Håsum church/ Håsum kirke, Rødding herred, Viborg amt.

Håsum church, ab. 12 km northwest of Skive.

 

 

 

Håsum parish,  Rødding herred, Viborg amt. 


The small church in Håsum is located high upon a steeply sloping church yard. It has a Romanesque choir and nave with a late Gothic tower to the west and a porch to the south from the late 1800s. A now demolished apse was once an extension of the choir. The Romanesque building is in granite ashlars upon a bevelled plinth - and the choir lies unusually skewed compared to the nave. Both original doors are kept, the bricked-up north door with a couple of free-standing columns, which have strange homemade capitals and bases. The round arched south door is in use, but without columns - they lie in pieces upon the church yard. Original windows are seen bricked-up upon the north side of nave and choir and on the south side of the choir.

Inside the church are beamed ceilings, and the choir arch is extended. The late Gothic tower, which is of similar broadth as the nave, has a cross vaulted bottom room and a round tower arch. The gables are north-south, and the north gable has kept its typical Northwest-Jutland high-glare bevel-cut decorations. Many ashlars are marked by fire. Around a couple of the bricked-up windows is frescoe-painted late Gothic framework. 

The altarpiece with Renaissance-framework around the painted fields is probably from 1744. Heavy, balustershaped Baroque-candelabres.  A Romanesque granite font with rope-decorations upon the basin and primitively made lions upon the foot. A dish given in 1697 by Christen Linde of Volstrup. A Renaissance sounding board above the font. A pulpit from the middle of the 1700s with naive Evangelist-paintings. A bell from the second half of the 1300s by Nicolaus with majuskel-inscription.

Epitaph set up  by Mogens Høeg in 1636 for Melchior Glob of Vellumgård and ancestors, after the original epitaph was destroyed in 1628 by the imperial troops, who cleared away the burials of the Glob-family in order to bury an officer instead. A hill in the northwestern corner of the church yard, which was demolished in the beginning of the 1900s, contained skeletons, which supposedly came from the cleared burial.


Vellumgård belonged probably to hr. Niels Hase in the 1300s. In 1413 it was owned by his son Peder Hase, who still lived in 1425; his widow Kirsten Nielsdatter Krag married Anders Skeel (+ ab. 1455), whose daughter Anna Skeel before 1467 married Oluf Pedersen Glob (Due) (+ ab. 1501), who several times is written of V. Their son hr. Albert Glob (Due) (1510 and 1516) and his children Oluf (+ 1558)  and Melchior Glob (Due) (+ ab. 1543), owned the farm, the last mentioned's widow Anne Eriksdatter Lange (+ 1559) married 1551 Gregers Ulfstand (+ 1583), who broke down V. The land of Vellum village was ab. 1700 laid under Kærgårdsholm.  -  A new V. was formed in 1807 by parcels from Kærgårdsholm. In 1958 it was owned by Svend Åge Lund.       


Kærgårdsholm was in the middle of the 1400s owned by Sophie Bosdatter Høg, thereafter by her son, Henrik Eriksen of Hostrup. His widow Karen Nielsdatter Krabbe (of Østergård) owned K. in 1484, and her brother's son Niels Krabbe was the owner in 1498 and 1511. His son-in-law Ejler Lykke sold in 1545 K. to above mentioned Anne Lange of Vellumgård, whose husband Gregers Ulfstand (+ 1583) after the demolition of Vellumgård built K. upon the place where it stood until the 1880s. K. was then owned by the son Melchior Ulfstand (+ 1617) and fru Elsebet Viffert, his sister Anne Ulfstand (+ 1627) and her husband Stygge Høeg (Banner) (+ ab. 1630) and their son, rigsråd Mogens Høeg (Banner) (+ 1661). Mogens Høeg's daughter's son, Jakob Ulfeld, who was banished to the East Indies for his tyrannic behaviour towards his wife Christence Daa, but who came back after her interceding, inherited the half of K., while the other half went to Mogens Høeg's son-in-law baron Ejler Holck. This part came before 1676 to High Court judge Jens Lassen, and via exchange with Jakob Ulfeld he bought the whole farm before 1688. After Jakob Ulfeld was killed in 1688, K was by the Crown laid out to his widow, who married Mogens Kaas, who wrote himself of K. in 1691. Fru Christence Daa's heirs sold K. in 1693 to Anne Pedersdatter, widow after Laurids Nielsen.  She sold at once farm and estate to Christen Linde (+ 1706), who included the land of Vellum village. His son Niels Linde ( +1746) let rebuild the farm ; his son Christen Linde (+ 1756), deeded in 1751 K.,  a part of Stubbergård and taxes and estate to Christen Olufsen Fløy (+ 1757), but bought it all back a year after.  His widow Maren Loss married the earlier manager at K. justitsråd (judicial counsellor)  Jørgen Hvas (enobled de Lindenpalm)( + 1782), who in 1758 sold K. to ritmester (captain) Johan Glud, after whose death 1766 Peder Obel (+ 1794) bought K.

In 1777 K. was sold to Mads Opitius (+ 1784), who had to do array, whereafter Obel in 1779 rebought the farm. He sold it in 1780 to Niels Willemoes, who at once left half the estate to kammerråd Peder Hansen of Landting (+ 1797). His widow Mariane Bernstorff out-bought in 1799 Niels Willemoes of K.and achieved appropiation to sell out the peasant-estate without losing the main farm's freedom. In 1803 she sold it to forvalter (manager) Poul Holst (+ 1826) , who sold the peasant-estate  and after appropiation in 1805 outparcelled the main farm. In a forced sale of him in 1820 Ulrik Christian v. Schmidten  bought K., and in his forced sale in 1826 K. was bought by a consortium, who in 1827 sold K. to Mads Refsgård, who in 1828 sold it to the above mentioned Poul Holst's widow, Mette Marie Schmidt, who continued the outparcelling. The farm belonged in 1833 to Jens Gramstrup (+ 1853), then his son F. Gramstrup and his son L. Gramstrup and P.A. Sørensen, who built a new main building in the 1880s.  
Later owners: Kjær-Jacobsen, P. Anthonsen, Anders Rasmussen in 1904, Kristen Sørensen in 1913, R. Lilienskjold in  1915, Kristen Sørensen the same year, Daniel Pape in 1917, A. Mouritsen in 1919, C.P. Christensen 1920, Andersen Andersen 1922, Jens Pedersen Clausen 1923, in 1937 it was bought by Chr. M Elgaard, who in 1954 transferred it to his son K.B. Elgaard.

A little west of the present Kærgårdsholm is seen a small rise in the flat terrain, which is partly overploughed and  partly planted. The place has the name Dojsen or Dons, it was pointed out as the castle bank of the oldest Kærgårdsholm, but if this is the case all visible traces are wiped out (mentioned in Resens Atlas:"at the farm "Kiergaarsholm", is a hill called Gaasen with a shape of a regular triangle".

Northeast of Kærgårdsholm in the moor a little west of the country road is the castle bank of the farm, which was demolished in the 1880s, a small place with ditches after building-foundations. It is to north, west and south surrounded by waterfilled moats. (in 1962). The plan seems to stretch out to the east in the cultivated meadow, several brick-rests are seen . These traces might be remindings of the eastern farm building. In the meadow west and north of the castle bank are irregularities in the terrain, probably from the western farm building, which is mentioned at the time of Niels Linde. In the meadows around the castle bank was under certain cirumstances the trace of a road pointing towards Håsum.

In Kærgårdsholm mølle (mill) was earlier dyeworks and cotton weaving.

Vellumgård got its name after a disappeared village Vellum (1413 Wellom) where the land ab. 1700 was included under Vellumgård. In Torp was a farm Knapsdal (1610 Knapsdall). 

Listed prehistorics: 6 hills, among these Klokkehøj close to the church.
Demolished or destroyed: 30 hills.

Names from the Middle Ages:
Håsum (1403 Hosum, 1487 Hosom); Kærgårdsholm (1484 Kieregaardshollm);  Vellumgård (1400s Wellumgaardt, 1481 Wellumgard, Veyldomgardh); Stengård (1482 Stengaardt).


Source: Trap Danmark, Viborg amt, 1962.

photo: borrowed from Google Earth.

Øster Nykirke church/ Øster Nykirke kirke, Nørvang herred, Vejle amt.

The large church Øster Nykirke, consegrated to Sct. Peder, has a Romanesque choir and nave with a late Gothic tower to the west and a porch from the second half of the 1800s to the south. The Romanesque section is built in partly very large granite ashlars upon a bevelled plinth. The south door is in use; it has two free pillars and a tympanum with half figures of Christ between Petrus and Paulus, influenced by Ribe. The north door, with a low roof-shaped lintel, is bricked. The choir has to the north one, and the nave three round arch-windows.   The choir arch stands inside with profiled kragsten, and the nave has kept its beamed ceiling, while the choir in the late Gothic period had a cross vault. The late Gothic tower is built in monk bricks and re-used ashlars, of which one has a very simple relief of a lion. the tower room opens to the nave in a round arch; it has cross vault upon heavy, point-arched  skjoldbuer ( "shield curves"). A flat-curved door in a pointed mirror on the north side leads to the stairs. The upper section of the tower is re-walled and made lower. It has smooth gables east-west. At the east end of the south wall of the nave is a large bricked curve, which once lead out to a chapel, demolished in 1769; under the chapel was a burial for the family Juel. The porch in small bred bricks is from the second half of the 1800s, since also the choir gable was re-walled with small bricks.


In the choir and the north wall of the nave were found fragmentary frescoes from the reformation period, they were covered again. The communion table, which is bricked in travertine, is covered in a Renaissance panel  from the beginning of the 1600s with portal fields and pilasters. The altarpiece is a large carving in late Renaissance from ab. 1635, with figures from the Holy Communion in the big field, flanked by four Corinthic pillars and Evangelist figures. In the top field reliefs of the Crucifixion and the Resurrection. It was together with the pulpit restored in 1921. A chalice from 1656 with the coat of arms of Juel and Ulfstand. Very heavy, baluster-shaped Baroque candelabres. A Romanesque granite font with arcade-row, under which are interesting figures: birds, animals and two fighting warriors.A smooth brass dish from the 1700s. A pulpit in late Renaissance, probably contemporary to the altarpiece and by the same master carver. In the parish clerk stool are rests of pews with the year 1576 and the paternal and maternal coat of arms of Anne Skram. Unusually beautifully cast bell from 1438, consegrated to Sct. Peder, cast by master Peder from Randers.

the church behind the village

Alsted belonged in 1434 and 1459 to Albrecht Barfod (Barfus) and in 1490-1508 to Enevold Jensen (Rafvad), whose son-in-law Peder Skram wrote himself of A. in 1512;  the farm belonged after him to his son-in-law Jens Juel (+ 1563) then to his son Peder Juel (+ 1604), in 1605 to his son Gregers Juel (probably + 1611); in 1612 his brother Erik Juel (+ 1657); the sister Lene Juel owned in 1632 the half of A. and had the same year the king's permission to buy her sister Maren Juel's part in the farm; in 1649 she pawned it to her brother Erik Juel and died unmarried in 1655.
Other owners: Axel Sehested of Stovgård, J.L. v. Müllen of Daugård: outparcelling, main estate to: Poul Glud Langballe of Stovgård,  Jørgen Thomsen, Hans Fønss, J.H Langermann, Jørgen Jørgensen, Carl Frederik Becker of Tirsbæk, Thomas Peter Sabroe, his son and son's son. 1938: G Gerstrøm, 1953 his son E. Gerstrøm.


Upon a bank outside the church yard lies the holy Sct. Peder spring, which is now automated and giving water to the church yard and to the house of the church warden. A Helgenæs spring is also mentioned  a little further away.

Margrethediget

From Nr. Tinnet stretches to the west and across a valley area a now 250 m long (originally double as long) and about 1,5 m high earth bank, called Margrethediget or  Margrethevolden with a moat in front. The broadth of moat and bank is ab. 10 m. The plan must be considered as a road block and nothing is known about its age.

One of the most beautiful sections of Hærvejen passes this parish, Exactly here at the road which is listed together with its surroundings, are the springs of the river Gudenå and Skjernå.

Listed prehistorics: 20 hills, of which 5 are rather large, like two at Nr. Tinnet, Ravnshøj at Oksenbjerg and Skægbjerghøj in Sdr. Kollemorten.
Demolished or destroyed: 248 hills.  

Source: Trap Danmark, Vejle amt, 1964

photo 2009: grethe bachmann






    

Gammel Estrup and Fausing church/ Fausing kirke, Sønderhald herred, Randers amt.

 
Gammel Estrup.

When the counts Henrik II and Klaus of Holstein in 1340 gave hertug Valdemar III of Sønderjylland their pawn-rights of Nørrejylland, it was decided that Anders Jensen had to have back his own farm in Estrup, and in the following year he is written of the farm. His widow Johanne Brok (+ 1372), after whom the family took its name, was on the side of the rebels against king Valdemar Atterdag, who because of this destroyed E. in 1359. The son hr. Jens Andersen Brok (+ 1408) was a supporter of the king and later became a drost. His son's son hr. Esge Jensen Brok (+ 1441) inherited E., which then came to his son hr. Lave Brok, who was known for his violent nature, he started to collect the peasant-farms and had in 1469 established Estrup birk(judicial rights) from his etate in Fausing and Auning parish. Estrup birk existed until 1849.

library, foto stig bachmann nielsen, Naturplan.dk

bedroom, foto stig bachmann nielsen, Naturplan.dk

After his death in 1504 E. was owned by his widow Kirstine Pedersdatter(Høeg Banner), who married Peder Lykke of Demstrup; in 1529 the children Niels and Ide Brok entered their paternal heritage and shared E. and Vemmetofte , while the peasant-estate was common. Two families lived at the farm and there was always feuds among them. Ide Brok was married to Trued Ulfstand of Torup (+ 1545), her part was inherited by the son Gregers Ulfstand (+ at E. in 1582) and his son-in-law Carl Bryske (+ 1613). Niels Brok died in 1534, and his widow Jytte Podebusk married Knud Gyldenstierne of Ågård (+ 1560), who from 1540 is written of E. Her children Lave Brok (+ 1565) and Margrethe Brok, married to Jørgen Bille of Ellinge, had both part in E., but Lave's son Eske Brok gathered the estate again by buying out the above mentioned Carl Bryske in 1587. He died in 1625, the last male of his family, and E. came with the daughter Jytte Brok (+ 1640) to Jørgen Skeel of Sostrup (+ 1631) and then to their son, the rich Christen Skeel. In 1638 the farm was inherited by the son Jørgen Skeel (+ 1695), whose widow Benedicte Margrethe Brockdorff ( + 1739) in 1639 established E. as an entailed estate for her son Christen Skeel (+ 1731) who from his other farms established the county Scheel.

The following owners of the entailed estate was his son count Jørgen Scheel (+ 1786), his son's son count Jørgen Scheel (+ 1825), who almost ruined the farm; his son count Christen Scheel (+ 1844), his widow Christiane Pind (+ 1855),  the son count Jørgen Scheel (+ 1926). In 1921 the entailed estate became free property and in 1926 it was sold to Fr. Legarth. In 1928 the main building and the forests were sold to Christen Scheel's son-in-law Valdemar Uttental of Løvenholm, who by Trust deed of 1930 gave the building for a Manor Museum. Estrup is now the frame of a Herregårdsmuseum, an independent  institution of the Ministry of Culture.(today also agricultural museum)

at the agricultural museum

The earlier farm manager-building was hereafter used as a main building of the estate and was in 1937 sold to Olufsen-Ilskov, in 1942 to architect Meulengracht, in 1947 to Einar Hansen and in 1949 to architect E. Johansen;  in 1950 in auction sale bought by master builder S. Andersen and High Court lawyer H.Hansen, who did a new out-parcelling and sold the main parcel to manager Th. Nielsen, Jernit. He renounced the farm in 1957 to his son-in law E. Holck Gregersen.

Gammel Estrup's main building with farm buildings and garden park is overall mentioned as "Jyllands stateligste herregård"(Jutlands most stately manor), and not without reason. Although there have been three fires in farm buildings and stabkes through the last hundred years, the whole complex has kept much brilliance and greatness of the bygone days.

Nothing is known about the Estrup, which was built by the family Brok, after Valdemar Atterdag in 1359 had broken the earliest parts down, but it is possible to tell something about the water castle, which Lave Brok let build in about the year 1500. It was four winged with a gate through the north wing;  the poles of the bridge still stand in the bottom of the moat by the place of the drawbridge. In the present main building Lave Broks "large stone house" is included (the two bottom floors in the west wing). The outer walls in this house are very heavy, more than two meters, in the cellar even three meters thick and dressed outside with large granite ashlars. In the cellar the late medieval crossvaults are kept in the gable rooms. In the top of the building are found rests of a guardian walk and shooting peepholes.

Fausing church, foto stig bachmann nielsen, naturplan.dk

 Fausing church
 The church in Fausing has a choir and nave with a later added western tower, where only the original bottom is left, and a porch to the south. The choir and nave are Romanesque in granite ashlars. The southdoor with a round-stick along the edge and a half circular smooth thympanum is kept, but very crumbled like the ashlars of the south side. The north door is bricked-up and partly destructed by a newer window. 2 Romanesque windows and one in the choir gable are bricked-up. In the south side of the choir is kept a small low-placed round-arched window, probably a leprosy-window. The tower is in granite ashlars and in the same broadth as the nave - and almost from the same time. In the beginning of the 1800s the upper sections of the tower were broken down, and the roof of the nave was extended over the bottom section. A later built ridge turret above the west gable was renewed in 1923, and the bell, which was in a bell-stool on the west gable, is now placed in the ridge turret. The large porch in monk bricks is a late Gothic addition. In the late Middle Ages the choir was over-vaulted with one and the nave with three bays crossvaults. In the tower room -which is in connection to the nave by a large pointed arch - was built a vault, which was later replaced by a beamed ceiling. Upon the vaults of choir and nave were found late medieval frescoes, like coat of arms, partly restored in 1886, but later whitewashed in 1962. The southside of the nave is whitewashed or else the church has blank walls, the roof is lead.














The walled communion table is surrounded by a painted panel. Baroque altar piece from ab. 1650 with a carving and decoration from 1958 by Ernst Trier. Altar candelabres from ab. 1600. An interesting ore baptismal font from ab. 1300. The bowl is carried by three male figures, probably depicting paradise rivers. A a wooden sounding board (the font) kept in the attic. Late Renaissance pulpit from ab. 1635 with reliefs; the stool and the sounding board are probably made by Niels Kock, who signed the pulpit in Auning church. A new decoration. 2 manor pews from ab. 1650 are now in the tower arch. The other pews have gables from the late 1600s. The bell was recast and paid by Jytte Brock of Estrup in 1640. In the southside of the tower room a large grave stone from 1584 with two portrait figures of Gregers Ulfstand Truedsen of Torup and Estrup (+ 1582) and fru Karen Banner, with their son Trud. A Romanesque headstone with cross is walled in the east side of the porch. In the Catholic period was mentioned 2 altar pieces in the church.

Portraits on gravestone: Gregers Ulfstand Truedsen and fru Karen Banner (1582)

Listed prehistorics: 4 hills, of which two are rather large, all lie close in the fields and forest belonging to Gl. Estrup.
Destroyed or demolished: a long dolmen west of Drammelstrup and 33 hills,  mainly placed by Drammelstrup and between Fausing and Gl. Estrup.

Names from the Middle Ages:
Fausing (1379 Faxingh ); Liltved (1464 Lille twedh, 1479 Lilltwedh); Drammelstrup (1467 Drammelstrvp); Grund (1504 Grund march); Gammel Estrup (1. half of 1300s Essendrup, in 1355 Æsendorp, 1463 Æstrop).

Source: Trap Danmark,Randers amt, 1963.

Photo: grethe bachmann & stig bachmann nielsen, Naturplan.dk

Nørre Vosborg, West Jutland, Ringkøbing amt.

Among many permanent castles built in West Jutland during the Middle Ages was Vosborg, one of the castles with the oldest history. It was originally built southwest of the present farm and close to the place where Storåen (river) runs out into Nissum Fjord. The name Vosborg is from Old Norse óss = mouth of å. Oseborg/Osborg with a first letter pronunciation: w = wosborg.

The castle Oseborg was situated north of the river, the farm buildings were south, and between was a valuable salmon-farm. The outlets of the river have moved longer to the north and the castle bank lies  by a rest of the earlier river: Gammelå. (Old river). The legend tells about a castle at the bank, which the mighty Niels Bugge of Hald let build by an English building master. Niels Bugge inherited the place from his father Bugge Nielsen of Hegnet. At the castle bank are vaguely traceable foundations, maybe from a very large four-winged building with a tower.

Niels Bugge was murdered in Middelfart in 1359. His widow Ingeborg Pedersdatter Vendelbo survived him for many years and has probably owned Vosborg for a period, possibly until 1388, where she held administration of hr. Niels' estate. From his numerous estates the manors Vosborg, Støvringgård and Lundholm (a main farm at Skagen which was destroyed by sand) went to his daughter Eline (Ellen), who was married to marsk hr. Christiern Vendelbo, the owner of many Jutland farms. All his daughters (sons of him are not known) were married to men from the finest families in the country, the daughter Ingeborg of Vosborg to the widower Predbjørn Podebusk of Egholm at Sjælland, a son of Valdemar Atterdag's og dronning Margrethe's faithful man. Vosborg stayed in this family for some years.


Nørre Vosborg before restoration


Nørre Vosborg after restoration 2008

A letter is by accident preserved from 1407, where a Danzig-captain in Low German complains that he had stranded "vor deme slote Oseborgh in Jutlande in ghebede heren Prittberns van Potbusch", whom he partly had to give some cloth as salvage money, partly sell some cloth at a moderate price, which he else had to bring to queen Margrethe. It is understandable that the captain was displeased, but the treatment of shipwrecked people was generally very ruthless, so it seems that Predbjørn Podebusk was rather humane compared to others. He still lived in 1425, very old. His widow, who lived 34 years later, possibly owned Vosborg long after his death. Then it came to the son Claus Podebusk, who died in the middle of the 1470s. He had several children with his first wife Jytte Evertsdatter Moltke. The son Predbjørn became the owner of Vosborg during a couple of generations.

Hr. Predbjørn Podebusk, who already is mentioned of "Osborg" in 1477, which he owned until his death in 1541, became - partly by inheritance, partly by marriage, first to Vibeke Rosenkrantz of Bidstrup (+ 1506), then to Anne Gyldenstierne of Aagaard og Bregentved, who was a widow after hr. Oluf Krognos of Krapperup - one of the richest men of his time. Via his family connections and his riches and possibly also because he was a clever man, he played an important role during his long life, but he was very repulsive, brutal and obstinate, quarrelsome and self-willed. He early became a member of rigsrådet, he had many large vasalries, i.e. Riberhus, by which his wealth was increased. He joined, when the reformation-rebellion started, the Catholic party.


before the restoration


after the restoration

When Niels Bugge according to legend had built his magnificent castle , he was foretold that someone in a blue cape would come from the west and break down the castle and the tower. The person in the blue cape was Vesterhavet (North Sea). This prophecy came true in 1532 when a great storm broke all barriers and caused terrible havocs in West Jutland. In a king's letter at Christmas time the king described the great storm and all the damage.

Since the old Vosborg was so close to the fjord and in a low terrain, it is probable that it was damaged badly. The owners might have thought that now was the time to be in more safe surroundings. A new castle was built about one kilometer to the northeast. There are possibly nothing left from those buildings, but the earth works and moats around farm and park suppossedly origin from that time. It is obvious that the great plan was not a common fortification. Undoubtedly was the outer bank mostly a dam/dike, which had to secure the castle against a new storm like in 1532, but to the east, where the attackers had firm ground under their feet, the plan worked as a fortification.


before the restoration


after the restoration

The old quarrelsome Predbjørn Podebusk died in 1541, but first 7 years later was held administration of estate after him, and Vosborg came to his son-in-law Knud Gyldenstierne, the Catholic bishop of Fyns Stift, who after having been forced to give up his crocier had married Predbjørn's daughter Jytte, who was a widow after Niels Brock of Estrup (+ 1534), together with her sister's son Gregers Holgersen Ulfstand, whose mother Anne Predbjørnsdatter Podebusk had died after only one year's happy marriage to rigsråd Holger Ulfstand of Skabersø (+ 1542).

In 1551 the two owners shared farm and estate. Thus arose two farms, the original farm got later the name Nørre Vosborg, while the new farm was named Sønder Vosborg after its placement to the south. It was originally built upon the place, where the old destroyed castle had been or maybe at the place of the farm-buildings south of the old outlets of Storåen (river). Sønder Vosborg was at Christmas time 1593 exposed to a new storm, and after this it was moved to the northeast and existed as a manor until 1799, when a company of manor-slaughters killed it completely. The estate now exists as a smaller proprietær-gård (farm.)


at café and restaurant before restoration

The cosy café has now been moved and changed....


into a cafeteria........

Among Nørre Vosborg's many wellknown owners was Knud Gyldenstierne -one of the most prominent. He was very important to Vosborg, also by in 1550 to buy Oluf Munk of Tvis Kloster's estate in Ulfborg parish, among which was the present Skærum Møllegård at Storå (river), which was a large estate. He transferred it to his main farm, which thus was considerably increased. He also became the owner of Skærum chapel, which he a few years later was told sharply by the king to break down since it had become known that it was used for "idolatry and other bad habits". The tradition says that materials from here was used for building the eastern wing of Nørre Vosborg.

Knud Gyldenstierne's son Predbjørn became in 1560 Nørre Vosborg's owner. He was like most of his predecessors a man who played an important role in his time and from 1596 a member of rigsrådet. After the death of his first wife Birgitte Rosensparre he married in 1589 Mette Hardenberg, who a few years later was afflicted by a serious disease, which created a great stir at that time, because people meant that "the evil spirit" persecuted her. He "has beaten her and allured her when she has mentioned God, so that her body is one bloody flesh " it was said and he pricked in her shinbones, "so they are still in cracks and wounds", but finally she got rid of the evil spirit and was "pretty, healthy and felt fit". These troubles did not afflict her at Vosborg.

Predbjørn Gyldenstierne was buried below a magnificent epitaph in Ulfborg church in 1616 beside his first wife, and 13 years later fru Mette was buried here too. She had spent her last years on her paternal farm Skovsbo at Fyn (Funen). Their son Knud Gyldenstierne, who was oppressed by debt, had already in 1626 sold Nørre Vosborg to his brother-in-law Jens Juel of Åbjerg. It was the first time in 300 years the farm changed owner in this way. The new owner belonged to a respected family and was also a man in high positions. He was like his predecessors a member of rigsrådet, but also vice regent in Norway for some years. After having bought Nørre Vosborg it seems that he regarded it his real home. After his early death in 1634 his widow Ide Hansdatter Lange - who also owned (1638) Aabjerg, Udstrup and Stenumgård - lived there until 1649, when she was killed in an accident.This couple had no sons, and their sons-in-law shared their estates.



The chancellor in Norway,the later assessor in statskollegiet and højesteret, gehejmeråd Ove Bielke of Østråt became the owner of Nørre Vosborg. He had been married to a daughter Maren Juel, who died in 1644 after having given him a daughter Ide Sophie, who later was married to Knud Gjedde of Vadskærgård, who sometimes is written to Nørre Vosborg, but since Ide Sophie died long before her father without leaving any children, the relationship by marriage ended and the farm came at Ove Bielke's death in 1674 to the daughter Maren from his second marriage to Regitze Gjedde. Maren was in 1671 married to amtmand in Trondheim Joachim Frederik Vind of Gundestrup in Skåne, who in April 1687, a few months before his death, sold Nørre Vosborg by contract for only 10.000 rigsdaler to oberst Herman Frans von Schwanewede of Sønder Vosborg.

Schwanewede had distinguished himself several times in the Skånske Krig, which gave him a reputation as a magician and a quick advancement. He was not a peaceable man, he quarrelled with God and everyone. Buying Nørre Vosborg brought him into a long-winded process and he was always in a quarrel with the other landowners by Nissum Fjord. There were many tales about him, one told that he at his death in 1697 hardly escaped the claws of the devil, but that one of the parish priests came to his rescue. His wife fru Christence Dyre survived him till 1705, and the married couple was buried in the Gyldenstierne-chapel in Ulfborg church. Their heirs kept Sønder Vosborg for a time, but put in 1706 Nørre Vosborg at an auction. It was bought by the rich Christen de Linde's son-in-law Niels Leth, who was enobled two years later, mostly because he had got married into a new nobility family.



the park is known for its 1001 rhododendron

Leth's widow fru Maren de Linde kept the farm from her husband's death in 1711 until 1745, where she sold it to her son Henrik Johan de Leth. She was in straitened circumstances in the last years of her life, and it seems that her son was not much better off, even though he was a skilled farmer, who in many ways tried to improve the property. Since he was very strict to his peasants and according to tradition a bully towards them, he was later told to be a ghost in many stories. He died in 1754, the year before his mother, and three years later in 1757 his widow Sophie Kirstine de Linde,who was his cousin, sold farm and estate to her son Christen Linde de Leth, but was like her mother-in-law living at the farm until her death 30 years later.

The new owner became in 1761 landsdommer in Nørrejylland, later byfoged in Holstebro and herredsfoged in the two neighbour-districts, in 1774 he became justitsråd. He lived a merry life at Nørre Vosborg, which did not help much on the modest conditions. He died in 1778 by falling off his horse on his way from Holstebro to Nørre Vosborg. The next year was the farm on auction and bought by a relative Christen Linde Friedenreich of Sønder Vosborg, who was a simple man, who lived in peace and understanding with his peasants and took care of his farms and bullocks, of which he in good years had 5-600 in the stable - and about 60-100 at Nørre Vosborg.
Linde Friedenreich was not married, and shortly after his death in 1786 his estates were on auction and sold for a little more than 170.000 rigsdaler. Nørre and Sønder Vosborg were bought by two brothers købmand Peder Tang in Ringkøbing and kancelliråd Søren Tang of Tim. It must have been a great day for the brothers, when they took Niels Bugge's old farm in possession, since they were the sons of a copyholder from the estate.

Nørre Vosborg was very dilapidated and Peter Tang had enough to do bringing the neglected farm back on its feet. The farm building burnt down in lightning in 1647 and was very ramschackled. He built if again in 1788 from the ground. In 1790 he built at the eastern entrance a monumental, pilaster-decorated gate tower. He gave Nørre Vosborg ab. 1797 to his only child, the son Niels Kiær Tang, a fine and friendly personality, who was a judicial candidate. He became landvæsenskommissær and kammerråd. He died already in 1814 and his widow Marie Cathrine Meinert (+ 1855) married two years later amtsprovst dr. theol. Conrad Daniel Koefoed in Ribe, who then became the owner of the farm. He died as bishop in 1831.




In 1824 Koefoed sold the farm and estate to his three stepsons, of which the two eldest, the priest Peter Tang and later justitiarius Christian Noe Tang, two years later sold their part to the youngest Andreas Evald Meinert Tang, who owned it for many years. He improved and embellished it and collected all the legends in its history - and he made by his hospitality the farm a center of the district. He bought parcels and other estate which had been sold from the farm and also bought most of the sold copyhold farms. Nørre Vosborg was complete again in 1834. He was probably the first in the area, who started to drain (1856) with pipes from his own tile works, and he was among the first, who had the courage to plant a plantation that close to the North Sea. He made more changes at Nørre Vosborg, and in 1868 the south wing was extended to the east so it was in line with the east wing. Thus the castle yard had got its present look. At the entrance to the farm buildings Tang built in 1853 for his eldest brother, the priest Peter Tang (+1876) a villa in style like the east wing of the manor and named it Vosborglille, later used as a dower house.

After his death in 1868 his widow Marie Elise, née Fenger (+ 1885) lived at the farm for some years after having sold a large part of the estate. She transferred Nørre Vosborg in 1878 together with Skærum Mølle, Nørre Tang and the rest of the estate to her son-in-law bryggeriejer Henrik Stampe Valeur, who in his short ownership established the large plantation northeast of the farm down to Storå (river). Since his early death in 1880 Nørre Vosborg belonged to his widow, etatsrådens oldest daughter fru Christine Lorentze Tang Valeur, who in her long life faithfully held on to the paternal traditions and protected the rich memories of the farm and the family. In 1923 she gave Nørre Vosborg to two sister's children, skoleinspektør frøken Anna Tang Barfod and her brother Peter Niels Andreas Tang Barfod. At the end of 1931 the brother became the sole owner and moved into Vosborglille.

In 1946 it looked as though Nørre Vosborg's time as a manor was out. Godsejer Tang Barfod sold it to a couple of property-dealers who wanted to outparcel the old manor. Some areas had already been sold, when overretssagfører Janus Frederik Krarup, owner of Nordfeld, intervened on behalf of the family, since he as a great-grandchild of Niels Kiær Tang, suddenly arrived as a buyer. The old family estate was saved, the main part of the culture-historical valuable inventory, the old furniture, family portraits etc. were allowed to stay in their old place. Krarup worked until his death untiringly to consolidate the neglected estate ; after a fire in 1949 the southern farm wing and the dilapidated castle was restored in 1954-60. After Janus Krarup's death Nørre Vosborg was owned by his widow fru Margrethe Krarup.

Source: Danske slotte og herregårde, bd. 13, Nørre Vosborg, by arkivar, cand mag. S. Nygård.

Nørre Vosborg was recently restored with finish in 2008.

Nørre Vosborg today:

photo 2006/2008: grethe bachmann