| Notater |
- In 1572 a meeting was held by Bornholm's Parliament (Landsting) to establish who had the right to the status of "Frimand" (Freeman) on Bornholm. Of course, that meeting had a broader purpose: a war in which L?beck and Denmark had fought side-by-side had ended two years previously, and there was another three years before the L?beck 50 year claim to Bornholm was to expire; although L?beck claimed that it had been given a further 50 years. In this predicament it was wise for the King to establish locally situated allies; and Bornholm's influential freemen, who normally would have been snubbed by the King and the true nobility, were now in a position to receive benevolent treatment from the Danish government.
At the "Frimandsm?det" held on September 6, 1572 there were 17 men named as being in attendance: 1. Jacob Iversen, Landsdommer; 2. Mester Peder W (= Peder [Mogensen] Uf); the brothers 3. Peder Hansen; and 4. Bent Hansen; 5. J?rgen Pedersen; 6. Peder (Madsen) Kofoed; 7. Oluf Madsen; 8. Oluf Bagge; 9. Hans Mogensen, as he was away at the king's court he was represented by his father Mogens Hansen; 10. Peder (Hansen) Myre; 11. J?rgen Gagge; 12. Berent Hansen (= Berild Hansen); 13. Laurids Pedersen; 14. Jens (Madsen) Kofoed; 15. Christen (Clausen) Ki?ller; 16. Peder Hansen (Uf); and 17. Hans (Madsen) Kofoed. Three advisers to the Danish Parliment (Rigsr?der) had been sent to preside over the meeting, namely: Bi?rn Kaas of Starupgaard, Bi?rn Andersen of Stenholt, and J?rgen Marsvin of Dyb?k. The group expressed heartfelt and solemn words about faithful service to the crown; and it seems they had an inkling of things to come, and therefore begged the King not to let himself be "seduced" by L?beck's representative Sveder Ketting, "because you might expect that L?beck only plotted to keep our island under their yoke." This was during the period in which Bornholm was strongly under the influence (and rulership) of the Hanseatic League free-city of L?beck; the Bornholmers felt greatly put upon by the high taxes, unfair rules, and high-handedness of the L?beckers. Contrary to the opinion of latter historians they must have convinced the envoys, as on the 9th of September the freemen were granted the right to gather shipwrecks from the beaches, hunt in the woods, as well as given full authority over their servants - a great victory for the freemen.
In his youth J?rgen Gagge is known to have travelled to Germany. He joined the Danish Navy, in which service he stayed until 1589. After his return home he married the highly esteemed, and wealthy, Chief Justice Peder Hansen Uf's daughter Margrethe. At a farm of his in Hasle, on August 9, 1592, he played host to a German diplomat from Saxony, Hr. von Schwerin, who was on his way to Stockholm; who, after many days at sea, preferred to travel by road across Bornholm, before once again setting sail to Sk?ne.
While residing at Store Almeg?rd the couple donated an artistically exquisite alter-wall tablet to St. Knud's Church in 1596; the tablet is preserved in the Danish National Museum in K?benhavn. J?rgen Gagge inherited the family-estate of Store Almeg?rd from his parents; he also managed the estate-farm Simleg?rd, a "proprietairg?rd" in Klemensker, after his father-in-law's death. In 1601 he had a church-bell cast for Klemensker Church. Through his wife he also became the owner of the freeman's estate-farm Store Myreg?rd (10 Slg. & 2 Vdg.) and Sorteg?rd (3 Slg.), both in ?ker parish.
From "Aktstykker til Bornholm Historie" by H?bertz, nr. 249:
1572 6. September ?kirkeby. Om frim?ndene p? Bornholm.
Vi efterskrevne Bi?rn Kaas til Starupgaard, Bi?rn Andersen til Stenholt, J?rgen Marsvin til Dybek kiendes och hermed for alle vitterliggj?r, at Aar efter Guds byrd 1572 den 6te Dag Septembris, det f?rste vi kom paa Landet Boringholm, da lode vi bestille Landsting, og paa Landstinget gave Kongl. Maysts. befaling og vor bestilling tilkiende, og da vi alting der bestillet havde, toge vi alle de fri M?nd, der vare, ind i Kirken, og der forelagde vi dennem en Dag, de sig [sagde] fri [at v?re] og frelse at have, at de skulle m?de om L?verdagen derefter med deres Brev og Seigl, huormed de kunde bevise sig fri at v?re. Detsimidlertid talede vi med Svend Ketting, og gav hannem tilkiende, at Kongl. Majst. var kommen udi Forfaring, at der skulle v?re mange paa Boringholm, som gav sig ud [for] fri at v?re, som dog ikke findes skulle, og dermed skede Kongl. Majst. forkort, paa hans Majsts. Kongskat og andet, huorfore vi og begierede af forskrevne Sven Ketting, at han ville hos v?re samme Dag, som vi forskrevne Frim?nd, paa Kongl. Majsts. wegne, for os beskeede og havde, hvor han og til det f?rste lovede. Men om morgenen, som Adelen var beskeet at komme tilstede, og forskrevne Sven Ketting havde sagt at ville derhos udi slig handel v?re tilstede, og forskrevne Sven Ketting haver da sendt os bud med sin tiener Jens Knap, som nu er Landstingsskriver, at han begierer at drage til Slottet, og der ops?ge nogle fine breve, og derhos lod berette, at han udi ingen Maader vidste sig noget at have med samme Adels-m?nd at gi?re, men at den beskeed, derom var, havde han l?nge siden berettet Mester David udi Lund, og han havde den handel alt sammen opskreven.
Saa er for os kommen, den forskrevne 6. September; disse efterskrevne fri og frelse M?nd, nemlig: Jacob Jversen Landsdommer, Mester Peder W, Peder Hanssen og Bent Hanssen, Br?dre, J?rgen Pedersen, Peder Koefoed, Oluf Madssen, Oluf Bagge, Mogens Hanssen p? hans S?ns Hans Mogenssens Vegne, som tiener til Hove, Peder Myre, J?rgen Bagge [sic, s.b. Gagge], Berent Hanssen, Laurids Pedersen, Jens Koefoed, Christen Ki?ller, Peder Hanssen, Hans Koefoed. Hvilke vi da efter Kongl. Maists. befaling haver alvorligen tiltalet, hvortil de have svaret, at de haver dennem ingen frihed ydermere tilholdet, end som de af fader og for?ldre arvet haver, og haver de dennem ingen ydermere Rettighed tilholdet, end deres Fader og For?ldre havde f?r dennem, og berettede, at de Lybsker tilforn havde Sal. og H?ilovlig Koning Christiern og sligt foregivet, saadan deres Adels Frihed og Rettighed at vilde forvende, da haver H?istbemeldte Kongl. Maist. dennem privilegeret, eftersom Adelen i Danmark havde deres Gods, og vidste dennom udi ingen maade at have forbrudt, men udi denne feide ladet dennem finde at bruge til Skibs, komme selv udi egen Person, og somme giort Folk ud, og enhver ladet sig finde villig efter sin formue, og dermed tilhjelpe at forsvare deres eget Land, saa Gud skee lov at fienderne dennem ingen Skade eller Afbreck giort haver, og dersom der var nogen, der vidste dennem at beskylde, at de ikke var fri og frelse M?nd, da begierede de, at de maatte komme tilstede, da vilde de holde dem food, og derhos begierer af Kongl. Maist. paa det allerunderdanigste, at de maatte beholde den Frihed, som deres For?ldre f?r dennem haft haver, de vilde med Gods og Blod, og hvis de formaaede v?re Kongl. Majst. tro tienere, efter deres ringe Formue, ligesom de tildes v?ret haver og pligtig kiendes, og forsee sig ogs? til Kong. Majst., som til deres rette Herre og Konge, hvilken der altid havde fremdraget forige Adel, at Hans Kongl. Majst. udi ingen Maader ville lade sig over dennem forf?re af Sven Ketting eller nogen anden; thi de kunde vel t?nke, at de Lybsker og deres Befalingsm?nd stod efter, at de kunde og bringe dennem under deres Tr?ldom, som de ellers giort haver ved Landet. Det skulle Gud allerm?gtigste bel?nne Hans Kongl. Majst., hvilket de altid troligen vil ?nske. At saaledes er passeret, det vidner vi med vores Zigneter herunder trykte. Datum Boringholm ut supra 1572 den 6. September.
(The above Langebek transcription is held in the Diplomatarium in the Geheime Archive together with another copy - the original had 3 seals attached to the bottom.)
From the "Urkunden zur Geschichte der Insel Bornholm 1327-1621: 1566 - 1621", by Jens Rasmussen H?bertz, Volume 2, page 532:
Nr. 377. 1598 3 Juli. Peder Koefod skal have sit Gods frit. Chr. IV etc. Peder Koefoed har ladet andrage, at han havde ?gtet en fri Quinde, og med hende faaet noget Jordegods, og efter hendes D?d arvet samme med hans B?rn, og siden efter deres D?d arvet disse; men hans Hustrues Broder, som er en Riddermands Mand, har gjort Fordring paa samme Gods. Da der imidlertid er giort dem en Contract imellem, at han maa beholde bemeldte Gods, om Kongen vil unde ham det, saa bevilges ham dette "och hand och hands Arffuinger dett saa friit att beholde, som andre derpaa Landet der frie Folch ere", etc. (Langeb. og en anden Affkr. i Diplom. i Geh. Arch. Conf. Skaanske Reg. Nr. 3 fol. 70. a.)
The above mentioned "Hustrues Broder" must be J?rgen Gagge, and thus is described in 1598 as being a "Riddermands Mand" [in modern Danish a "v?bner" (squire, a nobleman who has not received a knighthood).
The following is from "De bornholmske v?bnersl?gter Uf og Splid - noget nyt om deres v?bener", by Sigvard Mahler Dam, Heraldisk Tidsskrift, 1982:
In Laurids de Thurah's "Omst?ndelig og tilforladelig Beskrivelse over Bornholm og Christians?e" from 1756, on page 70 - he was a Bornholm official, can be found the following: "In the church of this parish (Saint Knud's Church i Knudsker parish) the altar-tablet has been preserved in excellent condition and on it is engraved:
"Anno 1596, da gav J?rgen Gagge og hans Hustrue Mette Peder Hansdatter denne Tavle til St. Knuds Kirke. Begge Givernes Vaabener staaer der ved udhugne."
Translated to english:
"The year 1596, J?rgen Gagge and his wife Mette Peder Hansen's daughter donated this tablet to St. Knud's Church. Both donor's arms have been engraved into the tablet."
This led me to believe I hopefully would find some coloured arms. J?rgen Gagge's wife being a member of the Sparre-Uf family.
The name of J?rgen Gagges wife was really Margrethe and she was the daughter of Peder Hansen (Uf). She and her sister(?) Merete (married in 1606 to Hans Grabow, owner of Simleg?rd from 1609 through 1625, of Pederstrup (on Lolland)) were the two last members of the Sparre-Uf's. Note that the year the altar-tablet was given to the church: 1596, is the year Peder Hansen (Uf) died.
Peder Hansen (Uf)'s arms seem to have brought some confusion for researchers, because it appears that J?rgen Gagge and his wife Margrethe put up yet another memorial to honour Peder Hansen (Uf) and Mette Hansdatter. In 1601 they had cast a new large church-bell (which later disappeared) for Klemensker Church. Thurah quotes that the engraving reads:
"Anno 1601 Lod Claus Kames denne Klokke st?be til St. Clemmens Kirke paa Bornholm, efter Velbyrdige Hr. J?rgen Gages og Hr. Lars Nielsens i den Tiid Sogne-Herres Befalning, af Rheinholt Benning i L?beck".
(Translated to English:)
"In 1601 Claus Kames cast this bell for St. Clemen's Church of Bornholm after the request of the Well-Born Mr. J?rgen Gage and Mr. Lars Nielsen. . .)
J?rgen Gagge (the younger) is of the Bornholm-branch of that family; Gagge III in "Danske Adelsv?bener". In the year-book from 1893 you find their family-tree, but it's wrong in several instances. At the time this is written, I just now found the following in P.N. Skovgaard's "Beskrivelse over Bornholm", K?benhavn, 1804, page 315:
"Paa Altertavlen l?ses: 'Ao. 1596 da gaf J?rgen Gage oc hans hustru Merete Peder Hans datter denne altertafle til st. Knudskirke, vort haab til Gud alene'. Derved ere begge Giveres Vaabner udhgne." (Gagges Vaaben er et Gavlsp?nde, et halvt Kaggehjul o.s.v. Hendes Vaaben: et Gavlssp?nde omvendt, i r?dprikket Feldt.)
Translated to english:
"On the altar-tablet you'll read: "In 1596 J?rgen Gagge and his wife Merete Peder Hansen's daughter gave this altar-tablet to St. Knud's Church, our Hope in God only." Both of their arms are carved into the tablet." (Gagge's arms shows a chevron and a half millwheel. Her arms: an upside down chevron, on a red-dotted background.)
If the red-dotted background is on both of their emblems is difficult to ascertain.
Note: The fact that Margrethe is referred to as "Merete Peder Hans datter" on the tablet commemorating her father's death in 1596, and that 1606 - the year that "Merete" married Hans Grabow - is the same year as the death of J?rgen Gagge leads me to believe that Margrethe and Merete are in fact be the same person, and not sisters. Furthermore, Sigvard Mahler Dam states that Merete Pedersdatter had 4 children, all of whom died before her, and thus all her property went to her husband and step-son! I find it interesting that J?rgen Gagge and Margrethe had 4 sons: Claus, Peder, Hans and Sivert! - Norman Lee Madsen, September 1, 2003.
Mention of a document dated November 15, 1654 extracted from the probate for Hans Olufsen Kofoed, November 16, 1694, page 18:
Anno 1694 dend 16 November, med paa folgende dato er efter loulig giorde tillysning inden Herritsting, og Langsting, holden registering, og vurdering, sampt schifte, og deeling efter Erlig, og Mandhaste nu sal. Corporal Hans Koefoed Ollufsen som boede, og d?de paa dend 50 Jordejendom gaard kaldis Ladegaarden beliggende udi Clemmedsker Sogn. . . Een forfetning som sal. Zigvart Gagge til Myrregaard, Mads Koefoed Madsen til Eskesgaard, Suend Ollsen paa Baggegaard, Berrild Hansen paa Bieregaarden hafuer giort, og paa Hart Korn bereg med, og sat ber?rte 15 Worned og dens landgielde, som er skeed den 8 November 1654, som er af f?lgende ind hold. Wi efterskrivene Zigvart Gagge til Myrregaard uid Aachier Sogn, Mads Koefoed Madsen til Eskisgaarden i Pederskier Sogn, Suend Oelsen paa Baggegaarden i Clemmedskier Sogn, og Berreld Hansen paa Bieregaarden udi Aaekier Sogn, kiendes, og gi?r vitterligt, at efter som vi erre opmelt indnu Vester Herrits Ting, at ville vurdering taxsere en vornedegaard udi formelte Herrit som sal. Olluf Koefoed til Blyekobbegaard i N?cher Sogn til f?rde og Laurids Lassen udi boede. . . .
This database researched and compiled by Norman Lee Madsen, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, 21 July 2015.
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1552 - 1606 (~ 54 år)
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