Eske Bille takes over Bergenhus and hears of fru Inger's losses
DN 9/624 · 28 May 1529 · Bergenhus
Fru Inger and her son-in-law Vincens Lunge held Giske in these years. Here the new commander of Bergenhus reports that they have lost all their fiefs, farms and property to the archbishop.
What the letter says
Eske Bille writes from Bergenhus on 28 May 1529 to his wife Sofie Krummedike. He reached Bergen on 17 May and took over the castle from herr Vincens Lunge on 20 May, but the inventory was so small that he asks for a ship with flour and malt from the king. Fru Inger Ottesdatter and Vincens have told him that the archbishop has taken all their fiefs, farms and estates, and Eske, the bishop of Bergen and Nils Ibsen have asked the archbishop to leave everything untouched until after the herredag in Oslo. The rest of the letter is about Sofie's coming childbirth and journey to Norway, the division of the inheritance at Svanholm, the schooling of their son Jørgen and goods he is sending her.
The letter in modern English
Husbandly loving greeting always sent before with our Lord. Dear Sofie, you shall know that I arrived here off the town on Whit Monday [17 May], and straight away on the Thursday after [20 May] I received the castle and all that goes with it from herr Vincens. God grant that it may be pleasing to almighty God and to His Royal Majesty, our most gracious lord, and without harm or ruin to me and my children. And I received here a very small inventory, and there is not enough here for me to hold the castle for any length of time. Therefore I fear that I will run into great debt on our gracious lord's behalf, for I must buy here everything I am to keep it with. Therefore I ask you to advise your father to ask our most gracious lord that His Grace would send me here a ship with flour, malt and other things for the castle's needs. For he knows better than I can write that I should not need to put His Grace in any debt, which His Grace would not have needed, if His Grace had received a proper reckoning both here and elsewhere where His Grace had relied on it.
Original text
Hosbondelige kærlige helssen altiid till forn send met vor herre. kære Soffij ma tw viide ath jegh kom her ind for byen andhen pindzdagh och strax om torsdaghen ther epter tha anammith jegh slotz laghen aff her Vincencius gud giiffuith ath thet matte bliffue then allmegtigste gud teckelige och worde kongelige majestat vor nadigste herre och megh oc mynne børn vdhen skade och forderff och fick jegh her ett gandze liidit jnventarium och ey er her saa jegh kandt holle slottet met noghen thiid thij
Background
Eske Bille was a Danish nobleman who became commander of Bergenhus in 1529, and he was married to Sofie, daughter of Henrik Krummedike. He took over the castle from Vincens Lunge, fru Inger's son-in-law, and so became one of those standing closest to the conflict between Archbishop Olav Engelbrektsson and fru Inger's family. To take in a fief (forlening) meant to take over the fief and its revenues, and the archbishop had also sent fru Inger and Vincens a warning that he would harm them in life and property. Bergen fish (bergerfisk) was stockfish traded through Bergen, and the fact that there was no linen to be had before the Dutch arrived shows how dependent the town was on shipping from abroad. Brunla near Larvik was a well-known landing place on the voyage between Denmark and Norway.
People: Ingerd Ottesdatter (fru Inger)