By Ivar Teigum

The Dutch trading company Marselis had financial interests in the Norwegian mountain villages of Vågå and Sel in the period from 1653 to 1685. For six years in the 1650s, Selius Marselis owned the Gudbrandsdal copper works in Sel as security for a loan to the Danish king. The Tolstad estate in Vågå with valuable millstone quarries was similarly granted as security to his brother Gabriel Marselis, Jr. in 1661. The family owned this property until the year 1685.

Gabriel Marselis, Sr. (died 1643) was the founder of one of the largest private banking businesses in Europe in the 17th century. Selius (1602-1663) was the second of his four sons. Together with his brothers, he continued the business activities of his father.

In 1632, the king made an agreement with the governor and the other fief lords on the right to start mining with exemption from tithes when minerals were discovered in their fiefs. In return, they had to supply the monarchy. The industry depended on farmers in the area around the mines transporting the ore and other goods, and cutting and supplying wood and charcoal.

As soon as Hannibal Sehested was dismissed from his position as Norwegian governor in 1651, the new governor started negotiations with Selius Marselis for a lease of the mines in Gudbrandsdalen. Selius leased the copper mines for four years, with a clause providing for new negotiations after three years to continue the lease on the same conditions.

In 1661, the Tolstad estate in Vågå was one of the properties King Frederik III granted as security to the Gabriel Marselis trading company in Amsterdam. The estate was the largest in the parish, and was assessed as worth seven cowhides. It included a hill with garnet-mica schist which had long supplied a large neighbouring area with millstones. The tenant at this time was Hans Pålsson Tolstad (1625-1695), one of the more affluent farmers.

Marselis was an active owner of Tolstad. In accordance with tradition, he required every third millstone for payment on the collateral. For these millstones, the leaseholder would receive a fixed amount in payment, 24 riksdaler or the equivalent value of eight cows. In the year 1673, records show that the landlord refused to pay more than 16 riksdaler for the millstones. He argued that the quality of the stones delivered was unsatisfactory. Therefore, he now demanded compensation in cash from the Tolstad farmer and exclusion from the quarry of any stonecutters unwilling to pay rent.

From 1685, Pål Tolstad was the owner of the hill with its quarries. In spite of being under strict landlords, he had managed to become one of the richest men in Gudbrandsdalen.