Welcome to Berget web site and the Sjursen family.
History of ”Berget”
Timeline:
Knut Johannesen Hella born 1740, dead 1821 at Hella, married in 1763 with Siri Johannesdtr. Kvalheim born 1738, dead 1819 at Hella. Knut and Siri were looking for a new place to live after they had left the farm no. 10-11 to their daughter Anna and son-in-law Villum Ellingsen Li. Knut first cleared an area in the surrounding fields, but had to give up after a law-suit in 1787. Later he tried at another surrounding field at Helland, with similar outcome. Not long after he cleared a lease at “Ormeberget” (The Snakeberg), later called “Berget” (The Berg). In April he got a legal public lease contract for the land which he had cleared and built. He should pay 2 Danish Mark to the landlords, Søren and Ivar Halvarsøner at North Sæle in Øygarden. Siri and Knut had five children together:
Anna, born 1764, dead 1796 at Hella.
Gjertrud, born 1767, dead 1790 at Hella.
Sjur, born 1770
Johanna, born 1775
Johannes born 1781, dead 1784 at Hella.
Sjur Knutsen Hella, born 1770, dead 1839 at Hella, married 1792 with Ragnilla Knutsdtr. Kvalheim born 1770, dead 1795 at Hella. It seems like they lived at Hella the 2-3 years they got to live together. They got one son who died short time after birth. Henrik was born 1793, dead 1794 at Hella.
Summer 1795 Sjur married Siri Simonsdtr. Kvalheim, born 1766, dead 1830 at Hella. Before the wedding Siri and Sjur needed the Kings approval to enter marriage due to they were in 3rd line in family.
In Sjur’s fathers lease contract from 1800 we can read that the son Sjur should be obliged to take over the lease for “Berget” for a reasonable amount and an annual workload to cut turf or else. In the inhabitant list from the year after one can read that Siri and Sjur lived with their children close to his parents, may be in the same house. Later Sjur is spoken for as renter at “Berget”.
Children:
Knut, born 1796
Ragnilla, born 1799
Simon, born 1803
Gjertrud, born 1807
Gjertrud Sjursdtr Hella, born 1807, dead 1876 at Hella, married in 1828 with Karl Monsen Morken born 1805, dead 1882 at Hella. He was son of Martha Karlsdtr and Mons Nilsen Morken at Manger. Karl leased Berget in October 1830. Eight years later Berget was registered as its own farm. But the farm was rather small, and there were many children, so Karl did work on other farms nearby, and he and Gjertrud made fishing nets and spun rope.
Children:
Marta, born 1829, moved to Helland and married Karl Vilhelmsen Helland in 1862, dead 1906 at Helland.
Mons, born 1831, moved to Haugland and married Kari Jonsdtr Haugland in 1859, dead 1092.
Siri, born 1835, moved to Bø and married Lars Kristiansen Bø in 1879, dead 1923.
Sjur, born 1835, dead 1838 at Hella.
Sjur, born 1840
Johanna, born 1844, moved to Bergen and married Nils Knudsen in 1874.
Ragnilla, born 1847, dead 1856 at Hella.
Karl, born 1850, moved to Sylta, later Sætre and married Elen Kristina Nilsdtr. Sylta, dead 1883 at Sætre.
Sjur Karlsen Hella, born 1840, dead 1924 at Hella. Married in 1868 Botilla Steffensdtr. Vågenes born 1847, dead 1939 at Hella. Sjur got a lease for Berget in 1868 and legal ownership 9 years later. Back then Sjur were responsible for the steam ship terminal at Hella. This was before the port was built and the steam ship could not embark. Sjur and Botilla needed to have a small boat ready to embark the steam boat at sea. This was the procedure for years. When Sjur was unavailable BOtilla often had to step in. She embarked the steam ship in all kind of weather it was told. For this Sjur and Botilla were paid 5 øre for each person they brought to and from the steam ship.
Children:
Karl Gjertin, born 1869.
Steffen, born 1872, moved to the U.S. in 1891.
Mikal, born 1874, was a sailor and was in South-America during the census in 1900, and later settled in the U.S.
Ragnilla, born and dead in 1876 at Hella.
Severin Bertin born 1877, moved to Bergen and married Ingeborg Jonasdtr Matre in 1901 and married Karen Oline Ananiasdtr Floen in 1907, dead 1968.
Ragnilla Karolin , born 1880, moved to Toska and married Gabriel Johan Olsen Toska in 1900, dead 1949 at Toska.
Gjertina, born 1882, moved to Villanger and married Nils Johan Hellemansen Villanger, dead 1962 at Villanger.
Rasmus Andreas, born 1885, moved to Grindheim and married Bertine Marie Jakobsdtr. Grindheim , dead 1917 at Grindheim.
Sina Karoline, born 1887, moved to Hella and married Nils Martinusen Grindheim in 1909, dead 1969 at Hella.
Karen, born 1890, moved to Bergen and married Anton Olai Knutsen Grindheim in 1911.
Karl Gjertin Sjursen, born 1896, dead 1961 at Hella, married 1896 with Helena Johanna Hellemansdtr. Villanger, born 1873, dead 1950 at Hella. Already before Karl married he had got started a general grocery store at Berget, and later he and Helena ran the store together with the steam ship terminal. Around 1915 a new main road were built further east, and the terminal was closed down. Later Karl’s daughters Helene and Bertine took over the store and ran it as long as they were healthy.
Children:
Severin, born 1897, dead 1898 at Hella.
Steffen, born 1897, dead 1897 at Hella.
Sigvald Bertin, born 1899, moved to Hella, later Salhus Åsane and married Synneva Olsdtr. Sjøvold in 1925.
Johanne Henriette, born 1900, moved to Breistein in Åsane and married Sigurd Nilsen Breisten in 1925.
Karl Herlof, born 1901, dead 1922 at Hella.
Borghild Steffine, born 1903, moved to Bergen and married Mons Nilsen Skare in 1924.
Harald Mikal, born 1904. Moved to the US and married Carol Knutson. They got 3 children, Neal, Helen (died at early age) and Allan (Jerome).
Helene, born 1906, dead 1981, not married.
Johannes Berg, born 1908, moved to Bergen and married Margit Monsdtr Vågenes in 1935, dead 1980 in Bergen.
Steffen Ananias, born 1909, moved to the U.S. in 1928.
Håkon Johan, born 1911, moved to Bergen and married Selma Gjelland, dead 1994 in Bergen.
Bertine Oline, born 1912, dead 1993, not married.
In 1950 Karl and Helena sold Berget to their son Johannes Berg Sjursen in Bergen. Johannes widow Margit sold Berget in 1983 to her son Karl Magnus Sjursen in Bergen. Later on his son Kjetil Sjursen bought Berget.
