Lady Magnhild buys Barnerud in Elverum
DN 4/1026 · 6 Novbr. 1497 · Grefsin
What the letter says
Torstein Olsson, Jon Gudbrandsson, Jens Eriksson and Engelbert Eriksson were at Grefsheim on 6 November 1497 and saw Jon Pedersson and his wife Gudrid sell the farm Barnerud in Elverum parish in Østerdalen to Lady Magnhild Oddsdatter. The farm passed with everything belonging to it, from the sellers and their heirs to Magnhild and her heirs to own for ever. Jon and Gudrid acknowledged that they had received the whole payment. The DN summary mentions three men, but the letter has four names.
The letter in modern English
We who are written hereafter, Torstein Olsson, Jon Gudbrandsson, Jens Eriksson and Engelbert Eriksson, acknowledge that we were at Grefsheim on the Monday next after All Saints' Day in the year of the Lord 1497 [6 November]. We saw and heard on a handshake between them, on the one side the well-born lady Lady Magnhild Oddsdatter and on the other side Jon Pedersson and his wife Gudrid [the patronymic has not been filled in], that they sold and conveyed to her, Lady Magnhild, their land Barnerud, which lies in Østerdalen in Elverum parish, with all the appurtenances [everything belonging to it] that have belonged to the said farm of old and of new, outside and inside the fences, from themselves and their heirs and to Lady Magnhild and her heirs to own for ever. The said Jon Pedersson and his wife Gudrid also acknowledged that they had received the first penny and the last that came into their sale, so that they were well satisfied. For greater truth of this we then hang our seals on this letter, which was made in the year and on the day stated above.
Original text
Thet kennis vy epter skriffne men Torsten Olsson Jon Gvdbranzsson Jenss Eriksson oc Engelbert Eriksson thet vy vare a Greffsin manedagen nest epter alle helgen dagh anno domini mcdxc septimo sagom oc hørde a handher band there aff ene halffue velbyrdig quinnæ ffru Magnild Odzdotter en aff andhre halffue Jon Pedhersson och Gwdrid eigen konne hanss, ath the solde och aff hende fru Magnild theris jordh Barnerudh som liggher i Østherdallen ij Allffuerems sokn med alle the luttom och lvndum som tiil
Background
The letter shows that Magnhild Oddsdatter went on buying land after her husband Alv Knutsson had died, around 1495. She was then one of the great landowners of eastern and western Norway, and her son Knut Alvsson was commander at Akershus. Barnerud in Elverum lies far from Finne on Voss, and the purchase shows how widely her estate stretched. The handshake between the parties, which the letter calls handerband, was the legal form for concluding a sale. Wife and husband stood together as sellers because the farm was joint property.
People: Magnhild Oddsdatter