Gotskalk Halvardsson Skjold, d.e.

listed in 1801 census http://digitalarkivet.no/cgi-win/webcens.exe?slag=visbase&sidenr=11...

Etnesoga V p 120 Tveito (1f)

translated from the farm book entry about Skjold: Etnesoga II p 417

http://kittymunson.com/index.php?page=skjold-farm-etnesoga-ii

Land Register No. 61, Skjold

He [GotskalkHalvardsson] received the deed to the farm for 32 rdlr., in 1752. In 1756 he got married and took over [the farm Skjold] from Tor Frette. He was a very good bear hunter. At the council in l763 he collected a bounty of 2 rdlr., for a large bear he had killed on the Oyfjell (the Oy mountain). In 1766, he came back with two thick skins. In 1775, he received another 4 rdlr., for two bears he had killed. Together with bailiff Kristen Frette he engaged in horsetrading on the Roldal market, but got into a dispute with his partner in 1779 (p. 115). In 1787, we learn that he had returned to Roldal (p. 116). Gotskalk purchased one half of Grindheim church from Rasmus Overnes in 1770. As a church owner, an often called upon appraiser of estates and a parish representative with the board of supervisors of the parsonage, he belonged to a small group of men who occupied the most outstanding positions in parish government at the end of the 1700's.

[and about the farm]

At Skjold (pronounce skjoll) the piece of armor called a shield, is used as a place name. Most frequently, names of this kind refer to open, flat or round forms in the landscape. Guesses have been made as to where the "shield" could have been on this farm: was it the wide, flat floor of the valley or the round knoll below which the courtyard was situated, - the shield bulge?

In the Middle Ages the farm belonged to the bishop in Bergen. In 1537, it was crown land. Then the king sold it in 1662, the lease holder purchased it and became its owner. The farm, on the whole, has remained in ownership since then. The land rent ca. 1600 was 2 pounds or 2/3 laup of butter, but in 1667 it was set at 1 laup 6 merker (old unit of measurement). However, damage caused by landslides resulted in that the lowest and the oldest rent or tax was used when negotiating a purchase or a sale. Here, as on so many other farms in Stordal, heavy damages had been suffered at the turn of 1743-44. The rising waters of the Stordal river had buried a lot of good pastures. But the worst occurred near the flood bed at the eastern end of the farmland. The flood carried large amounts of sand and stone over the meadows and a huge landslide, following the flood, had ruined a lot of farmland. During the calamity, one quarter of all farmland and enclosed pastures were destroyed. The official property tax was reduced to 2/3 laup.

Already in the land register of 1667 an entry is made pointing out how easily the river could damage the land. Farmland was called a "ring." The seeding at that time amounted to 3 tunner and the herd consisted of 1 horse, 12 cattle and 18 sheep and goats. In 1723, the land was ealled year water(?). Now, 5 tunner were sowed and 23 tunner harvested, and the herd consisted of 1 horse, 22 cattle and 12 sheep and goats. However, the higher figures of 1723, as compared to 1667 are due to the fact that Skjold had been taken together with the deserted farm +) Hallaland east of Skjold. Also this farm belonged to the bishopric of Bergen, but it had not been sold in the 1660's. It was on the tax rolls for 2 pounds or 2/3 laup of butter. In 1667, it was said that this farm was operated by Skjold. It had farmland for 1-1/2 tunne of seed. In any case, the meadows were mowed and the hill pastures were used by the tenant farmer of Skjold. On the other hand, Hallaland had been "very much overrun by rockslides" and was heavily damaged in 1743. It is nevertheless possible that some of the many tenant farmers of the Skjold farm in the 1700's, may have lived at Hallaland.

Skjold had a mill at the river and an open milking place some 4 km away.

• Residence: Skjold, Etne, Hordaland, Norway
  • Reference: MyHeritage Family Trees - SmartCopy: Apr 5 2018, 20:41:53 UTC

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1801 census for Skiold, Etne:

https://www.digitalarkivet.no/en/census/person/pf01058368001058

In a newspaper from 1952 it says a book states that he shot an adult bear, and a half adult bear in 1774,and then another adult bear in 1775. https://www.nb.no/items/b8d244f0299e2b45d9dfbbcdf68309a0?page=3&sea...