A few notes (July, 2000):

Lower, middle and upper Haugtvedt refer to 3 farms today.  It once was 1 big farm.  The elevations are different hence the terms.  I wish I had an idea of the amounts of money mentioned.  Specidaler and kroner for instance.  Just like our own currency, I am sure theirs had a different value over time.  The upper Haugtvedt farm is today owned by a cousin by the name of Lars Haugtvedt.  The farm is located about a 2 hour drive northwest of Oslo.  It is west of Gran a few miles.

A cottager is a person that has a contract with a farm owner.  The cottager has a hut or small house to live in and a small piece of land to farm for himself.  In return he will work a certain number of days per week for the farm owner.  This custom is no longer in use in Norway.

 

HAUGTVEDT FARM HISTORY

 

Written by: Gunnar Snellingen (father in law of Lars Haugtvedt)

Translated from Norwegian by: Inga Gulmala

Edited by: Jim Gordon (about 1988)

I have underlined references to our ancestors

 

The word “haugtvedt” in Norwegian means a high mountain plateau.  The farm Haugtvedt is located on a sort of plateau overlooking the Rands Fjord; it is some elevation above the highway.  The spelling has varied over time for example: Haugtvedt, Hougtved, Hougthved, Haatveit.  On some documents it is written as Haatveit with Hougtvedt in parenthesis.

 

It is unknown when the first people settled at Haugtvedt, but it is known that ruins of a house have been found on the lower Haugtvedt (see Hadelandsbook edition 4) that probably are from the stone age, about 4,000 years ago.  The ruins were found and excavated on the neighboring Skattum farm from the Bronze Age show that at that time there was farming in the area.

 

Haugtvedt is one of the farms that is believed to have been left behind from the time of the Vikings.  When the Black Death ravaged Norway in 1349, Haugtvedt was one of the farms spared and therefore the name was not forgotten.  A full farm was in operation with about 32 acres or more with farm workers employed.

 

The farm was at one time owned by the king.  The farmer who used the farm, rented the farm from the king.  In the year 1467, King Kristian I gave Haugtvedt to the Nunnseter cloister (an order of Nuns) in Kristiania (Oslo formerly was known as Kristiania).  The land register of 1647 (Hadelandsbook edition 4) describes the farm as belonging to the Nunnseter cloister.  The farmer was then Erich Haugtvedt who rented the farm.  His wife was Marthe Pedersdaughter.  After the reformation in 1536, all that belonged to the church was confiscated and taken over by the king in 1647.  From 1647 onwards the king owned the farm.

 

About 1700, it appears that there were two farmers at Haugtvedt.  The church records of 1707 show that a Nils Hansen Hoffvedt lived on the farm and in 1716 Ole Larsen.  How long did it take before Haugtvedt again became independently owned?  The Danish kings that ruled Norway at that time were constantly involved in wars.  To pay the expenses of the wars, the king had to sell some of the lands.  In the year 1726, Haugtvedt was put up for auction.  On November 21, 1726 the land was transferred from King Fredrick IV to Jens Klaestad for 400 riksdaler.  Jens Klaestad bought the farm on behalf of Erik Mortensen Hoff in Tinglestad and title was transferred on March 2, 1727.  Erik Mortensen Hoff bought Haugtvedt in 1726 from the king but did not run the farm long.  On November 28 1735 he sold half of the west side of the farm to Ole Larsen for 250 riksdaler and on March 16, 1736 he sold the east side to Olle Nielsen for 250 riksdaler.  Olle Nielsen was the son of Nils Hansen who was the farmer at Haugtvedt in 1716.

 

UPPER HAUGTVEDT

 

Ole Larsen (1690-1761)

 

Ole Larsen was born in 1690 and was the son of Lars Larsen (1666-1711).  He was at that time the mortgagee on upper Haugtvedt and in 1735 bought the farm from Erik Mortensen Hoff.  Ole became the first farmer on Haugtvedt that owned the land.  He married Tore Jensdatter from Fallaug on Dec. 9, 1715.  They had two sons, Jens born 1716 and Lars born 1719.  After Ole Larsen bought upper Haugtvedt in 1735, the farm was passed from generation to generation until1867.

 

Jens Olsen (1716-1770)

 

Ole Larsen’s oldest son Jens took over the farm.  The date is unknown.  He was married to the daughter on the lower Haugtvedt farm, Kirsti Christophersdaughter and they had 12 children: Anna born 1749, Ole born 1751, Kristoffer born1753.  Kirsti (unknown date of birth), Mari born 1759, Jens born 1759, Lars born 1762 (died 5 weeks old), Lars born 1764 (died 19 weeks old).  Ann born 1765, Tore born 1769.  Of the surviving children we know that Ole was married to Kirsti Torgersdatter from Bergsrud (engaged October 14 and married Nov. 10, 1796).  Kirsti married Ole Olsen from Stadum farm (engaged November 19, 1779, married March 13, 1780).  Mari married Hans Larsen from Smedsrud.  Ann married Lars Andersen of Tinglestad (engaged Jan. 21, married February 11, 1790), and Tore married Nils Christensen of Smedsrud (engaged March 22, married June 2, 1796).

 

Jens Olsen died in 1770 (buried March 8) at age 55.  Kirsti married again to Engebret Larsen from Schude (Skute).  She died in 1793 (buried April 25) at age 64.

 

Ole Jensen (1751-1818)

 

Jens Olsen oldest son Ole Jensen took over the farm from his stepfather Engebret Larsen with a down payment on October 8, 1785.  Jens had married Kirsti Torgersdaughter from Bergsrud and they had 3 sons and 1 daughter: Jens (1797-1819), Torger (1801-1825), Ole (1806-1821) and Kirsti born 1799.  Kirsti married Jens Nielsen from Smedsrud.  Ole Jensen died in 1818 (buried February 19) and Kirsti Torgersdaughter died the same year (buried May12).

 

Jens (1797-1819) and Torger Olsen (1801-1825)

On January 22, 1818, Ole Jensen extended the inheritance of the farm to his son Jens Olsen.  But Jens died the next year in 1819 at age 22 and the inheritance of the farm was extended on October 28, 1819 to the brother Torger at age 18 ½.  Torger married Marte Jensdaughter from Grimstad and they had a son Ole born 1823.

 

Ole Torgersen (1823-    )

 

Torger died in 1825 and his son Ole Torgerson inherited the farm on November 17, 1825.  He was only 2 ½ at the time.  His mother, Marthe Jensdaughter married again to John Olsen.  She died in 1839.  Ole Torgersen married Thora Pedersdaughter and they had 5 daughters: Marte born1841, Anna born 1843, Trine born 1845, Berthe born 1848 and Pauline born 1850.  In 1863 Ole sold “Grasbakken” on Soseters in Skrukkelia to Anders Andersen.  Grasbakken was a summer farm (seter).  In 1864 he sold the place “Myra” (the Meadow) to Lars Larsen and in 1847 he sold the farm to Simen Guttormsen of Nestegge.  Ole is believed to have immigrated to America with his family.

 

Simen Guttormsen of Nestegge

 

Simen Guttormsen had the upper Haugtvedt over a period of 10 years.  An extension with the inheritance was titled and registered on September 8, 1877 and title to the farm passed to Anders Larsen for 3160 speciedaler.  Simen bought one of the Osten famers and moved there.

 

We will pause here on the discussion of upper Haugtvedt and discuss lower Haugtvedt.

 

Lower Haugtvedt

 

Nils Hansen (1647-1738)

In 1700 Nils Hansen occupied lower Haugtvedt where he was the mortagee and farmer.  He was born in 1647 and died in 1738.  He married Ane Nilsdaughter (1663-1723) and they 7 children: Nils born 1696, Berte born 1700, Ole born 1707, Ragna, Hans, Elli and Gubior.  Nils died in 1708 (buried June 21) at age of 12 years and 2 months.  Berte appears to have remained unmarried and died in 1778 (buried July 30).  Ragna married Simen Olsen of Stensrud on June 25, 1721.  Hans married Kari Hansdaughter on October 22, 1727.  Elli married Nils Pedersen Gammeeiet (engaged on August 30, 1733).  Gubior married Anders Olsen from Schjefstad in Toten on December 28, 1741 (engaged August 12, 1741).

 

Olle Nielsen (1707-    ).

Olle (Ole) Nielsen was the son of Nils hansen.  Olle bought lower Haugtvedt from Erik Mortensen. in 1736.  Olle married Pernille Engebretsdaughter from Rochen on January 1738 (engaged October 22, 1737) and they had 2 children: Engebret born 1738 and Anne born 1740.

 

Anders Olsen

 

On September 17, 1740 Ole Nielsen sold the farm to his brother-in-law Anders Olsen for the price of 308 riksdaler.  Anders Olsen was from Schjefstad, Toten.  He was married to Olle’s sister Gubior Nilsdaughter and they had a son Ole.  Gubior is believed to have died in childbirth at age 28.  Anders married Anne Pedersdaughter on October 8, 1743 (engaged March 31, 1743).  Anne Pedersdaughter was from Tomt.  In 1744 they had a daughter who they named Gubior.

 

Christopher Morttensen (    -1761)

 

By deed of November 22, 1745, Anders Olsen sold the farm to Christopher Mortensen of Ensrud.  Christopher had lived in several other places.  He was married to Kirsti Hansdaughter from Gisleberg  and they had 8 children.  The first 3 children were born in Kolkinn, one was born at Opsahl farm in Lunner and the last 4 were born in Tommeros in Jevnaker.  The children were: Ane born 1717, Ane and Ingeborre (twins) born 1719, Jens born 1725, Kirsti born 1728,Morten born 1730, Ane born 1733 and Jens born 1736.  The first two Ane’s and the first Jens died as children as their names were reused by later children which is a Norwegian custom.  Ane married a soldier, Anders Jensen Holter on October 25, 1757 (engaged October 6, 1757).  Morten married Knarud.  Kirsti married Jens Olsen from upper Haugtvedt on October 3, 1748 (engaged September 5).  Kari Christophersdaughter married Gudbrand Jensen and they had a daughter born 1756.  It is possible that Kari was the daughter of Christopher Mortensen.  The son Jens inherited the farm.  Jens married Anne Amundsdaughter from Hvinden.  They were engaged January 4, 1759 and married on January 30, 1759.  Christopher Mortensen died in 1761 (buried January 16).

 

Jens Christophersen (1736-1798)

Jens Christophersen took over half of the farm from his father by deed in March 1751 for 334 riksdaler and the rest of the farm on March 19, 1759 for 440 riksdaler.  Jens Christophersen and Anne Amundsdaughter had 4 children.  Kirsti born 1760.  Christopher born 1762, Berte born 1763 and Christopher born 1766.  In 1772 they had a child that was stillborn.  Berte married Iver Olsen Kittelsrudeiet on November 19, 1782 (engaged October 11).  Kirsti married Torsten Andersen from Gyrmyr on July 18, 1782 and it was them who came to take over lower Haugtvedt.  Anne Amundsdaughter died in 1780 (buried April 6) and Jens died in 1798 (buried May 16).

 

Torsten Andersen (1750-    )

Kirsti Jensdaughter married Torsten Andersen from Gyrmyr and Torsten took over the farm from his father-in-law; deed recorded October 6, 1783.  Torsten and Kirsti had 7 children: Anders born 1784, Anne born 1786, Jens born 1788, Lars born 1791, Marte born 1794, Kjersti born 1797 and Kari born 1801.  Anne died in 1802 (buried July 22).  Lars married Mari Carlsdaughter on January 2, 1819.  He became the farmer at Hvindeneiet.  (Lars Tortensen had a son Lars baptized October 12, 1818; mother Siri Carlsdaughter; On January 2, 1819 Lars Tortensen and Mari Carlsdaughter were married.  While the mother is listed as Siri, it is believed that an error occurred in recording the birth and that the mother was Mari).  He was the father of Anders Larsen that later on became the owner of upper Haugtvedt.  Anders married Ingeborg Pedersdaughter.  She was the widow of Torstein Hansen and she had 5 children from her first marriage.  Anders bought half of the farm from his father in 1805 for 850 riksdaler (deed of January 24, 1805).  Four years later in 1809 Torstein and his son Anders sold their properties to Johannes Gundersen from Hoff.  What happened to Torstein and Anders is not known; they probably moved to another farm as the immigration to America had not yet begun.  Both deeds are dated June 24, 1809.  The price was 1825 riksdaler for each.

 

Johannes Gundersen (1753-    )

Johannes was now the owner of all of lower Haugtvedt.  He was married first to Marte Povelsdaughter and had 4 children: Randi, Povel, Gunder, Eli.  Johannes was married a second time (his first wife probably died) to Mari Povelsdaughter from Hval (sister of Marte?).  Johannes and Mari had 3 children: Gudbrand, Knud and Marte.  Randi married Torsten Olsen of Stensrud in 1815.  Povel married Marte Johannesdaughter in 1841.  Gunder married Rangdi Andersdaughter of Smedsrud in 1834.  Gudbrand married Kari Olsdaughter.  Johannes Gundersen owned lower Haughtvedt until 1828.  On April 14, 1828 he registered the property to his son Gudbrand Johannesen for 1200 speciedaler.

 

Gudbrand Johanessen.

Gudbrand Johanessen married Kari Olsdaughter and they had 5 children: Mari born 1843, Marte born 1849, Kari born 1853, Johannes born 1857 and Ole Andreas born 1859.  Gudbrand probably died at the end of 1891 when his widow registered the deed on January 8, 1892.

 

Lower Haugtvedt becomes divided

Kari Olsdaughter sold lower Haugtvedt to Kristoffer Halvorsen for 5000 kroner and middle Haugtvedt to Martinus Andersen for 5000 kroner.  Torstein Andersen who owned the farm until 1809 was the great grandfather of Martinus.  The deeds were registered on May 24, 1895.

 

Kristopher Halvorsen sold a part of the farm known as “Broen” to Lars Larsen.  The deed was recorded on May 22, 1896.  Mikkel Olsen took over this parcel from Lars Larsen with the deed recorded December 15, 1905.

 

Another parcel was separated (Haugtvedthagen) with deed registered March 12, 1909 to Lars Larsen Ohren.  He had lower Haugtvedt until 1917 when he transferred title to his son, Lars Larsen for 2400 kroner plus feed.  The son Lars Larsen became encumbered with debts and the property was put up for auction.  It was sold to Ingvar Alm for 18,600 kroner including cash of 2600 kroner.  Ingvar Alm had to declare in writing that he would run the property properly.

 

Middle Haugtvedt

 

Middle Haugtvedt was taken over and run by Martinus Andersen in 1895.  Martinus was the son of Anders Larsen that at the time was the farmer of upper Haugtvedt.  Martinus married Anne Marie Larsdaughter Grina and they had 5 children:

            Anna married Johan Brotstad of Lunner

            Lars, a prison guard at Opstad prison

            Ingrid married A. Kittlerud from Gautvedt

            Margit married Karl Rostad from the Lier farm in Vardal

            Ivar married 1) Ruth Warpe; 2) Solveig Romesmo

Martinus was a famer and an electrician.  He died May 31, 1936 and Anne Marie died September 29, 1934.  His son Anders died of tuberculosis.  His son Martinus and grandson Einar took over the farm by registered deed on April 7, 1936.  He has lived in Drammen and the farm was leased out to Torfinn Bö

 

We have now seen what happened to lower Haugtvedt in the last 300 years.  We will continue with upper Haugtvedt in 1877.

 

Upper Haugtvedt (continued)

 

Anders Larsen (1829-1884)

When Simen Guttormsen sold upper Haugtvedt in 1877, Anders Larsen bought the farm.  Anders was born December 18, 1829 at Hvindeneiet.  His parents were Lars Torstensen and Mari Carlsdaughter and they were cotter farm folks on this place of Hvindeneiet.  His grandfather was Torstein Andersen that sold lower Haugtvedt in 1809.  Anders was a mason and a farmer.  Anders, among other things, made the firing ovens at Hadeland Glass Works (makers of fine crystal) and Drammen Glass Works.

 

In 1864 he married Mari Andersdaughter from Staxrudeiet and they settled at the estate “Broen” which is below lower Haugtvedt where his father at the time was the cotter farmer there.  When Simon sold the farm in 1869 and emigrated to America, Anders bought the farm (deed of March 19, 1869) for 700 speciedaler.  Anders had this farm for 2 years.  In 1871 he sold the farm and bought one of the Hilden farms.  He lived there until 1877 when he sold the farm and bought upper Haugtvedt.  Anders and Mari had 9 children:

            Lars born February 2, 1865, married Ingeborg Larsdaughter of Grina

            Andreas born 1866, died as a child

            Torvald born 1868, married Randi Kristine Dahl

            Martinus born 1871, married Anne Marie Grina

            Kari who died as a child

            Kari who married Nils Gjovik

            Anders born 1876, never married

            Kristian born 1879, died 1880

            Anne Marie born 1881, married Anders Dihle

 

Anders Larsen died on December 16, 1884 (buried January 3, 1885) and the widow Mari Andersdaughter continued to farm the property until she sold it to her son, Lars Andersen in 1899 for 7200 kroner with cash of 950 kroner.  The farm was registered and titled March 10, 1899.

 

Lars Andersen (1865-1944)

Lars Andersen was born in 1865 and he married Ingeborg Larsdaughter from Grina on April 30, 1896.  Their children were:

            Anders born September 8, 1896, married

                        1) Sofie Egge

                        2) Gusta Hammeren

            Lars born December 22, 1898, married Maren Dolva

            Anna Marta born April 16, 1901, married Hans Frydenlund

            Kristian who died young

            Inga born March 24, 1906, never married

            Kristian born January 5, 1908, married Synnöve Andersen

            Anne Marie born January 5, 1911, married Kristian Kjestad

            Lina born March 26, 1913, never married

            Mikal born January 31, 1915, married Margit Bilden

 

With the separation of property in parcels and titled May 31, 1912 and the parcel “Englung” (earlier homesteaded Saksebroten) and one parcel “Nordli”.  On December 19, 1936, the farm was turned over from Lars to his son Anders and his wife for 21,800 kroner (600 kroner in cash).  Lars died March 23, 1944 and Ingeborg died September 21, 1953.

 

Anders Larsen (1895-1976)

Anders Larsen took over the farm from his father in 1936.  Anders married Sofie Pedersdaughter Egge in 1921.  They had one daughter, Sigrid born August 9, 1922 and she married Gunnar Monserud.  Anders sold homestead Toje by deed of September 1, 1948.

 

On February 24, 1949 Anders became a widower and he sold the farm on October 28, 1949 to his brother Kristian and Mikal for 54,000 kroner.  Anders married a widow Gusta Hammeren in 1952 and move to her property in Trondelag.  Anders died January 31, 1976.

 

Kristian (1908-1979) and Mikal (1915-1984)

Kristian Hugtvedt was born August 31, 1908.  He married Synnöve Andersen from Oslo and they had 2 children: Inger born October 1943 and Lars born December 7, 1947.

 

Mikal Haugtvedt was born January 31, 1915.  He married Margit Bilden and they had a daughter Ellen Ingeborg born December 18, 1952.

 

Kristian and Mikal were living in Oslo where they had their business.  The farm in the years 1949-1967 was leased out.  With deed of March 24, 1962, Kristian sold his half of the farm to his brother Mikal for 33,000 kroner with rights to buy back the farm.  Mikal then became owner of all the property of upper Haugtvedt.

 

Lars Haugtvedt (1947-    )

Lars Haugtvedt was born December 7, 1947.  He married Eli Snellingen on August 25, 1970 and they have 3 children:

            Tone born December 29, 1971

            Dag Anders born February 27, 1975

            Öyvind born April 8, 1978

In 1967 Lars begin to farm upper Haugtvedt that his uncle Mikal at the time owned.  With a deed of January 17, 1969, Lars bought half of the farm that his father had earlier owned.  With deed of March 19, 1976, Lars bought the other half and now owns the entire upper Haugtvedt farm.  In the early years, Lars had a dairy herd of 10-12 cows and some young cattle and some pigs.  In 1976, it was necessary to restore the barn and they changed to bulls for cattle breeding and sow pigs.  Later they switched to raising only pigs.  Lars has purchased a lot of machinery for the farm; the latest being 2 tractors and a harvester.

 

LIFE ON THE FARM

 

What was life of the people who settled and lived on the Haugtvedt farm like over the years?  It is probably reasonable to think that the people living at Haugtvedt lived the same as other farmers in the area.  From several sources such as the Hadelandsbook volumes 2 and 4, old tax registers, forklore and other sources gives us a glimpse into the lives that lived at Haugtvedt in years past.  In 1667 the farm was occupied by Hans.  He was in debt of 2 pounds (pund).  That meant that the farmer had to pay 320 kilograms of flour or roughly160 pounds in rent for his land.  The farm was a stable-farm which means the farm had the responsibility to tend a rider and his horse.  They had 6 cows, 4 calves, 3 horses, 7 sheep and 6 pigs on the farm.

 

In 1723 the farm had 16 cows, 8 sheep and they had a water-mill and a summer (seter)  farm in the mountains.  The taxation in 1864 showed the following: Upper Haugtvedt: owed 5 daler 2 ort 3 shilling.  Land in alfalfa 74 mål (30 to 40 acres), meadowland 72 mål, uncultivated land 75 mål, cultivated land 140 mål and a waterfall in Hvinden river.  Crops: 3/8 barrels rye, 5 barrels barley, 2 1/2 barrels mixed ground corn and other grains, 1 barrel peas, 8 ½ barrels potatoes, 1 skippund (a certain weight) linen.  A years’ crop was alfalfa 60 loads, 2 horses, 7 grown cows, 1 young cow, 14 sheep and 1 pig.

 

Lower Haugtvedt: owes 5 daler 4 ort 9 shilling.  Land (in alfalfa) 148 mål, meadowland 28 mål, uncultivated 101 mål.  Summer pasture and cabin on common land,  Good cultivated yearly crop: 5/8 barrel rye, 6 barrels barley, 2 barrels mixed grain, 1 ½ barrels peas, 10 barrels potatoes, ½ skippund linen.  Crop: 9 barrels rye, 40 barrels barley, 13 barrels mixed grain, 5 ¼ barrels peas, 60 barrels potatoes, 9 Bpd linen.  60 loads of alfalfa, 2 horses, 6 cows, 2 calves, 12 sheep and 1 pig.

 

We can see that these two farms were cultivated about the same and had about the same amount of animals.  In 1957 upper Haugtvedt was on 104 dakka (30 to 40 acres) cultivated land and 200 dakka forest.  Livestock was 2 horses, 15 cows, 2 bulls, 6 calves, 5 pigs, 8 sheep and 25 chickens.  As early as 1900 there was a sauna on upper Haugtvedt for drying the grain, an ironsmith, and linen was cultivated and weaved.

 

COTTER’S FARM

 

The first cotters farm in Hadeland in the beginning of the year 1600.  There wasn’t a cotter’s farm at Haugtvedt in 1723.  Haugtvedteiet (owned by Haugtvedt) is first mentioned in 1773 when a Christopher Hansen and wife Siri Engebretsdaughter at Haugtvedteiet had a daughter Siri.  Since that time there were 5 cotter’s farms.  There were 3 farms below upper Haugtvedt: Saksebroten, Toje and Myra.  Below the lower Haugtvedt were the other 2 cotter’s farms: Broen (bridge) and hagen.  It is believed that on these places many cotter farmers lived there over the years.  In one of the cotter’s lived Lars Torstensen, his wife Mari Carlsdaughter and their daughter Mari.  Lars was then the cotter (or crofter) at this farm.  In the other house lived his son Anders Larsen, his wife Mari Andersdaughter and their son Lars.  Anders was then a certified mason.  At the “garden” place (Haugtvedthagen) there was only one house and the crofter Erik Hansen, his wife Kjersti Larsdaughter and their children Hans, Lars and Syver lived there.  Here also lived Jens Larsen and his wife Mari Nilsdaughter and their daughter Maria.  Jens was also a registered mason.  Anders Larsen, Kjersti Larsdaughter and Jens Larsen were the children of Lars Torstensen and Mari Carlsdaughter.  Erik Hansen, Jens Larsen and their families immigrated to America in 1866.  All these cotter’s farms have been separated as independent farms.  Myra was sold in 1884 to Lars Larsen for 160 speciedaler.  Broen was also sold to Lars Larsen in 1896.  Hagen (the Garden) was separated in 1909.  Saksebroten was sold in 1912 to Gustav Olsen who had been a cotter’s farmer at Hvvinden.  He changed his surname to Englund.  Later on he sold the farm to his brother-in-law, that part now named Enlien.  Toje was separated in 1948.  Nordli has not been a cotter’s farm.  The place was sold to Mr. Aaserud in 1912.  He was a contractor and built a house at Nordli.  Later he sold it to Stensrud who again sold it Mikal Haugtvedt.

 

Seterbruk (Sommerfarms)

 

To get full use of the pasture in the summer, the farm from old times had summer farms in the forest.  It was the same at Haugtvedt.  Already in 1723 it is mentioned that the farm had a seter (somerfarm).  In 1863 we see that Ole Torgersen on upper Haugtvedt sold his part of the Sösetera to Anders Grasbakken. Sösetera was in Skrukkelia and was believed used for horses.  A parcel was put aside in 1904 showed that Sösetera was also had belonged to the lower and middle Haugtvedt farms, Blakstad, Skirstad and Hvinden.  In 1867 Ole Torgersen sold the farm and half of the sommer farm Langen that he had owned since 1855 to Simon Guttormsen of Nestegge.  Later in 1884, it was Jacob Larsen Hvinden that was the owner of Langen sommerfarm.  When Simen Guttormsen in 1877 sold the farm to Anders Larsen, the sale included half of Korsetra.  Korssetra was next to the Hoykorsvegen (Highcross rod) not far from where Rassumsetra is today.  The Haugtvedt farms have had sommerfarms even in Skrukkelia on Langen and at Hoykorset.

 

SCHOOLING

 

Based on old documents, like deeds to land, we notice that most people could not sign their own names.  This lasted until the late 19th century.  When we see the youth on their way to school today with their rucksack full of books and their heads hopefully full of knowledge than we can appreciate the development in the last 100 years when it comes to schooling and education.  We don’t know what happened to the children of Ole Nielsen and Ole Larsen when in 1720 it was decided that the children in the half of a summer should meet at the church to recite the Catechism.  School began in 1742.  The teacher was Morten Jensen Klaestad.  From 1784 Tarald Trondsen Hval was teaching.  Instruction at that time was at the farms.  The instruction books was then the Catechism and the law instruction of Saxtorphs.  (Saxtorphs is a religious work similar to a catechism; it originated in Germany.)  The children were to read these books and memorize them.  Writing and arithmetic were not introduced at that time.  The children of Jens Olsen and Jens Christophersen most likely had this schooling.  In the years 1742-1753, Lars Olsen Haugtvedt was the instructor at Brandbu district.  He was the son of Ole Larsen at upper Haugtvedt.  In 1860 it was decided to have a permanent school.  At that time Haugtvedt was under the middle Gran district with a school at Skirstad and Fallang.  Later on only at Skirstad.  In 1892, it was decided to build a schoolhouse and in 1897 Leikvoll school was in session.  Later on a new school was built at Grymyr on the west side of Gran.  Today the children at Haugtvedt attend their first 6 years at Grymyr school and then continue Gran middle school for 3 years.

 

HAUGTVEDT TODAY

 

Let us at last take a tour to see how it looks at Haugtvedt today.  We start off down by the bridge over Hvinden river and walk up the road to upper Haugtvedt.  This road is comparatively new.  It was probably built in the late 1860’s.  On the left side of the road there is a forest.  On the left side is a steep hill.  On the right side there is cultivated barley now.  There was forest until 1973 when it was first cultivated.  We pass the road leading to Nordli and we come to Nordli plateau where the road is not so steep.  On the left side there is a field of barley growing all the way to the edge of the forest below Toje.  The farthest field toward Toje valley was newly cultivated as late as 1980.  On the right side of the road it’s this year a potato field reaching over to Nordli.  Beyond Nordli to the border of Dal there’s another field of barley.  We come up to Nordlistetta and proceed upward to the steepest part of the road.  The forest on both sides are cut down and planted anew and the biggest trees have reached to Christmas tree size.  One comes to think of how strenuous it must have been for the horses to pull large loads up these hills.  With car or tractor it goes easy these days, even though cars do have problems during the wintertime.  As we descend up the steepest hills, we pass on the left side the new maintenance shed.  It was built in 1986 to get more room for all the new equipment that is needed today to maintain the farm.  Up the road we have a beautiful view toward Granvollen and Sösterkirkene and further away Branasen. Sösterkirkene are the Sister churches built in the 12th century near Gran.  These 2 churches built next to each other; they are both built from stone.  When we walk in the garden, we look down to Randsfjorden and beyond the Aandals mountains (Andalsfjellene).  We notice the barn on the farm, it looks fairly new.  It was restored in 1976, and a new roof built over the hayloft.  Stabburet (a small out building used for food storage) is now used only to store grain and a grain dryer has been installed.  The main house was built in 1845 and has undergone many changes since then.  The big kitchen that was there earlier was in the 1930’s divided.  After Lars and Eli took over, they modernized the kitchen.  They have divided some rooms on the 2nd floor so now their 3 children each have their own room.  A toilet and bath has been added.  The old chimney has been restored.

 

We had a conversation with Lars and Eli, the current owners of upper Haugtvedt.  Only pigs are raised there now.  They have 20 female pigs and they have some chickens.  The farm mostly produces grain and some acreage of pototoes.  The farm today has 169 mål of productive land and ca. 200 mål of forest.  Lars takes us over to the pond that was situated there some time ago in case of fire.  He shows us the places where the blacksmith shop stood and the sauna that was there until 1900.  We continue the visit.  We walk past the big house and follow the tractor path through the grain field.  Earlier a load led through here.  This must have been the upper plateau that many years ago gave the farm its name.  On the other side of the field lay the ruins where the house stood at one time.  We now come to the middle and lower Haugtvedt.  The houses on these farms are built closer to each other around the farm yard.  Here the farm tenant Torfinn Bö cultivated grain, potatoes and vegetables.  They have no farm animals.  On lower Haugtvedt the acreage is rented out and there is cultivated grain and alfalfa and no farm animals.  In between the houses one can see the old road leading to Skattum and the old main road between Jevnaker and Hadeland.  It was this road that led to Haugtvedt in the time before 1860.  We follow the road in the opposite direction, northward, and we can see down to Myra, the old cotter’s farms that were situated by a pond.  We pass the road leading to Toje and soon we are in Hagen and then all the way down to Broen.  These were the cotter’s farms in the old days.  The main houses on these places are gone now and new ones built.  On the right side of the road by the edge of the forest, the remains of Stone Age living places that Aksel Helmen discovered and excavated.  Up here by the river lays Kvaernstua.  It was here in the older days the farms had and their mill and made flour.  We continue and cross the current main road by the shop of Torger Foss.  We take at the end of our visit a short cut up to Hvindenbraaten.  Maybe it was here that Lars Torstensen in the year 1820-1830 was a cotter farmer and perhaps it was up here his son Anders Larsen stood as a young man and took in the view toward the Haugtvedt farms.  Perhaps he dreamed of becoming a farmer on one of these farms where his grandfather was a farmer before him.  His dream became reality; it happened in 1877.