Settlement over Austrått with Otte Matsson's consent
DN 16/269 · 10 Novbr. 1478 · Throndhjem
What the letter says
In the common room in Trondheim on 10 November 1478, the dean, the archdeacon, a canon, the lawman and a councilman witnessed a settlement between Lady Elin and Lady Gertrud. Lady Gertrud would not accept that Lord Henrik Jensson had bought Austrått and the Austrått estate, and she held that she had much to claim from Henrik's heirs for her paternal and maternal inheritance and other matters. She pledged the whole of Uthaug and half a spann of rent in Innstrand to Lady Elin for the money Lord Henrik had paid out, until the case could be settled within three years by King Christian or whoever he appointed. Lord Jakob Matsson and Otte Matsson were present and consented, and Otte let Lady Elin have Bjugnholmen and the mill site in Bjugn as a fief for three years.
The letter in modern English
To all men who see or hear this letter, Svein Eiriksson, dean, Ulv Olavsson, archdeacon, Halstein Sollesson [uncertain reading], canon in Trondheim, Erik Amundsson, lawman, and Tomas Jute, councilman in the same place, send God's greeting and their own. We make known with this our open letter that in the year after God's birth 1478, the day before Martinmas [10 November], we were in the common room in Trondheim, asked by the well-born ladies Lady Elin and Lady Gertrud to witness a friendly settlement between them. It was then agreed between them with yes and handshake that Lady Gertrud, because she would not accept the purchase that Lord Henrik Jensson had made of Austrått and the Austrått estate, and held that she had much to claim from Lord Henrik Jensson's heirs concerning her paternal and maternal inheritance and other matters, pledged to Lady Elin the whole of Uthaug and half a spann of rent [land rent] in Innstrand for the money that Lord Henrik Jensson had paid out. The pledge was to stand until they were separated by law within three years hereafter before our gracious lord King Christian or those he commands to do it. The well-born men Lord Jakob Matsson and Otte Matsson were also present and consented to this settlement. Otte Matsson also granted Lady Elin Bjugnholmen and the mill site inside Bjugn to hold as a fief for the next three years.
Original text
Ollom monnum them som thetta breff see eller høra Sendha Swen Ericson Deken Wlff Olaffson Erkedeken Halsten solle Canik j Trondhem Erik Amundson lagman Thomas Jwte radhman ther sama stadz Q. gudz oc sina kunnocktgørande med thesso waro opno breffue ath arom æpther gudz boord Mcdlxxviijo jnprofesto sancti Martinj wore wij j Commune stwfwone j Trondhem til bidne aff welbyrdwgo qwinnor Ffrw Elin oc Ffrw Gertrud at afuer wære eina winligha sæmiæ theire j millom War thet tha j teire skilorde med ia
Background
Otte Matsson (Rømer) was the father of Lady Inger Ottesdatter, who later lived at Austrått, and he himself became an heir of Katarina Jonsdatter and Junker Hans. Gertrud Matsdatter and Lord Jakob Matsson were probably his siblings. Lady Elin Nilsdatter (Kane) was probably the widow or heir of Henrik Jensson (Gyldenløve), but the letter does not say so directly. The dispute concerned who had the right to Austrått on Ørland, and it was settled for a time with a pledge: Lady Gertrud gave land as security for the money Henrik had paid, so that no one lost anything before the king could judge. Spann was a unit for land rent, originally a measuring bucket, and rent here means the yearly land rent. Austrått later became the seat of Lady Inger and her husband Nils Henriksson, who was probably the son of Lord Henrik Jensson.
People: Otte Matsson (Rømer)