Iver Jacobsen Teslie 1803-1880

Pedigree Chart - Iver Jacobsen Teslie

Links for Iver Jacobsen Teslie

Iver Jacobsen Teslie History

Iver Jacobsen Teslie is the father of Oluf Iversen Teslie. He was born and christened at the Tesli farm near Strinda, Norway on 25 Dec 1823. His last name is taken from the farm where he was born. His father was Jacob Iversen Jacobslien (Kurås, Teslie) and his mother was Ingebor Olsdatter. Iver was named after his grandfather (father's father) Iver Jacobsen Kuraas/Kurås. The Christening is recorded in the Lade, Strinda Parish.

Christening record for Iver Jacobsen Teslie ( source )

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

At the time of Iver's birth there were three families living at the Tesli farms, which were all, related. It makes sense that since the birth and christening were at the Tesli farm that the witnesses were mostly relatives. In the above record the witnesses are listed starting on the second line. His father's cousin Ole Olsen Tesli (Bachen/Bakken) with his wife Maritte Jacobsdatter Kuraas/Kurås (who is also Iver's great aunt) are among the witnesses listed that are covered in this document.

Iver had his first child Halvor, with Margrethe Knudsdatter Halvorplas in Kvikne, Hedmark in 1833. Halvor was illegitimate. My best guess is that Halvor was fostered out and raised by someone else in the Kvikne area. My reasoning for this is because his parents were not together at his birth and that Halvor was confirmed in 1848 at Kvikne Parish in Hedmark while Iver and Margrethe at that time were living quite a ways away in Strinda in Sør-Trøndelag. I can't think of any method to prove this beyond what I've listed in my reasoning as there is no other records like a census during this time period.

Iver and Margrethe married 2 May 1839.

"Marriage record for Iver Jacobsen Teslie & Margrethe Knudsdatter ( source )

Iver was age 36 and Margrethe was age 32 when they were married. They had four children.

Halvor Iversen Teslie, 1833 - ?
Johan Conrad Iversen Teslie, 1839 - ?
Oluf Iversen Teslie, 1846 - 1888
Adolf Martin Teslie, 1852 - 1871

On the birth record his 2nd son Johan Conrad, Iver's occupation is listed as a tenant farmer but it does not give the farm name. On the birth record of his 3rd son Oluf he is again listed as a tenant farmer and the residence listed as Hlade (Lade). On the birth record of his 4th son Adolf Martin, no occupation is listed but the location is the Reitgjerdet farm.

The pedigree chart which is from familysearch.org shows a son Iver born "about 1848" and a son Adolf born "about 1850". With it established that Iver was in Lade in 1846 as a tenant farmer and on the Reitgjerdet farm in 1852 it would be safe to assume that records for these other two sons would be in the same parish (Strinda - Lade) as Oluf and Adolf Martin whose births bracket these other two sons. I have gone over the digitized records from 1846 to 1852 for the Strinda - Lade parish as well as Kvikne Parish in Hedmark just to be sure and there are no record of any birth to Iver and Margrethe during that time or the death of a child either. I suspect that the "Adolf Jacobsen" record is actually Adolf Martin born in 1852 since the birth date is "about 1850" and the first name is the same. I have hesitated to merge his record as the birth is listed in a different town. I cannot find any basis for the record of Iver. I have hesitated to delete his record since it doesn't hurt to leave it intact. I don't believe either of these however are accurate. All records indicate that Iver and Margrethe only had 4 children.

In the 1865 census Iver, age 62 is living in Trondheim at Smebakken 2. His occupation is listed as a "worker man". Living with him is his wife Margrethe and his younger two sons, Oluf and Adolf Martin.

Iver Jacobsen Teslie 1865 Census ( source )

Iver's wife Margrethe died in 1875. Later that year in the 1875 census Iver, age 72, is living at Vester (West) Street 1 in Trondheim. His marital status is a widower. His position at this location is that of a "male employee" and his occupation is a farm hand. No other family members were living there with him.

Iver Jacobsen Teslie 1875 Census ( source )

Iver died 11 May 1880 at the age of 76 and was buried 20 May 1880 in Strinda. The burial is recorded at the Malvik church in the Strinda Parish. His residence was listed as Saxvig (Saksvik). Sometime between 1875 and his 1880 he moved to the Saksvikli farm where his step-sister Ingebor Jacobsdatter lived with her husband Ole Olsen Saksvik. Ole had been the owner of the Saksvik farm since 1837. In 1869 he sold the farm and built a home on a small part of the farm they called Saksvikli. This is where Iver joined them. Also living at Saksvikli were his two other step-sisters Anne Margrethe Jacobsdatter Teslie and Helene Kristianna Jacobsdatter Teslie, both of which were not married. When his wife died she was referred to as "poor" and it appears that Iver died a poor man living at his sisters's place. The source of the information regarding Saksvikli is Anders Gjervan who currently resides at (Western) Saksvik and is my 6th cousin.

Iver Jacobsen Teslie Death Record ( source )