arm to the north, which has a round arched arcade towards the nave and a beamed ceiling. The walls were very re-bricked in a thorough restoration in 1890 and 1900.

The altarpiece is a pretty joiner work in early Renaissance ab. 1580-1590, restored in 1923 and with a biblical painting from 1929. Altar chalice from the late 1600s with a stamp for Mikkel Jensen, Aalborg Candelabres 1618 with initials OL SK. A Romanesque, but very broken-up granite font with lion and deer and a male head and with probably later carved letters V L O P. A South German dish from ab. 1550. A simple pulpit from the 1600s. Pews from various periods 1) 1577 with the coat of arms of Otte Lunov and Inger Eriksdatter Blik; 2) 1608; 3) 1632. A bell without inscription, probably from the late 1500s. Gravestone for Margrete Søfrensdatter (+ 1735) with a lead plate.


Holmgård belonged in 1471-85 Stig Vesteni, in 1487 is mentioned Thames in H., in 1561 Otto Lunov (+ ab. 1583), in 1604 his son Laurids Lunov (+ before 1616), and in 1616-24 his son Otte Lunov. In 1638 it was owned by Sophie Brahe (+ 1659), widow after rigsmarsk Jørgen Lunge, then owned by Jens Juel of Frøslevgård, who in 1661 sold it to Manderup Due's (Taube) widow Anne Skeel (+ 1662). H. came to the son Jørgen Due (Taube) and in an exchange after him in 1683 to his brother Jørgen Skeel Due (Taube), who in 1696 sold the farm to dr. Frans Reenberg (+ 1727), who in 1715 sold it to kancelliråd Bent Jespersen (+ 1728).His widow Cathrine Winther had to do array, and H. came to Anders Kjærulf of Bjørnsholm (+ 1735), whose daughter Andrea Kirstine Kjærulf in 1747 married konferensråd Henrik Hjelmstierne, who in 1750 deeded it to generalmajor Christian Ditlev Lüttichau of Tjele. In 1755 it came to Thomas Lund of Slumstrup, who in 1756 sold it to Mathias Wassard from København (+ 1774), whose widow Elisabeth Cathrine Aagaard in 1784 sold H. to her son-in-law købmand Søren Sørensen in Hobro (+ 1814). In 1796 it was sold to Christen Friis of Halkær. He transferred his rights to the two High Court Judges Søren Gierulf and Peder Severin Fønss and to by- and herredsfoged Th. Wissing,who 1798 got a deed of H. and in 1799 sold H.and Skals sogn's (parish) 2 taxes and 2 farms to Ole C.S. Lottrup, who in 1826 sold it and the taxes to Århus stift (diocese), who in 1832 again deeded if to Ole Lottrup.
Later owners: Chr. F Jensen and Viggo Holstein-Rathlou; Emil Holstein-Rathlou; Carl Vilhelm Niels Borup, a konsortium and outparcelling.

Tyge Jensen of Skals is mentioned in 1365. Thomas Blok deeded in 1345 a farm at the same place to his brother Gunnulv Blok.

Skals was in 1440 and 1649 one of 12 canon praebendes (income) at Viborg cathedral. The Viborg chapter had besides at Skals å (river) some "kannikefiskeri" ( canon-fishing), which was rather important. 

From disappeared farms are mentioned in Skals Bloksgård (1529 Blocksgard), which was owned by Peder Block of Nørreby, and in Ejstrup Østergård (1470 Østergaardt), which in the late 1400s was in guardian by Anders Lounkær of Balle.

A sacred spring was found in a valley at Ejstrup.

Listed prehistorics: 8 hills
Demolished or destroyed:  4 passage graves, 3 hellekister ( stone cists) and 45 hills. The passage grave Stenshøj had a 5 1/2 m long chamber and in the upper layers were found 3 flint daggers, in the bottom layer a point necked axe (Stone Age) and several amber pearls. The two other passage graves Store Bondehøj and Klovenhøj contained flint daggers, the last mentioned also single grave clay pots. In the stone cist Hvilehøj were 3 flint daggers.

Southwest in the paris have been noted a couple of kitchen middens and upon a settlement in the skals river valley close to Holmgård were found a number of  tværpile. 
Close to Holmgård were also found two necklaces from Bronze Age and a gold treasure from German Iron Age with 6 bracteates, a pragt-bøjlenål ( a special magnificent jewel) and 28 glass pearls.

Names from the Middle Ages:Skals (1345 Skalnes, 1471 Skals); Skringstrup (1477 Skrængstrop); Ejstrup (1470 Estrup); Nørdam (1497 Nørredam); Holmgård (1471 Holmegaard).


Source: Trap Danmark, Viborg amt, 1962.    


photo: borrowed from Google earth, gb 2013.



   

     

Bjerre church/ Bjerre kirke, Bjerre herred, Vejle amt.

The whitewashed church in Bjerre has a choir and nave from Romanesque period with a late Gothic tower to the west and a later porch to the south. The Romanesque building is in travertine without any visible plinth, and it has not kept special original details. In the late Gothic period was in the choir built one, in the nave three cross vaults and the choir arch was extended. At almost the same time the tower was added withan eight rib-vault in the bottom room and a round tower arch. In the north wall of the tower is a straight-running stairway up to the middle storey. The porch is built in monk bricks but it has no dated details.

The altar piece is a Renaissance structure from ab. 1630 with two pillars. It was decorated in  1741 and repaired in 1939.  The present painting, Christ is healing a sick, was painted by Anker Lund in 1892; an earlier painting, The Crucifixion, hangs above the exit door. Altar chalice from 1774 with names and coat of arms of Hans Helmer Lüttichau and wife. Balustershaped Baroque candelabres, from ab. 1650. The Romanesque granite font has a rather roughly carved basin with large lions and a dragon in flat-relief, divided by trees. The round foot has corner-knots. A South German dish with engraved coat of arms of Walkendorf and Egern-Friis. A sounding board from the beginning of the 1700s, similar to the choir desk, which has naive biblical paintings. Upon the desk stand two late Gothic small-figures of Virgin Mary and Sct Laurentius. A torso of an indefinable crucifix-figure is at Glud Museum. A pulpit in Renaissance, ab. 1630, with Tuscany corner pillars and a contemporary sounding board. An interesting early Gothic bell from ab. 1325-50, without inscription, but with seal imprint, which in the shield shows a murtinde (wall peak) and the word "Nicles...nes". In the porch two very worn out gravestones from the late 1700s with naive Evangelist symbols.

 corner of Bjerre church, building behind is old local prison.

Bjerre, landscape

Names in the Middle Ages:
Sdr. Bjerre (1287 Bierg); Bjerrelide (1479 Lyæ, 1480 Lydhæ).

Bjerregård (1383 Byærghægarth), was in 1383 sold by Anders Mortensen Pæp (Kyrning) to Eskild Falk; in 1399 it was together with a watermill by hr. Barnum Eriksen (Skarsholm-family) pawned to hr. Jens Eskildsen.

Bjerre and Hatting herred's thing house stood upon Bjerre mark (field) in the time of Pontoppidan's Atlas; The execution place was at Bjerrelide.

Pugholm (1511 Pugholm), a disappeared farm, is mentioned in the beginning of the 1500s.     

Bjerre skov.

There are no listed prehistorics in the parish, but there were 4 hills, of which one, Purhøj, was placed upon the top of Bjerrelide.

At Bjerrelide was found a pretty sacrifice from late Bronze Age with a belt plate, a jewelry-box and two broad bracelets -  and a burial site with earth graves from early Roman Iron Age.

Source: Trap Danmark, Vejle amt.1964. 

photo 2004: grethe bachmann

Haraldskær, East Jutland, Vejle amt.

Haraldskær, ab. 6 km west of Vejle
Skibet sogn, Tørrild herred, Vejle amt

Haraldskær was mentioned the first time in Erik of Pommern's rule. In 1434 it belonged to Niels Friis, one of the earliest from the Friis-family with a skaktavl (chess pattern) in the coat of arms/shield, the Friis' "of Haraldskær", as they are called. The name of the farm was then written "Harildkerr". Later other names Herritskier, Haritzkier etc.

Niels Friis got, according to tradition, the farm via his wife fru Ellen Henningsdatter Moltke from Bavelse. He wrote himself in 1432 "of Skibet", later until 1448 and the last time he is mentioned, of Haraldskær. His son Anders Friis was the next owner of the farm and lived still in 1507. He was married the second time to fru Bodil Cristensdatter Steenfeld, who was a quarrelsome lady. It seems she ruled for a long time at Haraldskær, where she lived still in 1543. She is often mentioned in the documents of that time. Anders Friis and Bodil had, among other children, the sons Jørgen Friis, the later wellknown belligerent Viborg-bishop, who rebuilt Hald, and Iver Friis, who died in 1557 as the owner of Haraldskær. He was buried in Skibet church, where was placed a large stone on his grave. Fru Sophie Albertsdatter Glob, who outlived him for several years, kept probably the farm until later, since some of the children were still underage. Later the farm went to the son Albert Friis, one of the most known owners of Haraldskær. He was a member of rigsrådet and owner of several larger and lesser vasalries, especially the important Riberhus.



Besides other estate Albert Friis was also the owner of Hvolgård. He was a very rich man, who improved Haraldskær in many ways. By exchange with the Crown he increased the estate; he also bought the vicarage in 1576, which was situated close to Skibet church, and placed its land under the main farm. Albert Friis built the main wing of the manor, the western, which is originally a free-standing building. The coat of arms on a fireplace in the second storey says that Albert Friis was the building master. Later, in 1768, was added an 18 bay long brick-walled building in one story, where from earlier were 8 bays half-timbered work. The buildings were surrounded by moats, which were filled up in the middle of the 1800s. Close to Haraldskær leads a bridge across the river (Vejle Å). It was after consent from Albert Friis built by Frederik II as a drawbridge (1585) in order to obtain an easy connection between Koldinghus and Skanderborg (castles).

Albert Friis died in 1601 and was buried in his parish church beside his late wife and some children, who had died infants. His surviving 6 daughters shared the rich inheritance and got each 27.000 rigsdaler in estate and money. This was a large fortune after that time's slide rule, but it never was much blessing for the daughters. The following 75 years became a confused time, where the farm either went from hand to hand or was divided into small parts among the heirs and their creditors. The daughter Karen Friis was married to the indebted waster Truid Bryske of Langesø, who had become the owner of Haraldskær, which he had to transfer to his sister-in-law fru Lisbeth Friis, since she had stood surety for him. She was indebted herself, and when her brother-in-law Frederik Munk (Lange) of Krogsgård, who was married to her sister Sophie, stood surety for her, she had to transfer the farm to him in 1622. He had until that point been a wealthy man and the owner of several manors, but he was now ruined and had to give up most of his estate. However, he kept Haraldskær until his death in 1634. His widow fru Sophie Friis also hold on to Haraldskær in spite of her economic difficulties, until she about 20 years later (ab. 1654) followed him to the grave. The son Jørgen Munk died almost at the same time as his mother.


Vejle Å river at Haraldskær

The daughters of Frederik Munk had shared the small rests of former glory and owned each a small part of the main farm. They lived in very straitened circumstances. Anne Munk showed to be a very enterprising lady. She succeeded in buying extra land and a little estate for the main farm. The year of her death, in 1677, she had sold it together with the added parts she had bought, and it seems that she owned all of it. The buyer was oberst Conrad v.d. Brincken of Fårup. He gradually succeeded in collecting land and peasant-farms to make Haraldskær profitable. The land of Fårup was also used for the completion, until more peasant-estate could be bought. When he died in 1696 Fårup came to his son Bendix, while Haraldskær and completed estate came to his son, ritmester Godske v.d. Brincken (+1730).

Main farm and estate were on auction in 1731 and was bought together with Skibet church by oberstløjtnant Pierre d'Andischou. When he died in 1751, almost everything had been pawned.
Maybe it was because the farm building burnt down in 1747 and was rebuilt, but it might also be caused by his establishing a comprehensive firm, i.e. a small-arms factory and a powder mill. This did not work out, and in order to get as much as possible from the estate after his death the exchange-commissioners had to put the estate on auction in small parts. But the estate was not divided however, it was sold to merchant and manufacturer, etatsråd Gert Hansen de Lichtenberg, who owned the two neighbouring manors Engelsholm and Kjeldkær.


Haraldskær at farm buildings

He transferred three years later (1754) all three farms to his son-in-law Christen de Linde, who moved the factory longer to the west and put Skibet church through a thorough restoration. He sold in 1767 all three farms to his brother-in-law Hans Henrik de Lichtenberg of the entailed estate Bidstrup, who the next year had royal permission to sell farm and estate separately . The same year he sold Haraldskær with only a little part of the estate and Skibet church and Jerlev parish' royal taxes to major Ove Bernhardt Lüttichau from Lerkenfeldt, who a few moths later married fru Margrethe Bülow, née Kaas, who died at the farm in 1777.

Lüttichau at once began buying estate in order to complete the farm. In 1791 the cultivated area was 350 tønder land. (1 tønde land = about 1.363 acres) When Lüttichau died childless in 1781, only 35 years of age, farm and estate came on auction again and was bought by Henrik Schmidt, who owned it until his death in 1793. His widow Birgitte Ravn married the next year major Severin Laurentius Lautrup, who in 1806 sold the main farm with Kvakmølle and a small part of the estate to Johannes Ditlev Rahr. He run Haraldskær in an old-fashioned way and could not cope during the difficult times, which arrived in the country, ruining so many people. Agent Nikolaj Nyholm, a merchant in Vejle, became the owner of several large and smaller Jutland manors, Brejninggård and Søndersthoved, Dueholm and Oxholm etc. - besides an obligation issued by Rahr of 45.666 rigsdaler with accruing interests. Nyholm obtained judgment against Rahr in 1820, and at last he bought Haraldskær. He sold the farm in 1829 to August Theodor Schütte, who later, as the owner of Bygholm, was known as a good farmer.


Vejle Ådal at Haraldskær

The farm then went from Schütte to Danqvart Neergaard of Lille Grundet, who owned it from 1838-42, and from him to Carl August Søltoft, who belonged to a solid Jutland proprietær-family. He was born at Tyrrestrup by Horsens, which was owned by his family from 1770 till 1914. He was an enterprising farmer, who did much for his farm by marling and drainage. He partly rebuilt the old farm buildings in 1855 and the following years, and the mill was extended. He sold the last small part of the estate and filled up the old moats around the manor. The main building was modernized in 1852-53. Søltoft was interested in two special things: willow planting and starlings. He planted various sorts of willow and sold considerable quantitites for basketmaker-work, and he had tried to fight the cockchafers by protecting the starlings. During 12 years he had 500 starlings' nestboxes in the garden. 134 boxes were placed in the five magnificent limes at the manor, the rest were in the forest belonging to the manor. He finally decided that now were the cockchafers almost extinct - so therefore the starling must be the most useful bird in agriculture.


Haraldskær at farm buildings.

During the 30 years Søltoft owned Haraldskær, from 1842 till 1871, (he lived until 1893) it rose to almost double value.This was due both to his improvements and to the market conditions. He was followed as owner in 1871 by løjtnant Oluf Henrik Niels de Bang of Sparresholm, co-owner of the Bangske fideikommis (entailed estate). He died already the same year and was succeeded by his son Hjalmar, who rebuilt the last of d'Andischous farm buildings in 1914. A few years before his death 1918 he transferred Haraldskær to his son Oluf de Bang, who for long had been the tenant, but he sold it shortly after in 1916 to manufacturer Christian M. Hess in Vejle, who built a new tenant-house and carried out a thorough restoration of the inside of the manor in consideration for the old look. Several plaster-lofts were removed, so the heavy oak-beams were of their best advantage again. The ramschackled side wings were rebuilt in 1917.

Chr. M. Hess died in 1929, and his eldest son, civilingeniør Christian E. Hess was by inheritance the owner of the farm in 1931. He sold some land in 1941 for a projected school and gave land to an extension of the church yard (Skibet church). The land was in his time very improved by marling, drainage and cultivation, and the yield was growing. The farm buildings burnt partly down in 1937 and was rebuilt in modern look. Ingeniør Hess died in 1963, but he had already in 1962 transferred the estate to his sons, amtsfuldmægtig, cand.jur. Christian Martin Hess and sekretær, cand.jur. Mogens Hess.


Skibet kirke ved Haraldskær

It was especially as the home of the largest and most prominent line of the famous family of the Skaktavl-Friis which caused Haraldskær to be famous among the Danish manors. Among the following owners were only few of that high reputation. Even though the building lost some of its venerable look by modernizing, it is however worth a visit, where it lies in Vejle river valley, surrounded by vigorous growth and green meadows. The country road from Vejle to Varde runs upon the hill with wide views and passes close to Skibet church, where many, who lived and worked at the farm, have got their final rest.

Kilde: Danske slotte og herregårde, bd. 15, 1967, Fra Århus til Kolding, "Haraldskær", af arkivar cand.mag. S. Nygård.


photo Haraldskær/Skibet 2002/2007/2008: grethe bachmann

Lerkenfeldt, Himmerland, Viborg amt.

Lerkenfeldt, 29 km north of Viborg
Vester Bølle sogn, Rinds herred, Viborg amt.

There are many manors which through centuries were in the ownership of the same family. It is neither unusual if a manor house for more than 2-300 years was in the ownership of civilians, but it is rare when a manor for more than 150 years was inherited in the same civil family like it happened at Lerkenfeldt. On 19. March 1792 three brethren Kieldsen bought this main farm with belonging peasant-farms - and one brother's great-great-grandchildren are the owners today.

The first name of the farm was Bonderup - actually it was one of three farms, situated upon the later main farms' lands. The other two farms were Kokholm and Overgård. Thanks to a rich collection of documents, hidden upon the farm itself, its history is fairly known back to the 15th century, when it was not yet a center in a large estate, but the owners were lavadelsmænd ( of low nobility), whose birth and family name is not known today. A man Per Gødiksen sold in 1455 all rights his wife had inherited in Bonderup after her late husband Oluf or Ulf Jensen, but the real owner was Jens Haning. His son was Haning Jensen, whose widow Inge Jepsdatter outparcelled the small estate. First she sold in 1496 Kokholm to her brother , Oluf Jepsen, who in 1498 passed it on to a man of a more wellknown family, Erik Ottesen Rosenkrantz.

He had already bought Gedsted Mill and the fishing in Gedsted Å(river) from fru Birgitte Poulsdatter at Refsnæs, those were properties later belonging to Bonderup up till present time. It seems there was doubt if fru Inge in 1496 was allowed to sell Kokholm since she had remarried after Haning Jensen's death to an ufri (not free= a peasant belonging to the lord of the manor) named Christiern Ørn. Thus she had wasted her rights to own free estate. The wellknown high court judge Niels Clementsen of Aunsbjerg got this right, when he bought Bonderup from the husband and wife in the year 1509, but the ownership was here like in many other places questionable.

Enevold Jensen of Visborg appears in 1547 with demands on a meadow in Kokholm's field without being proved right towards Christen Friis of Ågård, who obviously had inherited Kokholm and the mill from his wife, a daughter's daughter of Erik Rosenkratnz, but suddenly, in 1554, Niels Lange (Munk) of Kjærgård was the owner of both Bonderup, Overgård and Kokholm and the mill, and he exchanged all the estate to Mariager kloster. The vasal, who negotiated on behalf of the kloster , the wellknown Jørgen Lykke, was probably not aware that he became owner of the estate himself, but already the next year Mariager kloster transferred both farm and mill and other belonging estate in the neighbourhood as a gift, because he had rebuilt the kloster after a fire, and in 1561 the king confirmed the gift-letter.



Jørgen Lykke (+ 1583) - who in his youth wrote himself of Hverringe manor and was a part of the Funen nobility - became gradually very well acclimatized in Jutland, where he collected much estate. His låsebrev (letter of property) from 1577 delivers a summary of these farms, among others the main farm Bonderupgård (Kokholm and Overgård had disappeared at that point) with belonging peasant-farms, almost 50 farms, especially in the village Svingelbjerg and Vester Bølle. He had bought several fæstegårde (copyhold farms) in an exchange with the Crown. The property-letter mentions also three other main farms with adjoining land, Ovegård in Ove sogn,(parish), Haslegård in Als sogn og first of all Overgård in Udbyneder sogn, which was the head quarters and to which Jørgen Lykke wrote himself.

It is obvious today that he took a special interest in Bonderup. The legend says that he took the stones from the ruined Svingelbjerg kirke. Even though he was allowed to break down Svingelbjerg church to use the materials for a repair in Vester Bølle church, there are still several carved ashlars in the walls of Lerkenfeldt, and they probably origin from a Romnanesque church building. The legend is also right when it tells about Jørgen Lykke and the vicar hr. Mads in Ullits, who had had Svingelbjerg as a parish-of ease and therefore suffered an economic loss, when the parish was transferred to Vester Bølle. He scolded Jørgen Lykke in his sermons and called him a disturber of God's house, a tyrant and much more, which made the lord of the manor take legal action , and the vicar had to commit himself not to talk like that in the future.

He did not keep that promise however, and Jørgen Lykke started a new process and condemned him to lose his head, which was carried out. He was decapitated between his two churches on the heath road between Ullits and Foulum, where the place still was known in 1738. This was told by Christen Sørensen Thestrup ,who was the first to know Rinds herred's Chronicle, and the Jutland author Steen Steensen Blicher later wrote a novel about the case. It is not possible to know today, how the facts are about this claimed judicial murder, since all authentic documents have gone, but it became Jørgen Lykke's undying fame of the neighbourhood. Thestrup was of the opinion that since his descendants were struck hard by fate, it must be God's righteous punishment.

Only one of Jørgen Lykke's sons, Henrik Lykke, attained a high age, so he inherited his father and became a very rich man. He owned Bonderup together with his sister Ide Lykke, who was married to Valdemar Parsberg, and after her death in 1618 their daughters inherited each a third of the estate. One of the son-in-laws Claus Daa (1579-1641), married to Ingeborg Parsberg, who was born at Bonderup, first outbought his brother-in-law Hans Skram and bought the last third from Verner Parsberg, to whom the third brother-in-law Iver Lykke of Eskjær had pawned his rights.

Claus Daa played a role in Chr. IV's rule and became an admiral although he was somewhat in opposition to the king, who was not quite content with his leadership of the navy. His son, the herostraticly famous Valdemar Daa (1616-91) inherited Bonderup. It was here he used alchymi to find lapis philosophorum (philosopher's stone) and both Lerkenfeld in Jutland and Borreby at Zealand were gradually ruined by debt. In 1681 he lost both his main farms. He walked on foot from Borreby, although Ove Ramel, who had levies execution on Borreby, offered him a free stay for life as a brother and friend, but after having lived for period in a farm house near Skelskør (Zealand) Valdemar Daa went to Jutland. In 1677 he had to leave Bonderup.

The high court judge Peder Madsen Lerche (1642-99) had finally reached the goal he had aimed at, namely to became the squire of Bonderupgård. He had bought several debts from the ruined alchymist - and at last he bought the main farm from jægermester Wolf Blome, to whom it had been laid out in 1677. It was in a very bad state at that time. The new owner was born a civilian, he was a son of the rural dean in Nyborg, but had in 1670 achieved royal letter to coat of armors. He was a wealthy man, and he succeeded in gathering the spread estate again - and was not particular about the means. Lerche was often involved in lawsuits, among others with the vicar in Ullits, whom he however was not able to treat like Jørgen Lykke had treated his predecessor. The vicar, magister Stistrup, wrote a venomous spite verse about his mortal enemy Jørgen Lykke, when he was brought to his funeral in Viborg cathedral, while Lykke's wife, who had died a few yars before, had to be content with her grave in Vester Bølle church.


Vester Bølle church, stig bachmann nielsen, Naturplan foto

Bonderup has still got its name Lerkenfeldt, which the high court judge was allowed to name it after his taking over, and in 1684 he achieved birkeret (judicial rights) of the estate; in the same year he bought five churches from the king. In 1695 he had Lerkenfeldt estate made an entailed estate, which he willed to his cousin, gehejmeråd Vincens Lerche, (1666-1742), who was not actually in need of this gift. He owned several large manors, Rygård at Funen, Frydendal at Zealand and the barony Rosendal in Norway, and he gradually achieved a superfluity of offices and titles. He mostly resided in the capital and transferred already in 1735 all his Jutland estate to his son Christian Lerche, who in 1742 became the owner of almost all Kalundborg district, an estate where only the county Frijsenborg was larger.

He also achieved the title of greve (count), but thanked no to establish a lensgrevskab (vasalry/county) . Since he had no heirs, his estate would go to the state. Instead he had his Zealand estate made the entailed estate Lerchenborg and was allowed to exchange the entailed estate Lerkenfeldt with a fideikommiskapital.(entailed estate capital) Therefore he sold in 1743 the 650 hectare estate to general Wulf Caspar von Lüttichau (1704-65), and after his widow Lucia Magdalene Ochsen had died in 1775 (they are buried in two marble sarcophagi in Vester Bølle church) it was bought in an auction by the sons Christian Cæsar and Joachim Lüttichau, from whom the first mentioned in 1779 became the sole owner after having outbought his late brother's heirs in 1777.

Christian Cæsar Lüttichau (1745-97) was an officer of the cavalry and had left the military with title of major. Both the major and the general were remembered for a long time in the neighbourhood of Lerkenfeldt - and not for the good.

"God knows where your poor soul has gone
it never came to heaven"

says a song after the general's death and the folklore let him not find peace in his grave either. He haunted Lerkenfeldt. Thanks to the folklorist Evald Tang Kristensen, who visited the farm in the 1880s, many stories have been preserved for posterity. People said about the major that there was a lot of devilish things going on in his time - and they told about the general that he used the horsewhip on a girl, who would not marry the man he had chosen for her, and "that poor girl was wearing very thin clothes".

A fearless farmer was especially remembered by people. He had put Lüttichau in his place. When he came to the manor and was admitted into the strict squire, he went quickly across the floor to the window. "What do you look for you dog?" said the general " Well I would just have a look how far down the ground is, for one of us has to go there!" and then the general dared not lay hands on him. It was told that it was the same farmer who rode the wooden horse at Lerkenfeldt, (and it was the last time the wooden horse was used here). He was put upon the horse and stones were tied to his feet. He sat there for a while. Then he said: "Shame on that hack, it's not able to walk at all. I have never seen a miserable hack like that." And then he broke the head off the wooden horse with his clenched fist and went down from it himself, got hold of a big staff and broke the beast in two. A new wooden horse never appeared. The man who told the story said that the rests of the old horse were kept among some other old stuff on the loft of Lerkenfeldt. The reliability of these stories are supported by all statements. Thestrup, who was a birkedommer ( local judicial rights) at the estate, renounced at one his position, when Lüttichau bought Lerkenfeldt, because he was mean to his peasants and unjust in his judgments of the peasants during the birketing.



It is also told how the major lost his estate against his will. Some dealers came along, they were the sons of a selvejerbonde (a peasant who owned his farm himself) in Gundestrup. They wanted to buy bullocks. They all sealed the bargain with a drink, and when the major was drunk he said:" Now you have bought my bullocks - you can buy the farm too." And he said that several times. "Well maybe we would like to buy that too ,"said one brother, Mikkel. "How much do you want?" The major wanted 70.000 rigsdaler for the whole lot. He never imagined they were able to pay. Later Mikkel told that he would not let this major get off so easily. And the brothers took the bargain. Lüttichau tried to offer them all the bullocks they had bought in order to replace the deal, but in vain. And it is a fact that the three brothers, Mikkel, Jens and Peder Kieldsen bought farm and estate for 73.000 rigsdaler in the year 1792.

Jens Kieldsen was co-owner only until 1795. Peder and Mikkel Kieldsen (1756-1819) owned Lerkenfeldt together until Mikkel's death, but only Mikkel had resided there, and his widow Ane Dorthea Skow became the sole owner after his death. People said Lerkenfeldt was surrounded by mystery, it was said that Mikkel had been just as strict to his peasants as the Lüttichaus - and he had only escaped the terrible death of kissing "The Blue Virgin", because he lied himself dead. "The Blue Virgin" was a mysterious execution machine, only existing in peoples' imagination. When his funeral was, there were only stones in the coffin. He later hid on the farm although people often saw him. But he had to remain "dead" and his wife wrote herself a widow. A story like that is of course pure invention and one of those legends told in other places as well, and a legend which at Lerkenfeldt was connected to both Mikkel Kieldsen and the general - and also to Jørgen Lykke.

Mikkel's son once said that their forefathers had done enough harm - he did not wish to be like them. He managed the estate for his mother until he became the owner himself in 1831. In the 1840s he had villeinage replaced, and from 1844 he sold the peasant-estate to the copy-holders on the best conditions. He was landvæsenskommisær (agricultureal commissioner) but declined the title as kammerråd (councilor). From his 10 children with Mette Faurschou the second-youngest Olaf Hilmar Kjeldsen (1850-1930) inherited Lerkenfeldt after his mother's death. He had been the manager, while she lived, and after his death the farm went to Mathias Kjeldsen (1879-1955), who had been tenant since 1923. Lerkenfeldt was from 1955 owned together by Eva Mette Johanne Kjeldsen, née Kjeldsen, married to first lieutenant Hans Olaf Agerup Kjeldsen.


Lerkenfeldt Å (river) at Lerkenfeldt

The main building is the first building built at the farm from Jørgen Lykke''s period. Besides was a 7 loft high gatehouse at the castle bank. It was probably also built by Jørgen Lykke as a memory of his wife's stay at Hessel (Djursland) for 7 years, while he was abroad - one storey was built each year. People in the community kept their possessions safe in this building during svenskekrigene (war Sweden-Denmark) - "when Valdemar Daa left in one shoe and one boot" as people told. The castle bank is also strange with its plinth stones- the stones said to origin from Svingelbjerg church; it has a rectangular shape, but broader along the main building; upon the corners are curved projections, traces of towers.

The main building is also interesting, oak half-timbered with poles through both storeys. The long narrow wing (ab. 7 x 51 m) stands upon a high barrel-vaulted cellar, where the jails mentioned by the old folks possibly are. The west wing was earlier called the church, because it was built by stones from Svingelbjerg church, and the northern section of the wing really seems built as a chapel with eastern and western gables. The east wing is remarkable, because it is built close to the heavy ring wall which surrounded the plan and which is only preserved here - findings of shaped stones with fresco decorations in yellow, red and black show that it was richly ornamented.

The Rococo fireplace in the great hall has the initials of Lüttichau and his wife. The bridal bed of the general was still in 1930 placed in a chamber, which was said to be haunted. The folklorist Evald Tang Kristensen, who slept there for a few nights, told honestly that he wasn't feeling well about this. There is also a legend of an immured virgin at Lerkenfeldt, and a female skeleton was actually found in a piece of curved wall in a corner of the tower cellar. Lerkenfeldt still has the mark of the Middle Ages, but is mentioned as one of Denmark's few late Gothic mansions with one of the popular circular stair towers from the Renaissance. Jørgen Lykke's old castle is still one of our most picturesque and evocative buildings from the great period of the aristocracy in the 16th century.

Source: Danske slotte og herregårde, bd. 11, Himmerland og Ommersyssel, Lerkenfeldt af forfatteren Mogens Lebech, 1966.


photo August 2010: grethe bachmann