Translation help with Norwegian Probate

Question

Hi!

Please view the document at the following link. https://media.digitalarkivet.no/view/39940/29887

It's for my 7th great-grandmother. I'm trying to figure out when she was born. She obviously died in 1751, was married to Gunder Salvesen, and this is her probate document, but I'd like to know what else it says.  Thanks for any assistance you can provide.

Sarah

Answer 1

It's not really a "probate document", but an index card with an extract from the actual probate, which can be found here: https://www.digitalarkivet.no/sk20081007310278

Here's the relevant extract of the original:

20 April 1751 The deceased Tarier Christensdatter, who lived and died on the farm Thaulow in Fiære parish, leaving the widower Gunder Salvesøn and their children: 1. The son Christen Gundersøn, of age and a soldier; 2. the son Torius Gundersøn, 23 years old; 3. the daughter Gunild Gundersdatter, 27 years old; 4. the daughter Mari Gundersdatter, 24 years old.

The total value of the estate was 77 riksdaler, and the net value was 58 riksdaler.

I've got cotters in my family who have left more.

Comments

Thanks, Leif. Considering she was a woman whose husband survived her, I wouldn't have expected her to have much, was just hoping to find out more about her.

---

It wasn't "her" money, but rather the total value of the family's assets. The way it worked, was that the entire estate was inventoried and valued, regardless of who was deceased. The surviving widower or widow kept half of the surplus, while the rest was divided among the other inheritors.

---

I see, Leif. Thank you, for pointing out how incredibly poor my family was. I am grateful for your translation skills and your knowledge of everything right down to the point, even what is and is what is not a probate document.

---

There's no need to take it personally, for a family who lived 300 years ago. Life back then could be very hard, and while they weren't affluent, they certainly weren't dirt poor either. I've registered thousands of probate extracts, and many were so indebted that there was nothing left for the inheritors.

I don't judge people by their money. Neither do I see any reason to conceal basic facts about our ancestors' economy. My comment that "I've got cotters in my family who have left more" was an attempt to give a rough estimate about the value of the estate, and should not be construed as any kind of criticism. It was certainly not intended that way.