"The majority of the Norwegian noble families were probably not much above the free farmers among who they lived, and only few of them were sufficiently wealthy to travel to foreign countries to obtain advanced education beyond what was available at home, and by 1648 some of these families nobility seems to have been forgotten." [Klitgaard p3-4]

Wikipedia of Denmark selected this passage of Adam of Bremen. (translated by google.com)

In 1075 Adam wrote of Bremen as follows about Jutland and Vendsyssel::

  "The land of Denmark is almost entirely submerged in islands. The first part of Denmark, called Jylland (Jutland), stretches from the Eider in the longitude to the north and measures 3 day trips if you turn off to Funen, but if you leave the road from Schleswig to Aalborg in the same line, you have 5 or 7 day trips. It is the Emperor Otto Road just up to Vendsyssel and the outermost sea. The width of Jutland is quite large at the owner but from there it narrows down like a tongue to the tip called Vendsyssel, where it ends Jutland, from which is the shortest crossing to Norway. All the Germanian lands abound in deep forests, but Jutland is even more terrifying than other lands, and is landed due to the lack of crops to water because of the assassination of the pirates, it is barely cultivated in any place and is barely suitable for human settlement. However, where the heat breaks in, there are very big cities.

The "nobility" label was probably used differently in the early days.  It seems that "bailiffs" label may have been almost handed down along family lines.  Carl Klitgaard believes that the family, if it was noble, perhaps lost their nobility and became a "free farmer." [p. 4]

Anders Ulff or Anders Kjærulf, who is described above.

Son: Anders Andersen Kjærulf, lived in 1448 in Fogedgaard in Vadum parish and was bailiff in Kjær district3. He is also listed in 1450 and 14544, but he probably died before 1458, since Thord Nielsen both in that year and in 1460

is listed as bailiff in Kjær district.1 The fact that none of Anders Kjærulf’s sons became bailiff may lead us to believe that he died before they came of age. However the bailiff position was apparently occupied from the Middle Ages and until the end of the 17th century, when it was filled by the mentioned Thord Nielsen. We do not know the name of Anders Kjærulf’s wife. They apparently had at least three sons, and Dyrskjøt records correctly that Skipper Klement’s mother was a Kjærulf, so she can best be placed here. We then get the following descendants:

A.? N, N, Andersdaughter Kjærulf, married to Anders N. N. in Vedsted in Aaby parish, with whom she besides other children2 had the son Klement Andersen, b. 1484.3 He was executed in 1536, became known in history as Skipper Klement, about whom Dyrskjøt says he betrayed himself and the Kjærulfs by employing poorly planned revolutionary methods. Among other well known persons in this family we must list the minister in Nakskov Laurids Mortensen Vedsted (father of the Thura family and his combative brother Peder Mortensen Vedsted, mayor of Nakskov around 1660.

B. Peder Andersen Kjærulf, is mentioned by Dyrskjøt 1454, but nothing else is known about him. Dyrskjøt records that he had two sons:
      1. Anders Pedersen Kjærulf, about whom nothing else is known.
      2. Bertel Pedersen Kjærulf, “was married sins out.”4 Anders Kjærulf in

Raageleje5 may be from this branch. He got his arrears from the Crown on

April 1, 1586 (1⁄2 barrel of cod), forgiven because of poor fishing season.6
C. Jens Andersen Kjærulf, see the Kornumgaard line.
D. Anders Andersen Kjærulf is mentioned by Dyrskjøt 1470. “He owned Aslund,

Fogedgaard and much other property.” Dyrskjøt does not mention him as bailiff in Kjær district. However he is recorded as such in 1485 when after St. Knuds [Klitgaard p8-9]

Source:
         Census records - Dansk Demografisk Database, http://ddd.dda.dk/
         Christoffersen, Kent H. records of, Vestervang 9, Aars 9600, Denmark  +45 98626580 - 
                       (his mother was the primary researcher on this line)      email - khc@vestervang9.dk      

                              IN COMMISSION BY MAGNUS A. SCHULTZ, AALBORG AND CAMMERMEYERS BOOKSHOP, CHRISTIANIA P. HANSEN's
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