Sunday, August 30, 2009

Testrup Church, Himmerland, Viborg amt.


Testrup Church, ab. 22 km northwest of Hobro.
Testrup sogn, Rinds herred, Viborg amt.

The strange church, consecrated to St. Catharina and St. Severinus, is placed close to Testrupgård. It consists of apse and an undivided nave, which are the remains of a large Gothic brick-building from the 1400s with a flat ceiling in apse and in choir, a vaulted nave with probably vaulted crossarms and a tower to the west. This building was reduced immensely in 1748 , today is left only the choir with the apse and the eastern cross vaulted section of the nave. Foundations of the demolished building are traceable at the church yard. The bricked-up arcades of the cross-arms are clearly seen in the walls.

The altar piece from ab. 1700 with out-sawed ornaments and an original painting, repaired in 1925. Baluster-shaped Baroque candelabres, given in 1720 by C.Sørensen. Granitfont from 1934. The old font was only a wooden table. South German bowl ab. 1575. Pulpit in Renaissance, 1615. The upper pews with carved Baroque-decorations are from 1721. A church bell from Testrup was in 1567 given by king Fr. II to Viborg Domkirke, which had lost its bells in a fire. Church ship, skoleskibet "Danmark" from 1958. At the church yard nine similar gravestones, eight from the 1700s and one from 1809, for members of the family Testrup.

ruins at the church

Testrupgård
Testrup sogn, Rinds herred, Viborg amt.

Testrupgård was probably originally a farm of the nobility. Later it came to Viborg bishopric, and in 1432 bishop Herman established a hospital which bishop Torlav ab. 1439 inaugurated to St. Karen; somtimes it it als called St. Søren in Testrup. The principal of the hospital was also priest for Testrup church and Gislum parish; the office was in 1511-35 occupied by Chr. Nielsen, Villads, mester Chr. Puszel, Jørgen Ebbesen, Erik Høeg (Banner) (1528) and Ib Lauridsen. In 1503 lived Niels Juel, Thomas Skadeland and Ebbe Simonsen (Udsen) here, in 1532 Niels Juel's widow Marine Nielsdatter. According to Farstrup and Axelsens diary the priests resided in Testrupgård until 1570. After the reformation the farm came to the Crown, but was still a hospital for a period. In 1542 Svend Juel had it in return for taking care of the poor sick people and give them a good room, bed linen etc. In 1545 Chr. III gave T. to the hospital in Viborg. Later sold again, owners: Colding, Londemann, Rosencrone, Fønss etc.


church yard and ruins of hospital

In the garden east of Testrupgård's main building is the ruin of a house ( ab. 6 x 13 m) with about 1, 60 m high walls in granite boulder and red monk bricks. A door-opening and traces of windows are kept. The building is probably remains of the hospital, which were west of the church, where still in the 1700s were rests of walls.

Kastrup was in 1470 and 1500 occupied by Laurids Skadeland, in 1503 the son Thomas Skadeland, in 1505 his brother Jørgen Skadeland, later Pors Nielsen (Børialsen), 1595 his son Niels Pors (Børialsen). His son Jørgen Pors (Børialsen) is said to have left K. caused by lack of money. In 1579 the Crown exchanged its right in K. to Henrik Gyldenstierne, whose son Knud Gyldenstierne 1597 sold it to Ludvig Munk (Lange) of Nørlund, his widow Ellen Marsvin sold it in 1637 to hr. Mogens Kaas (Sparre-K.), but in 1624 it is mentioned in a chancellery-letter as exchanged to fru Maren in Morum, probably Maren Sørensdatter Munk, but later it was a fæstegård(rented) under Nøragergård. In the 1800s it was owned by Poul Kastrup. Later owners Kastrup, Boel, Faber etc. Later outparcelling.

Vesterris was owned by væbner Nis Jensen in 1456 and 1462. In 1524 and 1561 is Bertel Andersen Hørby written to V., then his son Laurids Hørby in 1580, and in 1594 Laurids' daughter Karine. The same year is also Peder Munk (Vinranke-M.) written to V., he had married Laurids Hørby's widow Anne Skade; and their son Niels Munk inherited the farm, which also his father-in-law Jørgen Harbou wrote himself to.

Names in the Middle Ages and 1600s:
Testrup (*1436 or *1439 Testrup, 1477 Thelstrop, 1503 Testrop); Kyneb Huse (1683 Kyneb Husze); Vesterris (1445 Wæsterriis); Kastrupgård (1470 Kaasdrop); Testrupgård (1542 Thestrup Gaard).
A sacred well, St. Søren's well, was in a valley southwest of the church.

Listed prehistorics: a dolmen chamber and 27 hills; close to the southeast border of parish is the group Trehøje and in Vesterris plantage is a larger hill group with Rishøj as the largest. Demolished or destroyed: 25 hills. Upon a flat field southwest of Testrup is under a stone dolmen found a house urn and two other urns from late Bronze Age. In Fladhøj is in a large stone chamber found a grave from early Bronze Age, with sword, dagger, rests of clothes etc. In a moor at Vesterris was found a troldmandspose (a magician's sachet), a leather sachet with strange little things.

Source: Trap Danmark, Viborg amt, 1962.


photo Testrup kirke/Testrupgård 2003: grethe bachmann

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