Hans Sigurdsson becomes betrothed and pledges Giske
DN 16/219 · 11 March 1464 · Vardberg
What the letter says
The provost Iver Vikingsson, four squires and the burgomaster, the town bailiff and six town councillors of Ny-Varberg bear witness that Hans Sigurdsson became betrothed to the maiden Ingeborg, daughter of Sir Åke Axelsson, in the burghers' hall at Varberg on 11 March 1464. The couple are to have joint ownership from the wedding night. As a morning gift Hans gives Ingeborg all the property he and his mother own in Västergötland, and in addition 300 lødige marks, with Giske and the whole Giske estate as security. His mother, Lady Philippa, was present and consented.
The letter in modern English (excerpt)
All men who see or hear this letter we greet eternally in Our Lord: Iver Vikingsson, provost at St Mary's Church in Oslo, Karl Bengtsson, Germund Bengtsson, Lauris Finkenow and Anders Pedersson, squires, Hans Vædde, burgomaster in Ny-Varberg, Niels Unge, town bailiff, and Guttorm Gunnesson, Per Krook, Håkon Åkesson, Sven Asmundsson, Håkon Pedersson and Asmund Asmundsson, town councillors in the same place. We make known with this our open letter that in the year after God's birth 1464, on Mid-Lent Sunday (11 March), we were at Varberg in the burghers' hall. Then the well-born young man Hans Sigurdsson became betrothed to the well-born maiden Ingeborg, daughter of Sir Åke Axelsson, on such terms as are written here: As soon as they both come into one bed, there shall be helmingsfelag (joint ownership in which each owns half) between them, both in movable goods and in fixed property, all that they own or shall come to own. At the same time Hans Sigurdsson gave her as a morning gift the ownership of as much property as he and his mother owned in Västergötland. Yet so that if Lady Philippa outlives him, Lady Philippa shall have as much of his property in Norway as the property in Västergötland is worth, before division. Ingeborg or her heirs shall keep the ownership of all the property in Västergötland to own for ever. In addition he at the same time gave her three hundred lødige marks (marks in fine silver) as a morning gift, and pledged Giske and all the Giske estate for this. The property cannot be redeemed u
Original text (excerpt)
Alle men, som thetta breff see, eller høre, Helsse wij, Jwer Vigkingsson prouast i Mariekyrkio i Oslo, Karl Benctsson, Germund Benctsson, Lauris Finkenow, Anders Pedersson aff wapn, Hans Vædde borgemestere i Nywordbergh, Niels Vnge byfogedhe, Gottorm Gunnesson, Per Krook, Haken Akesson, Swen Asmundsson, Haken Pedersson, Asmund Asmundsson, raadhmen ther sammestadh, Ewinnelige med worherre, Gøre wij vidherligth med thetta wort obne breff, at Aar effter gutz byrdh Mcdlxquarto, midfasto søndagh, war
Background
Hans Sigurdsson was the only known son of Sigurd Jonsson and Philippa of Eberstein, and he was the heir to Giske. The letter is a betrothal agreement, that is a written contract about the marriage and the property, of the kind the nobility made to secure both families. Helmingsfelag means that husband and wife each own half of everything, and the morning gift is the gift the husband gave his wife the morning after the wedding, which she kept as security if he died first. Lødige marks are marks in fine silver, so 300 lødige marks was a large sum, and it says a great deal that Giske was pledged for it. Åke Axelsson Thott belonged to a powerful Danish-Swedish noble family with the castle of Varberg in Halland as its seat. Hans Sigurdsson died as early as 1466 without children, and the estate was not divided among the relatives until 1490. An endorsement from the 1600s probably mixes up the names and calls this Iver Vikingsson's letter of morning gift.
People: Hans Sigurdsson (junker Hans), Philippa av Eberstein