Ole Hanson-Fagerland, 1845 (Rogaland) – 1927 (ND)
Rogaland County, Norway was the homeland of Warren Fagerland’s paternal grandfather. These ancestors lived in and around Karmøy. 1
There are six parishes or clerical districts on Karmøy:
- Avaldsnes
- Åkra
- Kopervik / Stangeland
- Skudenes / Ferkingstad
- Skudeneshavn
- Torvastad
It’s a little complicated, because boundaries and even administrative units shift over the centuries. As far as I have been able to trace, our ancestors lived in all of these parishes except Skudeneshavn, at the very southern tip of the island.
Avaldsnes was a very early and important center of influence. Kings who ruled from Avaldsnes included Harald Fairhair (c. 900) and St. Olav (11th century). The stone church at Avaldsnes dates to 1250, and the congregation is at least two centuries older than that. This is the only medieval church remaining on Karmøy. Historic documents tell of a port nearby called Notow, which is lost. It may have been on nearby Bukkøy, where a reconstructed Viking village is located now.
Our last ancestor born on Karmøy was my 2GGF Ole Hanson, b. 1845 on Fagerland Farm (Åkra Parish). Ole left for America when he was single at age 21. The last ancestors buried on the island are Ole’s parents, Hans Eriksen and Lisbeth Olsdatter, still in Fagerland, Åkra.
Going back several generations takes one branch of the family back to Utsira Island, about 10 miles offshore. Even older records show 12GGPs born on another island about 20 miles north of Karmøy.