| SS Mercur |
| Mike Suggett | I have an excerpt from a diary of 1896 beautifully describing an english ladies voyage to bergen in may of that year.
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| Borge | Hello Mike
The excerpt sounds very interesting, would you be willing to share it with us?
Børge Solem |
| suggsy | I begin with good intentions meaning on this 9th day of May to write up our doings from last Saturday May 2nd , and so to keep it going until we start for home , how far those resolutions will be carried out , remains to be seen
· May 2nd
· Long looked for day arrived at last when we are to pack up our baggage and brave the roaring main that separates us from “ gambe Norge .“ Got up at 6:45 finished my last touches at the packing. Drove down to the station in the cart with Mother , while Bertie ( who had been staying with us since Thursday ) and Father walked . Kate and Joan also saw me off , the latter riding down on her bicycle and so the last goodbyes were said which is always a trial to the strongest hearts and Father , Mother and I went off . When we were about half way to town , I remembered my fiddle , left behind under the drawing room piano . This seemed a good beginning but Father said he would see it sent off , so I must trust to good luck to get it safely . We soon found ourselves whizzing off to the north having hugged Father and Mother with a lump in my throat on the platform at Kings Cross. We reached Newcastle with out any adventures at about four being about half an hour late . We had some tea and then took the train to North Shields , where we met that curious old rattling thing called an omnibus but which looks quite a century old and is quite indescribable . In this we drove to the dock where we were met by Capt. Olsen and his officers and crew with beams . There was one Englishman besides ourselves , a fisherman , going to Etne , near Stavanger , a Norwegian electrical engineer and his brother the sailors chaplain in London , the Bergen Post Master and a sea Captain and his wife.These last had been wrecked in October of last year and were going home . The wife before mentioned had had a narrow escape in the said wreck . She was in bed at the time and awoke to find the hull of a steamer cutting right through her cabin and sliding along the side of the bunk . Two of her fingers were broken and her side grazed and she could not stir from were she was or she would have fallen into the sea and she had to wait until her husband came to her rescue . But now I am wandering and must come back to ourselves on S.S. “ Mercur ” . There was another passenger bye the bye , a Norwegian girl coming home after staying with Danish friends at Denmark Hill . I went to bed almost directly after we had started and I was very glad to go as the boat rolled rather going out of the Tyne.
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· Sunday May 3rd
· Got up about 9 and went into the saloon to breakfast which I considered very brave of me . The sun was shining , the sky a lovely blue and the sea as still as a mill-pond . Yet I could not stop long in the saloon as I had had steak and onions brought me - Why will they always have steak and onions on board ship? - the coffee was burnt - there was a high cheese under my nose . So I ran into my cabin , got on my hat and cape and went upstairs
· where I felt better . I walked up and down for about half an hour and then went into the Ladies’ Cabin to rest . Hadn’t been there for 5 minutes before I felt -------------------- never mind , we’ll draw the curtain over that scene and skip over about an hour when I again found myself on deck on a cosy chair with an umbrella and rugs etc. where I stayed without moving until about 6 enjoying a nice inoffensive little lunch of soup and biscuits on deck . At 6 I roused myself and went on the bridge to see them sound . We were in 64 fathoms of water which showed we were nearing the Norwegian coast and getting out of this shallow North Sea . I stayed up on the bridge until 7:30 when I went below and had some supper in the Ladies’ Cabin . This consisted of a delicious glass of milk , and pork cutlet !! !! and six pieces of toast one and all of which were burned . However I enjoyed it and went to bed . But my troubles were not over , for no sooner was I in my cabin than my supper became restless and returned !!!Oh dear ! it’s very sad I can’t make it out , for there was the sea as smooth as a basin of milk but still , it can’t be helped . About 10:30 I was suddenly awakened to see the Northern lights and it was a sight I shall never forget . It is one of the most beautiful freaks of nature that God has given us , I am sure . It was like a great column of silver cloud set in a bow over the horizon which every now and then seemed to move and a mist of silver rain to fall from it . One could imagine it was an army of angels flying heavenwards in robes of glistening white , which sounds poetical but describes it very well .
· May 4th Monday
· Got up at 8 and had a lovely deep , cold sea- water bath . So to breakfast which I shared with Capt. Robertson the Englishman before mentioned and quite enjoyed now that we were in sight of land . The land looked lovely and there is a great deal of snow on the mountains. Reached Bergen at 1 . It was delightful to see the pleasure it gave the Norwegian girl to see her native town , she got redder and redder with excitement and appealed to each of us in turn as to the beauty of Bergen .
· Mr. and Mrs. Jonsen met us and rowed over with us . It is very nice to be in Bergen again and to see all our old friends . We had middags at once and then went out to do some shopping . Met Mrs. Jonsen and her sister Anna who was very effusive . The Jonsens came after supper and we sat in the new cafe in the new Hotel which we had been over in the afternoon and found most extensive. Very tired -- glad to go to bed .
· May 5th Tuesday.
· Mrs. Jonsen came after breakfast and went out with Clem to buy a wash-stand , while uncle John and I went into Nordnes and strolled about there until 12 when we went back to Smebys and Uncle John stopped to settle accounts with Hette while Clemmie and I went into Foswinckels gade to call on Amalia and Ingeborg . C . gave me another hat-pin , a butterfly this time . Found Ingeborg only in , though her Mother , Aunt and brother came in afterwards and sat in awkward shyness for about 1/4 hr. understanding about half of what was said to me ! In the afternoon I had a conversation for the first time in my life through the Telephone with Amalia Meidell and got on badly , it is not easy to hear a foreign language imperfectly understood in a squeak when one is naturally a little hard of hearing . Then we three sauntered out into the gardens at the back of the town where we spent the afternoon bye the bye , the sun has been shining during its allotted hours since we started on Sat. morning , Amalia and Ingeborg Meidell came to Smebys in the evening and sat with me in my room until we went to the Jonsens and we talked our heads off , roaring with laughter at my forgotten and in consequence bungling Norsk ! Had a very nice little supper and a nicer evening at Hagueveien 19. Rannhed very friendly actually sitting on my bed knee and laughing !
· May 6th Wednesday.
· Set out directly after breakfast to the Jonsens to fetch Uncle Johns umbrella and to take the embroidery . Hette very pleased and told m..sert on the strength of it . Then I went back and waited until she came when Clem and I went out with her to Forwet to get the bride chain etc. Then I went back and met Ingeborg Meidell at Smebys . Went with her into the park and heard the band and then onto the Hansens Mrs. Hansen not so effusive as usual , am afraid I offended her by not coming before . Dagny came in afterwards , just the same as ever . Mrs. H. lent me 10 ore to go back in the omnibus as I was late . Talked with Dagny through the Telephone or rather got “Martha” to do it for me as I could not hear . Spent the afternoon with Hette and met Anna Gjerding . They came back with me and Dagny came as they left . She stayed to supper and amused us tremendously as she would not believe a thing we said . I thought she would be too shy ever to say she must go so had to give her a hint and ask if she was going back in the omnibus or to walk ! I think she was quite grateful.
· May 7th Thursday
· Got up at 6:30 , had breakfast and walked to the pier . The Jonsens , Amalia , Ingeborg , Dagny and Adolf Solenstien came to see us off . Had a lovely time on the steamer and stayed 2 hours at Heroene which made us nearly 2 hours late . There was avery nice man on board called “Aubert” who fell into conversation at dinner and began to talk to Clem afterwards. He said that he had been to England and thought Windsor and Maidenhead “delig.” Afterwards he said he thought England one of the most beautiful countries in the world and I liked him tremendously in consequence he gave me some flowers and admired my cloak and said I must be a true colourist to wear it . He was a great admirer of Burne-Jones , Rossetti ,Walter Crane and William Morris , so of course he got on well with Clemmie . Sophie Meidell was waiting to get on the steamer at Heroen and she came with us to Dimmelsvik , which I was very glad of as it was not so bad arriving with somebody else . Girda and Helga Meidell , Hans , Nils , Godinas mother and a mass of boys and girls were on the pier ,and after we had said all our “god dags’ and tak for sidsts” we packed up our baggage and walked up to Tvedt where we were welcomed by Britha and a bevy of children . Jens has grown a great deal and is a fine fat boy , he can walk beautifully too . The new old rogstue is up and looks just lovely with its leaden framed windows and double doors and a piece of skin instead of glass over the skylight . Nils has bought all sorts of things , silver cups - spoons , a number of lovely weapons , bodices of all sorts and colours and several “breast pieces” old beer barrels , 2 cupboards and an old chest as well as many butter forms and baskets . It will make a very presentable little museum. We were unpacking all the rest of the day and so to bed and wasn’t I for one glad to be there .
· May 8th Friday
· Awoke very tired at 7:30 and got up at 7:45 to my shame be it written made the beds etc. and then we all went to see Mrs. Lavik . We found her charming as ever and we talked over all sorts of matters with her . For one thing I am to be a judge of the embroidery the girls have been doing in the winter for Uncle Johns competition, Gerda and Otitia Matthiesson being the others . Our lessons are to begin on Tuesday 19th , the prizes for the competition being given on the 17th Sunday . Came straight home and so to dinner ,Clem very busy all day cleaning up the weapons and putting the rogstue to rights , it looks lovely , with pewter plates on the south wall , weapons on the east , a corner cupboard in the east also , and another cupboard with butter forms and stands on the beam . I wish I could get somebody appreciative over to see it all . In the afternoon I wrote to Mother and at 4 o’clock we all went down to Dimmelsvik with letters and many things to see and buy . Found them all very jolly and we laughed and teased and talked nonsense until we left about 6:15 . Girda gave me a very pretty silver button for my national dress and we saw the bride-crown and bodice which is of green velvet with red ribbon trimming and gold lace and looks very nice .The crown is gorgeous with green and red stones in it and red ribbons to tie round the chin . Bye the bye the skirt is at Tvedt and looks very nice with three rows of silver lace round the bottom . After supper the others got on the roof and planted poppy seeds while I put all the plants into the little rose border . I enjoyed doing it and said to myself what Ruskin says about it that flowers only flourish in the gardens of those who love them and I do hope they will be alright for I do love them .After that Clem and I turned over my bedroom to the other side of the dining room and carted the table and cloth etc. into the old rogstue . I like my room better so and it looks prettier and cosier . I got it all straight and square and enjoyed sleeping there though I got it into my head that there was a ghost there I don’t know why , but I did not see or hear anything so I suppose it was pickles or crab or something!!!!!!!!!
· May 9th Saturday
· After finishing my work I mended the “bride dress” which had a little tear in the placket hole and then we marched down to Sund and got the boat out , preparatory to rowing over to Dimmelsvik . Clem rowed and arrived , there we found Girda and Sophie awaiting . The tins for the crown and dress had arrived but the one for the former was too small ! We sat down and drank ol of course ! and then we went home armed with the one tin . Bye the bye the cowslips that I sent to Girda last Monday week are still alive , some of them. In the afternoon we muddled about and I wrote up this up to yesterday . We walked up to the plantation at the back after supper and then Nils came into the rogstue and talked about family affairs until 12 o’clock , but I could not quite stand it as I had a sore throat and felt seedy , so gathered up my goods and chattels and went to bed .
· I forgot to mention that on our return from Dimmeklsvik yesterday we found our friend Aubert here , he had walked over from Rosendal .He greeted us with “Kunst overalt!” and admired the place and houses tremendously he also saw C’s picture and liked it .We all think him very pleasant and not at all like an ordinary Norwegian.
· May 10th Sunday.
· After doing my room , I went into the rogstue and wrote to Maud and then we went for our usual walk round the Dale not meeting many friends as it was “kirke-Sondag.” Gurdina came out as we passed Falk and took us into their cottage, such a nice clean little place with the window actually open.Came home in time for “middags”but I managed to squeeze in time for reading the Gospel and Epistle , such lovely helpful ones. No, I wrote to Maud after dinner not after breakfast and then while Clemmie went up the mountain at the back J and I went into the old rogstue and he read Barnaby Rudge to me while I copied out some music . We had read for about 5 mins. when in came old Jens Hjelmeland whom we had not seen before . I know I am a favourite of his so I did not get frightened and managed to understand him pretty well. He admired the room very much and was very nice and friendly. Then when he had gone in came Britha to lay supper so I helped her with the cloth and went off - picked some kingcups and anenomes for the table. Then I drew the cork for the curacao ,decanted the port wine and put the finishing touches to the supper table and my room. Then I sat down and read the lessons and psalms for the day and got ready for our guests .They arrived late and panting at 7:30 and we had a jolly evening ,telling and hearing ghost stories and laughing and talking nonsense the whole time until they left.The tall-man ,so we hear,at Sund,has got to build himself a new house as every evening after dark the ghost of his sister who hanged herself many years since sits up and screaming in the room above ,so that they cannot sleep! - Of course when our guests left there was the usual little game of holding on to one another and rolling down the hill !! So to bed .
· May 11th Monday
· Went down to Dimmelsvik after counting washing etc. and sat all the morning working at the hanging part of the “brides-belt” with Sofie, Gurda and Helga.They talked scandal etc. all the morning and despised the belt because it was not “gold” and new - sigh! I am disgusted.Mr. J and C. painted the boat in the meantime. We brought up the crown and the rest of the belt. Wrote to B., a miserable letter but left the rest of it for tomorrow as I did not want to depress her . Trimmed my shady hat while Mr. J. read Barnaby Rudge to me ,also in the evening we heard when at Dimmelsvik that Sofie was so frightened after the ghost stories last night that Gurda had to sleep with her !!!! Read looking upward in bed.
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| ninakarls | Some of the mentioned persons in the 1900-census:
1900-telling for 1301 Bergen
BergenFoswinckelsgade 50b
Ole G. Smeby Agent (fr. Cooks Tourist Bureau) b. 1864 Mandal
Gustava Marie Smeby Wife b. 1869 Bergen
1900-telling for 1301 Bergen
BergenChristiesgade 3
Paul Solensteen m b Hf g fv. Handelsborger 1824 Hjelmeland i Ryfylke Sta n s
Johanne C. Solensteen k b Hm g Hustru 1827 Stavanger n s
Emma Solensteen k b D ug Handlende 1857 t n s
Adolf Solensteen m b S ug Handlende 1859 t
1900-telling for 1241 Fuse
Engevighavn
Frants Meidell m b Hf g Landhandler samt eier og fører af Notbrug 1842 t n s Hovedbygningen
Amalia Meidell k b Hm g driver særlig Sommeren Pangsjonat 1839 Bergen n (she's an inn-keeper)
Source: Digitalarkivet |
| Borge | Mike, thanks for sharing the excerpt from the diary. I found a picture of what seams to be the house "Røkstue" mentioned ([url="http://www.kvinnherad.kommune.no/guide/omvikedalen.htm"]see this link[/url]). The text says: Attractions, Bakkastova, Dimmelsvik. Situated on the farm Tvedt at Dimmelsvik. Røykstove ( = ancient house with a central hearth and a louver, directly translated "smokehouse") after the Skilbeck family. This now seams to be a tourist attraction, and I think author of the diary originally was helping preparing the old "røkstue" for tourist/museum purposes. Was she related to the place by her ancestry? I will try to get some more information for you. |
| suggsy | JOHN H. SKILBECK
John H. Skilbeck var ein forretningsmann frå England. I 1870 var han på verdensutstillinga i Paris. Der kjøpte han eit utskore skrin, og ein utskoren stol som var laga av Johs.Tvedt. Han var bror til Nils Tvedt, som dreiv gard i Omvikdalen.
Skilbeck kom til Norge i 1890, til Vikingnes hotell i Øystese. Der kom han i kontakt med ei pianistinne som hadde slekt i Omvikdalen. Skilbeck var på jakt etter hus, og fekk vita at Jens Tvedt sitt hus var til salgs i Omvikdalen. Han kjøpte dette, og var her for fyrste gong i 1896, med familien sin. Seinare kom dei kvart år til Omvidalen, i fleire generasjonar.
Dear Borge,
This is the Uncle John she mentions in the diary ,the Clem she refers to is her cousin Clement Oswald Skilbeck I have since discovered.My Norwegian is nil so a translation of this would be much appreciated .
Happy New Year to you
Mike
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| Borge | quote:
Originally posted by suggsy
JOHN H. SKILBECK
John H. Skilbeck var ein forretningsmann frå England. I 1870 var han på verdensutstillinga i Paris. Der kjøpte han eit utskore skrin, og ein utskoren stol som var laga av Johs.Tvedt. Han var bror til Nils Tvedt, som dreiv gard i Omvikdalen.
Skilbeck kom til Norge i 1890, til Vikingnes hotell i Øystese. Der kom han i kontakt med ei pianistinne som hadde slekt i Omvikdalen. Skilbeck var på jakt etter hus, og fekk vita at Jens Tvedt sitt hus var til salgs i Omvikdalen. Han kjøpte dette, og var her for fyrste gong i 1896, med familien sin. Seinare kom dei kvart år til Omvidalen, i fleire generasjonar.
John H. Skilbeck was a business man from England. In 1870 he was at the World Exhibition in Paris. There he purchased one carved wooden box, and one carved wooden chair, both made by Joh. Tvedt. He was the brother of Nils Tvedt, who had a farm in Omvikdalen
Skilbeck came to Norway in 1890, to the Vikingned hotel in Øystese. There he was introduced to a young pianist who had relatives at Omvikdalen (in the Omvik valley). Skillebeck was looking for a house, and was informed that Jens Tvedt's house was for sale in Omvikdalen. He bought it, and was there for the first time in 1896, with his family. Later they came to Omvikdalen every year for generations.
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By searching the web for more info I came across this text, and an interior picture: [url="http://www.kvinnherad.kommune.no/oppvekst/omvikdalen/bakkastovo.htm"]Bakkastovo[/url]
It says (translated):
"Bakkastova is an old "smoke-house" (house with no chimney) from 1615 which was situated at Bakka in Omvikdalen, and was later moved to the Tveito farm by John H. Skilbeck. The cottage served as the eating place for the Skilbeck family when they where "home" from England. It was the people who drifted the farm who served the food in the cottage. The Bakkastova cottage was later given to the Tveito farm, on conditions that it should not be sold from the farm. If the owners of the farm wanted to sell the cottage, the museum in Sunnhordland was to have it. "
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And this:
"Bakkastova, the cottage, which has a stove with no chimney, belonged to the family Skilbeck. It is situated on the farm Tvedt in Dimmelsvik. The Tvedt cottage, located at Dimmelsvik is the home of the author Jens Tvedt. Nistovetunet, museum farm in Dimmelsvik Typical Sunnhordland farm buildings; dwelling with no chimney adjoining room with glass panes. Store house, and brewing house."
And [url="http://www.kvinnherad.kommune.no/oppvekst/omvikdalen/tveito.htm"]another picture of Bakkastovo[/url]
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| suggsy | Thanks for the translation Borge. Very helpful.
regards Mike
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| suggsy | Dear Borge ,
May I ask you to translate this for me thanks .
MikeHAUAHUSET
(JENS TVEDT STOVA)
Huset vart bygd av fanejunker og heradskasserar Johannes Tvedt omkring 1850.I dette huset vart sonen, Jens Tvedt, fødd i 1857.
Rundt 1898 kjøpte den engelske forretningsmannen John Henry Skilbeck huset. Familien Skilbeck var interessert i norsk bygdekultur og samla mange ting av antikvarisk verdi.Seinare var det sonen, Clement Oswald Skilbeck, og sonesonen, Mr. Dustan Skilbeck, som heldt kontakt med Omvikdalen.
I 1960 fekk Sunnhordland Folkemuseum og sogelag skøyte på Hauahuset. Huset var ei gåve frå Mr. Dustan Skilbeck.
Huset er ei tømra lemstova med vindauge. I midten er det gang og kjøkken. Det er stover i begge endane. Frå gangen er det trapp opp til utelemen, og det er ein sal over kvar stova. Huset har ein del innbu som er samla i Omvikdalen. Vi finn også noko av møblane Jens Tvedt hadde. Også på dette tunet finn ein del av det utstyret som trongst på ein gard.
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| Borge | In short it says that another house, the "HAUAHUSET" was built by flag-sergeant Johannes Tvedt about 1850. In that house his son, Jens Tvedt was born in 1857. About 1898 the house was bought by john Henry Skilbeck. The Skilbeck family was very interested in Norwegian rural culture, and collected a lot of antiquarian artifacts. Later the son, Clement Oswals Skilbeck and his grandson Mr. Dustan Skilbeck kept the contact with the Omvikdalen. In 1960 the House was given to the Sunnhordaland Folkmuseum by Mr. Dustan Skilbeck who kept in contact with Omvikdalen. Then there is just a short description of the building |
| suggsy | Thanks again Borge
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| suggsy | Thank you ninakarls for your info
Regards
Mike Suggett |