The proof that Thor Laursen is the son of Lars (Laurs, Laurids)
Andersen of 1' & 2' Slg. in Rutsker is found in the law books for
Bornholm, where during a court case Lars Andersen is named as Thor
Laursen's son's grandfather. Thor Laursen started his adult life as a

"bonde" at his father's farm Puggegård, 1' Slg. in 1644. In 1647 he
moved to Tornegård, 2' Slg., living there together with his father -
in fact they were jointly taxed, because Lars Andersen was "an old
man with a disabled wife."
Thor had probably already married by 1644, but since Karen
Pedersdatter was only 13 years old then, it probably was not her. A
possible earlier marriage is affirmed by a pair of silver mugs
engraved with the initials "T.L.S. - E.P.D.", and we can assume that
the eldest daughter Ellen was named after his first wife. (This was
an old Danish tradition to name the first child of the appropriate
sex after a deceased husband or wife.) Also none of Ellen's brothers
used that name for their daughters. By 1662 Thor Laursen was the
registered owner of both Puggegård and Tornegård, he was also serving

as church warden (kirkeværge) for Rutsker. Tax rolls show us that he
was paying the highest amount of taxes in Rutsker parish. We can
conclude that he left about 1,000 Silverdalers to his heirs, because
during a court case Hans Svendsen testafied that his wife Karen
Pedersdatter, the widow of Thor Laursen, had brought 500 Silverdalers

into their marriage. This had been her half of the inheritance after
her husband's death in 1677. His assets included four farms,
including Ingemarsgård, 36' Slg. in Rutsker parish which his wife had

inherited, plus household belongings and tools. Also, some
investments - among which was 200 Silverdalers in Splitsgård in
Klemensker, on which interest was paid with 6 Dalers and 4 pounds of
butter yearly.