Witnesses confirm that Mangefisket belonged to Sudreim
DN 4/1071 · 27 February 1516 · Lören
What the letter says
Three jurymen in Aurskog and Valborg Nilsdatter in Smyssrud testify at Løren on 27 February 1516 at the demand of Karl Knutsson. They say that Mangefisket in Aurskog has from old times lain under the farm Sudreim, also in Lord Sigurd Jonsson's time, without the Crown or others having any share in it. The fishery was taken from Sudreim some years ago, when the war began. Nine jurymen in Sudreim's tredjing (third of the district) also set their seals.
The letter in modern English (excerpt)
To all men who see or hear this letter, we who are named below, Anund Polsson in Mork, Alv Sigurdsson in Nordby and Jon Tostensson in Berg, sworn jurymen in Aurskog parish, and Valborg Nilsdatter in Smyssrud, send God's greeting and our own. We make known to all that we were lawfully required and asked by the well-born squire Karl Knutsson in the year of the Lord 1516, on the Thursday before Mid-Lent Sunday (27 February), whether we had heard or learned, or any of us remembered, that Mangefisket in Aurskog parish had ever lain apart from Sudreim, in such a way that the Crown or anyone else should own any part or any notkast (fishing right) there. Then we ask God and all the saints to help us, and we will gladly swear on the book if we are required to, that we have never heard otherwise or remember otherwise than that Lord Sigurd Jonsson and his heirs have held Mangefisket from old times, and that it has always from old times lain under Sudreim, whoever held the fief, without any claim. So it was until some years ago, when this war began. Then it was taken from Sudreim. That it has been so from old times, so help us God. For greater certainty and truth we hang our seals beneath this letter. For further witness we ask these good men, Lord Kjetil Smedsson in Ullensaker, Gulbrand Alvsson, Gulle Gudbrandsson, Anders Audjolsson, Helge Jogarsson, Tarald Guttormsson, Mons Sigurdss
Original text (excerpt)
Ollom mannom them som thetta breff sæ eller høræ kennes vij epther scriffnæ men Anwndh Polsson j Mork Alff Sigurdsson j Nordhby Jon Tostensson j Bereg swornæ logrettis men j Awræ prestagel ok Valborgh Nilss dotther j Smyssrudh q. gudz oc sinæ gørom allæ viterlig ath meer vorom lagligh til kraffdæ ok athspurdhæ a velbornæ swen Karll Knwthsson anno domini m. d. xvi. torssdaghen nesth for mitfasthæ sønnedag om meer haffvæ hørth eller sporth eller nokrer mynnesth ath Manghæ fyskedh j Awreskoghsongth
Background
This is a letter of testimony, written proof of what people in the district remembered about the ownership. Sudreim in Romerike was the seat of the Sudreim family, and through Sigurd Jonsson and his descendants it followed the same line of inheritance as Giske. Karl Knutsson of Tre Rosor was the son of Knut Alvsson and is called a svenn here, that is, a nobleman who had not been dubbed a knight. He probably gathered such letters of testimony to recover property that had been taken from the family after his father's rebellion and death in 1502; the war the letter mentions is probably the unrest and the wars between the union king and Sweden after 1500. A juryman (lagrettemann) was one of the sworn farmers who judged and testified at the thing. A notkast is the right to cast a seine net and fish at a particular place, and fishing rights in lakes and rivers were a valuable part of an estate.
People: Karl Knutsson, Sigurd Jonsson