Gertrud Jakobsdatter pledges Finne at Voss
DN 1/861 · 22 Septbr. 1462 · Bergen
What the letter says
In Bergen on 22 September 1462, Gertrud Jakobsdatter pledges the whole of Finne at Voss with its deserted farms, and her share of Horwiid with its fishery, to the knight Sir Alv Knutsson. The pledge is for 3 half-pieces of English cloth and 20 Arnoldus guilders in gold (the editor's Danish summary says 40). Alv is to use the land until he gets his money back, and if Gertrud wishes to sell, she is to sell only to Alv, his wife Magnhild Oddsdatter or their children, since the land is their rightful odal.
The letter in modern English (excerpt)
To all men who see or hear this letter, Gertrud Jepsdatter (Jakobsdatter) sends God's greeting and her own. I make known with this my open letter that I have pledged to the well-born man Sir Alv Knutsson, knight, the whole of Finne, which lies up at Voss, with deserted farms and all rights that lie with it or have lain with it, and Horwiid [uncertain reading] with its fishery, as much as my share there is. The pledge is given for 3 half-pieces of English cloth (a half-piece is half a woven roll) and 20 Arnoldus guilders (gold coin from Guelders) in gold. The said Sir Alv shall freely have and use these lands and the fishery until he has received his money back in such payment as is written, without any of the yield being deducted from the principal before he has got the money back. Should I wish to sell these lands and the fishery, or other lands or shares, because I am in need, I shall not sell it to anyone other than Sir Alv or his wife Lady Magnhild Oddsdatter and their children, since it is their rightful odal. When I can redeem these lands again, I shall compensate the said Sir Alv for all the costs he has put into house and land, according to the judgement and valuation of good men. For greater certainty and truth of this I ask that these good men set their seals together with mine on the letter: Gaute Kane Nilsson, knight, Peder Åkesson, squire, Mattis Bosson, canon in Bergen, and Arne Anundsson, town councillor in the same place. Writ
Original text (excerpt)
Ollom monnom theim som thetta bref sea eder høra sender Gertru[d Je]psdotter q. gudis ok sina kunught gørandis med tesso myno opno brefue at iek hafuer panth sett velbornom manne her Alf Knwtzson riddare alt Finnena liggiandis vp a Vos med ødegardha ok allom lunnendom som ther til ligger eller lighat hafuer ok [Hor]wiid med fiske swa mykit som myn part ther vti er, fore iii half støcke engilst klæ[de] ok xx arnaldis gyldena i guld. Skal for. her Alf tessa iorder ok fiske frelsligha fylghia ok br
Background
Gertrud Jakobsdatter of the Rømer family had been married to Håvard Botolvsson of Finne, and she had inherited the land from their children. Håvard was the paternal uncle of Magnhild Oddsdatter, the wife of Alv Knutsson of Tre Rosor, and therefore Alv and Magnhild regarded this as their odal, as the judgement of 1472 later established. A letter of pledge was a common way of borrowing money: the lender could use the land and take its yield until the loan was repaid. That the payment was in English cloth and gold coin from Guelders shows that Bergen was an international trading town where imported goods could be used as payment. Gertrud says she may come into need, and the pledge probably gave Alv a first grip on the property he later won in full. In 1462 Alv did not yet own Giske, but the letter shows how he gathered land in western Norway.
People: Alv Knutsson, Magnhild Oddsdatter