Browsed by
Tag: Kjartan Skogly Kversøy

Point to Paper – Norways most famous ghost once wrote a letter to a psychic priest

Point to Paper – Norways most famous ghost once wrote a letter to a psychic priest

Written by Kjartan Skogly Kversøy and translation of Norwegian Gothic handwriting by Gina Dahl In today’s post, I will move into the supernatural. I will both have fun and be serious. Again, some really old Norwegian letters have turned up. They have piqued my curiosity. The letters were once sent and received locally in what is now called the village of Sande and the city of Drammen. I systematically hunt for old letters. I think letters written by people that…

Read More Read More

Point to Paper – Armie Hammer’s Great-Grandfather and the Mystery of the Pencils from Oslo

Point to Paper – Armie Hammer’s Great-Grandfather and the Mystery of the Pencils from Oslo

Did you know that Norway once had five pencil factories? My colleague Anders wrote a very good article about this in January (link to the article). Their history is unknown for most people even in Norway. Did you know that Norway’s pencil history probably started as early as in 1768? That is remarkably early if you also know that the first wooden pencil in the US was made in 1812. On the website Pencils.com it is stated: “Early settlers depended…

Read More Read More

Point to Paper – What happened to Monte Rosa and the Victorian underwear that belongen to my great grandmother?

Point to Paper – What happened to Monte Rosa and the Victorian underwear that belongen to my great grandmother?

I think many of you will recognize todays story. It is partly fiction and partly true. This is often the case with family history. We remember a little bit here and a little bit there. The stories change and develop as time goes by. The history of my family is similar. I have family both in North America and in Norway. Many of my ancestors left Norway with a dream of a better life in the US. Keeping track of…

Read More Read More

Point to Paper – 16-year-old in trouble in 1858 writes a letter to dad

Point to Paper – 16-year-old in trouble in 1858 writes a letter to dad

Written by Kjartan Skogly Kversøy and translation of Norwegian Gothic handwriting by Gina Dahl The 16-year-old Johan found himself in a predicament. On the 10th of October 1858 he wrote a letter to his father to discuss the matter. Many years later, the writer of the letter became the vicar of Vikør (now Vikøy) church in Hardanger. The letter was addressed to Toldcasserer Christie. Mr. Christie, who was a customs treasurer (Toldcasserer), was Johan’s father. The father lived in Bergen. Johan was stranded in the wilderness of…

Read More Read More