Truid Ulfstand on the inheritance of Karine Alvsdatter
DN 22/359 · 17. februar 1537 · Varberg
What the letter says
Sir Truid Ulfstand writes from Varberg on 17 February 1537 to his cousin Eske Bille in Bergen about the inheritance of the maiden Karine Alvsdatter, which has now fallen to his wife. Karine's bailiff Peder Håkonsson has explained to him how matters stand, and Truid is sending him back to Norway to take over the inheritance together with his servant Peder the scribe. It concerns some chests and letters, property and rents that some merchants have held, and a large part of Karine's estate that fru Inger, widow of Sir Nils Henriksson, has taken without right. Truid writes that his wife owned a share of every farm Karine had in Norway, and he asks Eske to help for the sake of kinship.
The letter in modern English
Friendly greetings now and always, lovingly beforehand with Our Lord. Dear Eske Bille, cousin and especially good friend. Some time ago I wrote to you with my servant Peder the scribe about the maiden Karine Alvsdatter's inheritance. Since then the bearer of this letter, the maiden Karine's bailiff Peder Håkonsson, has come to me and explained all the circumstances, how things stand. Now I have sent him back to Norway to Peder the scribe, so that they with equal authority may take over all the property left by the maiden Karine on my wife's behalf. So my loving request to you is that you will help them in this, so that I may receive as much as the law of Norway directs, and if anyone will do me wrong in it, that you will then help me to what is right. I am told that some chests and letters have been put away which now rightly belong to my wife. There are also some merchants who have held the maiden Karine's property and rent for some years. And I have learned that fru Inger, [widow of] Sir Nils Henriksson, has taken away a large part of the maiden Karine's estate and has no right to it, not even to a hvitt [a small coin]. In every farm that the maiden Karine owned in Norway my wife already had a share before the maiden Karine died, and now it has all fallen to my wife.
Original text
Venlygh helssen nw och alttid kierligh fforssenth met Vor Herre. Kere Eske Bylle morbroderssen och ssynderlygh gode ven nagen tid ssiden ta skreff jegh Eder til met mynd sswend Per skriere om iomffrv Karine Alsdatthers arff. Ssiden er then breffwiser jomffrv Karines ffogid Per Hagensen kommen til meg hawer vnderwist meg ald leylighed hwor thet er siig forløwen oc hawer ieg nw ssent hanom at Narge i gen til Per skriwere at vere i lige beffaling met Per skriwere ther at aname alt iomffrv *Garines
Background
Karine Alvsdatter died early in 1537, and this letter is one of the first to refer to her as dead. The heir was Gjørvel Fadersdatter, granddaughter of Karine's brother Knut Alvsson, and the two had owned the estate jointly as co-heirs of Alv Knutsson. When Truid writes that Gjørvel had never received anything of her mother's father's estate, he is probably referring to Knut Alvsson's property, which had been confiscated in 1502 and disputed ever since. Fru Inger Ottesdatter was herself an heir of junker Hans Sigurdsson through her father Otte Matsson and had for many years held parts of the Giske estate. Truid calls Eske Bille his cousin on his mother's side and reminds him of the duty he owed «på blods vegne», that is, as a kinsman. The letter shows how important the chests of documents were, for whoever held the letters could prove ownership.
People: Karine Alvsdatter, Gjørvel Fadersdatter (Sparre), Ingerd Ottesdatter (fru Inger)