The Giske estate valued at 3000 Bergen guilders
DN 16/540 · [March 1531?] · Oslo?
What the letter says
A letter that lacks its beginning and is probably from 1531 shows that some men, probably councillors of the realm, at the request of Peder the scribe, envoy of the Swedish steward Ture Jönsson, valued the Giske estate in Sunnmøre, Romsdal, Helgeland and Shetland. They based it on old registers and deeds of division and reckoned according to the estate's land rent. The estate was set at 3000 Bergen guilders, without the Giske main farm. Inger Ottesdatter planned to buy the estate.
The letter in modern English (excerpt)
[The beginning of the letter is missing.] ... the envoy of the steward of Sweden, Peder the scribe, [asked us] to be present and assess [uncertain reading], and set an honest value on the Giske estate that lies in Sunnmøre, Romsdal, Helgeland and Shetland. This was to be done according to what the old parchment registers and sealed deeds of division say, which Per the scribe laid before us, and concern what the estate might be worth under the law of Norway, custom and the usage of the land, as property for ever. The honourable and well-born woman Lady Ingerd Ottesdatter intends to buy the estate from Lord Ture Jönsson, who holds it on behalf of Lord Alv Knutsson's daughter's daughter, while the estate in Shetland is his own, and there he was the rightful odal owner. Therefore we examined carefully and went through the letters and registers concerning the Giske estate, according to the estate's true rent and land rent. In our judgement and by our good conscience [uncertain reading] we valued the Giske estate in Sunnmøre, Romsdal and Shetland, that which belonged to Lord Alv Knutsson's daughter's daughter and which Lord Ture Jönsson held in wardship, and that in Shetland which is Lord Ture Jönsson's inheritance and property, as property for ever to be worth 3000 Bergen guilders, 12 Danish shillings, fairly reckoned in gold coin, and three hvitter to a shilling [uncertain reading of the coin reckoning]. Excepted is the Giske main farm with its parts and appurtenances [everything that belongs to it], which we have valued [separately; uncertain reading]. For further truth of this we willingly set o
Original text (excerpt)
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Suer(ikes) hoffmestares sendebodh, Pedhar skriffuare *nærwarelce attoffuerleggia, och ffør en redligh peningh att setthe Gæskæ godzs j Sundmøre Rumdall, Hielghelandh och Hettlandh liggiandes epther gamla permansz rigisthers och skiptesbreffs, besegles liødelse, som ffor Per skriffuare ffør osz framlagdhe huesz thet kundhe effther Nories lagh seduenje och lanszens bruk till euerdelighe eghe vnt vore. Tå epther tij att ffor ærligh och velbordigh quinne ffr
Background
Ture Jönsson of Tre Rosor was a Swedish magnate who administered the estate for Alv Knutsson's daughter's daughter, who was Gjørvel Fadersdatter, while the estate in Shetland was his own inherited property. Ture had at this time come into conflict with the Swedish king Gustav Vasa, and that may explain why he wished to turn the estate into money. The letter is a valuation, an official assessment that was to form the basis for a sale. Land rent is the annual rent the tenant farmers paid, and the value of land was calculated from it. Bergen guilders were gold coins used in trade in Bergen. The letter gives a rare figure for what the whole Giske estate was worth in the 1500s.