Sigurd Jonsson takes Giske when the other party fails to appear
DN 1/706 · 20 July 1425 · Giske
What the letter says
Five men make known that they were at Giske on 20 July 1425 when Sigurd Jonsson called on Sigrid Erlendsdatter or her estate steward (ombudsmann) to come forward, without anyone coming. Two witnesses swore that Sigurd had lawfully summoned her with three weeks' notice from Bergen to Giske to hand over the inheritance. Sigurd therefore took Giske farm and estate under himself, but promised to answer before the king, the archbishop and the Council of the Realm if Magnus Magnusson had a better right.
The letter in modern English (excerpt)
To all men who see or hear this letter, Steinar Steinarsson, Arne Pålsson, Finn Olavsson, Arne Bårdsson and Erlend Utamsson send God's greeting and their own and make known: We were at Giske on the Friday before St Mary Magdalene's Day (22 July) in the year of our Lord 1425, that is 20 July, and heard that the well-born man Sigurd Jonsson called on and demanded to come forward the well-born woman Mistress Sigrid Erlendsdatter or her lawful estate steward. Neither of them came. Then Sigurd brought forward two reliable witnesses, Harald Olavsson and Jusse Knutsson. They swore on the book with a full oath that this was the Friday to which Sigurd had summoned Mistress Sigrid, with a three weeks' home summons from Bergen to Giske, so that she should hand over to him the inheritance she held on behalf of her maternal uncle. Since he found no one there, nor anyone for a long time, who would answer him about the inheritance, he took the farm of Giske and the Giske estate under himself. This was done with the reservation that if Magnus Magnusson has a better right than he, he is ready to appear before my lord the king, before the archbishop, before the Council of the Realm, lawman and town councillors, to seek right and do right, as far as the law requires of him. For greater certainty Sigurd Martinsson, who received these testimonies, set his seal together with ours. This was done on the day and in the year said before.
Original text (excerpt)
Ollom monnom þæim sæm þettæ bref seea æder høyræ sændir Steænner Steynerson Arne Paalson Finner Olafson Arne Bardeson oc Ærlend Vtamson q. g. oc sinæ kunnikt gerande at mer varom a Giske fredagen nest fore Maria Magdalena anno domini m cd xxv hørdom aa ær velboren man Sigurder Jonson quadde oc krafde velborne quinno hustru Sigride Erlens dotter elle henne lagligen vmbods man oc kom ther huarkit. læydde tha Sigurder fram ii skilrik vitne ær swa æyta Harald Olafson oc Jusse Knuson oc swa sworo a b
Background
This is one of the central letters in the inheritance dispute over Giske from 1409 to 1426. Sigrid Erlendsdatter, widow of Håkon Sigurdsson, and her second husband Magnus Magnusson claimed that Håkon had bequeathed Giske to her. Sigurd Jonsson was a daughter's son of Sigurd Havtoresson and Ingeborg Erlingsdatter and believed he was the rightful heir. The letter is a letter of witness: the witnesses confirm that the summons was lawful and that the other party did not appear, so that Sigurd could take over the estate without breaking the law. The letter says that Sigrid held the inheritance on behalf of her maternal uncle, which does not fit easily with what we otherwise know, and which may be due to an error or a family connection that is not apparent. Sigurd Jonsson later became drottsete (steward of the realm) and one of the most powerful men in the Nordic countries.
People: Sigurd Jonsson, Sigrid Erlendsdatter, Magnus Magnusson