Alv Knutsson buys land in lower Ærvik
DN 3/891 · April 147[1] · Manvik
What the letter says
Witnesses make known that at Manvik around Easter 1471 they saw the handshake when Olav Laurensson and his wife Marete sold a markebol in the lower farm at Ærvik to the knight Alv Knutsson. The land passed to Alv and his heirs as their property for ever, and the sellers confirmed full payment. Parts of the letter are illegible.
The letter in modern English (excerpt)
[To all men who see] or hear this letter, we, Jon [Arnesson] [illegible], make known that we were [at Man]vik [illegible] Easter in the year of our Lord 1471. There we saw and heard their handshake, on the one side the honourable and well-born man Sir Alv Knutsson, knight, and on the other side Olav Laurensson and Marete [Jonsdatter], his wedded wife. Olav and Marete acknowledged that they had sold to Sir Alv Knutsson [illegible], which is a markebol (land with a rent of one mark) in the lower farm at Ærvik, with all shares and appurtenances [everything that belongs to it] that lie with it, outside the fence and inside. The land passes from them and their heirs to Sir Alv and his heirs as their property for ever. With the same handshake they acknowledged that they had received the first penny and the last and all in between that came into their bargain. In witness of this Olav's seal hangs together with ours on this letter, which was made in the year and on the day stated above.
Original text (excerpt)
[Ollum monnum þeim sem þetta] breff ser eller høre kungøre vii Jon [Arnesson] ........... ath vi vare [a Man]vik .......... paske anno domini mcdlxx [prim]o soghom och [hørdhom a] handhebandh þere a einne [halue erlighin och velbo]rin man her Alff Knutzsson riddher en aff andhre halue Olaffuer Laurensson och Marette [Jons dotther e]gen kono hans. Kennis tha fornempde Olaff och Marete ath the haffde solth her Alff Knutzsson .......... som er eith markebol i nædhre gardin i Ærvik[om med] lwttom oc
Background
Alv Knutsson of Tre Rosor was at this time a young knight who was gathering land, and a few years later he received the Giske estate. Manvik and Ærvik lie in Brunlanes in Vestfold, and Manvik was one of Alv's farms. Mandvik and the Mandvik estate are mentioned again in the settlement between Truid Ulfstand and Inger Ottesdatter in 1539, which shows that the farm became part of the inheritance after Alv. A markebol is land with a land rent of one mark. The letter is a witness letter about a purchase, made so that the buyer could prove his ownership.
People: Alv Knutsson