Introductory Note: (Added in a later version - I have both - by Agnes Hesseldahl Sharp as an explanation to her American family. Thank you Aunt Agnes! Ed.)

"Evald Hesseldahl of Denmark whom Agnes Sharp and Evelyn Anway became acquainted with on their first trip to Denmark translated the early history of the Hesseldahl family into English. He had a copy of the family tree going back to the first Hesseldahl recorded in available records. We could not figure out where we fit into the family tree, but subsequent research showed that Evald's grandfather's grandfather, and our grandfather's grandfather were brothers. By this generation the relationship was rather diluted, so-to-speak."

The Hesseldahl family comes from the farm Hesseldahl (translated: Hazel Valley) in the parish of Vikso in the district of Hillerslev in the county of Thisted. The very old farm (it is mentioned for the first time in 1600 and its name was then spelled Hiszeldall) was bought of Niels Christensen Baun. Nobody knows from where he came. No farm and no house named Baun is mentioned in the Hillerslev land register.

Niels Christensen Baun was a wealthy man who owned several big and small farms in the district in addition to Hesseldal; for 1733 he conveys to his son Christen Nielsen Hesseldal a farm in Hillerslev. It was not the intention that Christen should have this farm until his death and that his children should inherit it; but it was given to him so that he could have something to busy himself about; later on when the father grew old he should return to Hesseldal.

As a matter of fact he returns, and on his father's farm Christen is married; he had children and the eldest, Niels, inherits the farm after his death. During the war in the beginning of the 19^th century he had several merchant ships sailing between Denmark and Norway and in Vikso harbour he owned large granaries; he bought grain from all parts of Denmark and transported it to Norway, a country that had great difficulties in getting supplies during the English war.

However, Niels Christensen Hesseldal was too much of a merchant and sailor and too little interested in farming to take care of Hesseldal and the farms belonging to it. For about 1800 he begins to sell some of the land and small farms, probably to get money for his trade, and finally Hesseldal is sold on the 25^th of June 1806 to a farmer named Jens Ovesen in Rehr, and after that it doesn't belong to our family any longer.

Christen Nielsen Hesseldahl's youngest son Peder became (a) farmer in Hjardemaal, but he seems to have been unable to hand it over to his only son Christen Pedersen Hesseldal. For he is called sailor, house holder, smallholder etc, and the fact that he moved about from Hjardemaal to Tommerby and from Tommerby to Lild indicates that he did not have any very permanent occupation.

Christen Pedersen Hesseldal's son is Peder Christensen Hesseldal, carpenter, and there is no reason to talk about him here as he is so well known because his children have told so much about their happy childhood in Ydby, Thisted, Logstor and Klim.

Marie Hesseldahl in Ringkobing though that her father and especially her grandfather were influenced by the "Hernhutism" that had some followers in Thy and Hanherred, but a small notice in the churchbook in Udby indicates that the carpenter Hesseldal was not much influenced by the "Hernhutism". In the churchbook was written this short notice when he left the parish: frequent churchgoers. And this was not an empty phrase said by the vicar in question in season and out of season, for Gertrud and Peder Hesseldal are the only couple who had such a character in that churchbook.

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PS. The persons and dates at the genealogical table, especially those concerning Niels Christensen Hesseldahl and his children, are mentioned in an article of Mr. cand.pharm. N. Hedin in "Historic Aarbog for Thisted Amt 1922 og 1925". In this publication is described the `life of Lars Bleeg Hesseldal from Thy and in the same article is given information about Lars Bleeg's closest family relations.

HESSELDAHL FAMILY LINE WITH MARRIAGES-

SHOWING THE GENERATIONS FROM THE 1600'S