{"id":11519,"date":"2026-04-24T12:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-04-24T11:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/martinroe.com\/blog\/?p=11519"},"modified":"2026-04-23T17:55:49","modified_gmt":"2026-04-23T16:55:49","slug":"a-farm-lease-from-1807-understanding-asetesrett-in-practice","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/martinroe.com\/blog\/a-farm-lease-from-1807-understanding-asetesrett-in-practice\/","title":{"rendered":"A Farm Lease from 1807: Understanding \u00c5setesrett in Practice"},"content":{"rendered":"

My friend and long time reader, Nord Brue<\/strong> has written a forthcoming biography of his Tipp tipp oldefar Nils Trulsen Bru <\/strong>(NTB). \u00a0One fascinating part of the story involves a farm lease from 1807 that played a role in Nils Trulsen Bru’s life. Nord is an American lawyer who has researched Norwegian archives with the assistance of Professor Nils Olav \u00d8strem<\/strong> of the University of Stavanger. \u00a0Nord (nlb@nbrue.com<\/span><\/a>) hopes the book will be available from Amazon this summer.<\/p>\n

As an introduction to Nils Trulsen Bru, you might want to read the article Nord wrote for my blog back in 2020: Independence as a football Game<\/a><\/p>\n

Nord asked me to read the final draft, and I found the entire book both engaging and thoroughly researched. One chapter, in particular, stood out to me\u2014because it touches on something many genealogists will eventually encounter.<\/p>\n

It centers on the lease of the Bru farm from Truls Brue to his son Nils.<\/p>\n

Documents like this are not necessarily rare\u2014but finding the right<\/em> one can be a challenge. And even when you do, they are often difficult to read and interpret. That makes this example all the more valuable. Fortunately, Nord has provided a translation\u2014and kindly allowed me to share it here.<\/p>\n

Chapter 14: Claiming His \u00c5setesrett<\/h2>\n

\u201c\u2018Tis the land I\u2019m here for \u2026 and \u2019tis the land that keeps us. \u2019Tis our living.\u201d<\/em>
\n–Knut Hamsun, Growth of the Soil<\/p>\n

\u00c5setesrett granted the right of the firstborn or oldest surviving son (primogeniture) to inherit property. The firstborn son, Lars, had died in infancy and so NTB became the third consecutive second born son to take the farm. His son Truls would be the fourth. \u201c\u00c5setesrett was a legal requirement for freehold properties and customary for leilendinger even if occasionally ignored.\u201d P. 124, The Marital Economy in Scandinavia and Britain 1400-1900, Maria \u00c5gren, Routledge 2 Mar 2019<\/p>\n<\/div>For five generations, the Bru farm passed from parent to child. In 1807, it was Nils Trulsen Brue (NTB)\u2019s turn. As his\u00a0 marriage to Kristi approached, his father, Truls Larsen, arranged a bygselbrev (lease letter deed) naming NTB as the new holder. NTB was 31. Unlike his father, who had run the farm from age
\n22 but didn\u2019t receive a lease until 50, NTB entered formal possession relatively early. One reason may have been timing: NTB was still unmarried, and it was customary for a bygselbrev to name both spouses. To avoid future complications, it seems father and son agreed not to include Kristi on the document.<\/p>\n

A Legal Document, a Family Compact<\/strong><\/p>\n

Legally, the lease began on 15 April 1807, but NTB and Kristi remained at her Dale farm, where their son Daniel was baptized in December 1808. Daily life didn\u2019t change immediately, though the document now marked NTB as a leilending\u2014a registered farmer with a life estate and hereditary rights.<\/p>\n

The document itself, preserved in the Stavanger archives and transcribed by Professor Nils Olav \u00d8strem, is a model of primary evidence: a contemporary, official, and meticulously maintained document. Professor \u00d8strem helped me interpret it\u2014and confirmed that NTB\u2019s lease was conditioned by a promise to his parents.<\/p>\n

No. 2 […] B\u00f8rre Rosenkilde \u2013 Administrator of the endowment lands of the Bishopric of Christiansand – hereby makes it known on behalf of Bishop Johan M. Keyser, that he has leased the farm Broe in Asch\u00f8e Parish and Ryfylke County, which is assessed at 1 \u00bd Pund grain, land rent, to Niels Truelsen. The lease was previously granted to his father Truls Larsen on the 26th of February 1793 and he has now willingly agreed to the transfer of the farm to his son, on the<\/em>
\ncondition that Niels Truelsen shall provide for his and his wife’s livelihood yearly as follows:<\/em>
\n8 T\u00f8nder (barrels) of Oat Grain,<\/em>
\n\u00bd T\u00f8nde of Barley,<\/em>
\n\u00bd T\u00f8nde of Malt,<\/em>
\n4 T\u00f8nder of Rye,<\/em>
\n\u00bc T\u00f8nde of potatoes and use of good farmland for planting them.<\/em>
\n\u00bc Sviin (pig),<\/em>
\nTruls will also receive:<\/em>
\nPasture for 2 Cows and 8 Sheep, as well as lodging and affectionate care in old age for he and his wife. Should the father build himself a cabin, as permitted, if he needs it, for which his son shall provide him with the necessary firewood.<\/em>
\nIf one of the parents dies, the survivor shall receive half of the provisions mentioned above. Moreover, the aforementioned Niels Truelsen is obliged to provide his father’s brother, Thomas Larsen, as per his father’s promise in the 1793 lease agreement and later agreement, with 10 spand every Christmas time for as long as Thomas Larsen lives, and no longer.<\/em>
\nHe must pay the usual taxes, levies, tithes, and land rent in due time before Christmas Eve,<\/em>
\nwhich according to last year’s assessment was 16 Rigsdalers 71 skillings., as well as other<\/em>
\nobligatory royal contributions.<\/em>
\nThe land must be cultivated and improved, nothing must be taken away from it or used by others.\u00a0He must maintain the buildings on the farm in good condition and behave like a sensible tenant. If the aforementioned conditions are met, he may use this farm during his lifetime, making the best use of it as he deems fit.<\/em>
\nThe agreed-upon lease has been paid with St\u00f8vlepund (unit of weight) and, in agreement with the content hereof, he has given his acknowledgement on the reverse on similar stamped paper, which is hereby confirmed under my hand and seal.<\/em>
\nStavanger, April 15, 1807. – B. Rosenkilde. \/L: S:\/<\/em>
\n[…]<\/em>
\nIt is hereby noted that, as per the Decree of April 4, 1800, which states that if the estate should be designated as an official’s residence, the leaseholder shall be obliged to vacate the property in return for receiving back the paid lease money, as completely omitted in this lease agreement. Should this occur, the same (text illegible).<\/em>
\nThe Reverse [side] of the agreement and land rent book, on proper stamped paper, were presented [.text illegible..].<\/em>
\nPaid for registration with 12 \u00bd percent, in total 3 ort (coin denomination), and also for the attestation with 12 \u00bd percent, 1 ort 12 s:, in total 1 rd 12 s:, which equals one Rigsdaler and twelve Skilling – attested by Hm Mantheii.<\/em>
\n(The Reverse of the agreement reads as follows: )<\/em>
\nHerewith, I acknowledge and obligate myself to comply with the contents of this lease agreement in all parts or suffer the forfeiture of my lease. – Niels Trulsen Broe. \/L: S:\/ Paid for writing 2 ort 6 s:, which equals two Rigsort and six Skilling – attested by Hm Mantheij.<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Truls reserved significant rights: a share of crops, animals, and even housing. It was, in effect, a family contract. NTB promised support; if he failed, Truls could reclaim the farm. There\u2019s no record Truls ever built the cabin he was promised. Most likely, he and his wife lived with NTB and Kristi, sharing the farmhouse with their growing family.<\/p>\n

Beer, Malt, and the Still<\/h3>\n

The list of reserved goods offers a glimpse into daily life. NTB promised his father staples like oats, rye, and barley\u2014unsurprising enough. But another item stood out: half a barrel of malt.
\nA Norwegian biographer once suggested NTB was a teetotaler. But between the malt, the still in his probate inventory, and Professor \u00d8strem\u2019s observations, the evidence points the other way. NTB (or his father) likely brewed \u00f8l (farmhouse beer). Malted barley would be soaked, sprouted, dried, and then boiled with hops and yeast. The yeast was almost certainly kveik, a traditional Norwegian strain of Saccharomyces cerevisiae that ferments at high temperatures, produces fruity aromas, and allows for rapid brewing. Today, kveik is even available commercially in the U.S. (https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Kveik)<\/p>\n

I tried a time or two to make beer with truly dreadful results. Wine was more my thing. The use I found for malted barley came when I founded Bruegger\u2019s Bagels. At Bruegger\u2019s we used nondiastatic malt syrup imported from Canada in 660-pound drums. We added malt to the dough for flavor and to the water in which we kettled (boiled) the bagels to impart a shiny, crusty finish. Our marketing people discovered the correlation between bagels and beer. Beer drinkers were avid bagel eaters and possibly the reverse was true. All this said, I am pretty certain the NTB was not using the malt to bake bagels.<\/p>\n

The Potato Clue<\/h3>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Another reserved item caught Professor \u00d8strem\u2019s eye: a quarter-barrel of potatoes and land to plant them. This detail matters. The British blockade, which began in late 1807, triggered a boom in Norwegian potato cultivation. Truls\u2019s reservation confirms he was growing potatoes before the blockade\u2014and may even have been a pioneer of their use in Rogaland.<\/p>\n

When we visited Eivind Bru at NTB\u2019s old bruk in 2023, my grandchildren Nora, Ben, Owen, and Thea (all except toddler Amitai) dug potatoes in the same fields. We took four plastic bags (a twenty-first century intrusion to our idyll in nineteenth-century Norway) of the early season
\npotatoes with us when we returned to Stavanger and son Erik persuaded the chef at our hotel to boil some. They were as delicious as only homegrown, freshly dug potatoes could be\u2014a memory to hold close. When we got to Oslo, we asked our cousins if they would like some \u201cdirty potatoes\u201d and they enthusiastically said yes. Any descendant of NTB would welcome some organically grown, freshly dug potatoes from the farm on Bru.<\/p>\n

Eivind told us his current yield is about ten to one. If that held true in 1807, Truls\u2019s 25 kilos of seed potatoes could yield 250 kilos\u2014over 500 pounds. That\u2019s a lot of spuds for a retired farmer and his wife. Then again, potatoes also made aquavit. Given the family still and the popularity of potato spirits, we won\u2019t rule out that possibility either.<\/p>\n

A Lease\u2014and a Legacy<\/h3>\n

As my friend and genealogy blogger Martin Roe Eidhammer observed, the lease NTB received wasn\u2019t just a legal step forward\u2014it also came with obligations. Among them were support for NTB\u2019s uncle Thomas Larsen, Truls\u2019s younger brother. When Martin asked what I knew about Thomas, I dug into the records and ran into a classic genealogical challenge: conflicting birth dates.
\nThe bygdebok, relying on the 1758 Sj\u00e6leregister (since the kirkeb\u00f8ker from that decade are missing), listed Thomas as born in 1748. But the 1801 census and his death record said 1745\u2014making the \u201cyounger\u201d brother actually older. Meanwhile, later records show Truls was born in 1743, not 1746 as the bygdebok reported. In cases like this, I defer to what adults and their families reported at death rather than to third-party records from childhood. I updated both
\nrecords\u2014and smiled at the resolution.<\/p>\n

Lease Conditions and Legal Form<\/h3>\n

A Cultural Insight<\/strong>
\nWhile discussing this document with my daughter Marget, she offered an unexpected insight: detailed contracts like this one may be more common in high-trust cultures than low-trust ones. At first, I found this counterintuitive. But in reflecting on legal traditions in the U.S. and British-influenced systems, I realized she had a point. In high-trust societies, long, detailed contracts for future performance (what lawyers call executory contracts) help avoid misunderstanding and litigation\u2014not because people don\u2019t trust each other, but because they expect to honor what\u2019s written.<\/p>\n<\/div>After Truls\u2019s personal conditions were detailed, the deed continued with the standard legal language of a bygselbrev, including rent obligations, usage terms, and rights of reversion. These terms make it clear that NTB wasn\u2019t receiving the land itself, but a usufruct: the right to use and benefit from the farm without changing its essential character.
\nOne clause stands out: a boilerplate \u201cconsideration\u201d clause, reminiscent of language in American real estate\u2014something like \u201cin consideration of $10 and other good and valuable consideration.\u201d The lease was executed by \u201cB. Rosenkilde\u201d and marked \u201cL.S.\u201d (locus sigilli), Latin for \u201cplace of the seal,\u201d a phrase still used in twenty-first century legal documents.<\/p>\n

A Reminder of Ownership\u2014and a Path to It<\/h3>\n

An addendum to the lease referenced a royal decree from 1800, confirming that the farm remained Church property. The lease could theoretically be revoked and the land reclaimed for state use. This was rare, and it never happened in NTB\u2019s lifetime. After his death, the family purchased full ownership\u2014likely funded by herring profits. The buyout began in 1837 and was completed nine years later. (Vaula & Lindanger, p. 1073)<\/p>\n

Still, in 1807, the bygselbrev gave NTB something powerful: legal standing as a registered landholder. It made him part of the landed class\u2014and, when suffrage came, it gave him the right to vote.<\/p>\n

Prof \u00d8strem transcribed the document from the archives in Stavanger
<\/div><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Copyright Nordahl Brue 2026
<\/div><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
8903 Oakland Hills Drive<\/div>\n
Delray Beach, FL 33446<\/div>\n
802-238-2788<\/div>\n

\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Nordahl (Nord) Leo Brue <\/strong>\u00a0is a lawyer and entrepreneur, best known as a founder of Bruegger\u2019s Bagels. Brue is a member of the Board of Trustees of American Ancestors and New England Historic Genealogical Society.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Reference<\/h3>\n

Lindanger B og Waula J: Rennes\u00f8y. B. 1-3 3. B. 1-3 3 : Gard og \u00e6tt\u00a0<\/em>:Rennes\u00f8y kommune,\u00a01993<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

My friend and long time reader, Nord Brue has written a forthcoming biography of his Tipp tipp oldefar Nils Trulsen<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":11526,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"colormag_page_container_layout":"default_layout","colormag_page_sidebar_layout":"default_layout","nf_dc_page":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"_wpscppro_dont_share_socialmedia":null,"_wpscppro_custom_social_share_image":0,"_facebook_share_type":"default","_twitter_share_type":"default","_linkedin_share_type":"default","_pinterest_share_type":"default","_linkedin_share_type_page":"","_instagram_share_type":"default","_medium_share_type":"default","_threads_share_type":"default","_google_business_share_type":"default","_selected_social_profile":[],"_wpsp_enable_custom_social_template":false,"_wpsp_social_scheduling":{"enabled":true,"datetime":"2026-04-24 11:00:00","platforms":[],"status":"pending_publication","dateOption":"today","timeOption":"now","customDays":"","customHours":"","customDate":"","customTime":"","schedulingType":"absolute"},"_wpsp_active_default_template":true},"categories":[3,5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-11519","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-genealogy-general","category-history"],"yoast_head":"\nA Farm Lease from 1807: Genealogical Importance - 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Part 1 - Norwegian Course for Beginners. Learn Norwegian - Enjoy the Story by\u00a0Werner Skalla\u00a0\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Life in general......"","block_context":{"text":"Life in general......","link":"https:\/\/martinroe.com\/blog\/category\/life-in-general\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/martinroe.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/You-are-one-awesome-shipmate-Stay-level-headed-and-keep-up-the-good-work.jpg?fit=800%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/martinroe.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/You-are-one-awesome-shipmate-Stay-level-headed-and-keep-up-the-good-work.jpg?fit=800%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/martinroe.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/You-are-one-awesome-shipmate-Stay-level-headed-and-keep-up-the-good-work.jpg?fit=800%2C800&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/martinroe.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/You-are-one-awesome-shipmate-Stay-level-headed-and-keep-up-the-good-work.jpg?fit=800%2C800&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":3897,"url":"https:\/\/martinroe.com\/blog\/books-on-monday-learn-norwegian\/","url_meta":{"origin":11519,"position":3},"title":"Books on Monday: Learn Norwegian","author":"Martin Roe Eidhammer","date":"February 13, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"Wouldn't it be fun to know a little Norwegian?Here are a couple of books that will help you to get started learning Norwegian. 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Learn Norwegian - Enjoy the Story. by Werner Skalla (Author), Sonja Anderle (Contributor), Daniela Skalla (Designer)\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Books"","block_context":{"text":"Books","link":"https:\/\/martinroe.com\/blog\/category\/life-in-general\/books\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/martinroe.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/Books-on-monday-2-e1471802636965.jpg?fit=532%2C385&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/martinroe.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/Books-on-monday-2-e1471802636965.jpg?fit=532%2C385&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/martinroe.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/Books-on-monday-2-e1471802636965.jpg?fit=532%2C385&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":8192,"url":"https:\/\/martinroe.com\/blog\/extra-time-an-opportunity\/","url_meta":{"origin":11519,"position":4},"title":"Extra time – an opportunity!","author":"Martin Roe Eidhammer","date":"March 17, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"Here are some suggestions on how to fill the extra time many of us now got. Du to the Corona pandemic many have to limit their social life and thus have gotten extra time on their hands. Why not fill the extra time with something you always have wanted to\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Books"","block_context":{"text":"Books","link":"https:\/\/martinroe.com\/blog\/category\/life-in-general\/books\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/martinroe.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/norway-654987_640.png?fit=404%2C640&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":4841,"url":"https:\/\/martinroe.com\/blog\/missing-weddings-in-norway\/","url_meta":{"origin":11519,"position":5},"title":"Missing weddings in Norway?","author":"Martin Roe Eidhammer","date":"August 10, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"Looking at the content page of some church books may lead us to think that no one got married for years in this parish. I was searching for a wedding in Innvik parish, Sogn og Fjordane. As I found only one church book that covered this particular area within the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Norwegian Sources"","block_context":{"text":"Norwegian Sources","link":"https:\/\/martinroe.com\/blog\/category\/norwegian-genealogy\/norwegian-sources\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/martinroe.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/MIN%C3%98.033573.jpg?fit=1024%2C697&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/martinroe.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/MIN%C3%98.033573.jpg?fit=1024%2C697&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/martinroe.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/MIN%C3%98.033573.jpg?fit=1024%2C697&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/martinroe.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/MIN%C3%98.033573.jpg?fit=1024%2C697&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/martinroe.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11519","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/martinroe.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/martinroe.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/martinroe.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/martinroe.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=11519"}],"version-history":[{"count":22,"href":"https:\/\/martinroe.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11519\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":11559,"href":"https:\/\/martinroe.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11519\/revisions\/11559"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/martinroe.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/11526"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/martinroe.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=11519"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/martinroe.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=11519"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/martinroe.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=11519"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}