Katarina Jonsdatter gives her daughter's son Alv a tithe gift
DN 2/810 · 25 April 1455 · Manvik
What the letter says
At Manvik on 25 April 1455, Lady Katarina Jonsdatter gives her daughter's son Alv Knutsson every tenth markebol of all the land she inherited from her father and mother, to own for ever. Lady Filippa Hansdatter sets her seal under the letter.
The letter in modern English (excerpt)
I, Katerina Jonsdatter, acknowledge with this my open letter that I have given my daughter's son Alv Knutsson every tenth markebol (markebol: land that yields one mark in land rent) of the land I inherited from my father and my mother, God have mercy on their souls, from me and my heirs and under Alv Knutsson and his heirs to own for ever, wherever these lands may lie. In witness I ask for the seal of the well-born woman Lady Filippa Hansdatter under this letter, which was made at Manvik in the year of our Lord 1455 on the very day of St Mark the Evangelist (25 April), under my own seal. Endorsement: On the back, much later: Lady Karine Jonsdatter's letter that she gave her daughter's son a tithe gift of all her property. That was Sir Alv Knutsson.
Original text (excerpt)
Thet kennis jak Katerina Jons dother med thetta mith oppit breff ath jak haffuer giffuid myn doterson Alff Knuthson hwarth x marka bool jordar som jak ærffde effter myn ffader ok mina moder gudh thera siel nadhe ffran mik ok mina ærwinga ok vnder Alff Knvtson førnemdan ok hans ærffvinga thil æwerdeliga ægha e hwar helstz førnemda jorder ligia kunna thil saninde bider jak wel borna quinna ffrw Philipa Hannis dother jnsigle ffør thetta breff som giorth war j Manwik anno domini m cd l quinto ipso d
Background
Katarina Jonsdatter was the sister of the drottsete Sigurd Jonsson and daughter of Jon Marteinsson and Agnes Sigurdsdatter of Sudreim, and the inheritance from her parents thus included property from both the Sudreim family and the Giske family. Alv Knutsson of Tre Rosor was her daughter's son, and through her he later gained a claim to Giske. A tiendegave (tithe gift) was a gift of up to a tenth of the inherited land that the owner could give without the consent of the heirs, and it was used to favour a particular person. A markebol is land that yielded one mark in land rent. Lady Filippa Hansdatter is probably Philippa of Eberstein, the widow of Sigurd Jonsson, who was the daughter of Count Hans of Eberstein. After Katarina's death the gift was confirmed in the judgement of the Council of the Realm in 1482, in which Alv received the tithe gift before the rest was divided.
People: Katarina Jonsdatter, Alv Knutsson, Philippa av Eberstein