Jon Marteinsson buys farms in Värmland
DN 2/549 · 27 March 1397 · Arnestad
What the letter says
Hogtor Finkelsson and Jon Andresson make known that at Arnestad in Ottestad parish on 27 March 1397 they heard Svein Birgersson admit that a good twelve years earlier he had sold his patrimony to Jon Martensson. The sale concerned the whole of Signebyn and half of Elgtuna in Sillerud parish in Värmland. Svein confirmed that he had received full payment as agreed in the earlier deed of purchase.
The letter in modern English (excerpt)
To all men who see or hear this letter, Hogtor Finkelsson and Jon Andresson send God's greeting and their own, and make known: We were at Arnestad in Ottestad parish in Skaon on the Tuesday after Our Lady's Day in Lent (the Annunciation, 25 March), in the eighth year of the reign of our worthy lord Sir Erik, by the grace of God king of Norway (1397). We saw and heard Svein Birgersson admit with a yes and a handshake that a good twelve years earlier he had sold to the honourable and wellborn man Jon Martensson his own patrimony, half of Elgtuna and the whole of Signebyn, which lie in Sillerud parish in Värmland. The sale was free and with lawful title and wholly without claims from any man, with all parts and rights that lie and have lain with the lands from old and new times, outside the fence and inside. Svein Birgersson also admitted that he had received the first penny and the last and all in between, as was agreed in their bargain and as their earlier letter about this shows. In truth of this Svein Birgersson set his seal together with our seals to this letter, which was made on the day and year said before.
Original text (excerpt)
Ollum monnum þeim sæm þetta bref sea ædher høyra. sænda Hokthor Finkelsson ok Jon Andresson q. g. ok sina. kunnykt gørande. at mit warum j Arnastadhum i Ottastadha sokn j *Skaon, a tisdaghin næsta æfter wara frw dagh j langafasto a attunda are rikis okkars virdheligs herra, herra Eriks medh gudz nadh Noreks konongs, saghum ok hørdhum vppa. at Swein Birghirsson vidherkændis þæs medh ia ok handarbande, thet han hafdhe sælt hederlighom manne ok welbornum Jon Martensson. wel fore tolf arom. sith egh
Background
Jon Marteinsson (Rømer) was married to Agnes, daughter of Sigurd Havtoresson and Ingeborg Erlingsdatter of Giske. Their son was Sigurd Jonsson, who later became drottsete and owner of Giske. The letter shows that the family also gathered land across the border in Sweden, which was natural because Norway and Sweden had had a common king, and the nobility had property in both realms. This is a letter of testimony about an earlier purchase. Such letters were made when the buyer wanted the purchase confirmed anew, perhaps because the first letter had been lost, or to protect himself against claims from the seller's family. Patrimony and odal land was land the family had a strong right to redeem, and so it was important that the seller himself confirmed that everything had been paid. Arnestad lies in Stange in Hedmarken.
People: Jon Marteinsson