Fru Inger's claims after the war winter
DN 9/715 · [Hösten 1532.] · [Throndhjem?]
Fru Inger had probably taken over Giske in 1521 or 1522. In this list of claims after the war winter, Giske is named as one of her farms where the archbishop's servants had consumed goods.
What the letter says
In the autumn of 1532 fru Inger Ottesdatter draws up a list of what she demands of Archbishop Olav for violence, damage and losses she and her fatherless children suffered three years earlier and again in the past year. She demands shares of farms on Ørland, Opphaug, Rødestad, Hov, Vik, Berg, Nes and Grande with its falcon-catching site, to own for ever, and the bishop's tithe of Ørland for her lifetime. If she gets this, she will drop claims under the settlement made through Nils Lykke, among them silver cups, chains, furs and blubber, and everything consumed on her farms Fosen, Austrått and Giske, and deduct 1000 marks, 210 våger of rotskjær and butter from the debt. The archbishop would then owe her 1500 marks and 300 våger of rotskjær, land rent, cannon and household goods, and he has noted in the margin what he has paid and promised.
The letter in modern English
The following I, Inger Ottesdatter, demand of lord Archbishop Olav for the violence, arrogance, vexation, damage and neglect which I had and suffered three years ago, and again in the year just past, to the notable and heavy damage and ruin of me and my poor fatherless children. Item Opphaug and Rødestad, to which I have a strong claim and good odal letters, and which the lord archbishop still holds and uses himself: in Opphaug 2 spann and in Rødestad 1½ spann [spann, a land-rent unit]. Item Hov 1½ spann. Item Vik 2 spann. Item a pund's rent [land rent of one pund] in Berg, the rest belongs to me myself. Item a pund's rent in Nes, which lies in Bjugn, the rest belongs to me myself. Item Grande 6 spann with its falkeleie [falcon-catching site]. Item these farms I, Inger Ottesdatter, demand to own for ever. Secondly I demand that the lord archbishop grant me all the bishop's tithe that falls on Ørland, for my lifetime. Item if the lord archbishop with his honourable chapter grants, gives a letter for, consents to and accepts this, then I, Inger Ottesdatter, will drop the following, which is first named in the sealed receipt made between the lord archbishop and me through my son Nils Lykke. It is this: First fru Inger says there was a back chest [uncertain reading] with ungilded belts in it, and some ungilded chains and some small head silver [jewellery].
Original text
Thette effttherne er jegh Jngerd Ottis dotther begerendis aff her erchebisp Oluff for hwes volldt hoffmodt fortridt skadegelldt oc forsømmellsse som iegh nw iij aar sidhenn och saa nw i thette forgangne aar paa ny ighen hafftt och ledetth haffuer megh och mynne fattige fadherløsse barnn tiill enn mercheligh oc drabeligh skade oc forderffwe Jtem Ophagh och Rødestadt hwilketth iegh haffuer stoer tilltall tiill oc gode odells breff vppaa oc aager oc føllger ther end nw sellffwer i metth oc offwer
Background
Fru Inger was the widow of Nils Henriksson, steward of the realm (rikshovmester), and lived at Austrått on Ørland, and she had probably taken over Giske in 1521 or 1522. The list is a negotiating draft from the settlement with Archbishop Olav Engelbrektsson, in which her sons-in-law Vincens Lunge and Nils Lykke mediated. It mentions two rounds of damage: the dispute from around 1529, which Nils Lykke settled in 1530, and the plundering during the war winter of 1531 to 1532, when the archbishop was waging feud for Christian II. Here Giske is named as one of the farms where the archbishop's servants had consumed goods. A falkeleie was a catching site for hunting falcons, which were a costly trade good and a gift between princes, and the farms were reckoned in spann, a land-rent unit in Trøndelag. The Lucie from whom silver was taken is called her «pike», which can mean maidservant or daughter, so it is uncertain whether this is Inger's daughter Lucie.
People: Ingerd Ottesdatter (fru Inger)