Saga - 1977, Qupperneq 114

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BERGSTEINN JÓNSSON
SUMMARY.
As a farmer at Jarlsstadir (in Bárdardalur valley) from the
spring of 1861, diarist Jón Jónsson chiefly reports on his work and
economic condition, though also mentioning events attended by him
and his wife: church services, communions, funerals, weddings,
baptismal parties. He tells of a surprising range of activities — for
instance, how he each year devoted some time to bookbinding, weav-
ing and improvement of buildings.
Many visitors arrived. During the winter of 1870—71, his last at
Jarlsstadir, no fewer than 130 stayed overnight (and 80 enjoyed such
hospitality the following winter at Mjóidalur after the moved there).
When the spring came late, Jón frequently supplied hay and other
necessities to less fortunate neighbors, but a certain times he had to
drive his own flock of sheep to Mjóidalur for winter pasturing. On
November 1, 1862, a son, Jón, was born; he later became a farmer
near Gardar, N.D.
Many of the years at Jarlsstadir were trying ones — times when
it was hard to avoid incurring debt. In the spring of 1869, the dia-
rist’s father, Jón, turned over the Mjóidalur farm to his yongest
son, Gísli. But a year later, Gísli left Mjóidalur (for unexplained
reasons), and diarist Jón moved there in the spring of 1870. By the
standards of the day, the outcome for the last year at Jarlsstadir
can only be described as an impressive surplus.
The last whole year the family spent in Iceland was 1872. Because
harder times had set in, many farm folk of the region were plann-
ing to emigrate to the New World, thus following the example of
two brothers from farm of Stórutjarnir — men who kept telling
encouraging news in letters sent to Iceland.
In the final portion of this section of his diary, Jón comments on
the family’s preparations, the leave-taking, the traveling to North
America and the first weeks in Wisconsin.
Departing from Mjóidalur on July 13, 1872, the party got only
to the nearby farm of Mýri the first day — and to Akureyri by
July 17. In this main town of northern Iceland, many were awaiting
a passage; after 3 weeks and 4 days, a total of 153 emigrants bo-
arded the vessel Queen — among them Jón Jónsson, 39; his wife
Sigurbjörg Stefánsdóttir, 50; their daughter Helga Sigrídur, 14;
and their son Jón, 11. The ship, which was also carrying 200 horses,
sailed for Scotland on August 4; on the 14th, the animals were
unloaded in Granton, while the Icelanders took a train to Edin-
burgh and then on to Glasgow.