The ultimate consequence of school absence
The trial of Christen Andersen Bakken
A lot has been written about the workshops at Blaafarveværket and how they functioned. Among other things, it has been emphasised that absenteeism was a major problem. Poverty and, in the case of the 11-year-old boy, the workload, meant that the children had to prioritise something other than education. By not attending school, they were not only breaking the organisation's rules, but also Norwegian law.
The severity of the offences increased as the child approached the normal age of confirmation, i.e. around 14-15 years. Confirmation was compulsory in Norway, and if you were not confirmed you had no right to participate in adult life. Unconfirmed people could not marry or seek ordinary work. As a result, unconfirmed adults were a rarity in 19th century Norway.
In Modum, however, there was living proof that not everyone was confirmed as a youth. This person was called Christen Andersen Bakken. When it came to light that he, at the age of 20, had not been confirmed, this had serious consequences for him. Christen was taken to court, sued by the priest and Blaafarveværket.
Hard times in Modum - The history of the Bakker family
Christen Andersen Bakken was born on 14 March 1822.[1] Little is known about Bakken's early years. His father, Anders Larsen Bakken, was first employed as a casual labourer at Blaafarveværket.[2] In other words, he was not a permanent employee, only a temporary one. The casual labourers mostly had seven-month contracts. His father worked his way up through the system and eventually became a permanent employee as a sawmill worker at one of Blaafarveværket's own sawmills at Haugfoss. The family settled at the Bakken site, below Fossum, not far from his father's workplace.
Bakken's mother, Aase Christensdatter, came from the Rollerud farm in Sigdal. While the father of the house was at work, Aase ran the household at Bakken. The children were born in quick succession: Gunhild, Lars, Karen, Christen, Ingeborg and Anne.[3] Working life started early for the boys, so Christen's brother, Lars Andersen, worked in the crushed stone works at Haugfoss, aged just 14, in 1831.[4]
The place where they lived, Bakken, consisted of a simple timber-framed house with a living room and kitchen, as well as a barn (building for storing hay) and a cowshed.[5] In addition, they farmed a piece of land under Fossum. The family also owned a cow.[6]
Life at the beginning of the 19th century was hard, and so it was for the Bakken family. The father of the house became acutely ill on 20 November 1832. The general practitioner, Dr Ludvig Holberg Arentz, diagnosed him with "colic, together with intestinal inflammation".[7] The sick leave was short. Anders Larsen Bakken died on 28 November.[8]
Her father's sudden death led to great difficulties for the family. Aase had to resort to the Blaafarveværket's poor box, which meant a sharp decline in the family's finances. The widow's pension was equivalent to 1/10 of her husband's salary,[9] which in Aase's case corresponded to an annual salary of 7 spesidaler and 5 skilling.[10]
Circumstances also forced Christen into work. According to court documents, he worked for a time at the Cobalt Mines, but in 1834 found work at the crushed stone works closer to his home.[11] Christen didn't earn much as he was only 12 years old, but it was more than his mother received. The monthly wage in the crushed stone works was 2 spesidaler and 12 skilling.[12]
With all this as a backdrop, it's easy to understand that schooling wasn't a top priority for Christen, but his siblings all seem to have been confirmed within a reasonable time. This was not the case for Christen.
When he had just turned 20 in March 1842, his lack of education came to light. Priest Tandberg, works teacher Lars Olsen and the Blaafarveværket school commission all reported their concerns to Buskerud County.[13] Christen was unable to sit the exam due to a lack of knowledge. Tandberg and Olsen claimed that, despite their admonitions, the boy did not go to school.[14]
In Norway, confirmation had been compulsory since 1736. This meant that all children had to be taught reading and Christianity so that they acquired enough knowledge to pass the priest's questioning at confirmation. That's why the ordinance on rural schools was issued in 1739. An ordinance that ensured an education programme for all Norwegian children. Schooling was compulsory for all children after the age of 7.[15]
These ordinances were followed by several additions during the 18th century to ensure that children and young people took advantage of the school programme. One of these was the ordinance "ang. Ungdommens Underviisning, Skolegang og Optugtelse i Kjøbstæderne og paa Landet" of 24 November 1764. This ordinance established a framework for how the children's parents or employers were to be penalised if they refused to send them to school.[16]
The same regulation also provided clear guidelines for how children should be penalised if they did not apply for school on their own initiative.
If the fault then lies with the children or servants that they do not diligently attend school, then they should be punished by being sent to the penitentiary, as previously reported.[17]
Tugthuset was a penal institution established in 1741 to combat vagrancy and begging, as well as laziness among young people.[18] The inmates were put to work during their stay. The penitentiary produced textiles, tobacco, tanning, etc. Towards the end of the 18th century, the chastisement house began to function more like a regular prison. In other words, people convicted of theft and other minor offences were sent there.
It was in such a house of correction that Christen was in danger of ending up. This is because he
cannot be accepted for Confirmation because of his knowledge, and that he, in spite of repeated admonitions, neglects the school.[19]
Freedom to apply for evening school - Criminal case against Christen Andersen Bakken
On 23 March 1842, the extra trial was held at the Enger courthouse in Modum. Christen stood before the court and heard his indictment. He had been accused by the priest Jørgen Christian Tanberg, the teacher at Nymoen school Lars Olsen and the school administration of Blaafarveværket of not having applied to school. It wasn't his mother or his employers who were to blame, but Christen himself, as he was constantly admonished by the priest and teacher to go to school.
The Cobalt Works had tried to make things easier. According to the plant's representative, Christen had been moved from the Cobalt mines to the Pukkverket plant at Haugfoss to make it easier for Christen to attend the evening school at Nymoen.[20] This was an evening programme for the quarry boys where they were taught three evenings a week from 5pm at Nymoen School, i.e. a short distance from the quarries at the end of the working day.[21]
The organisation from the employer did not help. Shop teacher Olsen explained that Christen had only turned up for 26 days in 1839, 12 days in 1840 and 26 days in 1841.[22] Olsen had personally exhorted Christen to attend school more often, but to no avail. Tanberg and Christen's mother, Aase, explained the same thing. They all exhorted him to go to school, but he didn't do it.
Christen explained that he didn't have time to go to school, but wasn't specific about what was stopping him. The Blaafarveværk's management went from facilitation to punishment to force Christen to go to school. He had a relatively low salary and was dependent on advances to be able to afford grain and food from the mill's own store. In 1840, he was refused further advances due to his absence.[23] As his mother could not support him, Christen sought employment with Nils Gregersen at Linderud farm, where he stayed for two months.
During his stay at Linderud, Christen visited the neighbourhood school that operated in the area.[24] The travelling school was quite different from the work school as it did not have a permanent school premises, but rotated among the largest farms in an area. The teacher taught for two months at each location. There was rarely a qualified teacher, but only the best confirmand who taught. Books were lent out during the lessons.
In any case, there was not enough teaching in the neighbourhood school either. In the autumn of 1841, Tandberg realised that Christen did not have enough knowledge to stand for confirmation. As exhortations did not work, the last resort was chosen. Christen's case ended up in court.
The penitentiary awaits - The verdict and the way forward
Christen's trial was short. The judges didn't seem to have any doubts, and Christen acknowledged everyone's testimony. He had been admonished to apply for school, admonitions he had not followed.
However, it appears that Christen himself claimed that he was dismissed when he worked for Torger Hansen Sand because Sand thought he spent "so much time at the school".[25] This detail was not followed up further in the case, even though it was a clear offence on the part of the employer. However, Christen realised that Sand did not prevent him from going to school, despite the fact that he dismissed Christen when Sand thought he was there too much.
The judgement was clear.
The person in question, Christen Andersen Bakken, should be placed in Akershus Diocese's penitentiary to be prepared there for confirmation, and to remain there for as long as the director of the penitentiary determines. Then he should pay the costs flowing from this case [...] Court adjourned.[26]
About a year and a half after the trial, on 5 November 1843, 31 hopeful boys stood before the priest in Nykirke. No. 31 was by far the oldest, as well as the one with the worst character (pretty good). It was Christen Andersen Bakken.[27]
I don't think he cared about the grade, and I hope and believe that his mum, Aase, was proud of her son who had finally passed his confirmation.
The picture is a section of photographer Gercke's photo from the 1860s and shows Scheidehuset at Koboltgruvene to the right, where the evening school was on the second floor.
[1] Eiker, Modum and Sigdal magistrates' court, SAKO/A-123/F/Fc/L0009: Ekstrarettsprotokoll - Modum, 1841-1847, pp. 64-65
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[2] Modums Blaafarveværk, RA/PA-0157/G/Ge/L0364/0001: - / Report on day and casual labourers, 1827-1839, p. 3
Usage link for page view: https://www.digitalarkivet.no/db20120817640320
[3] Modums Blaafarveværk, RA/PA-0157/G/Gg/L0369/0009: - / Miscellaneous records of workers 1826, 1828, 1829, 1830, 1832, 1822-1848, p. 17
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[4] Ibid.
[5] Modum sheriff's office, SAKO/A-524/Y/Yc/Ycc/L0001: Modum nordre fire record, 1846-1871
Use link for page view: https://www.digitalarkivet.no/db50001429300043
[6] Modums Blaafarveværk, RA/PA-0157/G/Gj/L0383/0001: - / Protokoll over understøttede personer, og eventuelle fattiglemmer ved MBV, 1847-1849, p. 5
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[7] Modums Blaafarveværk, RA/PA-0157/G/Gh/L0377/0001: - / Sick lists. List of the sick at MBV at the end of ...... Kept monthly, 1823-1836, p. 117
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[8] Modum church books, SAKO/A-234/F/Fa/L0006: Ministerialbok nr. 6, 1832-1841, p. 180-181
Use link for page view: https://www.digitalarkivet.no/kb20051109010096
[9] Modums Blaafarveværk, RA/PA-0157/G/Gj/L0384/0002: - / Fortegnelse over følgende Personer der proponeres til vedføiede Understøttelse, 1825-1849, p. 133
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[10] Modums Blaafarveværk, RA/PA-0157/G/Gj/L0383/0001: - / Protokoll over understøttede personer, og eventuelle fattiglemmer ved MBV, 1847-1849, p. 5
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[11] Eiker, Modum and Sigdal magistrates' court, SAKO/A-123/F/Fc/L0009: Ekstrarettsprotokoll - Modum, 1841-1847, p. 64
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[12] Modums Blaafarveværk, RA/PA-0157/G/Gd/Gdd/L0260/0001: - / Regning over gruver pukkverk m.v., 1833-1834, p. 320
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[13] Eiker, Modum and Sigdal magistrates' court, SAKO/A-123/F/Fc/L0009: Ekstrarettsprotokoll - Modum, 1841-1847, p. 64
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[14] Ibid.
[15] See: http://www.fagsider.no/kirkehistorie/lover/indexlover.htm
[16] "Kongelige Rescripter, Resolutioner og Collegial-Breve for Norge i Tidsrummet 1660-1813". Published by J.W. Cappelen. Printed in P.T. Mallings Officin. 1842. s. 378
[17] Ibid.
[18] Localhistoriewiki.com. "Christiania tugthus": https://lokalhistoriewiki.no/wiki/Christiania_tukthus
[19] Eiker, Modum and Sigdal magistrates' court, SAKO/A-123/F/Fc/L0009: Ekstrarettsprotokoll - Modum, 1841-1847, p. 64
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[20] Christen is not found in the labour lists for the mines, so it cannot be confirmed that he was first employed there. However, it should be said that the labour lists for 1833 are not complete. See. RA/PA-0157
[21] Eiker, Modum and Sigdal magistrates' court, SAKO/A-123/F/Fc/L0009: Ekstrarettsprotokoll - Modum, 1841-1847, p. 64
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[22] Ibid.
[23] Ibid.
[24] Ibid.
[25] Eiker, Modum and Sigdal magistrates' court, SAKO/A-123/F/Fc/L0009: Ekstrarettsprotokoll - Modum, 1841-1847, p. 64
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[26] Ibid.
[27] Modum church books, SAKO/A-234/G/Ga/L0004: Bell book no. I 4, 1843-1846, p. 19-20
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