Hande Family History Center > Descendants of Thiøstul Hande

Anne married Ion Hansson RØN , son of Hans Ionson RØN and Anna Gutormsdatter HANDE . Ion was born in 1752 in Vestre Slidre, Valdres, Oppland, Norway.

19. Gutorm Reiarson HANDE ² ^,8 ^,9 ^,18 was born in 1756 in Vestre Slidre, Valdres, Oppland, Norway and died on 16 Jun 1839 in Vestre Slidre, Valdres, Oppland, Norway, at age 83.

Gutorm married Rangdi Knutsdatter on 25 Apr 1793 in Slidre, Valdres, Oppland, Norway. Rangdi was born about 1769 and died about 1816 in Vestre Slidre, Valdres, Norway, about age 47. Another name for Rangdi was HANDE.

General Notes: Tore Ey, pp. 530-531

Census of Norway, 1801

Probate record

Bergen University Digitalarkiv

+ 47 F i. Marit Gutormsdatter HANDE was born in 1793 in Vestre Slidre, Valdres, Oppland, Norway and died on 10 Feb 1881 in Vestre Slidre, Valdres, Oppland, Norway, at age 88.

+ 48 F ii. Anne Gutormsdatter HANDE was born in 1796 in Vestre Slidre, Valdres, Oppland, Norway and died on 23 Dec 1875 in Vestre Slidre, Valdres, Oppland, Norway, at age 79.

+ 49 M iii. Reiar Gutormson HANDE was born in 1799 in Vestre Slidre, Valdres, Oppland, Norway.

Gutorm next married Torø Hansdatter RØN , daughter of Hans Ionson RØN and Sigrid Andrisdatter FAUSKE , on 19 Jul 1816 in Vestre Slidre, Valdres, Oppland, Norway. Torø was born in 1780 and died on 25 Jul 1816 in Vestre Slidre, Valdres, Oppland, Norway, at age 36. Other names for Torø were Thuri Hansdatter RØEN, and HANDE.

Gutorm next married Marit Trondsdatter EIKERBAKKE , daughter of Trond Iøgerson IARSTAD and Ragnild Reiarsdatter EIKERBAKKE , on 14 Jul 1818 in Vestre Slidre, Valdres, Oppland, Norway. Marit was born in 1767 in Øystre Slidre, Valdres, Oppland, Norway and died on 31 Dec 1832 in Vestre Slidre, Valdres, Oppland, Norway, at age 65. Another name for Marit was HANDE.

General Notes: An Ingeborg Reiersdatter Hande-eie, husfru, died 14 Jun 1816 age 58 (Vestre Slidre par. recs.)

21. Ola Reiarson HANDE ⁸ ^,9 ^,19 ^,20 was born in 1761 in Vestre Slidre, Valdres, Oppland, Norway and died in 1813, at age 52. Another name for Ola was BERGE.

Ola married Marit Olsdatter BERGE , daughter of Ola Trondson SNORTHEIM and Katarina Mandrupsdatter REISEN , in 1808 in Vestre Slidre, Oppland, Norway. Marit was born in 1780 in Vestre Slidre, Valdres, Oppland, Norway and died on 8 Sep 1858 in Vestre Slidre, Valdres, Oppland, Norway, at age 78.

Marriage Notes: Vestre Slidre parish recs. say 13 May; Digitalarkiv says 25 Jun 1808

General Notes: Tore Ey, p. 536

Vestre Slidre parish records

Beitrusten, p. 439

Bergen Univ. Digitalarkiv

+ 51 M i. Reiar Olson BERGE was born in 1808 in Vestre Slidre, Valdres, Oppland, Norway and died in 1894, at age 86.

+ 52 F ii. Ingebiør Olsdatter BERGE was born in 1811 in Vestre Slidre, Valdres, Oppland, Norway and died in 1813 in Vestre Slidre, Valdres, Oppland, Norway?, at age 2.

22. Kari Reiarsdatter HANDE was born in 1762 in Vestre Slidre, Valdres, Oppland, Norway and died in 1828, at age 66. Another name for Kari was QVALESEIE.

General Notes: Letter from Statsarkivet i Hamar to D'Arcy Hande, 24 Nov 1994 ³⁹ ^,40 ^,41

Kari married Iul Torsteinson KVÅLE , son of Torstein Iulson KVÅLE and Gro Knudsdatter HJELLE . Iul was born in 1740 in Vestre Slidre, Valdres, Oppland, Norway and died between 1808 and 1811, about age 68. Another name for Iul was HJELLE.

General Notes: Tore Ey, pp. 506 & 508

Census of Norway, 1801

Murdered? See: "The Story of Jul Hjelle," BUDSTIKKEN, Nov 1992

G. Beitrusten, V. SLIDRE, pp. 343 & 420

Owned Handemyre 1783-86; leased Nordre Hjelle from 1786

Bergen University Digitalarkiv

The Unusual Disappearance of Jul Torsteinson Hjelle: A Hande Family Mystery
(by D'Arcy Hande)

The mysterious disappearance of Jul Torsteinson Hjelle, both of whose wives were from the Hande farm in Norway, still remains unresolved after nearly two centuries. The evidence remains suspicious, but no answers will likely ever be found to this intriguing historical puzzle.

What is known about Jul is that he was born in Vestre Slidre parish, Valdres, in 1740, the son of Torstein Julson Kvaale and Gro Knutsdatter Hjelle. (Since Gro was the heiress of Hjelle farm, she and her husband lived there and, as was the custom in Norway, they took the farm name as their surname.)

Jul was married twice, first to Kari Jøgersdatter Hande (born in 1751 or 1752) from which came five children. Upon her death in 1787, Jul married again to Kari Reiersdatter Hande (born 1762) from which came another four children. Marit and Kari were distant cousins--Marit's father owned upper Hande farm, while Kari's father was a tenant on lower Hande farm.

It appears that in the 1700s Hjelle farm was owned by the parish and its tenancy was held on a lifetime basis and was inheritable. This tenancy was held jointly by Jul and his mother from 1786, but when she died two years later the entire tenancy would be his. In 1804. Jul and Marit's eldest son, named Torstein (born about 1775), took over half the tenancy. In 1811 Torstein took over the other half as well.

A curious sequence of events transpired in the years following 1808. In that year Hjelle farm was by royal proclamation made the farm of the commander of the Upper Valdres Company of musketeers, a military unit set up for the defence of Norway during the Napoleonic Wars.

These were turbulent times, in which the Norwegians were influenced by international affairs far beyond their control. Norway was governed by Denmark, which was allied with Napoleonic France against Great Britain and its supporters. Britain was the naval giant of the time and in 1807 had in retaliation imposed an effective blockade on Norway. Already dependent on foreign foodstuffs, the people of Norway were nearly brought to starvation when there was a domestic crop failure that same year. It was at this time that potatoes were first introduced as an alternative food supply. The next year, the Danish king declared war on Sweden, bringing Norway into conflict with its eastern neighbor. (This in turn led to Swedish domination of Norway after 1814.)

International politics were thus to have far-reaching consequences for the Hjelle family. The commandant of the Upper Valdres Company was Captain Adam Beck, who had high ambitions. Although he did not live on the farm himself, he evicted the tenants from the farmstead and renovated it to suit the grandeur to which he aspireded. The former residents had to set up new cotter's quarters on the farm. By 1813 Beck's successor as company captain (who also happened to be his son-in-law) moved onto the farm where he would live until 1851. This was Captain Otto Friedrich Mueller, who became a wealthy, colorful personality in the district, best known as the model for the character Captain Jaeger in a popular novel of the time, Familien Paa Gilje (The Family at Hjelle) written by Jonas Lie and illustrated by Erik Werenskiold.

But returning to Jul Torsteinson Hjelle, a story about him comes down to us from those times, published in the book, I Manns Minne: Gamal Valdreskultur III (1944). It seems that the expulsion of Jul and his family from their home by the Upper Valdres Company in 1808 caused them great hardship, leaving them with no shelter or sustenance other than that provided through the goodwill and generosity of others. Unable to obtain justice from the intractable Captain Beck, Jul set off over the uplands to the neighboring valley of Gudbrandsdal to seek redress. Gudbrandsdal was where the larger towns of Lillehammer and Hamar are located, so he may have wished to approach the courts to resolve his grievance. However, he failed to reach his destination; he was never seen or heard of again. The following summer his travel bag, provisions and some other belongings were found beneath an evergreen near the trail. In retrospect, a suspicion of foul play, even murder, has lingered in the minds of his descendants.

Captain Beck, who might have easily been the prime suspect in this bizarre disappearance, is also known as Major Beck in the Norwegian records, indicating he had an advancement in his military career. Although in upper-class circles he was regarded as a pillar of the community, he was intensely disliked by his troops and many of his neighbors. On one occasion at least, he was lynched and beaten by unknown local vigilantes. In fact, after Beck's death it was claimed that his ghost still haunted the community, striking terror into the hearts of the local inhabitants. The parish pastor was commissioned to exorcise Beck's ghost. At the churchyard, it is said, he succeeded in putting the ghost to rest after a valiant struggle with the spirit world!

But what became of the family Jul so unexpectedly left behind? Of the nine children he had by his two Hande wives, only one, Ingri (born 1780) appears to have predeceased him. The eldest daughter Gro (born 1772) had married Nils Alvsen Tvenge in 1800. Torstein, who took the Hjelle tenancy over in 1811, went on to a court challenge of Capt. Mueller's custody of the farm in 1821, assisted by an uncle. This action won compensation of 100 dollars from the Captain. Torstein married twice and had at least six children as a tenant on the Hjelle farm.

Halstein Julson (born 1784) married and went on to live on the Jarstad farm in Vestre Slidre parish.

Marit (born 1788), oldest in the second family, later went to live with her mother's brother Guttorm Reierson Hande (1756-1839), perhaps with her mother Kari, who died at the age of 66 years in 1828.

Reier (born 1791) married Marit Olsdatter Kirkevold, and they operated the Kirkevold farm that she inherited. He died in Vestre Slidre at the age of 100 years and is said to have gone up to the summer pastures just the year before he died! Of their five children, Ola (born 1828) later moved to the Grefsrud farm and became the great-grandfather of Norman Braaten of Maple Grove, Minnesota, and Gunhild (1840-1866?) became the first wife of Peder Halvorson Hande and has many descendants in Polk County, northern Minnesota.

What became of Juel's three other children, Jøger (born 1782), Ola (born 1794) and Ingebiør (born 1796) is unknown.

If rocks could tell the stories they have heard, or if we could climb into a time-machine, we might try to resolve this family mystery so long after the actual events occurred! What was the case that Jul was preparing against an obvious injustice done by the bureaucracy of his day? How did he meet his end up on the highlands between Valdres and Gudbrandsdal? Was he a victim of a murder most foul, and was Major Beck implicated? Was he attacked by animals (maybe even trolls!) in that wilderness region? Or did the harsh elements cause his demise? How did his family manage to survive this obvious blow to their fortunes? Unfortunately, we may never know the answers to all these intriguing questions.

SOURCES

G. Beitrusten, Valdres Bygdebok (1979), I, 340-344.
N. J. Braaten, "The Story of Jul Hjelle: A Tale of Murder Most Foul! ", Budstikken, December 1992, 30 & 43.
H. Drake, Population and Society in Norway, 1735-1805 (1969), Chapter 3.
T. Ey, Vang og Slire (1916), 505-507.
K. Gjersut, History of the Norwegian People (1927), II, 377-416.
C. T. Narvestad, "The Spirit of Major Bech Would Not Lie in Grave, " Budstikken, May 1976, 22 & 31.
Vestre Slidre parish records.

+ 53 F i. Marit Iulsdatter HJELLE was born in 1788 in Vestre Slidre, Valdres, Norway and died vestre Slidre, Valdres, Oppla.

+ 54 M ii. Reiar Iulson HJELLE was born in 1791 in Vestre Slidre, Valdres, Oppland, Norway and died in 1891 in Vestre Slidre, Valdres, Oppland, Norway, at age 100.

+ 55 M iii. Ola Iulson HJELLE was born in 1794 in Vestre Slidre, Valdres, Norway.

24. Ola Reiarson HANDE ¹ ^,4 was born in 1767 in Vestre Slidre, Valdres, Oppland, Norway, died in 1773 in Slidre, Valdres, Oppland, Norway, at age 6, and was buried on 15 Jun 1773.

25. Ion Hansson RØN was born in 1752 in Vestre Slidre, Valdres, Oppland, Norway.

Ion married Anne Reiarsdatter HANDE , daughter of Reiar Gutormson HANDE and Ingebiør Olsdatter RØGNE . Anne was born about 1754. Another name for Anne was RØN.

26. Marit Hansdatter RØN was born in 1756 in Vestre Slidre, Valdres, Oppland, Norway. Another name for Marit was HIPPE.

27. Marit Hansdatter RØN was born in 1759 in Vestre Slidre, Valdres, Oppland, Norway and died in 1761 in Vestre Slidre, Valdres, Oppland, Norway, at age 2.

General Notes: Tore Ey, p. 631

G. Beitrusten, p. 812

Ey believes this Marit to have married rather than her elder sister Marit.

28. Ole Hanssen RØN was born in 1762 in Vestre Slidre, Valdres, Oppland, Norway and died in 1832 in Vestre Slidre, Valdres, Oppland, Norway, at age 70.

General Notes: Tore Ey, pp. 631-2

G. Beitrusten, pp. 812-13

Census of Norway, 1801

Ole married Ingri Halvorsdatter HAMRE in 1799 in Vestre Slidre, Valdres, Oppland, Norway. Ingri was born in 1777 and died in 1805, at age 28.

29. Ragnhild Hansdatter RØN was born in 1765 in Vestre Slidre, Valdres, Oppland, Norway and died in 1766 in Vestre Slidre, Valdres, Oppland, Norway, at age 1.

30. Guttorm Hansen RØN was born in 1767 in Vestre Slidre, Valdres, Oppland, Norway and died in 1774 in Vestre Slidre, Valdres, Oppland, Norway, at age 7.

31. Sigri Knutsdatter HANDE ²⁵ ^,26 was born in 1702 in Vestre Slidre, Valdres, Oppland, Norway and died in 1748 in Vestre Slidre, Valdres, Oppland, Norway, at age 46.

Sigri married Iohannes Torgierson VENNINGSTAD ,²⁶ ^,42 son of Torgier Ionson VENNINGSTAD and Ingri Tolleivsdatter . Iohannes was born in 1683 in Øystre Slidre, Valdres, Oppland, Norway and died in 1733 in Vestre Slidre, Valdres, Norway, at age 50. Another name for Iohannes was REIE.

General Notes: Killed his servant Tomas Olson GRUNKE, but exonerated of punishment

+ 60 F ii. Kari Iohannesdatter REIE was born in 1726 in Vestre Slidre, Valdres, Norway and died in 1805 in Vestre Slidre, Norway, at age 79.

Sigri next married Knut Andrisson LOMEN ,⁴³ ^,44 son of Andris Iohannesson LOMEN and Marit Knutsdatter LOMEN , in 1734. Knut was born in 1701 in Vestre Slidre, Valdres, Oppland, Norway and died in 1764, at age 63. Another name for Knut was IOME.

+ 61 M i. Iohannes Knutson IOME was born in 1736 in Vestre Slidre, Valdres, Oppland, Norway and died in 1776, at age 40.

+ 62 M ii. Andris Knutson IOME was born in 1737 in Vestre Slidre, Valdres, Oppland, Norway.

Marit married Iøger Alfson HØINE ,⁹ ^,45 ^,46 son of Alf Iøgerson HØINE and Berit Pedersdatter LOMEN , on 27 Oct 1729 in Slidre, Valdres, Oppland, Norway. Iøger was born in 1699 in Vestre Slidre, Valdres, Oppland, Norway.

+ 64 M ii. Alf Iøgerson HØYNE was born in 1735 in Vestre Slidre, Oppland, Norway and died in 1808, at age 73.

Marit next married Knut Tomasson GARSTAD , son of Tomas Gølikson GARSTAD and Ingri Ivarsdatter . Knut was born in 1715 in Vang, Valdres, Oppland, Norway and died in 1793, at age 78.

+ 65 M i. Gølik Knutson HOLLIEN was born in 1739 in Vang, Valdres, Oppland, Norway and died in 1782, at age 43.

+ 66 F ii. Kari (Karen) Knutsdatter HOLLIEN was born in 1741 in Vang, Valdres, Oppland, Norway and died in 1804 in Vang, Valdres, Oppland, Norway, at age 63.

+ 67 M iii. Knud Knudsen HOLLIEN was born in 1742 in Vang, Norway and died on 15 Dec 1821 in Vang, Norway, at age 79.

+ 68 F iv. Ingri Knutsdatter HOLLIEN was born about 1745 in Vang, Valdres, Oppland, Norway, died in Vang, Valdres, Oppland, Norway, and was buried on 19 Jan 1800 in Vang, Valdres, Oppland, Norway.

33. Iøger Knutson HANDE ⁴ ^,8 ^,28 ^,29 was born in 1710 in Vestre Slidre, Valdres, Norway, died in 1778 in Vestre Slidre, Valdres, Norway, at age 68, and was buried on 2 Mar 1778 in Vestre Slidre, Valdres, Norway.

General Notes: "Continuously got involved in fist-fights and disputes with the law" [Beistrusten]

Farmed Øvre Hande from 1730s

Another daughter Randi m. Kristen O. LISRUDI?

Iøger married Ingri Johannesdatter ULVESTAD ,³ ^,4 ^,9 ^,47 daughter of Iohannes Olson ULVESTAD and Marit Iohannesdatter FAUSKE , on 7 Oct 1748 in Vestre Slidre, Valdres, Norway. Ingri was born in 1726 in Vestre Slidre, Valdres, Oppland, Norway, died in 1796 in Slidre, Valdres, Oppland, Norway, at age 70, and was buried on 3 Jul 1795. Another name for Ingri was HANDE.

+ 70 F ii. Marit Iøgersdatter HANDE was born EITHER 1751 OR 1752 in Vestre Slidre, Valdres, Oppland, Norway and died in 1787.

+ 71 M iii. Knut Iøgerson HANDE was born in 1758 in Vestre Slidre, Valdres, Oppland, Norway and died on 23 Jan 1844 in Vestre Slidre, Valdres, Oppland, Norway, at age 86.

+ 72 F iv. Ingri Jøgersdatter HANDE was born about 1759, died in 1760 in Slidre, Valdres, Oppland, Norway, about age 1, and was buried on 13 Jun 1760.

+ 73 F v. Ingri Jøgersdatter HANDE was born in 1761, died in 1761 in Slidre, Valdres, Oppland, Norway, and was buried on 4 Jul 1761.

+ 74 M vi. Iohannes Iøgerson HANDE was born in 1762 in Vestre Slidre, Valdres, Oppland, Norway and died on 10 Oct 1831 in Vestre Slidre, Valdres, Oppland, Norway, at age 69.

+ 75 F vii. Sigri Iøgersdatter HANDE was born in 1765 in Vestre Slidre, Valdres, Oppland, Norway.

+ 76 F viii. Ingri Iøgersdatter HANDE was born in 1768 in Vestre Slidre, Valdres, Oppland, Norway.

+ 77 M ix. Halsten Iøgersen HANDE was born in 1772 in Vestre Slidre, Valdres, Oppland, Norway.

Ingri married Knut Iulson KVÅLE , son of Iul Olson KVÅLE and Marit Knutsdatter RØN , on 1 Jul 1731 in Slidre, Valdres, Oppland, Norway. Knut was born in 1703 in Vestre Slidre, Valdres, Oppland, Norway and died in 1773 in Vestre Slidre, Valdres, Oppland, Norway, at age 70.

General Notes: Tore Ey, pp. 496, 627-8

Bergen University Digitalarkiv

G. Beitrusten, V. SLIDRE, pp. 333 & 799

+ 78 F i. Marit Knutsdatter RØN was born in 1732 in Vestre Slidre, Valdres, Oppland, Norway.

+ 79 M ii. Iul Knutson RØN was born in 1735 in Vestre Slidre, Valdres, Oppland, Norway and died in 1758, at age 23.

+ 80 F iii. Kari Knutsdatter RØN was born in 1749 in Vestre Slidre, Valdres, Oppland, Norway and died on 27 Jun 1826 in Vestre Slidre, Valdres, Oppland, Norway, at age 77.

35. Halstein Knutson HANDE ³ ^,4 ^,31 ^,32 was born in 1716 in Vestre Slidre, Valdres, Oppland, Norway, died in 1767 in Slidre, Valdres, Oppland, Norway, at age 51, and was buried on 22 Jul 1767.

General Notes: First to build house on the part of Øvre Hande, known as Handemyre

Halstein married Synnov (Or Sennoug) Nilsdatter MIDT-RANEIM , daughter of Nils Olson MIDT-RANEIM and Marit Torsdatter RØLLANG , in Nov 1742 in Slidre, Valdres, Oppland, Norway. Synnov was born EITHER 1684 OR 1697 in Nord Aurdal, Valdres, Oppland, Norway, died in 1779 in Vestre Slidre, Valdres, Oppland, Norway, and was buried on 5 Feb 1779. Other names for Synnov were HANDE, and RANEIM.

General Notes: Tore Ey, pp. 528, 529

1st husband's probate record

L. Midthaug, VALDRES-SOGA (1944), pp. 421-2

LDS IGI

Bergen University Digitalarkiv

Kari married Iens Nilsson FERE , son of Nils Ienson SUMMELENGJI and Kari Tordsdatter RØLLANG . Iens was born in 1683 in Vestre Slidre, Valdres, Oppland, Norway and died in 1750, at age 67.

+ 81 F i. Kari Iensdatter FERE was born in 1743 in Vestre Slidre, Valdres, Oppland, Norway and died about 1782, about age 39.

Kari next married Erik Olsen FØSSEI , son of Ola Amundson GRANEI and Rangdi Sveinsdatter HEGJI , in 1775. Erik was born in 1727 in Vestre Slidre, Valdres, Oppland, Norway and died in 1788, at age 61.

Rangdi married Ola Knutson KVÅLE , son of Knut Olson KVÅLE and Marit Knutsdatter RØN , on 8 Mar 1745 in Slidre, Valdres, Oppland, Norway. Ola was born in 1715 in Vestre Slidre, Valdres, Oppland, Norway and died in 1762, at age 47.

General Notes: Tore Ey, p. 502

Bergen University Digitalarkiv

G. Beitrusten, V. SLIDRE, p. 318

+ 82 M i. Knut Olson KVÅLE was born in 1745 in Vestre Slidre, Valdres, Oppland, Norway and died in 1763, at age 18.

+ 83 F ii. Rangdi Olsdatter KVÅLE was born in 1747 in Vestre Slidre, Valdres, Oppland, Norway.

41. Knut Pederson LIDS-LOMEN was born in 1710 in Vestre Slidre, Valdres, Oppland, Norway and died in 1765 in Vestre Slidre, Valdres, Oppland, Norway?, at age 55. Another name for Knut was RIDSTE.

Knut married Ingri Gudbrandsdatter VIK ,⁴⁸ daughter of Gudbrand Amundson VIK and Ragnhild Knutsdatter HANDE . Ingri was born in 1696 in Vestre Slidre, Valdres, Oppland, Norway and died in 1776, at age 80. Another name for Ingri was RIDSTE.

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Descendants of Thiøstul Hande (living 1600s)

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