Norway Land and Property

Land and Property
Land records generally start in the 1700s. These records contain information about real estate conveyances, mortgages, contracts, agreements, deeds, leases of land, and auction sales Pension contracts show the inheritance of property from one generation to the next. Land records often reveal family information, such as the name of a spouse, heir, and other relatives. From land records you may learn where people lived previously, their occupations, and other clues for further research. Sometimes you will find information about entire families.

For the period before 1700 you may wish to search court records. They contain similar property information.

The land records after 1865 are in the custody of the local magistrate [sorenskriver]. They are also available up to 1935 at the regional archives, but only in book form. The records before 1865 are in the custody of the regional archives and are available on microfilm at the Family History Library.

The land records are listed in the FamilySearch Catalog under:

NORWAY, [COUNTY], [PARISH] - LAND AND PROPERTY.

See Norway Taxation for information on land and tax divisions.

Sample Contracts

 * An example of what kind of information you may find in a cottager contract can be found at Norway Cottager Contracts
 * An examples of what kind of information you may find in retirement contract can be found at Norway Retirement Contracts.

Land Records [Fast Eiendomsprotokoller]
These records contain useful lineage linking information, can be used to establish relationships. Most are not indexed. They include records of land ownership and land taxation. Among these are revenue district accounts [Fogedregnskaber], rural district accounts [Lensregnkaper], urban district accounts [Byregnskaper], land books [Jordebøker], and land commissions [Landkommisjoner]. Most records date from about 1600. The following information may be found in these records:

Land books
 * Land rentals
 * Names, dates, land quantities

Property taxation
 * Tax lists
 * Real estate registers of owners and cultivators of farms
 * Quantities of land and monetary amounts
 * Heads of taxed households
 * Possibly other family members

Mortgage Books [Pantebøker]
These records contain useful lineage linking information, can be used to establish relationships. In many cases the mortgage books can be used as a substitute index to the probate records. The information from the mortgage records can extend pedigree lines as much as three generations. Most are not indexed and begin in the 1700s.

The following information may be found in these records: • 2

Online Records
Many records are available through the National Archives of Norway's Digitalarkivet site. Information on land records and indexes can be found at Information about Real Estate Registers.

Norway Land Records Online