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.

Bratskov manor and Brovst church , Vendsyssel, North Jutland

Bratskov, (wikipedia)

Bratskov is a manor in Brovst, Jammerbugt kommune (historical: Øster Han herred, Hjørring amt) In the building is today a historical museum with fx a big collection of stone tools from Stone Age from a finding place in Brovst. In the main building is a culture center. Brovst kommune took over Bratskov in 1976 and let the main building be renovated, it was inaugurated as a culture center with public access in August 1979. In the pretty restored rooms in the main building are alternate exhibitions  (and lectures and association arrangements).The east part of the gate-wing is a tourist office and the timbered wing has charming reconstructions of a smitty, a shoemaker workshop and a school room from year 1900. Here are also alternate art exhibitions. The castle park has public access.


Near Bratskov lies a lake where was once a castle called "Bratlingsborg", which is said to have sunk down into the water, but there are still rests of bricks and bridges. What is told today about this castle ( heard about in the giant folk songs) is now considered a fable. In the not so deep lake where people fish perch, pike and bream, lies a castle in the deep - and after this the new castle Bratskov was built...

It is not known how much truth this fable contains, but Bratskov can be traced back to the 1200s. It was owned by several grand Danish aristocratic families through the ages.The owner of Bratskov owned six churches (among those Brovst church). Neighbouring manors were the old Aggersborggaard, Aagaard and Frejstrupgaard, all burnt down by rebellious peasants in 1441.


The oldest part of the present Bratskov is from 1550, but according to sources there was an earlier building in the area. Bratskov is mentioned for the first time in 1307 in written sources. The present Bratskov was built by the noble family Rotfeld who owned the estate from the middle of the 1300s. The building master Jens Nielsen Rotfeld died in 1558 as the last male of the family.  The first member of the noble family Rotfeld was Ugod Torstensen, a son of the legendary Torsten Vild. The family with other colourful names like Ingvor Udsen and Niels Kalv wrote itself of Bratskov up through the 1400s, but in the 1550, when they finally built the stone house the male line was extinct.


Several noble families from Funen owned Bratskov since, until colonel Frantz Rantzau in 1655 bought the manor. The descendants of Rantzau owned Bratskov for over 100 years until 1785. In the end of the 1700s large areas by the Limfjord were drained and dried, and the extra land of the manor was now good farm land. The land was gradually parcelled out in the first half of the 20th century and the farm was closed in 1948. In 1953 Bratskov was bought by barrister Erik Brüel, who restored the dilapidated main building. Brovst kommune took over the manor in 1976 and the above mentioned culture center opened in 1979.

The western wing is the main building, built in monkstone in two floors. The square stair-tower was added in 1660. In the stair-tower leads a staircase down to the original 1100s cellar with exposed monk-brick walls and barrel vault. In the old food cellar are kept two salt jars which were once used for storing the meat. The low, timbered sidewings were built in the middle of the 1700s. The whole plan was originally four-winged, but the east wing was demolished during the 1800s. There is still a moat to the east, north and west with a small bridge to the north. In earlier times the whole manor was surrounded by moats as a protection against peasant warriors.



Brovst church

Brovst church (wikipedia)

In a restoration in 1951-52 were found traces in the church floor which indicated that here was a smaller stone church in the 1000s at the same palace as the present church.

The present church is built in the 1200s in ashlars, granite boulders and bricks. There are original windows in the nave, both to the north and south. They are kept as niches, visible inside the church.
There is a trace of the original apse. Here was originally a window. In the 1300s or a little later the nave was extended  to the east, and the choir was made smaller. The Romanesque choir arch was demolished, and parts from this are seen outside in the south wall of the nave. Upon the north wall opposite the pulpit are the niches of two bricked up windows. The first tower was probably built in the middle of the 1300s. The porch is from the Middle Ages, and the north door is still in use via the porch.

The Romanesque altar table is no more. The present bricked altar table is from the restoration in 1951. The antemensale with gold stripes is from 1988. In 1729 Frantz Rantzau gave the church a good restore and equipped it with altarpiece, pulpit and a gallery. In the top of the altarpiece is a triangle with God's name written in Hebraic letters, under this the coat of arms of Frantz RantzaU and wife Margrethe Rodsteen. The altar painting is from 1898 by A Dorph. The altar candelabres are from the 1700s. The baptismal font is the only left Romanesque inventory. The baptismal dish is probably from ab. 1600. The pulpit is like the altarpiece and the gallery from 1729. The pulpit was made by carver Peder Roussel,  Aalborg. He also carved the pulpit in Nørre Tranders church.

 After the reformation the church was owned by Bratskov manor. In 1576 Erik Lykke of Bratskov had the king's permission to use the stones from a demolished church in Kettrup (Ingstrup) for a repair of Brovst church. It is not known if the materials were brought to Brovst.

In a royal letter from 1603 the tower is mentioned as "being blown down in the latest storm". The present tower was probably built in the middle of the 1600s.

In 1876 some parishioners bought two church bells. The small is a medieval bell, recast in 1929 by the Smiths. The big bell is cast by John Taylor and co. 



photo: wikipedia

Eskjær, Salling, North Jutland, Viborg amt.

Eskjær, ab. 18 km north of Skive
Grinderslev sogn, Nørre herred, Viborg amt.

Eskjær was mentioned the first time in written sources in 1328, where hr. Jacob Nielsen (Gyldenstierne) of Eskjær is mentioned. The farm was later in the ownership of the family Banner. Eskild Nielsen and Peder Høg (Banner) are mentioned as owners in the middle of the 1400s. The last mentioned's son Niels Pedersen Høg became the owner of the farm. He was a wellknown man of that period. He is mentioned as rigsråd in 1487, and both king Hans and his son Christiern II used him often as public delegate. According to the Skibby Chronicle he was known as a priest-hater. Besides his public assignments Niels Høg had also time for his private interests. During the first ten years of the 16. century he gathered gradually large estates, a big part was in the neighbourhood of Eskjær. It seems he had achieved sole rights of Eskjær, although a thing-witness from 1501 indicates that his rights were denied by others.

At Niels Høg's death in 1524 his daughter Anna inherited Eskjær; she was married to Niels Jensen Rotfeld, who in 1540 transferred the farm to his son Jens Rotfeld. After his death as the last male member of the family Eskjær came to his sister Johanne, who was a widow after Hans Lykke of Havnø. She managed the farm until her death in 1577, and the son Erik Lykke took over. His son Hans Lykke got after his father's death in 1602 into a debt up to his ears; the farm was taken over by the creditors and forever taken from the Lykke-family. The new owner was Verner Parsberg, who died in 1643, and his son Niels Parsberg, married to Helle Gyldenstierne, was not an economic genius. He had to pawn Eskjær, and in 1664 it came to grev Christian Rantzau's heirs. At that time was Eskjær a large estate.

Eskjær was in 1674 incorporated into grevskabet (county) Løvenholm, but already in 1681 it was back in the ownership of the family Parsberg, since a son of the former owner, oberst Verner Parsberg, bought it. He sold however the farm in 1698 to Barbara Rantzau, but when he after the sale married the buyer, who brought him considerable riches, the sale had no practical importance. Verner Parsberg was also the owner of Skivehus, and he managed both this and Eskjær until his death in 1719. In the anecdote-litterature he was called a stupid and ignorant landjunker. (junker = German nobleman)This was undoubtedly not true; on the contrary he was one of the most active landlords in the district and one of few from the old nobility, who was able to maintain his position and also improve status in the tough times after 1660. After his death both estates were taken over by his son, ritmester Johan Parsberg, who died in 1730 the last male member of the family. He left both estates in a disrepaired state.



After Johan Parsberg Eskjær was taken over in 1735 by his stepfather gehejmeråd, president in the Supreme Court Claus Reventlow, who probably never resided at the decayed farm. He owned several manors. In 1790 he sold Eskjær to a former tenant at Krastrup, Mads Hastrup, who was the first middle-class owner. Hastrup succeeded in bringing the farm on its feet again before his death in 1761. He was also the building master of the present main building, which was built in 1761. Below the main wing in the cellar are still rests of a late Gothic building with thick walls. The cellar room has eight small cross-vaults upon three heavy, walled middle pillars. After a local legend these cellar rooms were the whereabouts of the three known witches "Thise Trolde", until they after the judgment were burned at the stake.

After Mads Hastrup's death in 1767 Eskjær was sold at auction to major Johan Chr. v. Geistler, who was married to a Lüttichau of Tjele. He was from an old German officer's-family, but he was not a skilled farmer, and he became gradually much indebted. In 1781 he sold Eskjær to the later justitsråd and generalkrigskomissær Christian Lange, who was one of that time's progressive men in agriculture and a son of another outstanding farmer, justitsråd Jens Lange of Rødkilde. He improved the neglected farm. All operations were changed, and he made some reforms of the estate in two cities/villages, where he was the sole owner. But it was not easy for him in the other part of the estate. He was involved in feuds with the other farmers, and he also insulted the peasants with his reform-eagerness.

Lange was eventually fighting with his peasants about the villeinage and the taxes, and in the posterity he was known as a bondeplager (harassing the peasants) He cheated the peasants when he measured the corn, he moved their field boundaries, and because of these misdeeds he had according to the old legend no rest in his grave; he haunted the farm, he slammed the doors and he was seen running in the Gåsemosen (moor) with the surveyer-sticks. A special legend is connected to Langesgård, which was built by him. According to royal statutory his peasants denied to bring the tax-corn to the end of the road, and when they discovered that their delivery -duty ended in the middle of Eskjær Mark (field), they just loaded the corn here. Lange swore an oath that the peasants had to bring the corn to the barn, and when this oath could not be fulfilled, he let build a barn above the unloaded corn. This barn was said to be the first beginning of Langesgård.



In 1797 Chr. Lange sold Eskjær and Langesgård to justitssekretær in Viborg, etatsråd Henrik Johan de Leth and Thomas Thomsen of Østergård, who in the following year left the common ownership and took over Langesgård. Leth sold all the peasant-property, but in 1828 the Danish state took over the farm as the holder of an unsatisfied mortgage. In 1830 was Eskjær bought by kammerråd A.C. Grønbech, and after his death it came to baron Joseph Emil Adeler. He sold in 1869 Eskjær to cand.jur. Ludvig Th. Schütte of Bygholm, after whose death in 1915 the farm was inherited by his son dr. phil Gudmund Schütte, who gave the main building a thorough restoration and built a new farm building. The area was increased, and the forest of Eskjær - which is the only worth mentioning in Salling - was re-planted. In 1953 Gudmund Schütte (+ 1958) transferred the estate to his son, Herluf Schütte, who bought more estate for Eskjær.

Source:
Danske slotte og herregårde, bd. 12, Nordvestjylland, Eskjær, af mag. art Svend Egelund.


foto Eskjær 2004: grethe bachmann

Højslev church/ Højslev kirke and Stårupgård, Fjends herred, Viborg amt.

Højslev Church, 20 km northeast of Viborg
Højslev sogn, Fjends herred, Viborg amt.


The impressive church of an unusual wall height consists of Romanesque apse, choir and nave with a late Gothic western tower, a southern porch and chapel. The Romanesque building is in granite ashlars. Both original doors are preserved. There are Romanesque windows in the walls of the apse and the choir and two unusually high placed windows in the northern wall of the nave.

Inside the choir and nave have beamed ceilings, while the apse has a half domed vault. The big south chapel, which was arranged as a burial chapel by Bjørn Kaas, is mostly built in ashlars , since only the eastern wall had larger monk bricks sections. The Communion table is ashlars and monk bricks - the altarpiece is richly carved from ab. 1640 and probably originally an epitaph. The altar crucifix was originally a coffin decoration from ab. the 1700s. The Romanesque granite font has double lions while the basin is somewhat spoiled. On the corner of the foot are male human heads.

The pulpit is Renaissance from 1585 with the coat of arms of Bjørn Kaas and fru Christence Nielsdatter Rotfeld whose coat of arms is also upon the parish clerk stool (parts from this dated 1571). Herskabsstole (Lord of the Manor stools) with the paternal and maternal (Ulfeld) coat of arms of Henrik Friis and the year 1698.

The church bell is from the end of the 1400s with a minuskelindskrift (inscription in small letters). The church ship is a full-rigged ship from 1900. In the porch is a Romanesque gravestone with cross and majuskelindskrift (inscription in capital letters ) - and in the chapel is a portrait stone of Bjørn Kaas (+1581) and Christence Nielsdatter Rotfeld (+ 1601).

Source: Trap Danmark,Viborg amt;
photo 2003: grethe bachmann


Stårupgård
Højslev sogn, Fjends herred, Viborg amt.

The Great Hall

Stårupgård is placed upon a trapeze-formed motte; water-filled moats surround the motte on all four sides. The two-storey main building is built upon a heavy foundation in raw granite boulder. The house is built in monk bricks and is now white-washed below a red tile gable roof. On the north side are traces of a west wing and a hemmelighedskarnap ( a toilet bay). On the south side was once a circular stair tower. The entrance door is framed in sandstone and above is placed a tablet with the coat of arms of rigsråd Bjørn Kaas and the year 1554.

The first time Stårupgård is mentioned in written sources is in 1364, when the owner was hr. Jep Lagesen Saltensee of Linde, who in 1377 is mentioned as a son of Lage Grummesen in the nearby Ørum. After his death (first mentioned in 1410) the farm went to his son hr. Lage Jepsen Saltensee, who was married to Ide Juel, a daughter of Iver Juel of Daubjerggård . He is mentioned in 1438 and 1456 as the owner of Stårupgård , but shortly after he died, and Stårupgård was inherited by one of his two daughters Edel Lagesdatter Saltensee, who was married to Jens Nielsen Kaas. (her second marriage).

Jens Nielsen Kaas was a member of the family Kaas with a Sparre (chevron) in their coat of arms ; he was the son of Niels Kaas of Kaas and Tårupgård and in this way Stårupgård came to this most famous family in Fjends herred (district). He died after 1519 and his sons landsdommer Niels Kaas (+1535) and Mogens Kaas owned the manor together until Niels Kaas in 1531 bought out his brother and became sole owner. Everything seems to show that landsdommer Niels Kaas lived at Stårupgård and that his four sons with Anna Bjørnsdatter (+1539) of the family Bjørn lived their childhood on this manor. They all became four highly respected men in Denmark.

The second son Bjørn Kaas took over the manor after his mother's death in 1539. In his youth he travelled abroad and was later until 1554 at court. After 1554 he administered several of the most important Danish vasalries with great competence. In 1567 he became a rigsråd (councillor of State) but he was not quite wrapped up in statemanship. Gradually he became a very wealthy man, in some degree because of his marriage to the rich Christence Nielsdatter Rotfeld. At the time of his death he was the owner of Stårupgård, Vangkær, Kærsgård, Ellinggård, Vorgård, Tybjerggård and Bjersøholm, and not at least Stårupgård had the advantage of his growing interest for his property. He let build the present main building. He must have started the building in 1560.

Besides his building activities Bjørn Kaas worked in completing the peasant-estate of Stårupgård. Big parts of Højslev and the surrounding parishes had from old times belonged to the Catholic church and after the reformation to the Crown, but Bjørn Kaas bought gradually a big part of this estate and little by little he had collected that much that he could apply for Birkerettigheder (judicial rights) for the estate of Stårupgård. He was granted this in 1564 with the condition that he gradually bought out the other lodsejere (site owners) of Højslev parish. First from the middle of the 1800s this was performed in full after the judicial rights had been carried out for almost 200 years. These rights went to the State in 1804 and were annulled in 1821. Bjørn Kaas died in 1581 at Bygholm, where he was a vasal at that time, and he was buried in Højslev Church.

His son Niels Kas, who inherited Stårupgård after his father had like him achieved a good education and especially extended his knowledge by attending European universities during some years. After his homecoming he married Birgitte Timmesdatter Rosenkrantz, but he died young in 1597 and only left a daughter. His widow had an affair with her late husband's nephew Gjord Kaas of Tårupgård which was considered an incest at that time, and she was executed in 1603 in Copenhagen.

Stårupgård came to her only daughter Anne Nielsdatter Kaas, who was married to Albert Rostrup of Sjelle Skovgård. He had trouble with his economy, but still in 1615 he was mentioned as the owner of Stårupgård. Shortly after he sold some of his debt to his brother Gunde Rostrup who owned Stårupgård in 1648. Albert Rostrup later sold some part of Stårupgård to his wife's paternal aunt fru Helvig Kaas. But in 1881 it came back to the old Kaas-family since kammerherre(chamberlain) G.H Kaas of Nedergård bought it, but in 1952 it was sold to Statens Jordlovsudvalg.From 1962 Stårupgård had a couple of owners who made a thorough restoration, but anyway it was still very decayed when art- and antique dealer Lis Messman and editor Jørgen Bram bought it in 1987. Jørgen Bram is connected to Stårupgård by family since his great grandfather and his grandfather owned Stårup in the end of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th century. With support from the State the married couple has restored the estate, among other things the magnificent great hall which is brought back to its original look. The old Renaissance plan is now - with the support from Skive Kommune - the setting of an arts centre.

Stårupgård's rooms, the heavy wood work and the Renaissance colours are reconstructed in a restoration in the 1960s and a thourough repair in 1988-96. Below the western half is preserved a barrel vaulted long cellar and medieval walls. Here is now a café.

The main building of Stårupgård is reserved for antique exhibitions. Every room is furnished with distinguished antiques and furniture from the 16th up to the 19th century. Besides are uncovered paintings upon doors and walls. In the stable building is art-and antique exhibitions and a self-service café.

Link: Stårup Hovedgård

Source: Danske slotte og herregårde Nordvestjylland bd. 12; Trap Danmark Viborg amt;
Jytte Ortmann: Slotte og herregårde i Danmark; Politikens bog om Danmarks slotte og herregårde.
photo 2003: grethe bachmann


Besides the art and antiquities in the main building are also exhibitions in the large restored stable building.


The dungeon and the old cellar with a café/restaurant.

Names in the Middle Ages and 1600s:
Højslev Kirkeby (*1231 Hoghæslef, 1346 Høgesløf); Stårup (*1403 Starup, 1664 Staarup); Svenstrup (*1407 Swenstrup, 1524 Swen(d)strvp); Sejstrup (*1468 Seyerstrup); Halskov (*1356 Halskoff); Vinkel (*1456 Winnckell); Degnsgårde (1618 Deinnsgaardt); Vinkelplet(*1502 Winkel plette); Stårupgård (1438 Stadorphgardh); Bådsgård (*1468 Bodtzgaardt, 1483 Bordzgard); Bruddal (1492 Brwdedall); Skovmølle (*1468 Schoumølle).

Bådsgård was in the 1400s owned by the family Munk (of Kovstrup), Christen Munk sold his brotherpart to Las Bratze (Saltensee), who in 1488 conveyed it to hr. Erik Ottesen Rosenkrantz of Bjørnholm (+ 1503). Iver Munk's part was inherited by his son Jep Iversen Knogmose; before 1483 he conveyed it to above mentioned Erik Rosenkrantz, whose daughter's daughter Ingeborg Podebusk (+ 1542) is written to it in 1524; she was then a widow after hr. Tønne Parsberg of Harrested. In 1609 it was by Bendix Rantzau pawned to Axel Galt. In 1661 it was under Stårupgård, and it followed with S. until 1763, when Jacob Lerche sold it. Various owners.

Halskovgård is mentioned in 1437, it had belonged to a fru Ane and her children Niels Ovesen and Maye Ovesdatter. In 1680 it was under Stårupgård; in 1699 it was occupied by Frederik Christian Høeg (Banner) (+ 1744).

Majgård was owned by Jep Lagesen (Saltensee of Linde) and of Stårupgård (+ 1410), and came in the exchange after him to his children. In 1475-96 it was owned by a relative Las Bratze (Saltensee). In 1629 and 1631 it belonged to fru Helvig Kaas (Sparre-K.) of Stårupggård, but in 1634 it was conveyed to Hans Lindenov of Ørslevkloster and Strandet and followed these farms/manors later.

Bruddalgård was sold by Las Bratze (Saltensee) in 1492 to hr. Erik Ottesen Rosenkrantz; in 1524 it belonged to his daughter's daughter Ingeborg Podebusk (+ 1542).

Søndergård in Højslev was conveyed by fru Elne to Jep Lagesen (Saltensee) of Stårupgård, which her son Peder Trugelsen of Dommerby confirmed in 1364.

Svenstrup etc. and estate in Højslev parish was in 1407 by Rigild Puge and his wife Sophie Nielsdatter Rosenkrantz conveyed to the bishop in Viborg.

A farm Skallegård or Skvallegård in Østerris was in 1432 sold by Jens Frøst to Skt. Hans Kloster in Viborg. In the end of the 1400s is mentioned a building site Kollenade (1483 Kollenade), which was placed at Bådsgård.

Listed prehistorics: a longhill at Sejstrup, 129 m long, possibly a long dolmen with removed stones. 34 hills of which several are rather large: Store Vasehøj at Vinkel, two hills at Sejstrup and a hill in a group of four east of Højslev Kirkeby.
Demolished or destroyed: A long dolmen and 64 hills.

At Stårupgård is a kitchen midden. In a moor at Højslev Kirkeby were found ab. 1500 amber pearls, in another moor in the parish two necklaces from late Bronze Age.

Source:
Trap Danmark, Viborg amt, 1962; Niels Peter Stilling, Danmarks Slotte og Herregårde, 1998.


photo Højslev kirke & Stårupgård 2003: grethe bachmann

Grinderslev church / Grinderslev kirke and Eskær, Nørre herred, Viborg amt.

Grinderslev Church
Grinderslev sogn, Nørre herred, Viborg amt.

The stately church, which once was a section of Grinderslev Augustine-kloster, consists of a Romanesque nave and choir with apse, a late Gothic tower to the west and a side-nave and sacristy to the north - and from present a porch to the south. The Romanesque church is built in granite ashlars; the apse is decorated with a blind-gallery of five fields, partly supported by small half pillars, partly of human head-shaped consols. The priest-door in the south side of the choir is also in fine artistic quality; its framestones is a dragon and a lion, while the upper ashlar has a half circular thympanum field with a double rope-winding around a circular cross. The walls of the nave are strongly re-built. The tower in the same broadth as the nave is built partly in re-used ashlars from a demolished west gable, partly in monk bricks. In the north wall is a stairway to the upper storeys.

Inside is a very high apse arch with kragsten and a half cupola vault. The choir arch with profiled kragsten is heightened. The choir and nave have star vaults and octagonal rib-vaults. The tower room with a beamed ceiling opens to the nave in a large round arch. Several restorations have been made. In a restoration was in the choir vault found four lydpotter (sound-pots), of which one is at the National Museum. In 1885-86 a very thorough restoration was carried through, and in 1932 was the inventory restored - and the sacristy was changed into a burial chapel. In 1923 were a series of Renaissance frescoes restored on the north wall of the nave from ab. 1600 with biblical scenes and coat of arms of the Juels at Astrup. The frescoes were again restored in 1952 and a late Gothic Madonna-picture was brought to light under the tower arch, the painting is from ab. 1510-20, and it is due to the same painter, who decorated Torum church.

A walled and washed communion table. The table plate is granite with a reliquary, which was found under the floor of the porch in 1954. It is now placed upon a bricked-up plinth in the apse. Altar piece in Renissance from ab. 1600 with a painting and the coat of arms of Erik Lykke of Eskær and fru Dorthe Krabbe. A Romanesque granite font. A late Gothic crucifix-group from ab. 1450 placed upon the north wall. The pulpit from the same workshop as the altar piece has in the fields apostelfigures from a Gothic altar piece. The pulpit and the sounding board are connected by a back-panel, which serves as series pastorum. In the three upper pews are placed gables from 1478 with the name and coat of arms of Bertel Kaas.Upon the opposite gables in the northside are coat of arms referring to Kjeld Iversen Juel (+ 1536). In the side-nave hangs a halsjern (neck-iron) from a pillory. In the north side of the tower room is a very large sandstone epitaph put up by Erik Lykke of Eskær with his and his wife's kneeling figures besides two children and other figures. Several memorials in the church.



chessboard pattern.

Names in the Middle Ages and 1600s:
Grinderslev (*1176 Grindesle, *1216 Grindæslæf, 1390 Grindeslef, -leef); Breum (*1327 Breum); Mogenstrup (*1403 Mwnstrup, 1481 Moghenstrvp); Rærup (*1467 Rerup); Stouby (1498 Stoby, 1524 Stowby); Vejsmark (1498 Wess-, Wesse Mark, 1524 Weyssmarck); Grinderslevkloster (*1375 Grydersløff Kloster, 1469 Grænæsløwcloster); Eskær (*1328 Æskyær); Nørgård (*1420 Norgard, 1460 Nørregardh); Astrup (*1407 Alstrup, *1467 Astrop); Slejtrupgård (*1477 Slefftorp); Havgård (1664 Haugaard); Breum Fogedgård (1581 Breumfod, 1688 Breumfodgaard).



Grinderslevkloster was a monastery of the Augustine-order. It was the only kloster in Salling and it was established in the middle of the 1100s. In 1531 G. was by bishop Jørgen Friis af Haraldskær in Viborg endowed to Hans Pogwisch, who still was a vasal for the king after the reformation; in 1542 Grinderslevkloster was pawned to Niels Juel of Astrup. Fr. II exchanged in 1581 G. with Christoffer Lykke of Buderupholm, whose son Iver Lykke in 1611 sold the estate to Dorthea Krabbe (+ 1623), widow after a relative, Erik Lykke of Havnø. Various owners.

Nørgårds first known owner was hr. Stig Munk, who is mentioned in 1420, then his sister's daughter's son Bertel Kaas (Sparre-K.) who in 1468 achieved the farm via Chr. I by law and still is written to it in 1495. The next owners are his children Iver Kaas (1517) and Edel Kaas, married to Mogens Jensen (Harbou), whose son landsdommer Jens Mogensen Hvide (Harbou) of Sindinggård (+ 1549) sold N. to his sister's son Mogens Spend, who still owned the farm in 1592. After him his sister Inger Spend, married to Mads Pors (Skadeland) (+ ab. 1593); one of their children Anne Pors( Skadeland) owned it in 1599, Hans Pors (Skadeland) in 1622 and 1625; his widow Anne Florisdatter (Rønnow)(+ ab. 1640) owned it in 1638. After the son Erik Pors (Skadeland's) death in 1645 the widow Anne Skade married Folmer Rosenkrantz, who in 1654 out-bought his brother-in-law Frederik Skade and in 1655 sold N. to Valdemar Lykke of Grinderslevkloster (+ 1657), whose widow Sofie Reedtz in 1683 sold it with 4 farms to Anne Jensdatter (Erik Grubbe of Tjele's frillekone = illegal wife). She got a deed on N. in 1684 and transferred it in 1685 to her son-in-law Frederik Ulrik Ulfeld, but already in 1687 it belonged to dyer Erik Lauridsen Sterch of Holstebro, who in 1702 conveyed it to his sons. Various owners.

Astrup belonged in 1407 to Rigild Puge and came then in the ownership of the family Juel: about 1460 Iver Juel, the son Kjeld Iversen Juel (+ 1536), the brothers Niels Kjeldsen Juel (+ 1573) and Iver Kjeldsen Juel (+ 1556), his son Kjeld Iversen Juel (+ 1606) and then probably a son's son of Iver Kjeldsen's sister, Kjeld Brockenhuus (+ 1616), whose son Just Brockenhuus owned A. in 1619. Various owners. The main building is listed in class B.

Eskær Manor


Eskær
Grinderslev sogn, Nørre herred, Viborg amt.

Eskær was in 1328 owned by hr. Jakob Nielsen (Gyldenstierne) and before 1407 by hr. Niels Jakobsen, undoubtedly his son. Eskær later came into the ownership of the family Banner; how early this happened is uncertain, since the information about the first generations of the family is meagre and unreliable. It is certain that the farm came to "de nye Høeger" (the new Høeg-family), a sideline of the family Banner. It was owned by the brothers hr. Eskild Nielsen (Høeg) (+ 1493 or 1494) and hr. Peder Høeg and likewise of their sons Jakob Eskildsen (Høeg) and hr. Niels Pedersen Høeg (+ 1524). With hr. Niels' daughter Anne Høeg E. came to her husband Niels Jensen Rotfeld (+ 1551) who before 1540 gave the farm to his son Jens Rotfeld, who died in 1558 as the last male member of his family, and then E. came to the sister Johanne Rotfeld (+ 1577); a widow after Hans Lykke of Havnø. The son Erik Lykke (+ 1602) took over E. in 1577 and extended the estate; but his son Iver Lykke had , caused by debts, to give E. to grev Christian Rantzau's heirs in 1664. Various owners. the main building is listed in class A.

Mogenstrup was in 1403 pawned by Jes Pape to hr. Johan Skarpenberg. In 1469 it was by Jep Pusil sold to bishop Knud in Viborg, who also bought parts in it from Jes, Christen and Nis Grøn. When Mogens Mogensen (Due, Glob) in 1418 exchanged property with members of the family Krabbe (of Østergård) Mogenstrup came to him on behalf of his wife Anne Mortensdatter Krabbe.


Jenle


Jeppe Aakjær's grave

The farm Jenle was built in 1906-07. The owner was the author Jeppe Aakjær, who lived here and during some years held a large folks-meeting every summer. In a little forest at the land of Jenle is his grave .

Upon an islet in the dried-out Brokholm sø the National Museum examined in 1912 a fortificated medieval yard. There were a row of poles from a large half-timbered building. A curved dam went from the place to the land in north-northeast.

Listed prehistorics: 12 hills, of which several are rather large: Vihøj at Vihøjgård, Byhøj and Halehøj north of the church, 4 large hills, of which Hovmandshøj east of Breum and two larger hills north of Nørgård.
Demolished or destroyed: 77 hills, which mainly were in a stripe through the parish upon the high land passing Nørgård, Breum, Grinderslev and up to Rusted vandmølle. In one of the hills at Breum was found an early Bronze Age grave with a beautiful dagger with a gilt button and 2 goldspiralrings.

A kitchen midden is known from Astrup. At Nørgård was found a clay pot with 150 amber pearls. In the small Tranebærmose at Grinderslevkloster were found two necklaces from late Bronze Age.

Source: Trap Danmark, Viborg amt, 1962


photo Grinderslev, Eskær & Jenle in 2004: grethe bachmann