The county thing testifies that Giske was owned without claims
DN 2/1125 · 1 April 1538 · Borgund
What the letter says
Twelve jurymen of Sunnmøre announce that Nils Torkilsson, estate steward at Giske for the knight Truid Ulfstand, put a question to the county thing in Borgund on 1 April 1538 with the king's bailiff present. He asked whether anyone had heard that the Giske estate had been claimed or sued for, or that anyone had come forward as odal heir. The whole assembly of commoners, especially the oldest, answered that Lord Alv Knutsson, Lord Knut Alvsson, Karl Knutsson and the maiden Karine had owned the estate freely and without objection.
The letter in modern English (excerpt)
To all good men before whom this letter comes, we, sworn jurymen of Sunnmøre, Olav Syvordsson, Amund at Stendal, Iver at Åkre, Amund Bjørnsson, Syvord Toresson, Arne at Vatne, Mogens at Lesetter, Per Gammelsson, Gulbrand in Stordal, Elling in Sødvik, Gunnar in Fjørtoft and Knut at Gamlem, make known the following. In the year 1538 after God's birth, the first Monday after Mid-Lent Sunday (1 April), Lord Nils Torkilsson, estate steward at Giske for the stern knight Lord Truid Ulfstand, came before us at a freely convened and general county thing in Borgund, and before all the commoners who were present, while our most gracious lord the king's bailiff was present. He asked before all men whether there was anyone among them, young or old, who had heard or learned that Giske or the Giske estate had been claimed or charged or brought before the court in any way, or whether they had heard of anyone who had come and given himself out to be odal-born or heir to the farm and estate. To this question all men answered unanimously, and especially the oldest and most experienced among them, that they had never heard or learned otherwise than that Lord Alv Knutsson had held the estate freely and unchallenged in every way against every man, and Lord Knut Alvsson after his father as long as he lived, and afterwards Karl Knutsson and Maiden Karine. No one knew of any infringement of the estate or any claim against it before law, court, thing or meeting. The knights
Original text (excerpt)
Ffor alle thee godæ mendt szom thette breff hender ffore at komme bekiendis wij effter swornæe laurettis mendt po Sundmør Olaff Syuordson Amundt po Stendal Yffuer po Akre Amund Biørnson Syuord Toreson Arne po Vatne Mogens a Lesetther Per Gammelson Gulbrand i Stordal Edling i Sødwijgh Gunner i Fiertufft oc Knud po Gamblem att aar effter gudz byrdt mdxxxviij første mandag efter midfaste søndag kom ffor osz po ett frijt sætt oc almyndelig fylckes tyng i Borgenn oc menige almwæ som tha tilstede wor
Background
After the Reformation in 1537 Giske ended up with the Danish nobleman Truid Ulfstand, who was married to Gjørvel Fadersdatter. The succession was disputed, and among others Inger Ottesdatter, Vincens Lunge and the archbishop had fought over the estate only a few years earlier. By getting the commoners to testify that the Tre Rosor family had held the estate without claims for many decades, Truid built up proof that the ownership was lawful and established by prescription. Jurymen (lagrettemenn) were farmers who had been sworn in to sit in the court and witness legal transactions. A county thing (fylkesting) was a thing for the whole county, here held in Borgund, the old trading town (kaupang) near Ålesund. The letter is a letter of testimony and shows how oral memory in the district was turned into written proof. Note that the witnesses do not mention that Knut Alvsson was declared an outlaw after his death in 1502, which could have given the Crown a claim to the estate.
People: Alv Knutsson, Knut Alvsson, Karl Knutsson, Karine Alvsdatter