Sixteen men postpone the judgement on Giske
DN 1/713 · 6 July 1426 · Bergen
What the letter says
Sixteen men, among them lawman Torbjørn Herbjørnsson and three squires, meet in the bishop's residence in Bergen in July 1426 to judge between Sigurd Jonsson and Magnus Magnusson about Giske, the Giske estate and the inheritance after Håkon Sigurdsson. They find the case too large and difficult, particularly because the Church has not yet decided how Håkon's will is to be understood. They propose a settlement by six men from each side, but the parties refuse. Everything is therefore to stand as it stands until the archbishop of Nidaros has answered about the will and about who is to judge.
The letter in modern English (excerpt)
To all men who see or hear this letter, Harvik Henriksson, Guttorm Bentsson and Narve Jakobsson, squires, Håvard Botolvsson, Herman Lange, Torbjørn Herbjørnsson, lawman in Bergen, Torleiv Erlingsson, Olav Toresson, Jon Ivarsson, Aslak Ulvsson, Peder Jonsson, Peder Kjetilsson, Tore Jonsson, Endrid Halldansson, Jon Eivindsson and Torgils Mattisson send God's greeting and their own. We make known that on the Saturday before Seljumannamesse (8 July), in the 37th regnal year of our worthy lord, Lord Eric, by the grace of God King of Norway, Sweden and Denmark and Duke of Pomerania (1426), we were in the bishop's residence in Bergen. There the well-born men Sigurd Jonsson on the one side and Magnus Magnusson on the other came before us, as they had agreed, so that we should pass a judgement between them in the strife and disagreement they have about Giske and the Giske estate and the inheritance after Håkon Sigurdsson. We found the case large and difficult to judge in such haste, particularly because the Church's judgement had not yet clarified the will and the gifts which the said Håkon Sigurdsson, of sound mind, is said to have made, as the letters about it show. The worthy fathers, the lord bishops who were here now, had referred the case to the lord archbishop of Nidaros, so that he should judge it, or summon it here and command someone to do so on his behalf. When they referred the case to his discretion, the said Magnus said that he himself would go to the archbishop about this
Original text (excerpt)
Ollom monnom þeim sem þetta bref sea ædder høiræ sænda Haruikt Henriksson Guttormer Beinktzsson ok Narfue Jæcopsson væpnara Hauardher Bottolfsson Hermannus langhe Thorbiorn Herbiorsson laghman j Bergwin Thorleif Ellinghsson Olafuer Thoresson Jon Jfuarsson Aslac Vlfsson Pæder Jonsson Pædher Kædelsson Thorer Jonsson Endridh Haldansson Jon Ewindsson oc Thorgils Matthisson q. g. ok sina kunnikt gerande at a laugurdaghen nest firir sanctorum jn Selio dagh aa xxxvij aare rikis vars vyrdelighs herra, h
Background
The letter belongs to the inheritance dispute over Giske from 1409 to 1426. After Håkon Sigurdsson's death the widow Sigrid Erlendsdatter and her new husband Magnus Magnusson claimed that Håkon had bequeathed Giske to her, while Sigurd Jonsson, Håkon's sister's son, claimed the estate as heir. Wills were the Church's field of jurisdiction, and so the question of the will was sent to the archbishop, while inheritance under the law belonged to secular law. The letter is a letter of postponement from a panel of judges. It shows how much was at stake: the Giske estate was one of the largest collections of land in the country, with income from land rent and fishing along the whole coast. Sigurd Jonsson got Giske in the end.
People: Sigurd Jonsson, Magnus Magnusson, Håkon Sigurdsson