Jacobsli Farm

The Jacobsli farm was created in 1803. It was split off from the Tesli Nedre (Tesli Lower) farm. The first owner was Jacob Iversen Jacobslien (Teslie), who is my 4th great-grandfather. He purchased two "places" (very small farms) called Grinneplassene (the Grinne places) for 735 riksdaler (old measurement of money) from his brother-in-law Ole Olsen Tesli (Ormhaugen, Bakken) who was also his first cousin and additionally his uncle by marriage. In 1803 the tax for the farm was officially set under the name Jacobsli for 1 øre and 18 marklag. Hence the new farm was named after its first owner Jacob Iversen. Grinnan is the older or prior name of the farm. In 1812 there was an exchange or swap of land between the Jacobsli and Tesli farms.

From the Strinda bygdebok (local history book that also has farm and family history):

    In 1819 the farm held: 1 horse, 5 cattle, 6 cows and the crop was 4 barrels of grain and 1 barrel of potatoes. The grain ripens perfectly and is free of frost and is not shiny. The crop is very difficult to get indoors. The field is free of rocks, but not without scrubland. The harvesting is done with two scythes. The farm has insufficient corral space (havnehage) and "brenneskog" (literally means burn-forest. Not sure if it means firewood or wood for charcoal or wood for the farm).
    In 1835 the farm held: 1 horse, 5 cattle, 6 sheep, 1 pig and the crop was 1 barrel barley, 4 barrels oats and 6 barrels potatoes. The number of people on the farm was 7.

Jacob Iversen Jacobslien died in 1840. It is not know exactly what happened to the farm after Jacob's death and until 1852 when it was purchased in an auction by Ole Jacobsen Tesli from the previous owner. The bygdebok does not specify who the previous owner was. Was it Jacob's widow? One of his sons? Someone else? Unknown. Jacob had two sons named Ole (by different mothers). One might assume that the Ole Jacobsen Tesli that purchased the farm was one of these two sons.

In 1854 some additional land was purchased from the Overvik farm (Nygården) for 2 skylddaler, 3 øre, and 22 shilling (more old measurements of money) and added to the existing Jacobsli farm. The new tax for the farm was set at 5 daler, 5 shilling.

From 1856 the owner was Elias Dahl. In 1864 Elias split out a part of the farm that was called Fredsheim. He transferred Fredsheim to his step-son Nils Henrik Bugge. The transfer was a "arvefestebrev", meaning he signed an agreement with his step son who would own the houses but would have a long-term lease on the land from Elias. Later on Nils became the owner of Jacobsli and so Fredsheim again became part of the Jacobsli farm.

From the Strinda bygdebok:

    In 1866 the farm held: 4 horses, 25 cattle/cows, 18 sheep and the crop was 65 barrels barley, 125 barrels oats, 200 barrels potatoes and 215 loads of hay. The farm had 335 acres fields, 110 acres natural fields, corral space for 6 cattle and enough forest for own use.
    In 1875 the farm held: 4 horses, 11 cattle/cows, 6 young cattle, 10 sheep, 7 pigs and the crop was 4 barrels barley, 8 barrels oats, 50 kg grass seed, 12 barrels potatoes, ½ barrel of "grønnfor" (above ground vegetables like cabbage) and ½ acre of "rotfrukt" (below ground vegetables like carrots).

in 1915 Nils Henrik Bugge sold Jacobsli to John Larsen Blekkan for 50,000 kroner.

From the Strinda bygdebok:

    In 1934 the farm had 360 acres of cultivated land and 90 acres of non-cultivated land and 40 acres forest. The farm held: 5 horses, 30 cattle/cows, 4 pork and 30 chicken. The crop was 13000 kg barley, 7000 kg oats, 6000 kg potatoes and 10000 kg turnips. On the farm they sell hay, and in 1934 they sold 52000 kg.

From 1946 much of the area behind or by the "dirt road" (Jacobslivegen) has been parceled out to smaller residential area homes. This area adjacent to the Jacobsli farm is called Jacobsli. The main building at the farm was demolished in 1974. Today there are no original buildings left and horse breeding is done at the farm. You can read about the farm (in Norwegian) at the Strinda historical society's Jacobsli wiki page.

Jacobsli Farm
Photo October 2014 by Michael Baird

Googlemaps earth view with Jacobsli farm on left next to the Tesli farms ( source )

The Jacobsli farm was associated with the Lade Church in Strinda. It would be here those living on the farm went to church. More pictures of the Lade church can be found here. The link requires a password which you can get by emailing me

Lade Church, Strinda (Trondheim) Norway
Photo October 2014 by Michael Baird