Life and Works
Together
with Førpollen, Bø-Vinje-Gaukværøy was a centre of power in
Vesterålen as early as in the Iron Age. Easily cultivated soil and
nearness to rich fishing fields were reasons enough for people to want to
live and work here. From olden times, the area has been served by a
sheriff and a parson. Bø church is mentioned on a document as early as
1381. Today, the area has the greatest population density in Bø community.
At one time, Gaukværøy was one of the
largest fishing villages in Vesterålen. The island was depopulated in the
early 1950's.
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"A half league
southwest of the land of Bøe, lies a village called Væren. The
land called Bøe is an annex of Hofdesell (Hadsel), which is the
main church in the parish of Vesteraalen. Nevertheless, authorities
have assigned there a priest, who resides in the same Bøe, and he
serves as well out at the fishing village called Vær every third
Sunday. Out here in the same fishing village live 20 poor fishermen,
and it is seldom that fishing here is good. Nevertheless, each
summer finds citizens of Trondheim and Bergen here, with their staff
of buyers, and they do get large quantities of fish each year,
enough to load their cargo vessels." |