Truid Ulfstand secures his wife's estate in Ryfylke
DN 3/1155 · 31 July 1539 · Bergen
What the letter says
The councillor of the realm Claus Bilde, the commander at Bergenhus Tord Rod and three lawmen announce that Per Mogensson on 31 July 1539 had a case in Bergen against Odd at Fevald concerning Foss and the Foss estate in Ryfylke. After the judgement Truid Ulfstand of Giske came forward and said that on his wife's behalf he owned most of this estate. Per Mogensson admitted that neither he nor his heirs had any right in the property Truid owns.
The letter in modern English (excerpt)
We, Claus Bilde, commander at Båhus, knight, councillor of the realm of Denmark and authorised envoy in Norway for His Royal Majesty King Christian, son of King Frederick, Tord Rod, commander at Bergenhus, and the lawmen Guttorm Nilsson in Bergen, Hans Bagge at Stegh and Niels Clausson in Stavanger, make known to all by this our open letter the following. In the year 1539, the Thursday after St Olaf the King's Day (29 July), Per Mogensson was brought before us in court at the town hall in Bergen. He had brought a charge against Odd at Fevald concerning Foss and the Foss estate, which lies in Ryfylke. After Per Mogensson and Odd at Fevald had been parted in the case by law and judgement, the honourable, well-born man and stern knight Lord Truid Ulfstand of Giske came forward. He made known that on his wife's behalf he owned the greater part of the property Per Mogensson had sued for, as stated in what Per had put forward concerning Foss and the Foss estate. He asked Per whether he believed he had any part or right in the property of which Lord Truid on his wife's behalf is now the rightful owner and for which he is responsible. Per Mogensson answered that he had not sued for the property that Lord Truid owns and is responsible for on his wife's behalf. He admitted that neither he nor his heirs had any part or right in the property for which Lord Truid is responsible on his wife's behalf. That this was admitted and acknowledged before us, we witness with our seals and signets hanging beneath this letter, which is
Original text (excerpt)
Wii effther Claffuis Bilde høffuidzmandt paa Bahuss ridder Danmarcks riges raadt och konninglig maiestatzs konning Christians konning Fredericks søns fuld mectuge indskickede y Norie Tord Rodt høffuitzmandt paa Bergnhuss Gottorm Nielszønn i Bergn, Hans Bagge paa Stegh och Niels Claffuitsøn i Staffuanger laugmendt giøre alle witterligt met thette wortt obnne breff att aar effthir guds biirdt mdxxxix torsdagenn effther sanctj Oluff konnings dag paa raadstuen i Bergen war skickett for oss i rette P
Background
Truid Ulfstand was a Danish nobleman who obtained Giske through his marriage to Gjørvel Fadersdatter. The letter is a letter of testimony to an admission, made to ensure that a judgement between others could not later be used against his wife's property. The endorsement on the back, written by Truid himself, says that the estate in Ryfylke was bought by Lord Alv and Lady Magnhild, that is, Alv Knutsson and his wife. This shows that land Alv bought in the 1400s still belonged to the estate a generation later. The year is 1539, just after the Reformation, when Norway was governed by the Danish king Christian III through Danish officials such as Bilde and Rod.
People: Gjørvel Fadersdatter (Sparre)