Fredrik Nikolai Andersson Wiborg

Fredrik Nikolai Andersson Wiborg or Fredrik Nicolai Wiborg, was born about 1714 and died while serving as sexton at Lejse in 1804 at an estimated 90 years of age.

Early years

Fredrik Nicolai Wiborg was the youngest son of Anders Nielsen Wiborg, who was a major in the Norwegian Army and Commandant of the Kristiansfjeld fortress in Elverum. The settlement of his father’s estate was held on 28 January 1719; he is listed as the youngest of Anders Nielsen Wiborg’s 15 children and 4 years of age at the time. This suggests he was born circa 1714. Sjøvald indicates that in the church records for Lesja it states that “in 1804 ‘Buried sexton FNW who died 17 November & was 96 ¼ years.’ … irrespective of the discrepancy, Fredrik Wiborg lived to become a very old man.“

Anders Nielsen Wiborg died in 1718 and Fredrik was reared by his mother’s brother, minister Johan Cold and by his mother in Romedal (Rømedal) parish. When Fredrik planned to leave the community in 1740, the minister Peter Grüner gave him the following recommendation: "… that he has been for the most part reared by his good maternal uncle, Johan Colds, in his own home and has been thoroughly grounded in the true Christian Doctrine. Since then he has been with his widowed mother in Romedal Sogn. He has been brought up in the fear of God and has led a Christian life. He has shown a good knowledge of those things that are necessary to a man's salvation, especially the Holy Sacraments of which he partook in the head church of Romedal on July 24th…"

From 1740 to 1751 he lived on the Farberg farm in Ringsaker, and served as a teacher. There he promised to teach children Martin Luther’s short catechism, both the catechism and the explanations, as was prescribed to his role as a teacher. He recorded that he was “called to be sexton in Læssøe” in the church record at Ringsaker parish on 19 May 1751.

While in Ringsaker he also served as a lawyer/solicitor’s head clerk in Hedmark, gaining substantial experience because solicitor Barojer was ill. In this role Wiborg gained insight in advising and administering justice and in dispute resolution.

The Lesja years

When the sexton Ola Kring died in Lesja in 1751, Fredrik Nicolai Wiborg was appointed sexton there and was presented to the congregation on the third Sunday following Trinity. In the Lesja Sogn there were three satellite churches - Lesjeverk, Dovre & Folldal. The travel distances were great & it could be very difficult in the winter.

Dovre was an annex to Lesja that was inaugurated in 1740. .Over the choir opening stands Christian VI’s monogram in gold. During restoration of the church in 1954 a secondary painting of the arch was carefully removed together with the original painting, which today is reverently displayed, and the initials FAW were found. These were interpreted as the initials belonging to Fredrik Anderssen Wiborg. But it is certainly unlikely that Wiborg himself painted the arch. A “garnish” that the original had used both gold and silver, and demonstrated an attention to artistic professionalism that a sexton in Lesja scarcely had. But he could very well have taken the initiative to pay for the performance of the work. Around Norwegian churches there are many examples in which the donor of gifts to church embellishments has left his name or initials.

In 1767 Lesja church purchased new bells, for which members of the congregation bore the cost. The largest has a long inscription which indicates that it was cast at Nestane farm in Lesja parish and Fredrik Nicolai Wiborg is named here as one of those who paid for it.