Fru Inger keeps the key to the tower
DN 9/627 · [10 June] 1529 · [Bukvanraa.]
What the letter says
On the same day as the letter to Auden Smed, fru Inger Ottesdatter writes an almost identical letter to her estate steward Per Mikkelsson. The archbishop has taken from her all fiefs, farms and estates north of the mountains and most of what Per managed, and she asks him to keep his spirits up and guard her interests. At the end she writes that she will not send back the key to the tower that Per has sent her, so that it does not fall into her enemies' hands. If they want to break the tower open, they must do so on their own responsibility.
The letter in modern English
Greeting with God always sent before. You shall know, Per Mikkelsson, 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 most of the part that you had in charge [management] from me, without any guilt or offence, reasonable cause or warning. Therefore I ask you 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 had 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. I shall know how to reward them when, God willing, there comes another turn. You shall know that the key to the tower which you sent me, I will not send back to you, for it shall not come into my enemies' hands.
Original text
Helsszen met gud altiid forszent. Mothu widhe Odhen Per Michelsszen at megh [o. s. v. som foregaaende Brev med fölgende Afvigelser, foruden de orthographiske: oc mesthe parthen then deell brødhe redeligh szagh - dogh mangler - haffdhe troet hannom tiill - huor szom helst the kunne mangler. Efter wendingh fortsættes saaledes:] mothu widhe then nøgell szom thu szendhe megh tiill torneth then wiill iegh icke szendhe tegh ighen ffor handh skall icke komme i mynne wuenners hendher wille the brydhe
Background
The letter is in the same hand as the letter to Auden Smed, and the edition prints only the differences. Per Mikkelsson was one of fru Inger's estate stewards (ombudsmenn) in Trøndelag, but the letter does not say which estate he ran. The tower was probably a solid stone house or keep on one of her farms, where valuables and documents could be locked away. By keeping the key she forced the archbishop's men to use force if they wanted to get in, and the seizure would then stand as a breach of law when the case came before Duke Christian and the Council of the Realm. Archbishop Olav Engelbrektsson had already taken over her farm, and according to a letter from the duke that summer he also took registers and money.
People: Ingerd Ottesdatter (fru Inger)