Judgement on Hammarö against Jon Havtoresson's son
DN 10/124 · 5 July 1414 · Skara
What the letter says
In Skara on 5 July 1414 Bishop Brynjolv of Skara, lawman Gustav Magnusson and eight other judges with the king's authority give judgement in the case between the dean Karl Udsson and the knight Ulf Jonsson concerning the property on Hammarö in Värmland. The judges find that Ulf's parents, Jon Havtoresson and Lady Birgitta, sold the property to King Magnus before the Black Death, and that the king gave it to Skara cathedral. Jon later took the property back by force, but Queen Margaret reinstated the dean. The property is awarded to the cathedral, with a fine of 40 marks and 6 marks for anyone who hinders it.
The letter in modern English (excerpt)
We, Brynjolv, by the grace of God bishop in Skara, who holds the king's judicial power, Gustav Magnusson, knight and lawman in Västergötland, Torkel, cathedral provost, and Gunne Prica, canon in the same cathedral in Skara, Jon Bengtsson, knight, Torsten Simonsson, Lindorm Jönsson, Sigge Larsson, Peter Andersson and Jösse Gylta, squires, who hold the same royal judicial power, make known to all and acknowledge with this our open letter the following. When we held a rettertingsting (ræfsteting) in Skara, as our dear gracious lord, the highborn prince King Erik, had charged and commanded us with his open letters, in the year 1414, on the Thursday after Our Lady's Day visitationis (the Visitation of Mary, 2 July), there stood before us the upright and wellborn men Sir Karl Udsson, dean in Skara, and Sir Ulf Jonsson, knight, with open letters and evidence on both sides. The case concerned the property and estate which Skara cathedral has belonging to the deanery on Hammarö in Värmland, with everything that belongs to it. By full examination and care we found clearly in the cathedral's letters that the wellborn man Sir Jon Havtoresson, knight, father of the said Sir Ulf Jonsson, and his wife Lady Birgitta, with yes and will before the Great Death, according to old law, had sold and fully handed over this property on Hammarö with appurtenances to the highborn prince King Magnus, who was then king of Sweden, God have his soul. They parted themselves, their heirs and descendants from the property, with all the right and odal they right
Original text (excerpt)
Wy Bryniulff med gudz nadh biscop i Scara, konunxdom hafuande, oc Gøtzstaff Magnusson riddere oc laghman i Westragøtland, Thorchel domprowast, oc Gunne prica canunk i same domkyrkio i Scara, Jon Benctsson riddere, Thorsten Symonsson, Lindhorm Iønisson, Sigge Lafrentzsson, Pæther Andresson oc Jusse Gylta væpnara, sama konungxdom hafuande, görom thet allum viterlict, oc bekennomps med thetta vart opna breff, at then tidh vi ræfstathing hafdhom i Scara, epter thy oss war kære nadhogh herra, oc högh
Background
Jon Havtoresson was the brother of Sigurd Havtoresson of Sudreim, who married the Giske heiress Ingeborg Erlingsdatter, and both were grandsons through their mother of King Håkon V. The brothers owned land both in Norway and Sweden, and King Magnus Eriksson ruled both realms. The letter is a judgement from a rettertingsting, a travelling royal court meant to put right injustice and abuse of power. It shows that members of the Sudreim family could take land by armed force, and that the judges held that long possession could not prevail against a written sale. The case came up again under King Eric of Pomerania, the union king after Queen Margaret. The letter concerns Swedish land and sheds light on the closest family of the Giske owners in the 1300s.