Located on the mainland, about 2 km southeast of Eikefet, 1.5 km east of Myster. Farmyard is located 333 meters above sea level. Leiro is north of the lake that is situated 323 meters above sea level.

  The farm name was written Lera 1667, Leraae 1723, Leeraas 1853, Leiren (Mysterleiren) 1886. The story goes that the name comes from a war that had shær [?training] camp. In the Norwegian farm names we find two different interpretations of the name. One is that the farm is named after the river that flows through the valley from Leiro to Myster. This river is said to have a Hot Leira [this is from the automated translating program. I couldn't find a credible translation for it.] The second interpretation is based on the name coming from the type of soil here. The same farm name is found elsewhere in the parish. It is gardsnr. 46 StamnesLeiro. There is a camp ground there. But this explanation is not found in Mysterleiro. The final pronumciation is Leiro or Myssterleiro. "I'm going to Leiro. " or " I'm in Leirne."

  Leiro is one of the youngest farms in Stamnes Sokna. It was probably in use in the 1640's. There was an oral tradition from the old farmer here who emigrated to the U.S.A. about 1880, about how the farm was settled: the first user's name was Olav. He should have been the oldest son and heir to Luten on Myster. When his sister married, the parents let her get the farm. Olav didn't like this, but rather than making an argument about it, he went up to Leiro, where he cleared and built himself a home. He took as his own property the area on the northern and eastern side of the lake, as far as the peaks in the northwest, north and east of the farm. After Olav, his son Johannes was the user and after him came Nils Johannesson. The written sources seem to verify this tradition. At the beginning of the 1600's there was a user on Myster named Johannes, first mentioned in 1609. His wife, Anna, was a widow in 1645. This is in the tax census that year that describes the farmer Olav and daughters Randi and Helga. It is believed that they lived on the Upper Lye. The next user was Olav Pederssøn Flatekvål. We don't find Olav Johannesson any more either on Myster or Leiro. The first user on Leiro that is mentioned in written sources was named Johannes Olsson. 1664 he is 31 years old. 1665 he had 10 cattle born. It is therefore probable that young Johannes was not the pioneer here. It is more likely that there was a user before, and that the pioneer was Olav Johannesson Myster, as tradition says.

  Leiro borders Eikemo, Eikefet, Myster, Høvik, Vetlejord and Nese. The boundary line between Myster and Leiro was officially registered in 1832. This boundary is also written in the records for Myster in 1837. See Myster.

  1723 The farm was described: "Lerrae. 1 Mand. land rent 2 pd. 12 m.s. Mr. Soren de Fine family. No tenant farmer, no agreement. Brendeveed skoug [refers to burned over forest area as preparation for cultivation]. 1 flomqværn [no translation found]. Located 1/4 mile from Søen and 5-3/4 mile from Bergen, gandske senseless to korn and tungvunden to Høe. Saar oats 2 h. 4 h. begets 7 Kiør 3 Ungnød 12 get 1 Horse. [Preceding is description of farm produce.] Taxt after gl. Matricule 1 / 2 S. races live Meester of Qvægets crop." [Unable to create credible translation, but it seems to be describing value of farm produce.]

  Leiro was a single unit until 1886, when the farm was divided into two equal parts. Each was held separately, and the arrangement was officially registered in 1886. There were breaks between the larger plots for boundaries for each user. There was a 4th parcel, Heimanfor Storebrekken and they each had their plots within it, called Haustteigar, Lessingateigar, Holeteigar og Litlevikteigar. This arrangement is still in force."

  The houses in the courtyard were shared between the users when the farm was divided. The user of br. 2 got the use of the house. The user of the bnr 1. built a new house. Half of the house for br. 2 stood on the headlands of br. 1.

  In 1863 there were plots of land that lay in proximity to the house and Storebrekken [name of creek]. In 1863 there were 7 2/5 mål. Only 2/3mål were good fields, 3-½ måll was moderately good, the rest was of poor quality. There was frost damage in late autumn. Not much grain was harvested. In the tradition of Nils, the third user, it is told that he sowed 6 straight years and the grain froze. When he sowed the seventh year, he said that if there was famine this time, he wanted nothing more then to do with the fields. The user Johannes Olsson b. 1804 remembers that they ate borkebrød [bread made from bark, flour & rye]. But in the years when grain was scarce, there was plenty of fish.

  [This paragraph was omitted because it was difficult to translate and was related to farm produce.]

  Before the farm was split Leiro had farm produce greater than any other user in Stamnes Sokna. Prosperity was handed down by inheritance. Olav Johannesson was user 1805 to 1830. When the first wife died in 1806, the net estate was worth more than 107 rdl., but in 1833 it was up to 485 spd. He had out on loan 262 spd. against collateral in farms in Evanger, Radøy and a farm in Stamnes Sokna. Tradition has it that one time when Olav had been in Bergen and sold butter, he brought home so much paper money that he had to carry some of them in an empty butter container. This must have been in 1815 when monetary value was very low.

  Pasture was plentiful and winter forage was good. 1863: "Situated at Gaarden of good Nature and fully adequate." There were enough trees for timber and some for house use. If the sale is not mentioned 1863, they could sell bark for an annual net of 1 spd. A mill stood in the little river segment between the lake and waterfall, closest to the waterfall. There was a grinding stone. Farther down the river, near Myster, Leiro men had a stamping mill. People came there with homespun cloth and got the stamp. This stamp was in Myster's outlying fields. Stampa stood idle at the turn of the last century. This site is still called Stampo.

  Water Rights and lakes were rented out in 1886 to August Wallendahl for 20 years. In 1911 there is a document transfering Leiro river's water fall with fishing and waterfowl hunting rights from owners of Leiro and Myster to Møster & Co. The buyers would have unlimited control in mountain lakes, except Lake Leiro which was to be kept at a certain level. This sellout took away the right to roads, fishing and waterfowl rights, and water rights for a certain area. The purchase price was settled in horsepower amounts ?? should have the annual fees. In 1913, there is a document in which the owners of the bnr. 1 and 2 dropped the claim to move in court against A/S Eidsfjord Møbelfabrikk for an annual fee of £. 50.

  Leiro is now a deserted farm. The users moved from here in 1948. People lived at br. 2 until 1947. The main reason for the depopulation was that the farm was so lonely and that there were no proper roads. The relationship was the same in this century as in 1863, when farm was characterized as follows: "Approximately 1/4 Million ubanet and difficult road to Søen, from 5 1/4 Miil toward Bergen. Meniis about 5 1/2 Mdr. "-. [unable to translate last sentence clearly.]

  The oral tradition of the old farms was written down in 1933 in Barrett, Minnesota, by the daughter of the teacher Johannes J. Lera b. 1857. Alfred Knutson published part in the research magazine oppteikninga Nordhordland 7/12/1939. The old place names on the farm were acquired when kårkona [pensioner; owner] Anna Askjelsdtr. b. from 1819 transferred it to the new users. The names were written down in 1964 by professor Andreas Leiro.

  Heimanfor Storebekken had the following names: Geilæ, Rinden, Kariåkeren, Nyåkeren, Ækro, Solbakken, Solbakkehesæ, Gaupo (hes), Rugkallen, Flatåkeren, Bjørkåkeren, Kjelldalen, Kjeldo, Kjeldebekken, Smidalen, Smibrekko, Smibekken, Myrane, Neset, Stemmo, Slipo. Paddøynæ. Innanfor Storebekken låg Haugen, Vetlestølen, Holmane, Kalvhusmyrane, Skrubbebærhaugen, Trekanten. Dei hadde Storaleet, Kalvhusleet og Rindaleet. Utangjerdes låg Røyrbakkafjellet, Brystykket (ei trekanta to i fjellet), Stekkjeborgjæ, Stortonæ, Joanstonæ, Bjødnejoræ, Høgkrånæ, Vetlaløslåtto, Langerinden, Midrinden, Røyrbakkabrotet, Mjodalen, Gardbogane, Storhaugen, Kjemmet, Rotabrekko, Hamrane, Russliæ, Høghaugane, Leitet, Krånæ, Set-tødna, Reset, Resaslåtto, Fjellfossen, Fjellbotnane, Troppetødna, Svartaberget, Fyrklehamrane, Nakkane, Daurmålsbotn, Bjønnstonæ, Osen, Leirefossen, Kupena, Tistlane, Lynghaugen, Fossane, Høystaksbotnen, Høystaksløo, Mjodalen, Skreena, Hedlebekken, Hedlebekkmyrane, MartaJo-steinen. Marta-Jo var Jon A. Øyo f. 1821, b. Stamnes bnr. 70. See husfolk.

EIGARAR[Owners]

  The oral tradition tells us that Olav, who was the first user here, bought full rights to the farm with a t. [some unit of measurment, undetermined] butter that he sent to the King in Copenhagen. But in the 1670's the farm, along with other goods, belonged to the Monks of the monastery, so the users here would probably not have been owners. Smørtunna [literally grease; probably means equivalent to a bribe] that Olav send to Copenhagen, if one should believe the tradition, must have been the fee that a man had to pay to the King when he took up the farm in a common land. Heirs for the magister Arnoldus de Fine in 1676 are set up as owners of Leiro, Hesjedal, Myster, Eikefet, Eikemo and a whole number of other farms that had belonged to the old monastery. In 1694 and 1700 Maren Sørensdatter owns the farm. In 1692 and 1718 Søren de Fine is the owner. He mortgaged the farm in 1721 to Gjertrud de Fine, together with other lands, for an oblilgation of 134 rdl. In 1727 Gen. von Krogh transferred to the user for 13 rdl. In 1748 attempts were made to reinstate some claim by heir Christopher von Krogh and Johan Garmann. But users were in place as owners of the farm and since that time have been self-owners.

BRUKARAR [Users] TO 1886.

  1664 we find for the first time in the written sources the name of the user in Leiro. His name is Johannnes Olsson and he is 31 years old. After the oral tradition, he would be the son of the first pioneer here, Olav, who came from Myster. Johannes was married to Synneva Olsatter and was user here until 1700 when he died in an accident. He was on his way to one of the neighbors when he could see some of his goats that had come into the wrong hands. During his struggle to get them back, he falls off the mountain and down the river where they found him dead. His wife d. 1701.

Born. Olav b. 1672, user here. Anna b. 1668 m. Hans O. Eide, see Eide bnr. 3. Brita 1696 m. Olav Gulleiksson Farestveit, see Farestveit BNR. 7. Dordi 1697 m. Eric Nilsson Myster, see Myster bnr. 3.

  1694 Johannes Olsson is here as user together with his son Olav. They had a prosperous farm. In 1701, Olav is listed as soldier, and in 1711, he was in the King's service. He, by then, had both both a servvant and a servant girl on the farm. Olav b. 1672 d. 1712 was married first to Marta Olsdatter Brørvik d. 1702.
                
                 Born:

                 Johannes b. 1702 became a user here.

  Olav married a second time to Inga Magnesdatter daughter of Magne Sjurson Romarheim 1620-1696 og Siri Olsdaatter 1624-1696.

Born: Magne b. 1705 d. before 1712. Marta b. 1706 m. Johannes Knutsson Simenes, Mellesdal. Synneva b. 1708 d. 1737. When the transfer from Olav occurred in 1712, gross value was 81 rdl. and the net was 42 rdl. 2 ort 6 sk. Cattle were valued at barely 50 rdl.

  1713 Jakob Larsson Flatekvål married widow Inga Magnesdatter. It was said that Jakob had been involved in two wars. In the story it was called the 5 and 10 Years' War. It must have been during the Great Nordic Prince wars in the 1700s. In the last war in which Jakob was involved, he and another Norwegian were captured by some Swedish soldiers. Swedes shut them inside a mountain farm or in a log cabin along with some Swedish guards, and then left. They were planning to take their prisoners home to Sweden. The two Norwegians overpowered the guards, but couldn't get the door open. High up on one wall there was a skylight, and Jakob helped his buddy up to the skylight so that he got through and got free, but Jakob was a heavily built man and could not get out through the little window. But the friend couldn't get the door open and Jakob had to lie down together with the Swedes who were killed. Finally the Swedes came back to take the Norwegian prisoners with them to Sweden. Jakob drew some of the dead Swedes over himself and pretended that he himself was dead. They looked at the fallen, and one of them said: "There is a red among the blue." Then they left, and Jakob hurried onward. When he came home after the war, neither his wife nor his children could recognize him, before he said who he was.

  1727 Jakob received the farm in transfer from Major von Krogh for 13 rdl. Jakob m. Inga.

Born: Inga b. 1714 m. Nils H. Eide, user here. Siri b. 1715 d. before 1750. Brita b. 1717 m. Torkjell Lillejord, see Vetlejord BNR. 1.

  Jakob m. Kari Jensdatter Myster bnr. 3 b. 1687. In 1750 the value of Jakob's estate was 12 m. of land with valuation of 9 m. rdl. 2 sk. His widow Kari Jensdatter received 6 m. and daughters Inga and Brita 3 m. sm. each.   1729 Johannes Olsson b. 1702 d. 1766 received half of the farm available from stepfather Jakob Larsson. Johannes was the owner only a short time. He was married to Brita Simonsdatter.

Born: Bård. Maria. Marta. They died young. Olav b. 1729 d. 1807, was grown. He was hired worker.

  1734 Transferred to Nils Hansson Eide bnr. 3, half the farm. 1736, he was married to Inger Jakobsdatter Leiro b. 1714 d. 1793. She had inherited some parts of the farm from both her mother and father, and in 1750 Nils received from her joint owners, widow Kari Jensdatter, sisters Brita Jakobsdatter and Marta half sister Olsdatter, their parts of the farm for a total of 17 m. butter for 23 rdl. 3 sk. Nils had now collected the entire farm by his marriage to Inger. In 1750 he provided for the circumstances of the widow, Kari Jensdatter, by conveying to her the rights to the grain from a field, and sustenence for a cow and four sheep.   Nils and Inger were married for 52 years, had 10 children, and at the time of Inger's death there were 47 grandchildren and 7 great grandchildren.

These are the children who grew up: Anna b. 1738 m. John K. Myster, see Myster br. 1. Brita b. 1743 1766 m. Knut Olsson Flatekvål, see Flatekvål br. 4. Inger b. 1746. James, b. 1750. Sigrid b. 1779 m. 1751 Olav Johannesson Lillejord, see see Vetlejord bnr. 2. Johannes b. 1754, user here. Hans b. 1757.

  1775 Transferred to Johannes Nilsson, the entire farm for 60 rdl. In 1791 he provided for the circumstances of the mother Inger Jakobsdatter. Johannes b. 1754 d. 1815 was lagrettemann [lagrettemann translates as juror. However, here it must have a different meaning such as meaning this was the time he came into his inheritance.]1787. He was married to Maria Olsdatter Elvik b. 1754 d. 1797.

Born: Olav b. 1780, farmer here. Brita b. 1782 d. 1785. Brita b. and d. 1785. Inger b. and d. 1786. Brita b. 1787 d. 1789. Nils b. 1791. See Elvik br. 2. Jakob b. 1795 g.m. Ragnhild Knutsdatter. Myster bnr. 4., b. Solheim Hosanger.

  At Maria's probate in 1797 the farm was assessed at 100 rdl. and shared one half with the widower and 1/6 each with the three sons. Buet eight [Seems to refer to different shares of ownership in Elvik] also a part of Elvik of 12 m. sm., the valuation to 40 rdl. after transfer in 1792. [In 1792 Elvik bruk 2 was leased out] This part was shared between the 4 heirs, but in 1805 it was transferred to Nils Johannesson for his use in Elvik. Net proceeds 300 rdl. 10 sk.   1805 Transferred to Olav Johannesson from his father and brothers. With what he had inherited from his mother, he now owned the entire farm. He provided for the circumstances of the father and stepmother, Kari Nilsdatter. Olav b. 1780 d. 1833, vs. 1 g. 1802 m. Brita Jakobsdatter Brørvik d. 1806.

Children: Johannes b. 1804.

  At the probate in 1806, Brita's estate gross total was 183 rdl. 3 mark 11 sk.; net 107 rdl. 5 marks 3 sk. Land valuation was 100 rdl. Half the farm was conveyed to Johannes Nilsson for the debt requirement of 50 rdl. that he had ?incurred. Widower Olav Johannesson and his son Johannes b. 1704 [1704 must be a misprint. It must be 1804] received 1/4 each.   1830 Olav gave his portion of the farm to his son Johannes, but afterward during the same year he [Johannes] went into bankrupcy when the farm prosperity declined. Olav married a second time to Dordi Knutsdatter Straume bnr. 6 b. 1782 d. 1856.

Born: John, b. and d. 1808. Knut b. and d. 1809. Brita b. 1810 g.m. Anders Jakobsson Flatekvål, see Flatekvål bnr. 2-3. Knut b. and d. 1813. Knut b. 1814. Maria b. 1817 m. Olav M. Eide, see Eide bnr. 1. Ingebrigt b. and d. 1820. Nils b. 1822. See husfolk. Ingebrigt b. 1824 d. 1841. Drowned in a lake while swimming.

  The estate of Olav Johannesson 1833 showed him to be a very wealthy man. Gross was valued at more than 602 spd. The net 485 spd. 1 ort 4 sk. Foremost was a mortgage bond from Gulleik Gulleikson Aarhus 1820 for 1/2 l. butter in Århus farm in Evanger for 112 spd. Another smaller mortgage from 1827 from Olav Tveit Andersson in farm Tveit in Radøy of 50 spd., a mortgage bond from Olav Jakobsson Hesjedal from 1829 at 100 spd. to mortgage the farm Hesjedal. The unmarried children claimed heimanfylgje [no translation, but suspected meaning is contested or claimed property] of 15 spd. each.

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