Erik Olsen Berg

  Research Notes:

Summary: ..

Erik Olsen Berg, 1674-1760, is not directly related to me, but I do have a family connection to him. His brother, Esten Olsen Berg, 1677-1758, was married to the first wife of my 4th greatgrandfather, Jon Simensen Grue [1729-1807]. Her name was Sigrid Estensdtr. After Sigrid died in 1774, Jon Simensen Grue married again to Kari Toresdtr Breen and it is from this relationship that my family ancestors derive. There is however, another family connection to Erik Olsen Berg - a grandson of his was also named Erik Olsen Berg, but he was born in 1751 and died in 1831. This Erik was married to Magnhild Jonsdtr Grue, 1756-1832 who was a daughter of my 4th great grandfather, Jon Simensen Grue, and so Magnhild Jonsdtr would be a half-cousin of me]. Some descendants of Erik and Magnhild had traveled to North America.

Erik Olsen Berg, b 1674 was likely married [see point 1 and 2 below] to someone named Sigrid but her patronymic name is not known [possibly Jonsdatter]. They had a son named Esten who died at age of 6 wks. There likely were other children, but they also likely died prior to 1724. Erik and Sigrid had a son, Ole Eriksen Berg, 1724-1803 who had taken over the Bortistu Berg farm sometime around 1760, after the death of his father. One of the difficulties of the above statements, is that there is no parish records to collaborate this since the Tolga records do not start until 1733. There is a death record for Ole Eriksen Berg from 1803, but this does not record who his parents were. Erik Olsen Berg and Sigrud were likely married some time prior to 1724, but the date is not known.

Note: There are some indications that Erik Olsen Berg, born abt 1674 and died 1760 at Bortistu, Berg, Dalsbygda, Os, Hedmark, and Erik Olsen Langen, 1674-1744 are the same person. Erik Olsen Langen was supposedly born in the Dalsbygden area of Os in Tolga parish around 1674, but he died in 1744 at Langen nordre in Røros parish.

I do not think they are the same person and I outline my reseasoning below.

The first suggestion that the two Erik Olsens are the same comes from the Bygebok, Røros-boka, volume 3, page 132 regarding the farm history of nordre Langen in Røros parish.

The Røros-boka: "About the oldest settlement at Langen, we know that two brothers from Vangrøfta, Esten and Erik Olsen (Berg), received permission from the bailiff on 24 Jul 1730 to settle on Storbeit south of Håsjøen." But on August 1, 1735, there is a [legal] case at their place in their living room by Storbeittet, where they have allowed themselves to use the king's common land, a quarter of a mile west of the southern end of Femundsviken. It is near Grønloken and Gjetvollen, and they have entered the forest designated for the operation [by the Røros Copper Works]. They should vacate by the first day of danger, 1736.... [I think this refers to father's day, so the first part of June]

Thoralf Grue, page 231 of his book, Os i Østerdalene, writes "Presumably, this is the same Esten Olsen Vangryft who, in 1759, began building at Bruhagen, but at that time, he had to promise to remove the fence and buildings. According to a local legend, an Esten, known as Velh-Smeen, began building at Häkká-sletta, south of the Bortistu farm, just south of Skåleggen. But the Vangrøftingar complained, and it was in the middle of the field. He tried at Gravåsvollen, but they grumbled. Then he set up at the highest Gruvåsen and built." Although Thoralf Grue does not explicity write that Esten Olsen was the father in law of my 4th great grandfather, Jon Simensen Grue [1729-1803], Thoralf imlies this

The Geni.com Family Tree [point 4 below], repeats this assertion.

The Bygebok for Os, Vol 1, page 3, repeats the above, with some more information about Esten Olsen [Berg] and where he was after 1736 when he left the Langen, Røros area.

Research

.. Esten Olsen Berg, father of Sigrid Estensdatter Berg who was married to my 4th great grandfather, Jon Simensen Grue [1729-1807] in his first marriage. Esten Olsen Berg was born about 1677, BUT he died and was buried in 1758 [see Tolga parish register transcription by Marie Tollan on Norway's digitalarkivet]. THEREFORE, the person who built in 1759, must be a different person named Esten Olsen. Is it possible that after 1759 someone named Esten Olsen Vangryft built on Gruvåsen or is there a mistake that this Esten Olsen Vangryft built on Gruvåsen or is it possible that the year 1759 is wrong.

.. the geni.com FT notes that Erik Olsen Langen was born in 1674 at Bortistu, Berg, Dalsbygda, but then says that he died in 1744 at Langen nordre in Røros parish.
.. this geni.com FT suggests that Erik Olsen Langen and Erik Olsen Berg were the same people, but at the same time records that Erik Olsen Langen died, 1744. But Erik Olsen Berg died in 1760 - see Mari Tollan's transcription on Digital digitalarkivet for Tolga Parish
.. Additionally, this geni.com FT suggests that Erik Olsen Langen was likely first married in 1733 to Sigrid Jonsdatter [1708-1743].
I have reviewed the Tolga records for the years 1733-1740, and there no person named Erik Olsen or Sigrid who were married in 1733. There is a person named Erik Olsøn who was a witness/sponsor for marriage on 12 Jun 1733 for the marriage of Lars Solandsen, and this Erick's residence was the farm Berg. Or perhaps Geni.com FT sentence is referring to the marriage betrothal on 24 Apr 1733 between Østen Olsøn and Caren Olsdatter, with the comments noted that the engagement was held at Erick Vangryftens stue=cottage [see Marie Tollan's transcription. This marriage record is most likely the record for Esten Olsen Berg and Kari Olsdatter, the parents Sigrid Estensdtr b in 1734, the first wife of Jon Simensen Grue's [1729-1807], my 4th great grandfather.
.. additonally there is no person named Sigrid Jonsdatter who died in 1743 in the Tolga parish records. Marie Tollan's transcription only records a person named Siri Fredericksd. who died in 1743 at age 35 with this person's calculated birth as 1708. I have also reviewed death records of Røros parish and no one named Sigrid Jonsdatter was buried at that time; also there are no records of Sigrid Jonsdatter marriage in 1732-1734 at Røros parish.


.. Erik Olsen Langen's death was most likely died in 1744 although I have not found a death record in either Røros or Tolga parish. BUT ... there is a Estate/Probate record [Skifteprotokoll, no 5, 1742-1756 for Røros]. There is a transcription of this prepared by Astrid Ryen from Tronheim [see my brief document]. The probate was on 15 Apr 1744 and was likely recorded by the Balifff or Sheriff
[v. 105-106]. Astrid's transcption using 'google translation':
"Erich Olsen Langen 15/4-1744 RB (1742-1756, page 208) The deceased Erik Olsen left behind his widow Inger Nielsdatter and
the following common children: 1: Ole Eriksen 7 years, 2: Anne Eriksdatter 11 years, 3: Ingeborg Eriksdatter 9 years. Present at the
exchange were the children's paternal uncle Peder Olsen Vangrøften and the widow's brother Ingul Nielsen Østgaard. Both of
these must be from Os. Erik Olsen and Inger Nielsdatter were not married in Røros, the children were not baptized there, and I do
not find Erich Olsen registered as dead in the church register for Røros." **

.. the above sentences from Astrid's transcription are collaborated by the The Røros-boka, page 132:

Erik Olsen Langen was married to Inger Nilsdatter Østgaard, born 1705, died 1762. He [that is Erik] [Sjøl= himself] probably died in
early 1744, because on 17/4 of that year a probate was held after him with Hans Hanssen Sund and Ole Kieldsen Spell as
assessors. The children were Anne 11 years old, [b abt 1733], Ingeborg 9 years old, [b abt 1735] and Ole 7 years old. [b abt 1737]

.. the above Geni.com FT does record that Erik Olsen Langen was married to Inger Nilsdatter Østgaard [1705-1762] and implies that this was likely a 2nd marriage. This FT along with the Røros-Boka and the Estate/Probate record all note that after Erik Olsen Langen died in 1744, and that Inger later was married to Esten Jacobsen Sund [1718-1803], who continued to farm Langen nørdre [I have come across his name as Esten Jacobsen Langen]. The Røros-Boka notes that Inger and Esten Jacobsen had 2 children, Jacob and Inger. Also note that Inger died in 1762.

** a few lines further down in v.105-106 of the Estate/Probate record from above, Astrid Ryen records that "However, I have found two of Erik Olsen's children baptized in Os: Anne Eriksdatter in 1733 and Ingeborg Eriksdatter in 1735, they then lived at Femundsvigen". With further research, I likely found a birth/baptism record for Ole Eriksen Langen b 1737 at Ous church in Tolga parish, with name Ole Eriksen baptised on 7 Apr 1737 and father, Erik Fæmund with Fæmund as Erik's residence. I have included the birth/baptisms records for each on their research page notes.

.. the Bygebok for Os, vol 1, makes no further mention of Erik Olsen as a brother to Esten Olsen Berg on 'introduction' section, around page 28 or 28. However, on page 57 regarding Bortistu, there is the mention of Ole Estensen b 1639 and his three children, including Erik Olsen b 1674, Esten Olsen b 1677, and Jon Olsen b 1681. Son Erik Olsen, b 1674 takes over the farm Bortistu Berg and is the farmer there from 1720-around 1760. This Erik Olsen died in 1760. Erik's son, possibly a foster son, Ole Eriksen Berg [1724-1803] takes over the farm Bortistu Berg. The Bygebok for Os does not indicate in this area the Erik Olsen Berg had left the Berg farm to clear land in 1730 south of the lake Håsjøen in Røros parish


Conclusion based on the above research:

Erik Olsen Berg b 1674 and Erik Olsen Langen are not the same people as the Geni.com FT and the Røros-Boka suggests.
[research, Jan and Feb 2025]


This conclusion necessitates another research question:
If they are not the same persons, then who were the brothers from Vangrøfta? .... see my page for Erik Olsen Langen for a discussion of the above

The following is the statement from the Røros-Boka, vol 3, page 132: "About the oldest settlement at Langen, we know that two brothers from Vangrøfta*, Esten and Erik Olsen (Berg), on 24/7 1730 received permission from the bailiff to settle on Storbeitet south of Håsjøen". I haven't found any further information on the place name Storbeitet. However, searching for information on Vangrøfta in the book "Stedsnavn i Nord-Østerdal" by Jon Olav Ryen, I have the following on page 453:

Vangrøfta [vang`grøfta] (1) River in Dalsbygda, Os municipality, with an outlet in Glåma (s.d.) west of the center of Os. (2) Hamlet
in Dalsbygda, Os municipality. The first part is probably vang (s.d.), and refers to the farm Vangen (Nordvang, Nordvangen). The
last part of the name is more difficult to interpret. Some have guessed at rift ('rift'; also 'piece of road'), but it is more reasonable
that it is the word grøft (cf. Old Norse groptr, 'digging', 'pit') that is the basis (i.e. Vang-grøfta). The river name would then mean
'ditch (with water) that passes by Vangen'. Cf. NSL, 479; Gjermundsen 1999, 19.

Vangrøftdalen [vang`grøftdä:'l.n.] A valley along the river Vangrøfta in Dalsbygda, Os municipality. Also part of the Vangrøftdalen - Kjurrudalen landscape conservation area in the same municipality, established in 2001. Many intact pasture environments, with
outfield pasture and hay"

... and,

Dalsbygda [dä:l.s.´bygda] Village in Os municipality, northwest of the center. The village consists of two main valleys: Tjurudalen
and Vangrøftdalen (s.d.), and one would initially think that the name comes from these. However, the name comes from the
oldest farm in the village, Dal. This in turn is probably named after the wide valley that opens northwest of the Vangrøfta's outlet in Glåma. Cf. Gjermundsen 1999, 20.

Looking at OpenStreet Map, it is fairly easy to see a valley going to the north from Dalsbygda and then also a valley that curves to
the left in a westerly directions to some higher mountains/hill. The river or stream is named Vangrøfta. And depending of the use
it likely can refer to a larger and more general geographic area, likely Vangrøftdalen.

To day the area around Vangen [a number of farms] is about 1 km east from the river/stream Vangrøfta and at this point the river
is more westerly going into the hills/mountain and likely some west would be it's source. The river/stream Vangrøfta from the Vangen area [note that Klokkervang is a litttle to the north of Vangen] flows more southerly and does come close the Berg farms -
Bortistu and Storstuen - OpenStreet Map shows Vangrøfta as a more general area. The road Vangrøftveien cross the river/stream at the Berg farms and travels in a south westerly direction to Nedre and Øvre Gruva, more or less at the base of Gruvåsen [I had been to this area in the summer of 1980, but I don't remember much about the Berg farms ro the river/stream Vangrøfta].

.. the result of the above "geography" is that it seems to me that Vangrøfta which I think was more of a general rural locality in the general area of Dalsbygda to the north and west of the current village of Os near the spot with the river/stream Vangrøfta flows into the Glomma river that flows mostly southerly to the town of Tolga and beyond.

.. A further conclusion: I don't think that by commenting that the "brothers Esten and Erik Olsen" were from Vangrøfta would mean that they were from the farm Berg.

Research question: is there other information that might provide clues of where the "brothers Esten and Erik Olsen" came from, particularly Erik Olsen Langen from Langen nordre. I think there are a couple of clues. I will have to jump ahead a little to highlight these.

1. ... In the Estate/Probate record for Erik Olsen Langen [see above] there is the following statement from the Astrid Ryen's transcription: "Present at the exchange [meaning the change of ownership of the farm Langen nordre] were the children's paternal uncle Peder Olsen Vangrøften and the widow's brother Ingul Nielsen Østgaard".

So, Peder Olsen Vangrøften would then have been a brother to Erik Olsen Langen. But I have not found a lot of information about him. Again, Vangrøften likely refers to a farm or to an area name or possibly the name of the room, hut, or cottage that he lived in, but this room or hut name did not survive over the years.

The Tolga parish record's transcription by Marie Tollan:
birth ... Peder Olsen was the father of Østen Pedersen b 22 Aug 1734 .. and Peder Olsen's residence is "Vangryft"
... a sponsor is named is named Erik Østensøn from Moseng .. and another sponsor Siri Vangryften
also a birth: Peder Olsen father of Lars Pedersen, 5 Aug 1736 .. father name, Peder Vangryft, residence as Vangryft
.. there is no FTs on Ancestry, FamilySearch, Geni.com

there is a death record .... https://www.digitalarkivet.no/en/view/267/pg00000001054916
..... Per Olsen, buried 11 Mar 1770, his residence as Vangryften.. died at age 81 [birth 1689] ... residence as Vangryften
https://media.digitalarkivet.no/view/9219/22 chronlogical liste ... nothing more is noted
[the above burial is the same page for the birth record for Lars Mortensen Holbeckmöen

???? is this Per Olsen 1689-1770 the same person as Peder Olsen Vangryften ????
Bygebok for Os and Os i Østerdalene and a couple of FTs record that Ole Persen [father was Per Embretsen] from the farm Nystuen had a son named "Per Olsen" and he was born about in 1689 and died in 1770 --- the above death record is the only record in
the Tolga parish transcription from 1768 to 1770 for a given name of "Per" and a patronmyic name "Olsen." It is therefore reasonable to conclude that this Per Olsen 1689-1770 the same person as Peder Olsen Vangryften. And this person was a brother to Erik Olsen from Langen nordre. And it is reasonable that both Erik Olsen from Langen and Per Olsen from Nystuen had a brother named Esten Olsen, but his place of residence is not known.

Per or Peder Olsen likely had a house or cottage on Nystuen-Berg that was known at the time as Vandgryften

and one other mention: Ole Eriksen birth/baptism ... on 7 Apr 1737 .. at Ous .. father Erick Fæmund residence, Fæmund
Marie Tollans's transcription: https://www.digitalarkivet.no/en/view/255/pd00000005436513
Tolga parish register: Ministerialbok nr. 1, baptisms, 1733-1767, p 22-23, 2nd entry from bottom, 2nd side .. handwriting difficult
note that a witness is named Kirstin Vangryft and in the column for "postion" is "Peder Vangryfts" wife? .. residence, Vangryft


Note: I have searched for Vangryften and Vangryfta in all three volumes of the Bygebok for Os, and in Thoralf Grue's book
Os i Østerdalene .... but the farm name Vangryften or Vangryfta does not register any hits. The only in the above mentioned Skifte
... Estate/probate only the hit for the statment in the record for Erik Olsen Langen ....v. 105,106

2. ... The above noted Geni.com FT mentions that it might be possible "... the brothers Esten Olsen and Erik Olsen may be the sons of Ole Persen Nystuen Berg and Anne Olsdatter," and refers to the book, Os i Østerdalene by Thoralf Grue.

farm: Nystuen, page 231, 232 of Thoralf Grue's book

as background, Per Ingebretsen [aka, Per Embretsen] divided the farm Nordstu Berg between his sons, Ola Persen and Erik Olsen. Ola's half became known as Nystu, aka Nystuen; Erik's half became known as Stortstu or Storststuen.

" ... This farm dates from 1695 when Per Ingebretsen [aka, Per Embretsen] divided it [Per's farm Nordstu Berg] to his son Ole Persen. He [Ole Persen} is responsible for the farm in the accounts for the war years. He died before 1733. This year Anne Olsdtr. Berg dies. 75 years old.. it is perhaps his wife. Nothing more certain has been found in the papers about this family than that there was a son Per."
.. Thoralf Grue then writes "It is possible that this concerns sons of Ole [ie, Ole Persen]"... and Thoralf quotes from the Røros-boka, vol 3, page 132 regarding the first settlers on Langen nordre [see above] ... that is, Esten Olsen and Erik Olsen
.. Thoralf Grue continues to record that Per, son of Ole Persen and Anne Olsdtr, was born about 1689 and died in 1770, and then the rest of the entry for the farm Nystuen are about the further descendents of Per Olsen ...

It is quite likely that Per Olsen b about 1689 and died in 1770, may also been known as Peder Olsen ... see my comments above regarding Peder Olsen Vangrøften. But if this Peder Olsen Vangrøften was born in 1689, he would not likely the same Per Olsen b 1689 at Nystuen [see a few lines above] since there is no record of Per Olsen at Nystuen or Peder Olsen traveling to Langen in Røros parish.
The birth dates are estimates based at age at death, but the age could be off a year of two, making it possible that Peder Olsen Vangrøften could still have been a brother, born in the later 1680s or early 1690s. OR are they the same person ?????

Is there any evidence that Ola Persen, had more children other than the one son Per Olsen b 1689?
Are there other persons named Esten Olsen or Erik Olsen whose father was Ola Persen and likely were from the farm Nystu-Berg?

.. But the Bygebok for Os does not mention any other child of Ola Persen b 1689 [see below, point 3]

3. Bygebok for Os, vol 1 p 51, Nordstu

Per Embretssen 1624, barn:
a. Ola. Se Nystu ... p. 63
b. Erik, m. Berit Jakobsdatter ... Se Storstu, p. 68
c. Nils, m. Goro. Se Fabroåsen p 355
d. Embret, d. unmarried. renounces his inheritance in 1720. [Arvingen gir avkall på arv etter ham i 1720]
e. Marit, m. Per Erikssen Breen, Se Ytre Nordstu Breen ... vol 1, p 126, p, 172
Per Eriksen b abt 1636 at Nordstu Breen d. 1706 ... m. Marit... died 1706

Nystu, page 63
.. Ola Persen b about 1689, d. 1770 takes over the farm Nystu .. married... and has 4 children










BUT ... at this stage it is almost impossible to reach a convincing conclusion on who Peder Olsen Vangrøften was

15 Feb 2025













1. see his father's page for notes from Bygdebok for Os, vol 1, page 51 and 57.... and, Os i Østerdalene

2. Birth ... there is a conflict with his stated birth
.. most Family Trees, along with the Bygebok for Os and Thoralf Grue's book, Os i Østerdalene record his birth as 1674 and died in 1760.
.. reviewing the death records [Marie Tollan's transcription], Erick Ols. died 1760 at the age of 88 - cal. birth would be 1672; however the death records have no other idenifying information

... based on this, however, I will record his birth as 1674, following other researchers

3. Ancestry FTs .... there are around 80 FTs .... BUT NO any sources or any explanation are noted
... record Erik Olsen Berg 1674-1760 but only record his wife as Sigrid Berg, 1708-1743
and one son, Ole Eriksen Berg, 1724-1803 and then son Esten, 1734-1734

4. Geni.com FT

https://www.geni.com/people/Erik-Langen/6000000007328942527?through=6000000007329124002
Added by:Johannes Rye Røste on September 3, 2008
Managed by:Rolf Inge Holden, Anki [Ann Chatrin] Olsson, Glen Dean Kolb and Inge Svelmo

.. suggests the following ... Erik Olsen married in 1733 to Sigrid f 1708-1743. Erik was from Bostitu Berg, son of Ole Estense and Sigrid Jonsdatter
But: there is no marriage record in Tolga parish for them ... Marie Tollan's transcription [13 Feb 2025]
... nor is there a marriage record in Røros parish from 1732-1734
... I suspect that this record is not accurate. .... no source .... the sources mentioned include Bygebok for Os and Thoralf Grue's book, but reviewing them, I do not read that Erik Olsen Berg or Erik Olsen Langen was ever married to someone named Sigrid Jonsdtr.


This FT is suggesting that Erik Olsen Berg b about 1674 at Bortistu, Berg, Dalsbygda, Os, Hedmark is the same person as
Erik Olsen Langen b about 1674 and this Erik Langen was the first to settle use the land at Langen* Røros parish. The FT also records a number of sources, including:
Grue, Th.; Os i Østerdalene, s. 240 ff: Bortistu, Berg; and page 231, Nystuen; page 246, Gruben
Gjermundsen, O.; Bygdebok for Os, bind 1, s. 57: Bortistu, Berg, and page 51, Gruva, Berg
Rørosboka bind III, s. 132: Langen nordre


... BUT **** I do not think Erik Olsen Berg b about 1674 at Bortistu, Berg, Dalsbygda is the same person as Erik Olsen Langen from nordre Langen in Røros parish

there is a conflict with date of death for Erik Olsen Langen
- the above geni.com FT and Røros Bygebok both indicate he died in 1744 and reference his probate record and his children
... If Erik Olsen Langen is the same person as Erik Olsen Berg, the Bygebok for Os notes that Erik Olsen Berg died in 1760
... there is no death record for Erik Olsen Langen in 1744 in the Røros parish registers ... I also looked at the years 1740-1746
... The geni.com FT says that Erik Olsen Langen's widow remairred in 1744 marriage: Esten Jakobsen Langen og Inger Nielsdatter ..? engaged/married 24 Jun .. ... I can't out the handwriting, but it almost appears that the marriage took place at Dalsbogden's parish [?]. Dalsbygda ... thus, since Erik Olsen Langen's widow remarried in 1744, it goes without saying that her husband had died
... AND we do have a date of year of death for Erik Olsen Berg, died 1760 .... Norway Parish Registers.

... AND we also know that Erik Olsen Berg had only 2 children, Ole Eriksen Berg, b 1824 and a baby name Esten born and died in
1734

... AND, according to Røros bygebok volume 3, Erik Olsen Langen had three children when he died: Anne. 11 years old, [b abt 1733]; Ingeborg. 9 years old, [b abt 1735] and; Ole. 7 years old. [b abt 1737]

... AND, the books Os in Østerdalen and Bygebok for Os make no mention of Erik Olsen Berg moving to Langen in Røros.

... ADDITIONALLY, the Røros bygebok volume 3 only notes that Langen was first cleared by Erik Olsen Langen and his brother Esten who were both from Vangrøfta which I think was more of a general locality in the general area of Dalsbygda [Vangrøfta is a river/creek/stream starting in the west of Dalsbyda and flows south and appears to flow near or close by the "Berg" farm]



My conclusion: Erik Olsen Berg and Erik Olsen Langen are not the same person 14 Jan 2025
... in my review and in my view there is not sufficient evidence to conclude they are the same person. Both the name Erik and Ole are very common in Norway.

See my notes for Ingri Olsdatter b 1761, d. 1815 [apparently she was a neice of Ingeborg Eriksdatter Langen, b 1734, d. 1811, the daughter of Erik Olsen Langen and Inger Nilsdatter Østgård, b 1705, d. 1762 ... note that I have not found a birth record for


* Langen is abt 2-3 kms north of the very far north bay of Lake Femund and maybe 30 kms south easterly of Røros town. The farm area was likely on the north east side of the Lake Langen


1. source: www.tomren.org ..... old source from 2009 era
also: wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com; Holly Tomren; 2006 no longer available ^927,941

Erik married Sigrid in 1733 in Tolga, Hedmark, Norway.⁹⁴¹