Fragments of court records of the Savolax lower court (häradsrätt) for the winter and spring sessions in 1559 (6284a),
the summer session in 1561 (6312b), winter and spring sessions in
1562 (6345a), and the spring session in 1565 (6379a), as
well as some second-tier court (lagmansrätt) sessions, all
presided over (and for the most part recorded by) Jesper
Sigfridsson in lieu of Claes Christersson
Horn (Pirinen 1954, vii–xii).
I: 6284a
Fols. 1r–17v, from the court session in
Juva (26 January 1559) to
the session in Pellosniemi (6 March
1559) (edited in Pirinen 1954, 3–19).
[1r] Anno etc. 59 then 25 [pro 26] januarij hult jak Jesper
Segffredszonn vintter ting medh almogen affh Jokas soken ... [17r]
Anno etc. 59 then 6 dag marcij ... aff Pelliisznemi ... [17v] ...
Anders Anders[son] Toijffon, Sijluester Mickan.
Fol. 18r–v, court records from Juva, from a
session probably held between 1556 and 1566 when Jesper Sigfridsson was Claes
Christersson’s substitute (edited in Pirinen 1954,
19).
[18r] Kom för rette Poual Hercken ... Joan Hertugan, Per
Kamalann.
II: 6312b
Fols. 1r–17v, from the session at
Pellosniemi (September 1561) to
the session in Tavinsalmi (13
September 1561) (edited in Pirinen 1954, 23–35).
[1r] Dömdis 4 men emillam Per Soijkan ... (4r empty)
[4v] Anno etc. 61 then 7 septembriis ... Vesulax socken ...
[15v] Anno etc. 61 then 13 septembriis ... aff Taffhuisalm ...
[17v] ... Bertiil Keszon oc Laurens Hutton.
(fols. 4r, 7v, and 14r are empty).
III: 6345a
Fol. 1, records from the session at Rantasalmi (January 1562) (edited in Pirinen 1954,
41–42)
[1r] Anno etc 1562 then 15 januarij ... Randasalm ...
[1v] ... epter 12 man ransakan.
Fol. 2, records from the session at Juva (26 April 1562) (edited in Pirinen 1954,
44)
[2r] Anno etc. 62 then 6 apriiliis ... Jokas soken ...
[2v] ... epter 12 men ransacan.
IV: 6379a
Fols. 1r–10v, records from the session at
Sääminki (probably March 1565)
to the session at Vesulahti (12 March
1565) (edited in Pirinen 1954, 217–229).
[1r] Dömdis Anders Rottin sac tiill 3 mc ... [1v] ...
Semingh fierdung ... [9r] Anno etc. 65 then 12 martiij ... Vesulax
soken ... [10v] ... Laurens Hostar, Anders Liuckon, Niclis
Reijniken.
Paper
18 (6284a) + 17 (6312b) + 2 (6345a) + 10 (6379a) folios
20,5
30
Text area varies
The folia were at some point arranged in incorrect sequence as can be
seen from the microfilms, which were made in the first half of the
20th century and are located at the
National Archives. The sequence has since been corrected and the leaves
refoliated.
Foliation in pencil (all numbers between 412 and 605) in the
upper right-hand corners of recto-sides. Younger foliation in ink, which does
not follow the older. Probably added as the leaves were rebound. The folia are
now arranged in the order reconstructed in Pirinen’s (1954) edition. Items
6284a, 6345a and 6379a have been refoliated in red crayon in the upper margin
before the latest binding (see Pirinen 1954, xviii). They also have
a stamped or typewritten foliation in the lower margin.
Apart from 6312b, which is bound as a IX-1 quire; the fragments consists
of leaves pasted as singletons into modern guardbooks.
The fragments are arranged in four separate volumes. The leaves are
frayed along the edges, often somewhat dirty, and show signs of water
damage.
Number of lines varies; no ruling.
Several hands, writing varieties of 16th-cent. cursive. The same scribes also appear in a related manuscript
([the Dombok för Savolax, 1563–1564, now Vaasa, Provincial Archives
of Vaasa, Savo Judicial Province Archives CA:1]) (cf. Pirinen 1954,
xiii–xvii): hand 1 is quite probably Jesper
Sigfridsson himself (see his signature in [Helsinki,
National Archives, Older account book series, 6258, fol. 18v]); it
predominates in the Dombok för Savolax and is the only hand to appear on 6284a; it
also appears in the other fragments. Hand 2 appears in 6312b, 6379a and in the
Dombok för Savolax; the scribe may be one of the Viipuri
castle scribes, possibly Lars Andersson who often
attended court sessions. Hand 3 is in 6312b at Juva, fol. 15r; hand 4 is only at
Rantasalmi, in 6345a.
Not decorated; the layout serves merely practical purposes, and rubrics are not
distinguished in any way.
Four separate volumes in modern cardboard bindings.
The fragments contain records of court sessions held in Savo in the 1550s and
1560s. That the fragments once belonged together is suggested by the presence of the
same hands in several of them, as well as the foliation, which ranges from 412 to 605.
The reports were probably prepared when the court was in session or soon after. One of
the scribes was probably Judge Jesper Sigfridsson himself. The fragments are also
related to the manuscript containing records of courts sessions held in 1563–1564
([Vaasa, Provincial Archives of Vaasa, Savo Judicial Province Archives CA:1. Dombok för
Savolax 1563–1564]), which features several scribes also appearing in these
fragments.
How the fragments ended up in the National Archives is uncertain. The fragments were erroneously arranged as parts of the Older account book series
during the tenure of State Archivist J. W. Ruuth. They do not seem to have belonged
in the series when transferred from the Swedish National Archives in 1810. They may
have come to the present National Archives in the collection of W. G. Lagus, the
scholar, thief and collector, in 1911, but there is no positive evidence for this
(Pirinen 1954, v).
Archival markings in brown ink: 6284a, fol. 4r: ‘No. 1’,
fol. 14r: ‘31’; 6312b, fol. 1r: ‘No. 2’; 6379a, fol. 1r: ‘No. 7’. This suggests that
the materials were catalogued when still unbound folia.
The fragments derive
from the same material as [Vaasa, The Provincial Archives, Savolax judiciary district
archives CA:1, ‘Dombok för Savolax 1563–1564’].