Joen Samsonsen
(1670->1712)
Joen Samsonsen's records are very unusal. Although is his listed as the oldest son of Samson Samsonsen I (1641-c.1700) in Samson Samsonsen's II probate of 1712, he's been registered as living on the church farm of Raa. Normally, the oldest son is groomed to inherit the farm from the father and it was quite common for the other offspring to be sent to neighboring farms to provide needed income for the family, but in this case Joen is sent to the church farm and remained there while his younger brother Samson II assumed the farm. No reasons were stated in the records as he is listed only as a "dreng" (single male), but it is quite possible that Joen may have been a social undesireable such as being infected with small pox, a servere birth defect, or any other aliment that would have made him unavailible for marriage.
Another issue is that Joen's name dose not correspond with the paterachral naming system if he was the first born of the family. This conflicts with his relations as stated in the 1712 probate and his age described in the 1701 census. Since Samson Samsonsen I is the only Samson living in Kvæfjord according to the 1666 census, it is doubtful that Joen was an adopted relative of Samson. Also, because Samson Samsonsen I had been living in Kvæfjord since 1645 after fleeing from Swedish annexed Jämtland, it is doubtful that Joen was a new immigrant to Kvæfjord.
Future examination of the tax rolls after 1701 may be of some help to see if he paid any Chruch ties or other taxes. This would prove his ablity for physical labor as a farm hand for the chruch.
Source:
Kvæfjord: Nedre Hemmestad
1) Manntall 1701: Kvæfjord Prestegjeld, b.19. (census) p88.
2) Manntallet for Kvæfjord menighet 1701, Thomas Johansen, Kvæfjord Historielag, 1989. p8, 41.
3) Sorenskriveri: Senja, Troms, 1712. p271-274.