A Bit of Family History

I finally had my family history (as originally set out by my cousin Magda, once removed) retrieved from my old computer.  Magda was my mother’s double first cousin, (two brothers married two sisters).  I’d like to share a bit of my translation of her story, something I have been sweating over for several years:

The ”Rønnest” name does not come from a property or estate, such as the name ”Haaber” (another family name) but rather from a little fishing village south of Bangsbostrand which is mentioned in 1636 together with Fladstrand, and Bangsbostrand.  This village was a very poor place populated mostly with fishermen and farm workers (who did not own their own land).  Much of the population moved away to Flade Sogn (Flade is another county) especially during the Swedish War (circa 1600).  Later when the country chose to standardize surnames and obliterate the use of “datter” (daughter) for the females (e.g., men whose father’s name was Neils used the last name Neilsen while the daughters used the name Neilsdatter) our great grandmother’s family chose the name Rønnest [as did the Abildgaards].

The Rønnests of days gone by were some very hard characters indeed, whose fists were loose and ready to crack the heads at the drop of a hat – they stood firm (and maybe too readily) on their “rights”.  More on this attribute a little later when discussing Ane Kirsten Rønnest (our great-grandmother on Mor’s side).

Many of the homes in Bangsbostrand, Rønnest (and even Læsø) were built from the flotsam of shipwrecks.  Legally the debris was supposed to be turned in to the “beach auction” and could then be legally purchased, but of course many a time it was likely that this debris disappeared in the dark of the night.   In the years between 1700 and 1810 the exostemce of those days, particularly on the coast, was so pathetic that we today cannot begin to fathom the conditions.

Rønnests figured in every single arrears paper that was read up every year in the lord’s roll for owing the King’s taxes and fines for thievery and stealing the shipwrecked goods (foundered wreckage).  It didn’t ease things that the priest (or the church) also wanted his portion of the taxes.  He had rights to wheat (korn), lamb, geese, fish and so forth.  As example, in 1739 Pastor Nicolaj Esbach of Flade had arrears at the district court (Herredstinget).  Most of the fishermen owed for 7-8 years between 30,000 and 40,000 fish.  He got his rights in the court but it is uncertain that he ever actually received the taxes from the fishermen.

There was so much poverty in those times with no help from government or church and so families assisted each other with the children when they were orphaned.  Fishermen and sailors remarried quickly because they couldn’t go fishing and also care for their children.  In 1800 the conditions were still hard for our forefathers, the Rønnests and Haabers that fished, and ditto for our Læsø family.