The history of Berg’s Gård
The farm Berg
The farm Berg dates back a long way. As early as the 1700s, the farm is mentioned in the church records. Magnus and Frida Jonsson run and live on the beautiful farm that has been in the family for six generations, ever since 1827.
Bergs Gård is mentioned in the church records as the birthplace for the first time around 1755. The farm was probably active already 50 years earlier, but under a different name. The families who ran the farm during the 1700s and early 1800s had a tough time. High infant mortality and accidents in the family meant that the tenants of the farm changed on several occasions.
Jonas Ersson was working as a farmer in Ävlingeby Norrgård in Västerljung when he decided to lease Bergs Gård in 1827. The farm was worn out and was renovated over time. Jonas Ersson is Magnus’ great-grandfather.
In 1915 Arvid Jonsson bought the farm from Örboholm. He was recognized as a strong man in the area and together with his sons erected several of today’s buildings on the farm. Some examples are the foundation of the dwelling house, the old barn and the cottage on the hill. Arvid was also a strong man in the agricultural association during the crisis times after the war. While the small farmers left their leases, Arvid bought Berg instead. Arvid’s spirit of work has been passed on through his heirs. Today, Magnus and Frida Jonsson continue to run the farm with the same fervor. Frida’s family, Eriksson’s, has also been farmers for several generations.
History
Bergs Gård, which today is run by Magnus and Frida Jonsson, is one of the older farms in this part of Södermanland. The farm has been run by the family since 1827, first as a tenant and since 1915 as owner. The running of the farm has been passed down from father to son for generation after generation. Magnus and Frida have four sons and a daughter, so there is a possibility that the farm will continue to move on.
Bergs Gård is mentioned in the church records as the birthplace for the first time around 1755, the farm has probably been active already 50 years earlier but under a different name. However, the church records are unclear with farm records during the first half of the 1700s.
The families who ran the farm during the latter part of the 1700s and the first years of the 1800s had a hard time with high infant mortality and accidents in the families. The tenants changed several times during these years.
Jonas Ersson, who was Magnus’ great-great-great-grandfather, was working as a farmer at Ävlingeby Norrgård in Västerljung when he decided to lease Bergs Gård. In 1827, Jonas, his wife Anna-Greta and two children took over a farm that was in a dilapidated condition. Since then, the family has never left the farm and it has gradually developed based on the conditions of its times.
Arvid Jonsson (Magnus’ great-grandfather) was the one who bought the farm in 1915 from Örboholm. Arvid was a well-known strongman in the area and built several of the buildings that are on the farm today and together with his sons. Examples of this are the foundations of the dwelling house, the old barn and the cottage on the hill. Arvid was also a strong man in the agricultural association that in times of crisis after the war when the small farmers left their leases stood up and said “Don’t give up now, with hard work it is possible to run the farms.” When other tenants stopped running the farms, Arvid bought Berg instead.
Arvid’s attitude to what it takes to run a farm has been taken with the sons of the next generation. Magnus, his father Birger and grandfather Rikard have continued to run Bergs Gård with a capacity for work that arouses envy.
The Jonsson family has worked as farmers (crofters, farmers, homesteaders) for almost 300 years. As early as 1725, Magnus’ great-great-grandfather Nils Andersson is listed as a crofter in the church records from Västerljung. The family can be found as early as the end of the 1600s in Svärta outside Nyköping, so it is a solid Sörmland agricultural family that runs Bergs Gård.
Frida, who today runs the farm together with Magnus, is born in Sörby Oppgård in Årdala. Her family, the Eriksson family, has also been farmers for several generations. Today, the land belonging to the farm is leased by Magnus and Frida.
