Fru Inger comforts her steward Auden Smed
DN 9/626 · [10 June] 1529 · Bukvanraa
Fru Inger Ottesdatter of Austrått held Giske in these years. In this letter to her steward she writes of her loss when the archbishop took all her fiefs and farms in the north without judgment.
What the letter says
Fru Inger Ottesdatter writes in June 1529 from Bukvanraa, on the journey from Bergen to Oslo, to her servant and estate steward Auden Smed. She has learned that the archbishop has taken from her all the fiefs, farms, estates and revenues she held north of the mountains, and everything Auden managed for her, without judgement or warning. She asks him to keep his spirits up and guard her interests as well as he can, for the matter does not touch his honour. She writes that she had placed great trust in the archbishop and had never believed he would betray her like this.
The letter in modern English
Greeting with God always sent before. You shall know, Auden, that it has become known to me that the archbishop has taken from me all my fiefs, farms, estates and rents [revenues] that I held north of the mountains, and all the part that you had in charge [management] from me, without any guilt or offence, reasonable cause or warning. Therefore I ask you nevertheless to keep a free heart [good courage] and look after my interests wherever you can manage it with care [with caution], for it does not touch your honour. For neither I nor you have been convicted of any criminal matter, and I hope to God that I shall soon have good redress for it, and relieve both your trouble and mine. For I had placed such great faith and trust in the wrathful archbishop and never believed him capable of showing me such great falseness and treachery in the great faith and trust that I placed in him, for I do not know that I have ever in my days broken a single word towards him. Herewith I commend you to God, and farewell, with goodwife Berit and my girls, and ask my working folk, as many as are present, to look after my interests wherever they can. I shall know how to reward them when, God willing, there comes another turn. Written in Bukvanraa on Thursday [probably the Thursday before St Botolph's day, 10 June] in the year of the Lord 1529. Ingerd Ottesdatter.
Original text
Helsszen met gud altiid forszent mothu widhe Odhen ath megh er tiill witthindes wordhet at erchebispen haffuer taghet ffraa megh alle mynne leen gordhe gotz oc renthe szom jegh otthe nordhenfiels oc all then deell szom thu aff megh i befalingh haffdhe wdhen all skyldh oc brødhe oc redeligh orszaghe oc foruarningh thi bedher jegh tegh at thu bliffuer dogh widh eth ffriid moodh oc ramer mit besthe huor szom helst thu kand met lemphe tiill komme fforthi thet rører jcke thin eræ fforner thi
Background
Fru Inger Ottesdatter of Austrått was the widow of the councillor of the realm Nils Henriksson and one of the most powerful landowners in Norway. In the spring of 1529 she came into open conflict with Archbishop Olav Engelbrektsson of Nidaros, and while she and her son-in-law Vincens Lunge travelled south to the herredag, the assembly of the realm, in Oslo, the archbishop's men seized her fiefs and farms in Trøndelag. North of the mountains (nordenfjells) means north of Dovrefjell, that is Trøndelag with Fosen and Austrått. An estate steward (ombudsmann) was the manager who collected the land rent and ran the farms for her. The letter was written in great haste on the journey, and the place Bukvanraa has not been securely identified. The date is probably the Thursday before St Botolph's day, 10 June, as in a letter Vincens Lunge wrote on the same day.
People: Ingerd Ottesdatter (fru Inger)