The bailiff in Namdalen wants the sealing ground fru Inger has taken
DN 10/570 · 25 March 1529 · Numedal
What the letter says
Niels Ibsen, Henrik Krummedike's bailiff in Namdalen, writes to his lord on Maundy Thursday 1529. Bishop Mogens' bailiff came with ten men against his three and took the leidang, the land rent and the blubber of the fief by force, even though the lawman in Trondheim had decided on a division. Niels also reports that a sealing ground and several small islands in Namdalen, which were old fru Inger's estate, have now been taken by fru Ingerd. If Krummedike can obtain them from Holger Rosenkrantz, Niels will pay 20 Rhenish guilders a year for them.
The letter in modern English
My humble, dutiful and loyal service always ready for Your Sternness [form of address to a knight]. You shall know that Bishop Mogens has had the leidang, the land rent and the blubber that come from the fief taken. His bailiff and I came to words about this on your behalf, and we then agreed about this estate that I should at first receive [uncertain reading] the leidang and the land-rent butter, which was 20 barrels, and he should keep the blubber, whether it was little or much. It was 140 spekk [uncertain reading of the quantity]. This was decided for us in Trondheim by the lawman and other good men who were present there. Afterwards he would not keep the words that had been said before, but went and took both the one and the other by force and might and would not keep what honest men had said. He did this because he had more power than I, for he was himself the tenth [ten men], and I was no more than himself the third [three men]. If you can now get hold of it and pay him as he deserves [uncertain reading], it would be very good. You shall also know that there is a sealing ground and several small islands in Namdalen that were old fru Inger's estate. These fru Ingerd has now taken to herself. If you can now obtain them from Lord Holger, they would lie very conveniently in your fief. Then I would give you 20 Rhenish guilders for them every year.
Original text
Myn ødmiwcklegh plicktok tro thiennest eders strenghet altydh thyll redhe. Vydhe maa j att om den ledang och landzskyldh och peck detth som aff lennett gaar dett haffuer bispen Moens letth thagett. jttem var vij dher om tyll ordz hans ffogoth och jegh pa eders vegne tha vorth vij saa fforens om thette godz meth thette fførste att jegh gafftt den ledang landzskyldh smør som var xx tønner och handh skuldhe haffue beholdett dett peck som deth var lith och myckett.
Background
Old fru Inger is Ingerd Erlendsdatter, widow of Arild Kane, and the fru Ingerd who has taken the islands is, according to DN, fru Inger Ottesdatter of Austrått (died 1555), who considered herself her heir. Holger Rosenkrantz pursued the case for his brother's children, the children of Otte Holgersen Rosenkrantz, who were awarded the inheritance in August of the same year (DN 9/637). The letter shows that the dispute also concerned concrete hunting grounds along the coast: a kobbevær was a sealing ground, which gave blubber, skins and meat. The leidang (naval levy) had originally been a tax for the war fleet and had by this time become a fixed due, and the land rent was paid here in butter. Bishop Mogens was probably the Bishop of Hamar, who had a claim on part of the revenues in Namdalen, but the reason is not clear from the letter. Niels Ibsen probably meant to work or lease out the islands himself, since he offered a fixed yearly sum.
People: Ingerd Ottesdatter (fru Inger)