What came first, the chicken or the egg?

This question fits in with the saga about the farm/town of Bangsund, Norway and about the Bangsund Family that lived there. What came first; the farm/town or the family?

Most likely a person or a family group came to settle, named the area "Bangsund" (see: Town of Bangsund, Norway ), and then took on the Bangsund name as the family surname. This is purely conjecture on my part as so far this information is still hidden in antiquity.
To begin; I have little information (from Jan-Erik Saur/11 Apr 1996) of these first seven Bangsunds which have yet to be woven into the family history.

JON Bangsund.......................~1500 First(?) known user of Bangsund Farm in ~1521
PER Bangsund.......................~1525 Second(?) known user of Bangsund Farm in ~1548
MARIT Bangsund..................~1535 Third(?) known user of Bangsund Farm in ~1557/1559
OLUF Bangsund.....................~1590 Forth(?) known user of Bangsund Farm in ~1610-1624
ERIK Bangsund......................~1600 Fifth(?) known user of Bangsund Farm in ~1624-1634
GJERMUND Bangsund..........~1610 Sixth(?) known user of Bangsund Farm in ~1634-1664
OLE Gjermundsen Bangsund.~1620 Seventh(?) known user of Bangsund Farm after ~1664

The best documented Bangsund Farm history STARTS(?) with Anders Michelsen Bangsund:

1. Anders Michelsen Bangsund (1655-1720) married to Ingeborg Olsdatter owned Bangsund Farm; 1st(?) owner ~1655. They had five sons (including: Mickel Andersen Bangsund) and one daughter.

2. Iver Olsen received Bangsund Farm in ~1720 after he married Anders Michelsen Bangsund's widow (Ingeborg Olsdatter).

3. Iver Olsen later, in ~1726, married Ingeborg Hansdatter when his previous wife Ingeborg Olsdatter died.

4. Iver Olsen sold "his part of farm" on 03 Nov 1736 to one of his step sons, Mickel Andersen Bangsund.

5. Mickel Andersen Bangsund (1693-1774) bought "part of farm?" on 03 Nov 1736 from step father Iver Olsen.

6. Mickel Andersen Bangsund (1693-1774) divided "farm" into two in ~1770 for his sons; Ole Mikelsen Bangsund got the southern 1/2 and Paul Mikelsen Bangsund got the northern 1/2.

7. Ole Mikelsen Bangsund (1715) married to Bereth Carlsdatter Strand received southern 1/2 of Bangsund Farm from father Mickel Andersen Bangsund in ~1770.

8. Paul Mikelsen Bangsund (~1770) married to Gunel Germandsdatter (~1738) received northern 1/2 of Bangsund Farm from father Mickel Andersen Bangsund. This is known as the GRAV farm... see items 12-16. (below)

9. Ole Mikelsen Bangsund (1715) passed(?) southern 1/2 of Bangsund Farm to son Anders Olsen Bangsund (1746) who was married to Karen Iversdatter Berre (1753) in abbout 1777(?).

10. Anders Olsen Bangsund (1746) sold 1/3 of southern Bangsund Farm to son-in-law Tore Olsen and daughter Ingeborg Andersdatter Bangsund in 1806. Other 2/3's of southern Bangsund Farm went (sold) to son Iver Andersen Bangsund.

11. Antoni(?) and John(?) Bangsund sold the last portions of the southern Bangsund farm to the Collets (Family from Oslo) who owned the Bangdalsbruket Lumber Mill at Bangsund in about 1935.
Note: according to K.K.


The following (12-16) is my conjecture of the owners of the northern Bangsund farm from the descendants of Paul Mikelsen Bangsund (~1770) (item 8.); which became the Grav Farm in about 1923(?).

12. Paul Mikelsen Bangsund (~1770) and Gunel Germandsdatter (~1738) "gave/sold(?)" northern 1/2 of Bangsund Farm to daughter Sigrid Paulsdatter Bangsund (~1769) who was married to Carl Halvorsen Ronstad (~1754) in about 1791(?).

13. Sigrid Paulsdatter Bangsund (~1769) and Carl Halvorsen Ronstad (~1754) "gave/sold(?)" northern 1/2 of Bangsund Farm to son Halvor Carlsen Bangsund (1791) who was married to Anne Bolette Andersen(datter) Hals... (1806) in about 1834(?).

14. Halvor Carlsen Bangsund (1791) and Anne Bolette Andersen(datter) Hals... (1806) "gave/sold(?)" northern 1/2 of Bangsund Farm to son Andreas Mortinius Halvorsen Bangsund (1834) who was married to Pauline Ingebrgtsdatter Selnes (1843) in about 1866(?).

15. Andreas Mortinius Halvorsen Bangsund (1834) and Pauline Ingebrigtsdatter Selnes (1843) "gave/sold(?)" northern 1/2 of Bangsund Farm to son Halvor Julius Bangsund (1868) and son-in-law August Vilhelm Grav (1873) who was married to Anne Bangsund (Halvor's sister) in about 1915(?).

16. August Vilhelm Grav (1873) who was married (1904) to Anne Bangsund (1866) took over northern Bangsund farm when Halvor Julius Bangsund (1868) (Anne's brother) died in about 1923(?).

Note: Halvor Julius Bangsund and (his mother) Pauline Ingebrigtsdatter Selnes resided 03 Apr 1915 Bangsund gnr 16 bnr 5(North Farm); deed, Pauline handed over farm to son Halvor and son-in-law August Vilhelm Grav (husband of Anne), used in community of those two owners. Halvor and August resided after 29 Jan 1923 Bangsund gnr 16 bnr 5(North Farm); After Halvor died August took over whole farm to release his brother-in-law after death(?). Grav Farm; in Northern part of valley! i.e. North 1/2 of Bangsund farm that was sold to Paul Mikkelsen Bangsund in ~1770 by Michel Andersen Bangsund.
Anne Bangsund; l�rer ved folkeskolen (teacher of school children)