Philippa's half of Langeland in Vinger is assessed for rent
DN 5/826 · 29 January 1460 · [Langeland]
What the letter says
Three lagrette men in Odal announce that on 29 January 1460, at the request of Bishop Gunnar of Oslo, they were at the farm of Langeland in Vinger parish in Solør to assess its land rent. The bishop owned half a markebol, and Lady Philippa owned the other half markebol. Each half was set at eight kyrlag, and both houses and land were assessed.
The letter in modern English
To all men who see or hear this letter, Håkon Tovesson, Orm Andresson and Tord Amundsson, sworn men of the lagrette in Odal, send God's greeting and their own, and make known that on the Tuesday after the feast of St Paul (29 January) in the year of our Lord 1460 we were summoned by our worthy father Bishop Gunnar of Oslo to view and measure [assess for land rent] the land called Langeland, which lies in Vinger parish in Solør. We then at once measured the half markebol [land paying a land rent of half a mark a year] which the said father [the bishop] held at eight kyrlag [a land-rent unit in eastern Norway], and the other half markebol, which Lady Philippa held, also at eight kyrlag. Both houses and land were measured. In truth of this we set our seals to this letter, which was made on the day and in the year stated above.
Original text
Ollom monnom theim som thetta bref sea æder høra sendir Hakon Thofueson Orm Andresson oc Thord Omundzson sworner lagrette men j Odal q. g. oc sinæ kunnukt gørende at tysdagen nest æptir Paalsmesso anno domini mcdlx warom mith til krafder af warum werduga fader biscop Gunnar j Oslo at skodo oc mætho iardena sem heitir Langaland som liger j Vinger sokn j Soløør mathom mer tha samstundis thet ɉ markabol som fyr sa(g)der fader fylgde firir viii kørlag oc annat ɉ markabool som fru Philippa fylgde æn
Background
According to DN, Lady Philippa is Philippa Hansdatter, that is Philippa of Eberstein, who had become the widow of Sigurd Jonsson around 1453. Bishop Gunnar Holk was the same Gunnar who was chancellor and provost in Oslo in 1448, when he acted on Sigurd's behalf in a case of killing (DN 1/806). To assess a farm was to fix its land rent, the yearly rent the tenant farmer was to pay, and when the farm was divided between two owners, both had to agree on its value. Kyrlag was a land-rent unit used in eastern Norway. The letter shows that Philippa had property in Solør, far from Giske, and that she managed it herself as a widow.
People: Philippa av Eberstein