Histories

    CHRISTOPHER KAHRS was born in Torvalmendingen, Bergen. He was sent to school in Hammeln in Germany, and was afraid when he left Bergen that he would never see his father again, a fear which sadly came true as he was still in Germany when his father died.

    After returning to Norway, he inherited a share of his father's estate on 9 May 1811, including the island of Fedje, and Toftegaard, a large farm on Lindaas. The house, built around 1770, was large and lavishly appointed with tapestry-hung walls and many large paintings, and there were a number of auxiliary buildings. The house was used for a number of official purposes including the local magistrates court. (All of the buildings have now disappeared). In the 1830's about 15 servants lived and worked on the farm.

    OLLEGAARD MEYER was born in Lindaas, the daughter of Arnold Meyer and his second wife Kirsten Castberg Jeger. Arnold Meyer was curate from 1787 to 1791 and then vicar from 1792 to 1815.

    Christopher bought Austreim Church from his mother. On her death in 1819 he inherited some more farms including Austreim. He continued the family trading business, among many other goods trading in fish. He owned a small sailing ship in which to transport his fish. He employed a manager on Fedje. He had a small barrel factory at Austreim. He traded with foreign ships in the Lindaas area, carrying their goods into Bergen. It was probable that this was done to avoid customs duty. Certainly there was a lot of smuggling at that time and Christopher told many stories about it.

    ANNE TOBINE HANSEN came from Kristiansand. She was possibly already living at Toftegaard as a companion or governess when Ollegaard died, since she became pregnant within the year and she and Christopher were married the following year. Anne died of cholera during an epidemic.

    Christopher was a small man with round rolling eyes and a generally lively appearance. He enjoyed seal hunting and playing the piano. In later years, after he had passed the farm on to his son, he used to enjoy telling stories of his youth, particularly the tale of a duel he once fought in Hamburg with a man called Ponte Corro. Christopher died and was buried at Toftegaard.

    CHRISTOPHER married (21 Oct 1841) Karen Andrea Daae (b 16 Apr 1817), eldest daughter of Hans Engel Daae (see 46). They had 6 children. (It may have been a result of this liaison between the Kahrs and Daae families that Christopher's sister Ollegaard was later compelled to marry Karen's brother Gjert). Christopher died on Fedje, and his descendents still live there. Karen died 28 Dec 1895.

    ARNOLD MEYER married (17 Jun 1841) Ottine Grunhilde Opdahl (b 6 Apr 1816). They had 4 children. Ottine died on 26 July 1900.

    CATHARINA ELISABETH married (17 Sep 1861) Fredrik Christian Svendsen (b 3 Aug 1821, d 4 Jan 1906). They had one son, Fredrik Christian, who took over Henrik Riisnaes' piano business in 1906 (see 4). When Henrik died in 1909 he sold, on behalf of the widow (his cousin) and her family, the house, 7 Domkirkegaten, where they had previously lived and which was in the name of the 2 eldest sons. However he never handed the money over to them. In later years his wife said that this treachery had troubled his conscience before he died.

    CHRISTEN CASTBERG married (14 Jun 1858) his cousin Ellen Johanne Meyer (b 11 Aug 1825), daughter of Wilhelm Friman Meyer and Karen Christine Beyer. They had 6 children. Christen died in Bergen. Ellen died on 11 Oct 1918.

    CHRISTOPHINE married Jacob Boysen Kaysen (b 10 Aug 1830) and they had 2 children. Jacob died 30 Dec 1889. Christophine died at Hostelbro in Denmark.

    MATHILDA emigrated to Chicago USA. There she married (6 Apr 1866) Bernt Andreas Meyer (b 3 Apr 1828 in Bergen), a police officer. They had 8 children. Bernt and Mathilda continued to live in Chicago for the rest of their lives. Bernt died 7 April 1901.

    AHLERT lived all his life at Toftegaard, and did not marry.

    JULIUS went to Copenhagen in 1866, then on to Hamburg, and finally in 1917 settled in Lubeck where he died. He married Sophie Frentz (b 11 Oct 1846) from Schwerin and they had one son. After Sophie died (27 Jan 1881) he married (2 Jan 1883) Louise Schmit (b 24 Aug 1847) of Lubeck. They had no children.

    CATHINKA married (11 Mar 1875) Ole Jansen (b 17 May 1819), a widower. They had no children. Ole died 2 May 1884. Cathinka died and was buried at Austreim.

    ANNA TEODORA was born in Bergen. She was confirmed at Bergen Cathedral on 3 April 1864, and 7 days later left for the USA. She settled in Chicago where she married (6 Sep 1867) Frantz Dekke Werness (b 12 Dec 1835), also from Bergen. They had one son. Frantz died 30 October 1897, and she later married (20 Apr 1901) Martin Julsrud (b 8 Jul 1855), a carpenter who had come from Julsrud in Eidsvold.