Eiliv Hjerne divides the Berg estate with his mother Katarina
DN 2/781 · 15 Septbr. 1448 · Manvik
Katarina Jonsdatter was the sister of Sigurd Jonsson, and here she divides the property in Brunlanes with her son Eiliv. The property later came to her daughter's son Alv Knutsson.
What the letter says
Eiliv Jensson announces at Manvik on 15 September 1448 that he has made a division with his mother Katarina Jonsdatter of the property that Lady Margareta Eilivsdatter gave his father Jens Hjerne and his mother. The property that lies in Brunlanes in Berg parish, both farmed and deserted, except three Aske farms, has fallen to his mother's share. The division is to stand for ever. Six lagrette men seal the letter with him.
The letter in modern English
To all men who see or hear this letter, I, Eiliv Jensson, acknowledge with this my open letter that I have made a division with my mother Katarina Jonsdatter of the property that Lady Margareta Eilivsdatter gave my father Jens Hjerne and my mother. Thus the property that lies on Neset [Brunlanes] in Berg parish, both farmed and deserted, except three Aske farms [uncertain interpretation], has come into my mother's share, and we have made this a perpetual division, as stated above. For further proof and truth I ask for the seals of good men together with mine for this letter, and they are called Torleiv Salvesson, Hallvard Aslaksson, Lavrans Guttormsson, Arne Hallvardsson, Jon Olavsson and Salve Torleivsson, sworn men of the lagrette. This letter was made at Manvik on the Sunday after Holy Cross day in autumn (15 September) in the year of our Lord 1448.
Original text
Allom mannom them ssom thetta breff sea ædher høra kennis jac Eliiff Jønisson medh thetta mith opna breff at jac haffwer giorth skyffthe medh min modhor Kadherin Jonssdhottor om thet goz som frv Marghretta Elyffzdotter gaff min ffadher Jønis Hyærnna oc min modhor ta ær thet goz komith j min modhors skyffthe ssom lygher oppa Næssæt j Bergh sokn badhe bykth oc ødhe for vtan tre Asska gardha, oc haffwom vii giorth thetta til æwerdhelekidh skyffthe som fore segher.
Background
Katarina Jonsdatter, sister of Sigurd Jonsson, and her husband Jens Hjerne had received Manvik and the property in Vestfold from Margareta Eilivsdatter in 1420 (DN 1/671). That the son Eiliv now divides with his mother suggests that Jens Hjerne was dead, so that his part of the gift was to be shared. A division (skifte) was a sharing of an inheritance or joint property between the heirs, and here Katarina received the land around her own seat at Manvik. Farmed and deserted means farms that were worked and farms that lay deserted, of which there were still many a hundred years after the Black Death. Eiliv's own share is not named in the letter. The property later came to her grandson Alv Knutsson.
People: Katarina Jonsdatter