Torgunn Eilivsdatter sells Gjerde on Voss to Lady Magnhild
DN 8/427 · 21 Oktbr. 1490 · Finnen
Finne on Voss was Magnhild Oddsdatter's own seat, and she brought the Finne estate into her marriage with Alv Knutsson. The letter shows her busily buying up land in the district, in the same autumn as Alv had received Giske.
What the letter says
Odd Einarsson, Gudleik Jonsson and Ketil Brynjulvsson were at Finne on Voss on 21 October 1490 and heard Torgunn Eilivsdatter sell to Lady Magnhild Oddsdatter 6 månedsmatsbol in Gjerde in Borstrand otting in Vangen parish. Torgunn and her husband Arnfinn Isaksson had bought the land. She acknowledged that she had received full payment. Her stepson Isak Arnfinnsson said he would abide by what his stepmother did in the sale, and admitted that his father and Torgunn had owned half each of the household.
The letter in modern English
To all men who see or hear this letter, we, Odd Einarsson, Gudleik Jonsson and Ketil Brynjulvsson, send [God's greeting and ours, and make known] that we were at Finne, which lies on Voss, on the day of the Eleven Thousand Virgins in the year of the Lord 1490 [21 October]. We saw and heard that on the one side the well-born lady Lady Magnhild Oddsdatter and on the other side Torgunn Eilivsdatter shook hands on the agreement that the said Torgunn sold Lady Magnhild 6 månedsmatsbol in Gjerde, which Arnfinn Isaksson and Torgunn had bought, and which lies in Borstrand otting in Vangen church parish, free and warranted from me and my stepsons and from my heirs to own for ever and to Lady Magnhild and her heirs to own for ever, free and warranted against every man. The said Torgunn also acknowledged that she had received the first penny and the last and all in between that came into their purchase. We also heard Isak Arnfinnsson say that whatever his stepmother Torgunn did in this purchase, he would keep and abide by, and at the same time he admitted that there had been half shares [joint ownership] between his father and Torgunn. For greater truth of this we hang our seals on this letter, which was written in the year and on the day stated above. [On the back: Deed of purchase about Gjerde.]
Original text
Alle men som thette breff seer ell[er h]øre sendhe vy Odh Enerssøn Gudeligh Jonssøn och Ketiil *Byrnvlffsøn ath vy vare a Ffinnene som liggher vppo Voss the elløff tws[enne] jomffrv dagh anno dominj m cd lxxxx saghæ och hørdhe vy oppo aff ene halffue velborin quinnæ ffrw Magnildh Odzdotter en aff andhre halffue Torgvndhe Eloffsdotther holdhe hendher samen med the skyldhordh ath fforne Torgvndhe soldhe ffrw Magnildhe vi mamatta bol y Gerdhe som Anfin Isaksson och Torgvndhe køpth hafdhe er
Background
Finne on Voss was Magnhild Oddsdatter's own seat, and she brought the Finne estate into her marriage with Alv Knutsson. This and the next letter were written on the same day at Finne and show her busily buying up land in the district. An otting was an eighth of the district, an old division on Voss. The stepson's consent mattered: since the spouses held their property in common, Arnfinn's heirs could otherwise have claimed the land. Månedsmatsbol (a land-rent unit) was the usual measure of land in western Norway, reckoned by the land rent.
People: Magnhild Oddsdatter