Jon Marteinsson buys land in Vilner in Romerike
DN 2/485 · 18 June 1384 · Eidsvold
What the letter says
Three men make known that on 18 June 1384, west of the churchyard at Eidsvoll, they saw Jon Kolbeinsson and Jon Marteinsson take each other by the hand. Jon Kolbeinsson admitted that he had sold half a markebol and a smaller share in Vilner in Skaun in Sørum parish in Romerike to Jon Marteinsson. He also confirmed that he had received the whole payment.
The letter in modern English (excerpt)
To all men who see or hear this letter, Øystein Amundsson, Guttorm Aslaksson and Gudleiv Toresson send God's greeting and their own. We wish to make known that we were west of the churchyard at Eidsvoll on the Saturday after St Botolph's Eve (18 June) in the third year of the reign of our worthy lord Olav, by the grace of God king of Norway, Denmark and the land of the Goths (1384). We saw and heard Jon Marteinsson on the one side and Jon Kolbeinsson on the other take each other by the hand, and Jon Kolbeinsson then admitted before us that he had sold to Jon Marteinsson half a markebol (land with one mark's land rent) in Vilner, in the northern farm and also in the western [uncertain reading], and half a sæirrisbol [uncertain reading] in Vilner, which lies in Skaun in Sørum parish in Romerike. It was sold free and with lawful title, without complaint from any man, with all the parts and rights that lie with it or have lain with it of old and new, inside the fence and outside. Furthermore Jon admitted before us that he had received the first and last payment and all the instalments in between, as was agreed in their purchase of this land. In truth of this we set our seals to this letter, which was made on the day and in the year named above. Endorsement: On the back in a somewhat later hand: Letter about Vilner in Skaun.
Original text (excerpt)
Ollum monnum þæim sem þettæ bref sea æder høiræ *sanda Æistæin Amundærsun Gudþormer Aslakssun ok Gudlæifwer Þoressun q. g. ok sine mer vilium yder kunnikt gerra at mer varom firir vesten kirkiugardenum aa Æiswalde a laugurdagh neste iptir Botolfs vaku a iii are rikis vars vyrdulix herra Olafs med gudes nad Noregs Dana ok Gotha konongs saghom ok høirdum aa at þæir helldo hondom saman af æini holfwo Jon *Martæinssunar en af annære holfw Jon Kolbæinssun med þui skilorde at han væitte þa viddergangu
Background
Jon Marteinsson (Rømer) was married to Agnes, daughter of Sigurd Havtoresson of Sudreim and Ingeborg Erlingsdatter of Giske. Their son was Sigurd Jonsson, who later became drottsete and owner of Giske. The letter is a deed of purchase, made to prove that the land had been lawfully bought and paid for, and that the seller had no further claims. A markebol was land that yielded one mark in annual land rent. Sudreim lies in Romerike, and Jon Marteinsson was probably building up landed property near his in-laws' manor. King Olav Håkonsson was king over Norway and Denmark from 1380, and these were the first years of the union period.
People: Jon Marteinsson