My Genealogy Home Page:Information about Halvard GraatopThoresen, Roaldstad
Halvard GraatopThoresen, Roaldstad (b. 1399, d. 1454)
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Halvard GraatopThoresen, Roaldstad (son of Torer Ogmundsen and Margreta Hallvardsdatter, Roaldstad) was born 1399 in Vrålstad farm, Tørdal, Drangedal, Telemark, Norway, and died 1454 in Vrålstad farm, Tørdal, Drangedal, Telemark, Norway.He married Tordis Torda.
Notes for Halvard GraatopThoresen, Roaldstad:It is an established theme of study that "Herren Halvor" is the same
Hallvard Graatop, who in 1438 sought to raise Telemarken peopleand
Grenland people against Eric of Pommerania.This "HerrenHalvor" was
from Vrålstad, maybe living there at that time.In theparchment
letters from Vrålstad both from 100 years before Hallvard's timeand
about 100 years after.Exactly from what time he had governedthere,
it is uncertain, but since many things, m.a. named for Vrålstad
persons, it may be nearly certain his lineage extends over thewhole
parish, ever since this time.One will find below the familyhistory
of Vrålstad and surrounding farms. From Drangedal med Tørdal avOlav
Sannes....
Hallvard at Róaldsstadum (Vrålstad) bought in 1370, the northgarden
at Róaldsstad from Ingrid Hallvardsdotter.His mother, Signeand son
Olav gave their consent to this. ( D.N.).Although he wascalled
Hallvard at Roåldsstad, he likely previously owned other farmsthere.
The mother and son mentioned must have been killed.The letters
possessed from Róaldsstad, there were in the same year receiptsfor
the fines of Bjørn Tallakssen made for the death of TorbjørnSveinsson
and Salve Torbjørnssen.It could (høve til) be likely that oneof
them was his father.Rather likely of them that it wasTorbjørn,
since he is named as having lived at the farm.It was not morethan
20 years after "Manndaudevinterneen" (the winter of dead men -the
plague), so both Hallvard and his parents must have lived overthere.
(note* seems more likely that Torbjørn Sveinsson may have been
Hallvard's father-in-law)
It must have been the son of Hallvard at Roaldsstad, Torbjørn
Hallvardson, who bought in 1393 Fiskevann farm as pasture for
Vrålstad. (D.N.)It was well and he who in 1399 exchangedseveral
farms, At this time Hallvard Graaatop was born, and he likely isthe
one who in his best year of 1438 made expedition against Oslo.He
must have been the son of Torbjørn and was named after the
aforementioned Hallvard of Roàldstad. After this he must haveonly
called himself Hallvard Torbjørnssen, and could have again been
Hallvard Torressen who is named by Daae.Protest was madeopposing
him in that.Hallvard must have been born at Vrålstad, hisfamily had
resided there from Manndaudvinteren and likely before then.
Birger Kirkeby in his book Hallvard Graatopp from LindheimSkipreide
and the Events of 1438 contends that Hallvard is actually theson of
Torer Ogmundsen and Margreta Hallvardsdtr. Roaldstad based ontracing
the property transactions for Klevar in Sauherad, which appearto have
returned to the Vrålstad family with marriage of HallvardOlafsen's
two daughter's Gudrum and Margreta to the brothers Torer andBjorn
Ogmundsen from Sauherad.
Herren Hallvard "Graatopp" Torbjornson Vraalstad
Circa 1400 - 1475
Hallvard Torbjornson was born on the Vraalstad gaard in Telemark, Norway around 1400. He was a farmer by trade, but politics intervened. The Black Death, which reeked havoc throughout Europe during the 14th century, had decimated the ruling families of Scandinavia. King Olav of Denmark and Norway was the last native ruler in Scandinavia. When he died in 1387, his wife Margareta took over the rule of those two countries and then Sweden as well. In 1397 in the town of Kalmar in Sweden the Union of the three lands under a single crown was made offical and Erik of Pomerania was chosen as king. Erik fatefully chose to govern the three kingdoms from Denmark using the Danish aristocracy. The Danish aristocracy naturally saw to their best interests and slowly alienated the residents of Sweden and Norway whom they tried to rule. In Sweden Engelbrekt Engelbrektson led a successful rebellion in 1434. In 1436 Amund Sigurdsson tried to do the same in Norway, but failed. Enter Hallvard Torbjornson of Vraalstad. He raised an army of peasants to challenge the harsh Danish rule in Oslo. Hallvard and his army of Norwegians fought the Danes in 1438, but failed to secure their freedom. This third rebellion in under a decade, however, led the Danish aristocracy to turn on King Erik, whose harsh policies had fomented the distain in which Danes were now held by their northern neighbors. They saw to the ouster of King Erik in 1439. Hallvard was made a Herr (the equivalent of a Lord) and returned to farming, his gray hair earning him the moniker "Graatopp". In 1442 the Swedes were official regranted sovereignty, however, the Danes aristocracy was not to give up Norway so easily. The next decade saw them reconquer the country and annex outright the Norwegian colonies of Greenland, Iceland, and the Faroes. Danish aristocrats ruled the land and the Danish language was spoken in the cities. Hallvard is not recorded to have resisted this subjugation. Perhaps he thought it futile because of the failure of his earlier attempt. He had at least one son and lived to a ripe old age, dying in Tordal in 1475. Norway didn't win independence from Denmark until 1814 .
http://www.wogsland.org/genealogy/hallvard_graatop_torbjornson.html
You will find his name in the 1968 Encyclopedia Brittanica (Bicentennial Edition) on page 649 in the lower right hand paragraph page 649.
Halvard Grautopp who is an antecedent of the Wraalstad family of which you are a closer descendent than I. Some have accorded him as being one of the Smaakonger (Little kings) reigning over smaller areas. He is particularly credited with raising a small contingent or army to fight against the Duke of Pomerania and Denmark. In 1938 the people of Tordal and Drangedal raised a Statue in his honor on the 500th anniversary of his exploits. The statue stands on the Wraalstad gaard about two miles from the Vaagsland farm.
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Hallvard Torbjornson was born on the Vraalstad farm in Telemark, Norway around 1400. He was a farmer by trade, but politics intervened. The Black Death, which wrought havoc throughout Europe during the 14th century, had decimated the ruling families of Scandinavia. King Olav of Denmark and Norway was the last native ruler in Scandinavia. When he died in 1387, his wife Margareta took over the rule of those two countries and then Sweden as well. In 1397 in the town of Kalmar in Sweden the Union of the three lands under a single crown was made official and Erik of Pomerania was chosen as king. Erik fatefully chose to govern the three kingdoms from Denmark using the Danish aristocracy.
The Danish aristocracy naturally saw to their best interests and slowly alienated the residents of Sweden and Norway whom they tried to rule. In Sweden Engelbrekt Engelbrektson led a successful rebellion in 1434. In 1436 Amund Sigurdsson tried to do the same in Norway, but failed. Enter Hallvard Torbjornson of Vraalstad. He raised an army of peasants to challenge the harsh Danish rule in Oslo. Hallvard and his army of Norwegians fought the Danes in 1438, but failed to secure their freedom. This third rebellion in under a decade, however, led the Danish aristocracy to turn on King Erik, whose harsh policies had fomented the disdain in which Danes were now held by their northern neighbors. They saw to the ouster of King Erik in 1439. Hallvard was made a Herr (the equivalent of a Lord) and returned to farming, his gray hair earning him the moniker "Graatopp". In 1442 the Swedes were officially regranted sovereignty, however, the Danish aristocracy was unwilling to give up Norway. The next decade saw them reconquer the country and annex outright the Norwegian colonies of Greenland, Iceland, and the Faroes. Danish aristocrats ruled the land and the Danish language was spoken in the cities. Hallvard is not recorded to have resisted this subjugation. Perhaps he thought it futile because of the failure of his earlier attempt. He had at least one son and lived to a ripe old age, dying in Tordal in 1475. Norway didn't win independence from Denmark until 1814.
http://encyclopedia.thefreedictionary.com/Hallvard+Graatop
Children of Halvard GraatopThoresen, Roaldstad and Tordis Torda are:
- +Torbjørn Halvardsen, Vraalstad, b. Abt. 1435, Vraalstad farm, Tørdal, Drangedal, Telemark, Norway, d. Abt. 1510, Vraalstad farm, Tørdal, Drangedal, Telemark, Norway.