The register of fines after the killing of Knut Alvsson's bailiff
DN 13/162 · 24 February 1499 · [Akershus?]
The bailiff Lasse Skjold governed Romerike for Knut Alvsson, son of Alv Knutsson and commander at Akershus. The register of fines after the killing was probably kept for Knut or for the king.
What the letter says
The register is dated Reminiscere Sunday, 24 February 1499, and lists the farmers in Nes parish, Odal and Eidsvoll parish who killed the bailiff Lasse Skjold, with what each of them was to pay. The fines were paid in silver by weight, in copper and tin coin, in ready money and in goods such as clothes, horses, copper kettles and tin jugs. Three guarantors, Jon Toresson in Opaker, Iver Bjørnsson in Blegstad and Tord Jensson in Bjerke, are entered as beheaded in Oslo, in entries later struck out. Nes paid in all 16½ mark 6 skilling 2 albus in ready money, 247 lodd of silver and 202 mark in copper and tin, and the whole register ends at about 20 mark in ready money, 319½ lodd of silver and 292 mark in copper.
The letter in modern English
Register of the farmers who struck Lasse Skjold dead, in the year [14]99, Reminiscere Sunday [24 February]. Nes parish. Torger Jonsson in Ullershov 4 lodd of silver [a lodd was roughly 14 to 15 grams]. Gudmann Jensson in the same place 7 mark in copper and tin. Peder Nilsson in Folberg, guarantor, paid 10 lodd of silver. Oluf Bjørnsson in Nordby, guarantor, clothes worth 9 mark. Frode Lauritsson in Hennen 6 mark in copper. Tjøstolv Bjørnsson in Nordby 3 mark in money. Jon Toresson in Opaker, guarantor, was beheaded in Oslo, 6 lodd of silver for his goods [crossed out in the manuscript]. Iver Bjørnsson in Blegstad, guarantor, was beheaded in Oslo [crossed out in the manuscript]. Torkjell Toresson in Grave 5 mark in copper. Erik in Finstad 1 kvintin and 3 lodd of silver. Askjell Gulliksson in Strøm 4 mark in copper. Tord Jensson in Bjerke, guarantor, for the [illegible], was beheaded in Oslo [crossed out in the manuscript]. Halvard Skrubb 2 mark in copper. Total for the page: copper 23½ [mark], silver 23 lodd and 1 kvintin, money 11½ [mark].
Original text
Register paa the bøndere som sloge Lass Skiold i hiell aar etc. xc nono dominica reminiscere etc. Nessogen. Torger Jonsson i Vllenshoff iiij lod sylff Gudman Jensson ibidem vjj marc i kobber oc tyn Peder Nielsson i Folberg loffwitzman betaleth x lod sylff Oluff B(i)ørnsson i Nordby loffwitzman klede for ix marc Frode Lawrisson i Hendnen vj marc i kobber Tyødstell Biørnsson i Nordby iij marc peninge [Jon Toresson i Opagger loffwitzman [bleff aff hwggeth i Aaslo vj lod sylff for hans fæ [Jower
Background
The register is the account following the verdict at Konghelle in December 1498 (DN 21/677), in which the farmers who had killed Knut Alvsson's bailiff Lasse Skjold were allowed to pay fines instead of being outlawed. Knut Alvsson, son of Alv Knutsson and Magnhild Oddsdatter, was commander at Akershus, and the register was probably kept for him or for the king. Several of the nine who represented the people at Konghelle appear in the register, and Jon Toresson and probably Jogar, here Iver, Bjørnsson are among those beheaded. Guarantors (lovsmenn) were men who stood surety for others or had pleaded the case for the district. A lodd of silver was roughly 14 to 15 grams, a kvintin was a quarter of a lodd, and albus was a small silver coin. That the fines were paid in kettles, jugs and horses shows how little ready money there was in the countryside. The bottom of each page has crumbled away, so several totals are missing.
People: Knut Alvsson