Jon Marteinsson buys land in Hvalheim in Romerike
DN 1/538 · 28 February 1392 · Oslo
What the letter says
Tidikt Eilivsson and Peter Jonsson bear witness that on 28 February 1392 in the Digerstue in Oslo Jon Marteinsson bought a twelve-øresbol in Hvalheim in Ullensaker from Bjørn Alvsson, with the consent of his wife Ingerid Ormsdatter. The parties took each other by the hand, and Bjørn declared that he had received full payment.
The letter in modern English (excerpt)
To all who see or hear this letter, Tidikt Eilivsson and Peter Jonsson send God's greeting and their own. We make known that we were in the Digerstue [Digraskytninggenum, the great tavern room] in Oslo on the Wednesday in the first week of Lent in the third year of the reign of our worthy lord, Sir Eirik, by the grace of God king of Norway (28 February 1392). There we saw and heard them take each other by the hand: the upright and wellborn man Jon Marteinsson on the one side, and on the other side Bjørn Alvsson, with the yes and consent of Ingerid Ormsdatter, his wedded wife. The condition was that Bjørn sold to Jon a twelve-øresbol (øresbol: land that yields one øre in land rent) of land in Hvalheim in Ullinshof [Vllinssofs] parish in Romerike. Bjørn then acknowledged that he had received from Jon the first penny and the last and all in between, according to what they agreed in the purchase, for the twelve øresbol. In truth we set our seals to this letter, which was made on the day and year said before. Endorsement: On the back, contemporary, but [partly] in a much later hand: Hvalheim in Ullinshof parish in Romerike, which Sir Jon Mortensen bought.
Original text (excerpt)
Ollum monnum þæim sæm þætta bref sea æder høra sændæ Tididkt Æilifson ok Peter Ionson q. g. ok sina kunnikt gerandæ at mit varom j Digraskytninggenum j Oslo a miduikædaghin j fyrstæ viku fastu a þridhia are rikis vars vyrduligs herra herra Æiriks mæd gudes naad Nories konungs saghom ok høyrdum a at þæir hældo hondum saman ærlig man ok vælboren Jon Martæinsson af ænnj halfuu æn af annære halfuu Biorn Alfsson mæd ja ok samþykth Ingiridhiu Ormsdotter æghin kona hans mæd skilorde at Biorn sælde Jone
Background
Jon Marteinsson of the Rømer family was married to Agnes, daughter of Sigurd Havtoresson of Sudreim and Ingeborg Erlingsdatter of Giske. Their son was Sigurd Jonsson, who later won Giske in the inheritance dispute and became drottsete. Sigurd Havtoresson died around this time, and the letter shows Jon in the process of building up his own landed property in Romerike, near Sudreim. An øresbol is land that yielded one øre in land rent, and twelve øresbol corresponds to one and a half marks. The handshake was the legal form for concluding an agreement, and the letter of testimony secured the purchase afterwards. The wife's consent is mentioned because a married woman had a right in joint or inherited land, and a sale without her yes could be challenged.
People: Jon Marteinsson