Johan Svave receives the Giske estate for life
NRR 2, s. 651 til 654 · 16. mars 1586 · Kronborg
What the letter says
At Kronborg on 16 March 1586 Johan Svave, the king's official at Sorø abbey, receives a letter of enfeoffment for a large part of the Giske estate, which the king received from Lady Gjørvel Fadersdatter. He is to hold it free and quit without dues for as long as he lives. The letter lists the farms in Romsdal, Sunnmøre and Voss with the name of each tenant and the land rent. In Sunnmøre the Giske bailiff's farm comes first with 10 våger of fish, and Artenø lies under Giske.
The letter in modern English
Johan Svave, His Royal Majesty's official at Sorø abbey, received a letter of enfeoffment for the following Giske estate in Norway, which His Royal Majesty has received from Lady Gjørvel Fadersdatter [Sparre], to keep free and quit without dues for his lifetime. In [Romsdal?]: Oluf Rafn at Egdal pays yearly 4 våger of fish, Jens the clerk at Gillesteen 2½ våg of fish, Baguarpyt salmon fishery lies under Gillesteen, ½ barrel of salmon, Arne at Thore Fixdal 1½ våg of fish, Oluf lower Germenes 4 våger of fish, Thrond upper Germenes 1½ våg of fish, Jon and Peder Setenes 5½ våg of fish, Lass lower Restad 1 våg 2 pund of fish, Peder Søvik 2 pund of fish, Haldor Sogge upper farm 4½ våg of fish, Anders and Arne Sogge middle farm 5 våger of fish, Oluf and Jon Sogge western farm 5 våger of fish, Isterdal lies under the said Sogge farms for the same land rent, Halkel Tumberg 1 pund of butter, Roer Agger 1 pund of fish, Oluf Daffuel 1 pund of fish, Iver Nes 3 våger of fish, Sivord Kaffuelydt 2½ våg of fish, Oluf and Nils Tokle 4 våger of fish, Knud Maaøde [...] [...] Uassen 1 våg of fish, Knud and Erik Årø 5 våger of fish, Hans inner Årø 1 våg of fish, Størker Mordal 4 pund of fish, Thorsten and the widow Houm 5 våger of fish, Anders Skorfue 4 pund of fish, Thorsten and Størker Eide 2½ våg of fish, Tymand Tornes 5 våger of fish, Jon Uglevik 2 pund of fish, Elling Halde 2½ våg of fish, Ar
Original text
Johan Svave, K. Maj.s Embedsmand udi Soer Kloster, fik Forleningsbrev paa det efterskrevne Giske Gods udi Norge, som K. Maj. af Fru Gyrvild Fadersdatter [Sparre] bekommet haver, at beholde kvit og fri uden Afgift udi sin Livstid: Udi [Romsdalen?]: Oluf Rafn paa Egdal skylder aarligen 4 Voger Fisk, Jens Skriver paa Gillesteen 2½ Vog. Fisk, Baguarpyt Laxefiskende ligger under Gillesteen, ½ Tønde Lax, Arne paa Thore Fixdal 1½ Vog. Fisk, Oluf nedre Germenes 4 Vog. Fisk, Thrond øvre Germenes 1½ Vog.
Background
The list is a rare overview of who actually lived on the farms of the Giske estate four years after it passed to the Crown. Many farms have two or more tenants, and in several places «Enken», a widow carrying on the farm, appears. The land rent is the same as in the deed of 1582, and a note in the edition refers back to it for the farm names. The phrase «Giskøer Fogedgaard» (the Giske bailiff's farm) shows that the main farm on Giske was now run by a bailiff. On the same day Lindenov's part of the estate in Trondheim fief was placed under Trondheim, see the next letter. Johan Svave was a Danish nobleman and official at Sorø abbey on Zealand. That he received the estate without dues was probably a reward for service. The extract lacks parts of the list, marked [...].
People: Gjørvel Fadersdatter (Sparre)