Jens Bielke (1580 - 1659)

Born 2 Feb 1580 in Austrått, Ørland, Sør-Trøndelag, Norway

Ancestors

Descendants

Died 7 Nov 1659 at age 79 in Sande, Vestfold, Norway

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Biography

Jens Ågessøn Bjelke was born 2 Feb 1580 at Austrått in Ørland, Trøndelag. His parents were Åge Jenssøn Bjelke til Austrått and Margrete Clausdatter Thott.

He was raised at Austrått, and attended the cathedral school in Trondheim before becoming a student at the university in Rostock in 1600; he later studied at the universities in Leipzig and Leyden.

In 1605, he became the secretary of the Danish chancelry.

He was in charge of the military operations in Trøndelag during the war between 1611 and 1613 instead of Lensherre Sten Bille, who claimed illness.

In 1611, he was granted Reinskloster, which he was in charge of until he was named Lord Chancellor of Norway 1614, a post he held until his death.

He was in charge of Bergenhus len from 1633 onwards, and of Stavanger len from 1641 onwards. In 1646, he was given Mariakirkens prosti and Rakkestad len.

He married Sophie Henriksdatter Brockenhus in 1610. They had 14 children, among them:

• Lord Chancellor Ove Bjelke (1611-1674)
• Lord High Admiral Henrik Bjelke (1615-1683)
• Lieutenant General Jørgen Bjelke (1621-1696)

He lived for the most part at Elingård, the seat of his mother-in-law.

He was a scholar and a prolific writer, and corrected the Norwegian law book. He sorted the letters stored at the Akershus archive, and was a member of several committees to improve various national affairs. He made many reform suggestions; several for general improvement, but also a few that would have benefited him personally.

He worked to gain and improve upon his personal property, and became one of the greatest land owners in Norway- At the time of his death, his properties were worth 2000 barrels of grain.

He died 7 Nov 1659 at Sande in Tune (now Sarpsborg), Østfold. He was buried in the chapel at Onsøy alongside his wife. The coffins were moved to the graveyard in 1822; in 1994, they were identified, and a memorial bauta was placed there in 1996.

Property

Property: Kjöpte Storfosen (Austrått) av Jörgen Staur

User ID: AD204C89-352E-4DF5-AA7D-DEAF857B99AA

Record ID Number: MH:IF50402

Date: 1617

Place: Austrått

Sources

• The newer genus. - [Bielke] 
• https://finnholbek.dk
• 1. [ S2 ] Danmarks Adels Aarbog, Thiset, Hiort-Lorenzen, Bobé, Teisen., (Dansk Adelsforening), [1884 - 2011]., DAA 1946: II: 14 - (10).

• Bratberg, Terje. (2015, 21. april). Jens Bjelke. I Norsk biografisk leksikon. Accessed 18 Nov 2018.

Weidling, Tor. Eneveldets menn i Norge, p. 132. Utg. Riksarkivaren. 2000. (Template:Nb.no).