Halvor Gjermundsen Hammersgaard

  Research Notes:

... .. ...
Summary: Halvor Gjermundsen Hammersgaard, b bet 1675 and 1678, is my half 7th great great uncle. He was a half brother to my 7th great grandfather, Ole/Ola Gjermundsen Hammersgaard [1679-1756]. Halvor would also have been a half uncle to my 6th great grandfather, Otter Olsen Skaaret [1705-1768] - Otter is my direct line "Skaret" ancestor. BUT....

A word of Caution The information that I am recording for Halvor Gjermundsen and subsequent 2-3 geneations are difficult to verify. Birth/death and marriage dates and information vary. For information prior to 1650, the accuracy and credibility is greatly decreased since there is no corresponding parish registers or other original information. Even information from 1650-1750 is suspect, and difficult to verify. There are some early parish registers [as early as 1730], but the completeness of those registers is questionable, in addition to the clarity of the handwriting.

I have used extensively the farm history books [Bgyeboks] for information. There is some inherent difficulty with the translation since they are written in Norwegian and I am not fluent in Norwegian. I use Optical Character Recognition [PCR] and either Google or ChatGPT for translation, and at times Norwegian-English dictionaries. However, these translations may not be completely accurate. I also have tried to collaraborate the information from the Bygeboks with the Norway Parish Registers if the year is available. At times I have found the farm histories confusing, but this is likely due to translation issues. Additionally a number of place names are used in the farm histories, but sometimes these places are not noted in the more modern maps of Norway that I can access on-line.

When possible, I make use of Family Trees, but again these may not always be accurate or complete.
['A word of Caustion' notes, written 23 Aug 2025]

Back to the 'summary' for Halvor Gjermundsen Hammersgaard:

Halvor Gjermundsen's birth is not known. Based on the Bygebok for Engerdal, he was "probably a half-brother of Gjermund and Embret Gjermundssønner who built Heggeriset. About their brother Ole[Gjermundsen Hammersgard, 1675/78-1748] it is said that he is "brother of Halvor Gjermundsen who built Lillestu in Heggeriset". Their father Gjermund Halvorsen was likely married twice." In the above quote, the phrase "it is said" most likely refers to information from an oral tradition, that is, the information on the history of the farm Lillestu that was obtained from oral stories that were passed on over the generations. The Bygebok notes that the parish registers start in 1730.

There is not many times that the name Halvor Gjermundsen Hammersgaard is mentioned in the Trysilboka, vol 1. One mention is the marriage of Kari Halvosdatter Heggeriset who was the daughter of Halvor Gjermunsen Hammersgaard. She was married in 1760 to Halvor Nilsen from Djupbækmoen - her death is recorded as 1812 at the age of 88, meaning her calculated birth would have been 1724. Another mention of Halvor Gjermundsen Hammersgaard in noted at the farm Søndre Rømoen, Trysilboka, vol 3, page 727, "...Marte Olsdatter [father Ole Olsen], had married Halvor Halvorsen Heggeriset, son of Halvor Gjermundsen Hammersgaard who built in Lille Heggeriset, in the same year,

The Bygebok for Engerdal, vol 1, page 125 was the first source that I found that notes that Halvor Gjermundsen's father was Gjermund Halvorsen Hammersgaard from the farm that become known as Hammersgaard, just north of the current town of Øverbygda, and a couple of kms north of Trysil, aka, Innbygda. The Bygebok notes that Halvor Gjermundsen was a half-brother to Ole Gjermundsen from the farm Hammersgaard and also a half - brother to Gjermund Gjermundsen and Embret Gjermundsen, aka, Ingebret Gjermundsen. It seems that these 3 brothers had left the Hammersgaard farm near Øverbygda to settle and clear land in the area that became known as Heggeriset [about 30+kms from Øverbygda].

The farm Lillestu, aka Heggeriset lille [Heggeriset small] was built in the 1720s by Halvor Gjermundsen Hammarsgård. It seems that Halvor Gjermundsen had acquired ownership of the site of the farm as early as 1727. Halvor Gjermundsen died about 1748 [although I can not find his death/burial in the parish register], and his eldest son Gjermund Halvorsen then takes over the farm, Lillestu.

Note: Today, the general area is known as Heggeriset hamlet or village. Most likely the earliest farm in the area was settled with some clearing in 1714 by Gjermund Gjermundsen [Hammersgaard] and his brother Embret Gjermundsen [Hammersgaard]. Gjermund was born about 1682 and Embret was born about 1685. Both were born as Hammersgaard near Øverbygda. Both were uncles of my 6th great grandfather, Otter Olsen Skaaret [1705-1768] - Otter is my direct line "Skaret" ancestor. Both Gjermund and Embret were with the military for at least a few years, before and after their arrival at Heggeriset.

Gjermund and Embret were half brothers to Halvor Gjermundsen, [b about 1654] the first user of Lillestu. It is not clear when Halvor Gjermundsen came to the general area of Heggeriset, but likely at the same time or shortly after his half-brothers - earlier than 1719 when his oldest son was born. It appears that the official ownership of the farms at Heggeriset were granted and then taxed by the King around 1727.

Halvor Gjermundsen's wife is not known, but it seems that Halvor and his wife had at least 5 children. The death of Halvor Gjermundsen Hammersgaard is not known for certain. The Bygebok for Engerdal records his death in 1748, and the FamilyTrees that I have reviewed also record that date. However, his name is not recorded in the Trysil local parish registers death or burial lists for the years 1747-1750 [I reviewed the pages in the Norway parish records three or four times]. A change in the land ownership for Lillestu came about in 1748 - Halvor's oldest son, Gjermund Halvorsen Heggerist took over the farm.

I have not researched in detail Halvor Gjermundsen Hammersgaard's children and their descendants, with the exception of Halvor Gjermundsen's youngest son, Per/Peder Halvorsen [Heggeriset], born about 1732. Per left Heggeriset around 1662 and built Søndre Lillebo - Per traveled there with his half 1st cousin, Jon Jonsen [1740-1805] from Jons in Heggeriset.


notes completed by Rueben D Grue, 4 Sep 2025. All Rights Reserved.
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Bygebok for Engerdal, vol 1, Page 125 ...... Lillestu, Heggeriset lille [small] gnr 1/4 bnr 98 in Trysil
and then Brurker and Slekter on Lilliestu, page 132
- but this does not record birth... the bygebok notes that Halvor Gjermundsen Hammersgaard died in 1748, most likely at Heggeriset. Unfornately I can't find his name in the death records in the Trysil parish register - the handwriting is hard to read [ note fr 15 Jul 2025]
... 23 Aug 2025 ... I reviewed the years 1747, 1748, 1749, but could not idenify his name .. The parish register is from Elverum parish-Trysil sokn, 1730-1760 and is caterogized as a "Chronological liste" - records baptisms, confirmation, marriage, burial for each year
BUT... it is hard to make out the organization and the handwriting, but some things can be made out

... So either I can't make out the handwriting, Halvor Gjermunundsen's death/burial is not recorded, or his death/burial is recorded in a different parish register.....

[ ... link is to the Elverum parish-Trysil sokn, 1730-1760 ... https://media.digitalarkivet.no/en/kb/browse?archive_key=&counties%5B%5D=04&parishes%5B%5D=0428S1&start_year=1748&end_year=1748&text= ]
... [burial service - Liigprædikren .. burial sermon when the parson tells about the deceased; eulogy]


The Geneanet FT - Granseth-Sektnan-Basseætte ... records his birth as 1679, with a question mark. This is the same year of birth as Gjermund Halvorsen Hammersgaard's son Ole Gjermundsen Hammersgaard whose birth is recorded as 1679. And so the it is unlikely that both Halvor Gjermundsen and Ole Gjermundsen were born in the same year.
... https://gw.geneanet.org/mgranset?lang=no&n=hammersgard&p=halvor

Halvor married.