The lawman rules on the inheritance after Håkon Sigurdsson
DN 1/621 · 19 August 1409 · Bergen
What the letter says
In Bergen on 19 August 1409 lawman Einar Eindridesson in Gulating and Bergen gives judgement in a case between Sir Alv Haraldsson and Sigrid Erlendsdatter about the inheritance after her late husband Håkon Sigurdsson. Sigrid acknowledged that she knew of no other heirs than the children of Jon Marteinsson and Lady Agnes, that is, Lady Katrin, the maiden Ingebjørg and Sigurd Jonsson. The lawman rules that Alv Haraldsson is the lawful representative of the siblings and Sigurd Jonsson the rightful heir of Håkon, until something truer is found. Bishop Jakob of Bergen and several of the town's leading men were present.
The letter in modern English (excerpt)
To all men who see or hear this letter, Einar Eindridesson, lawman in Gulating and Bergen, sends God's greeting and his own and makes known: On the Monday after the first Mass of Mary (the Assumption, 15 August) in the year of the Lord 1409 there came before the court, in the presence of the honourable men Sir Jakob, by the grace of God bishop in Bergen, Sir Anbjørn Sunnolvsson, provost at the Apostles' Church, Sir Otte Rømer, Peter Olafsson, commander and sysselmann in the said town, and the councillors Svale Rømer and Gunnar Kana, besides several other good men, on the one side the upright and wellborn man Sir Alv Haraldsson, knight, and on the other the upright woman Mistress Sigrid Erlendsdatter. Both acknowledged that they had lawfully come before the court from both sides. Then Sir Alv brought a claim against Mistress Sigrid concerning the inheritance and the property that has fallen after her husband Håkon Sigurdsson, especially the property, the lands and the land rent which Lady Katrin, the maiden Ingebjørg and Sigurd Jonsson and all the siblings inherited after their father and mother. Sir Alv then asked Mistress Sigrid whether she knew of any other heir than the said siblings, and she answered no. Sir Alv then demanded judgement from me in the case. I ruled the said Sir Alv Haraldsson to be full and lawful representative of the said siblings, and Sigurd Jonsson the rightful heir of Håkon Sigurdsson, to all the property that has fallen after Håkon, except the property the said siblings have to divide a
Original text (excerpt)
Ollum monnum theim sem thetta bref sea eder høyra sendir Einar Endridasson Gulathings oc Bergwinar logman q. g. oc sina kunigt gørande at aa manadagen nøstan efter vare fru messo fyrri anno domini m cd nono kom firir røtten firir høidirlega men herra Jacob med gudz naad sem biscup var j Bergwin herra Anbiorn Sunnolfsson prouast (at) apostola kirkiu herra Otte Rømar Peter Olafsson føhyrder oc sysloman j adirsogdum stad Swali Rømar Gun[na]r Kana firir mik radmen oc fløire addra godha men erlegin m
Background
The judgement is the first step in the inheritance dispute over Giske that lasted from 1409 to 1426. Håkon Sigurdsson died without children, and the inheritance then went to the children of his sister Agnes and Jon Marteinsson (Rømer). Sigurd Jonsson was young at this time, and so Alv Haraldsson conducted the case as ombudsmann, that is, representative. A lawman was the highest judge in a law district, here Gulating and Bergen. The proviso «until something truer is found» left room for the case to be taken up again, and that happened when Sigrid and her second husband Magnus Magnusson later claimed that Håkon had bequeathed Giske to her. The judgement shows that inheritance in the Middle Ages followed fixed rules of kinship, and that a widow had to prove a will to keep the estate.
People: Håkon Sigurdsson, Sigrid Erlendsdatter, Sigurd Jonsson, Alv Haraldsson (Bolt), Jon Marteinsson, Agnes Sigurdsdatter, Katarina Jonsdatter