Judgement on the fishing in the Løxa near Oslo
DN 1/307 · 1 Septbr. 1347 · Oslo
What the letter says
Sigurd Havtoresson, lawman in Oslo, and three other men held a court session by the river Løxa on 1 September 1347. The monasteries of Hovedøya and Nonneseter in Oslo claimed the fishing in the Løxa and the lake Folangr, while Øystein Gislesson held that a farm had the right to fish there. The judges found that the monasteries had brought the clearest witnesses and awarded them all the fishing in the river. Øystein must pay compensation for what he had fished unlawfully, with a surcharge for each year.
The letter in modern English (excerpt)
To all men who see or hear this letter, Sigurd Havtoresson, lawman in Oslo, Nikolas Sigurdsson, Olav Jonsson and Arne Kampe send God's greeting and their own. We make known to you that we were at a court meeting on the bank by the river Løxa on the Saturday seven nights before the later Mass of Mary (8 September) in the 29th year of the reign of our worthy lord Magnus, by God's grace king of Norway, Sweden and Scania, that is 1 September 1347. There came Sir Andor, abbot of Hovedøya, and Lady Elin, abbess of Nonneseter in Oslo. Their stewards demanded that Øystein Gislesson should bring forward the witnesses, the men he himself had promised and named before Sir Ogmund Guttormsson, hirdstjore in Viken, and in every [illegible] to answer to the lord abbot and the lady abbess under our judgement, as his letter, which is attached here, bears witness. Øystein then brought these witnesses: Gudbrand Lang and Øyvind at Øyaker. They swore that they knew that [illegible]angarsgarden owned fishing in the Løxa at fyndænne [uncertain reading], but they did not know what they own now [illegible] demanded these witnesses often, as he had promised before Sir Ogmund, and no more came from him [illegible] who stated word for word the same as Gudbrand and Øyvind swore, and no more [illegible] and Gudbrand Lang's and several men's, as it says itself. We judged [illegible] the lord abbot not summoned, nor his steward, and there was no mention [illegible] steward for my lord king
Original text (excerpt)
Ollum monnum þæim sæm þetta bref sea eðr hœyra senda Sigurðr Hafþoressun logmadr j Oslo Nikulos Sigurdær sun Olafuer Jons sun ok Arne kampe Q. G. ok sinæ. Mer gerom yðr kunnict at mer varom a stemfnu a bakka viðr anæ Lœxo a laughardaghen siau nattom firir Mariu messo œfre a niundæ are ok xx rikis vars wyrdulaghs herra Magnusær med guðs nad Noreghs Swia ok Skanæ kononghs. kom þa þer herra Andor abote j Hofwdœy [ok fru] Elin abbadiss at Nunnusettre j Oslo ok þæira vmboðs men kuaddu ok krafdu Œystæ
Background
The letter is a letter of judgement, made so that the monasteries would have written proof of their right. A lawman was the king's judge in a law district, and here he gives judgement together with other men on the very spot the case concerns. The lawman is called Sigurd Havtoresson, the same name as the Sudreim man who later married Ingeborg Erlingsdatter of Giske. It is uncertain whether he is the same man, and the case itself has no connection to Giske; the letter was probably included in the search because of the name. The case shows how valuable fishing in rivers and lakes was, both as food and as income for church institutions. The hirdstjore Ogmund Guttormsson, who is mentioned, was the king's plenipotentiary in Viken.
People: Sigurd Havtoresson