Sigurd Havtoresson buys land in Harhamar
DN 1/380 · 17 Septbr. 1363 · Giske
What the letter says
Svein Eiriksson, estate manager on Giske, and Otte Arnesson make known that on Giske on 17 September 1363 they witnessed Erlend Guttormsson selling 13 månedsmatsbol of land in Harhamar on Sunnmøre to Sir Sigurd Havtoresson. Erlend admitted that he had received the whole purchase price.
The letter in modern English (excerpt)
To all men who see or hear this letter, Svein Eiriksson, rådsmann (estate manager) on Giske, and Otte Arnesson send God's greeting and their own. We make known that we two were present on Giske, saw and heard Erlend Guttormsson sell to the honourable lord Sir Sigurd Havtoresson 13 månedsmatsbol (land with a land rent equal to one month's food) of land in Harhamar, which lies on Sunnmøre. The sale is free and with lawful title against every man, with all the things and rights that lie with it and have lain with it of old and new, outside the fence and inside. Erlend Guttormsson also admitted there and then that he had received from Sir Sigurd the first penny and the last, according to what was agreed in the purchase. In truth of this we two set our seals together with Erlend's seal to this letter, which was made on Giske on the Sunday after Holy Cross Day in the autumn (14 September) in the ninth year of the reign of our worthy lord Håkon, by the grace of God king of Norway [1363]. Endorsement: On the back in a contemporary hand: Deed of purchase for Harhamar.
Original text (excerpt)
Ollum monnum þeim sem þetta bref sea eder hœyra senda Suein Eiriksson radzman j Gidzska ok Otte Arnæ son Q. G. ok sina kunnikt gerandæ a mit varom j hia j Gidzska saam ok hœyrdum aa. er Erlenðr Gudthormsson sældi heiderleghom herra herra Sigurde Hafthoressyni xiii manadamata bool jerder i Haramre er ligger a Sunmœre frialsæ ok heimola firir huerium manne med ollum þeim lutum ok lunnyndum sem til liggiæ ok leghet fra forno ok nyu vtten gardz ok jnnen. kenðez þer ok j samstundis aðr nemfðr Erlenðr
Background
Sigurd Havtoresson was married to Ingeborg Erlingsdatter, who received Giske from her father Erling Vidkunsson in 1354, and in 1363 he was lord of Giske. The letter is a deed of purchase, written on Giske. A rådsmann was the estate manager who ran the estate when the owner was away, and this shows that Giske was a large estate with its own administration. A månedsmatsbol is land that yielded an annual land rent equal to one month's food for one person, and 13 månedsmatsbol is a considerable share of a farm. Harhamar lies near Giske, and the purchase shows that the owners were gathering land around the manor. The king was Håkon VI Magnusson, and it was only fourteen years after the Black Death, when much land was cheap and available.
People: Sigurd Havtoresson