On this picture you can see the little island of Herøya close to

Herøysundet, through the years a part of the farm Bringedal.

Across the Hardangerfjord you can see Ølve where the farm

Skarvatun is located, and where our forefathers lived until 1856.

The Barony Rosendal

And yes - we are very proud of the only real castle in western Norway - The Barony of Rosendal. It is of cause the most well-known attraction in the area. The barony is often referred to as "The smallest castle in Scandinavia".

The history of the Barony dates back to the 1650s, when the nobleman Ludwig Rosenkrantz came to Bergen as commissioner of war for the Danish king. At a ball at the fortress of Bergenhus he met Karen Mowatt, sole heiress to the biggest fortune of the country at the time. Her father was a great landowner, and had more than 550 farms all over the western part of Norway. They married in 1658, and were given the farm Hatteberg in Rosendal as a wedding present.

In 1661 Ludwig Rosenkrantz started building his own castle in Rosendal. He completed this in 1665, and the castle was in private ownership until 1927,when the last owner donated it to the University of Oslo.The castle is now a museum. A guided tour of the castle takes you through the different periods of time from 1665 up to 1930. The oldest restored rooms are still like they were decorated in the early 1800s.

In 1678 the castle was elevated to the status of barony - the only one of its kind in Norway. Round 1850 a beautiful renaissance garden was laid out around the castle. The garden is often referred to as the most magnificent "Victorian garden" in Norway. Among other things around 2000 roses in blossom can be experienced here (June - November).

The families in the Barony Rosendal were important people of cultural Norway. Authors Henrik Ibsen, Jonas Lie, Alexander Kielland and painters Hans Gude and Anders Askvoll visited the castle often. Musicians like Edvard Grieg and Ole Bull were guests here. Often there were concerts in the Barony Rosendal - a tradition which is still kept alive.

But these old Mowats is the forefathers of my mothers. My fathers family branch origininated probably from a german nobelfamily with the name Pogwitch which in Denmark and Norway ended up named Pust.

On these maps you will get a feeling of the whereabouts of your Norwegian roots.

I did mention the glacier of Folgefonna.

On this picture you can see a little "calf"

of Folgefonna, called Bondhusbreen.

Hatlestrand and Ølve
Hatlestrand and Ølve are beautifully located on the west side of the Hardanger fjord with a wonderful view towards Folgefonna Glacier and the Kvinnherad mountain range. Sheltered bays with islets and rocks, and idyllic forest lakes offer fine conditions for bathing and fishing. The district enjoys rich animal and bird life and herds of deer are often to be seen. Rock carvings, steatite mines and grave mounds bear witness to several thousand year old settlements. Griddles from the steatite mines at Ølve were exported on a large scale during the middle Ages. From 1600 AD mining for copper pyrite and gold commenced. The district has rich traditions within farming, forestry, shipbuilding and fishing. Today less than 1000 persons find their livelihood at Hatlestrand and Ølve. The company Umoe Schat Harding - the world's leading manufacturer of lifeboats and safety equipment for ships and offshore installations - is today the largest employer. In Ølve you will find the farm Skarvathun and in Hatlestrand the farm Eikeland.

Here we are in the Rose Garden of the Barony.

The main entrance of the Barony, some years ago.

And now - shortly, your family back ground in Norway

Skarvatun in Ølve

There is a lot of history through the years but this time I will make it short and start with a Bård:

Bård Olsen Skarvatun, 1752-1805. Married a girl for the neighbour farm Fugleberg, Lisbet Haktorsdatter Fugleberg, 1752-1821. They lived all their married time on the farm Skarvatun. They had only one daughter

Eli Bårdsdatter Skarvatun, 1784 - 1843. She married in 1803 one of the younger sons of the farm Eikeland, Hans Hansen Eikeland, 1775-1821. They settled down on the farm Skarvatun the year of their marriage. They got ten children and all of them left Skarvatun. Their eldest son, Bård, owned the farm from 1831 until 1855 when he bought the farm Bringedal in Herøysundet and sold everything on Skarvatun.

Bringedal:

Bård Hansen Bringedal, 1805-1873, married twice. His first wife was Marta Monsdatter Li, 1829-1897. They married in 1851. They had 6 children. Their eldest son, Hans, lived on the farm all his life. His ancestors is still living ther.

His brother, Mons,  baught another of the Bringedal farms i 1890. His full name was Mons Olai Bårdssen Bringedal, 1858-1917. His first wife was kari Ingjaldsdatter Femsteinevik, 1863-1901. Their children were:

Bård (Ben) Monsson Bringedal, 1892- 195? In Canada.

Ingjeld Monsson Bringedal, 1895- Lived in USA. Not married.

Martha Monsdatter Bringedal, 1897-1987. Lived in New York. Back in Norway from 1960. 1 daughter.

Lars Johan Monsson Bringedal, 1900-1984. Lived on Bringedal all his life. Not married.

Olai Monsson Bringedal, 1901-1901.

Mons´s second wife was Sunniva Pedersdatter Tveit, 1865-1941. Their children were:

Knut Annanias Monsson Bringedal, 1905-1958. Lived in New York. Not married.

Konrad Mikal Monsson Bringedal, 1907-1986. Lived on Bringedal all his life.

Peder Ingolf Monsson Bringedal, 1910-1972. Lived on Bringedal. Not married.

Konrad Mikal Monsson Bringedal, 1907-1986, married Margit Leonora Klette, 1908-1993. They lived all their days on the Bringedal farm. Thir childre was:

Reidar Mikal Bringedal, 1939-                   Married Signe Andreassen, 1942-        3 children.             In Stavanger.

Sigrunn Alise Bringedal, 1941-                  Not married.                                                                 In Bringedal

Magnhild Konstanse Bringedal, 1944-        Marrid Mikkel Johan Myre / Lars Henrik Skogtun. 2 boys.   In Bringedal.

Tor Bernhard Bringedal, 1949-                  Married Gerd Reidun Eikefjord. 2 children.                        In Bringedal             

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