Lady Gyrid accounts for her nephew's estate
DN 2/93 · 6 February 1309 · Bergen
What the letter says
On 6 February 1309 in Bergen Lady Gyrid Andresdatter presents the accounts for the four years she has managed the estate of her nephew Gregorius Andresson the younger, on the orders of King Håkon V. Sira Erlend Styrkarsson receives the accounts, and among the witnesses are Sir Bjarne of Bjarkøy and Sir Erling Amundesson. The income is 964 månedsmat, while the expenses for land purchases at Rif and Eikrem, clothes for Gregorius, anniversaries, a gravestone and a journey to Flanders and Rome come to 1056½ månedsmat. When the land rent from Sogn og Fjordane is included, Gyrid has paid out 6 månedsmat more than she took in.
The letter in modern English (excerpt)
In God's name, amen. These accounts were presented by Lady Gyrid Andresdatter at the command of our worthy lord Håkon, crowned King of Norway, in the winter in Bergen on the feast of Vedastus and Amandus (6 February). Present were Sir Bjarne of Bjarkøy, Sir Erling Amundesson, Sira Ivar Olavsson, Sir Audun Olavsson, Sira Jon the priest, Lady Torbjørg, Lady Ingegjerd, Svein the clerk, Tord the clerk, Ordrek and many other good men. The accounts were presented to Sira Erlend Styrkarsson, who had been charged with receiving the accounts from her for the estate of Gregorius Andresson the younger, her nephew. The income for the four winters she had held this charge: First 112 månedsmat (unit of value: what one person needed of food in a month). In grain 5 lasts (shiploads) and 3½ pund of grain, which converted into butter here in Bergen is 127 månedsmat. Altogether, reckoned in butter, this comes to 240 månedsmat (2 long hundreds of 120), less one månedsmat each year. For four years it comes, as said, to 964 månedsmat (8 long hundreds and 4), because 8 månedsmat were added later. The expenses are these: First what she did not collect, 27 månedsmat. For property and for buildings for herself she has paid out 49 månedsmat, and in another outlay 125. For board, household [uncertain interpretation], ship hire and freight from Jæren 86 månedsmat. From Fjordane for meat, hides and salt [uncertain interpretation] 16 månedsmat. Placed in property at Rif and Eikrem 240 månedsmat. For 4 mark of refined silver
Original text (excerpt)
J namfne guðs amen. var þesse ræiknan gorr af hændi fru Gyriðar Andresar dottor æftir boðe virðuleghs vars herra Hakonar Noreghs konongs hins koronaða vm vætrenn j Bærghwin in festo Vedasti et Amandi neruerandom herra Biarna j Biarkrœy, herra Ællingi Amonda syni, sira Jfare Olafs syni, herra Auða Olafs syni, sira Jone preste, fru Þorbiorghu. fru Jngigærði, Svæini klærk, Þorðe klærk, Orðrek ok marghum aðrum goðom monnum, firir sira Ællænde Styrkars syni er vm var boðet ræiknanena at taka af henne
Background
Gyrid Andresdatter was married to Vidkunn Erlingsson, Bjarne Erlingsson's brother, and was the mother of Erling Vidkunsson, later drottsete (steward of the realm) and owner of Giske. The letter is a guardianship account: when an heir was under age, a relative managed the estate, and the king could demand that the accounts be presented to good men so that the heir was not cheated. Everything is converted to månedsmat, a unit of value for what one person needed of food in a month, and grain is converted to the price of butter in Bergen, which shows that butter and grain functioned as money alongside silver. The expenses for ship hire, freight from Jæren and meat, hides and salt from Fjordane show how a large estate brought goods along the coast to Bergen. Bjarne's presence suggests that the matter was seen as a family affair within the Bjarkøy family. The accounts were probably drawn up to give Gyrid a receipt, so that she could not later be claimed against for more.
People: Gyrid Andresdatter, Bjarne Erlingsson