| Notater |
- Note(kopieret juli 2019 fra Norman Lee Madsens database)
Mads Kofoed is thought to have been born sometime between 1580-90. He was the "Proprietær" of Vellensgård in Nyker and Eskesgård in Pedersker parish, both of which he got through marriage with Karen Jørgensdatter. Mads Kofoed purchased the rights to Eskesgård, and to Skadegård, 12' Vdg. Pedersker, on January 30, 1608 from his brother-in-law Esbern Kofoed. Vellensgård and Eskesgård are both classified as "friegårds", later called "proprietair" farms. Mads Kofoed's name is often mentioned during his long term in office as Chief Justice (Landsdommer) for Bornholm.
Mads Kofoed, named as a "Frimand", was one of the delegates who on May 6, 1608, in København, selected and confirmed Prince Christian as the future King of Denmark. He, along with four other Bornholmers, took part in the following festivities in Lund, Skåne (now part of Sverige/Sweden), where the nobility swore their allegiance to Prince Christian in the year 1610.
Their written authorization to attend reads as follows:
"We, the hereafter stated signatories: Jens Kofoedt of Kyndegaard, Hanns Kofoedt of Blykobbegaard, Peder Koefoedt of Bagisgaard, Matz Koefoedt of Eskiilsgaard, and Niels Beriildsen of Gadebygaard, all Freemen of Borringholm, and present here together hereby declare. . . The honest and noble man: Hanns Lindenow, Commander of Hammershus Fortress, has according to our consent, requested these two persons: the honourable Hans and Poffuill Koefoedt to travel to Kiöbenhaffn with our authorized document and be our representatives (at Prince Christian's election). . .as further documentation we have in our own handwriting signed and sealed this our open-letter."
The above letter is dated: "Borringholm, 6 Maij, Anno 1608" With the signatures of: Jenns Koefoedt, Hans Kofod, Peder Koefoedt, Matz Koefoedt, Jacob Køller, Hans Berillsenn, Niels Berendtzen. Mads Kofoed used his"sparre" (chevron) seal on the document.
From the Hammershus Regnskaber, 1580-1617:
Indtegt och wdgifft paa Hammershus Slott paa Bornholmb paa Kong. Maiitz. wegne fra Philippi dag Anno 1607 och till Philippi Jacobi dag Anno 1608.. . . Indtegt pending for driftt: . . . Opboridt aff Ridefogden Bertill Hansenn for itt driftte skiud Madtz Koefoed fich eftter wurderings breffs liudelse - 2 Dr.
The above entry translated to English:
Revenue and disbursements for Hammershus Castle on Bornholm on His Royal Majesty's behalf from May 1, 1607 until May 1, 1608. . . . Revenue from straying livestock: . . . Received from County Court Bailiff Bertel Hansen for a straying bullock Mads Kofoed obtained from the affidavit ofa letter of assesment - 2 Rigsdaler.
On February 5, 1629 he obtained the position of Chief Justice (Landsdommer) for Bornholm; along with the position he received the profits from the crown owned farm, Bjergegård, 9' Vdg. Vestermarie. On "Mortensdag" (November 11) 1637 he presented 50 silver Daler to Rønne Hospital in gratitude for their having nursed him back to health after he survived a storm at sea.
In 1629 King Christian IV had Mads Kofoed, as Chief Justice (Landsdommer) for Bornholm, swear his allegiance to the new Commander at Hammershus fortress: Holger Rosenkrans; in return he received, like other county judges before him, the rights to a number of farms "to enjoy and keep freely, as long as he is Chief Justice." These farms were: three (3) farms in Klemensker parish (one of them Duebjerggård); one (1) farm, Bjergegård, 9' Vdg. Vestermarie; one (1) farm in Rutsker parish; five (5) farms in Østermarie parish (one of them Lyrsbygård); and one (1) farm, Klintebygård, in Ibsker parish.
From the Hammershus Regnskaber, 1641-1651:
Borringholmb Slodtz. Regenschab paa Indtegt och vdgifft bereignidt fra den 31 Octob. 1645 thill Philipi Jacobi Dag Anno 1646. . . . Indtegt pendinge for aure som bønderne vdj Pederscher Sogen haffuer restered med til Madz Koefouget førige Landzdommer paa Borringholmb eftter Kong. Maytt. naadigst befalning hoes eftterschreffne: Rasmus Jørgensen 4 Schppr.; Jenns Munck - 4 Schpr.; Niells Jennsen - 4 Schpr.; Suend Ibsen -4 Schppr.; Claus Madsen - 1 Td.; Jørgen Koefuoget leffuerred aff samme restantz - 5 Td. 3 Schpr.; Bereignit 5 Mk. for 1 Td. ehr for 9 Td. 4Schpr.
Paa Erlig och Velbiurdig Mand, Herr Jochum Gierstorff till Lundbyeholm, Ridder, Danmarchis Riges Raad, Stadtholder och Befalningsmannd offuer Borringholm, min gunstige herre, hans vegnne, er annamett som Erlig och Velbiurdigmand Her Ebbe Vldfeldt till Offuisholm, Ridder, och førrige Befalningsmannd her sammesteds haffuer ladet leffuere, her paa Hammershuus den 12 May 1651. Huilcket aff goedemannd, som eftter kongelig befalning, er hid for ventendes, videre kannd efttersees, en fortigelsse, den huis som paa Hammershuus fannttes, der den Suenske Commendant Joen Burdon det quitterede, den 31 October 1645 aff Velbiurdigemend Her Siguertt Vrnne till Raarup, Ridder, och Her Fleming Vlffeldt till Gundersløffholm, Ridder, vnderschreffuene, disligese en gammell invetariumbs register, till Velb. Holger Rossenkrandtz, da hand Slotted annamede, leffuered forseiglet och vnderschreffuenn aff Christen Clausen til Skouffsgaard, och Madtz Koufoed, daterit Hammershuus der 1-14 Augusti, 1625. Med sampt en deell Kongebreffue, som udi en boginquarto. Er noget om derres indhold korteligenn indførtt, och breffuenevdj convaluter sammen bundenn. Huilcken bog med offuer leffuerede inventariums register, aff Velb. Christen Errichsen och Hendrich Einden ower vnderschreffuen: . . . . Er udj Synderlighted en Jordebog offuerleffueritt aff Carl Mattissenn, førige Slodschriffuer, som hand selff haffuer vnderskreffuitt den 24 Jully 1646. Huilcken hannd bereter, sigverre leffuerit och vnderskreffuen aff Hans Jenssen tilfornne haffuer verret Velb. Holger Rossenkrandtzes Skriffuer, her paa Hammershuuss. Huor eftter hand sig och haffuer forholdet och rettedt. Datum Hammershuus vt Supra: Paa min Gunstige herris vegne Lauritz Vinter.
Nr. 6095 - København 15 Mai 1647. Dombog 47, Fol. 335R-336V:
Karen Jørgensdatter mod Landsdommer Hans Pedersen. Arv og skifte arv (appel, myndighed, landsdommer; ejendom, gods, handel, arv) Kongen fraværende; 11 fraværende fra rådet - 2. instans. Udfald: Domfældelse ændring af dom v. Bornholms Landsting. Retsgrundlag: Skøder. Resume:Sagsøger tiltalte sagsøgte, fordi denne 9 September 1646 havde tildømt kronen halvdelen af tidligere Landsdommer Mads Kofoeds gods, da det blev anset for købegods.
From the Hammershus Ekstraskattemandtaller, 1646-1651:
Jordebog paa di Fri Mends Goedtz paa Boringholmb, som di schulle giffueaff huer tønde hart korn di besider en liv ørt; efter Hans Kongl. Maytts. breff, at schulle leffueris paa Hans Maytts. Rendte Cammer dend 1 December Ao. 1647. . . . Førige Landsdommers Jordegoedz: Hofuedtgaarden kaldis Wallingsg[aard] vdi Nyekier Sogen; som Karen sal. Madz Koefoedz paa boer er sat vdi sødschende schiftte for smør - 1 td. - En gaard ibid., som Rasmus Ibsen paa boer schylder aarlig: Smør - 1/2 td., Foernøed - 1. - En gaard ibid., som Jacob Jensen paa boer schylder aarligen: Smør - 4 pund, Lamb - 1, Gies - 1, Høns - 1, Faar - 1. -Tvende Vdhuus ibid. som Rasmus Lauridzen och Esber Jensen paa boer schylder aarlig: Smør - 3-1/2 pund. - En gaard i Pederschier Sogenn som Claus Sckøtte paa boer, schylder aarlig: Smør - 1 td. - 1 gaard ibid. som Jens Biørnsen paa boer, schylder aarlig: Smør 4 pund. Summa beløbber forschrefne Landzdommers goedz: Smør - 3 td. 4-1/2 pund, Lamb -1, Gies - 1, Høns 2, Foernøed - 1. - Beløber vdi hartkorn - 39 td.5-1/2 scheppe, 1 fjerring. - Deraf gifuet penge - 9 Rdr. 3 Ort 1 Mk. 5Sk.
The above entry, translated to English, informs us that "the previous Chief Justice's country estate: the estate is called Vellensgård in Nyker Parish; where Mads Koefoed's widow Karen is living, which sits under aprobate involving relatives" The above mentioned farms are: 1) Frigård, 4' Vdg. Nyker; 2) Bakkegård, 14' Vdg. Nyker; 3) Skyttegård, 3' Vdg. Pedersker; and 4) Lillegård, 9' Vdg. Pedersker.
According the the 1651 Jordebog the deceased Mads Kofoed's estate held two (2) farms in Åker parish:
Sl. Madz Koufoedz Gaarde.
Lauridz Jiuell. Wdbygger: Niels Mogenssøn. (Lille Loftsgård, 25 Vdg.)
Hans Peiterssønn. Gadehuuss: Rassmus Anderssøn. (Hjulmagergård, 17 Vdg.)
A judge had to be well educated, and economically independent, in order to pass fair and unbiased judgement. In return the King offered him total support: contempt for the judge's office was nothing less than an insult against His Majesty, and could bring on the death penalty. Chief Justice Mads Kofoed performed his task cleverly and with care. Many of his cases went to the Highest Court in København, and most of them were upheld. He enjoyed the well-deserved honour of being described as: "Ourfellow, servant, and Chief Justice upon our land - Bornholm".
In "På spor af de første Kofod'er" we are told of a case that Mads Kofoed presided over, along with a 14 man jury: it seems that an Ingeborg, wife of Peder Møller, was sentenced to leave her home and country because of her "witchcraft". The case suggests that she must have been a most disagreeable woman, who caused great uproar in Pedersker parish.
When in 1636 Mads received yet another farm in Vestermarie - meant as arest-stop along the way to the Bornholm Council meetings - you cannot help but become a bit suspicious that maybe he was suffering from farm collecting mania!
The life of a Chief Justice was not always easy - during on of the many required sea-voyages to København he nearly drowned. Luckily, King Christian IV issued an open decree in 1638 to the effect that during winter-time no county judge could be summoned to attend High Court in København, with special note that on "the land of Bornholm" you could encounter dangerous sea-voyages! As a thank you gift for being rescued, he donated a bond worth 50 Rigsdaler to the Hospital for the Poor in Rønne, which returned an interest of 10 Mark per year, for "as long as the money stays in my name."
Sweden, along with their Dutch allies, began a war against Denmark in 1643. The Swedish Commander, Lennart Torstensson, crossed the Danish southern frontier in December of 1643 and quickly occupied Jylland peninsula, while Louis DeGeer's army, based in Stockholm, seized the province of Skåne. This two-pronged attack took the Danes by surprise, but the elderly King Christian IV managed to rise to the challenge. The 67 year old king was tireless in organizing his navy and in raising forces, and the next April the Danish fleet met and defeated the Dutch navy, which was preparing to carry Torstensson's troops from the peninsula to the islands of Fyn and Sjælland. The defeated Dutch sailed back to Holland, but in June a Swedish fleet of forty ships appeared in the western Baltic. King Christian engaged the enemy in a ten-hour long battle in which he lost an eye and was wounded in thirteen places. The Swedish fleet was forced to flee to Kiel where it combined with the Dutch to attack the Danes near the island of Lolland. In this battle the Danish, who were outnumbered by two to one, lost fifteen of their seventeen ships by sinking or capture, and King Christian was forced to sue for peace.
The Baltic island of Bornholm found out to its detriment the extent of the Swedes rule over the Baltic Sea at that time. The Swedish troops landed on the 9th of June 1645 just to the south of the Bornholm township of Svaneke; the town suffered 4 hours of plundering after its surrender to the Swedish Commandant Wrangel. Mads Kofoed, and the other elderly men in command, were unable to properly lead the Bornholmer troops. He was blamed for the surrender of Hammershus to the Swedes on the 17th of June; and as a result Mads Kofoed had the misfortune of being partly responsible for the total collapse of Bornholm's defenses and the Swedish General Wrangel's conquering of the entire island, even though at first Wrangel had only threatened to burn down all of Nexø as a personal revenge against a couple of skipper's from Nexø who had stolen one of his ships!
In the resulting peace treaty negotiated in Brömsebro in August of 1645 obliged Denmark to surrender Jämtland and Härjedal, Gotland and the island of Ösel. It was agreed that the captured island of Bornholm was to be returned to Danish rule. As a guarantee for the exemption of Swedish shippinf from Danish shipping tolls, Sweden took possession of the province of Halland for a period of thirty years - however it was never returned.
The officers in the Bornholm militia who were judged to have betrayed their country were sentenced to death, but the king benevolently conveyed the sentence to one of exile. Mads Kofoed, and his brothers Peder and Jacob, were judged traitors and banished. The exact place and circumstances of Mads Kofoed's death are not known, only that he died while abroad (udlandet) in 1646; possibly he fled into exile along side Peder Kofoed, and like him, died in Lübeck.
A High Court case (Dombog 48, page 835R-838R) of July 5, 1649 involving Ebbe Ulfeldt, a nobleman from Ovesholm in Träne parish, Kristianstad county, against the deceased "Mads Kofoeds arvinger" (Mads Kofoed's heirs) regarding a case from July 21, 1641, because "Mads Kofoed havde henvist en sag om en kvindes død til endelig afgørelse ved herredstinget og derved underkendt en nævningekendelse, der fandt Hans Lauridsen skyldig i kvindens død" (Mads Kofoed had requested the matter of a woman's death to be the final decision of the District Court, and thereby overruled a jury verdict which had found a Hans Lauridsen guilty of the woman's death).
This database researched and compiled by Norman Lee Madsen, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
- Mads Kofoed:blev udnævnt til landsdommer 5. febr. 1629. Han havde ejet Vællensgård i Nyker og Eskesgård, som hans kone Karen Jørgensdatter havde arvet, samt flere andre gårde. Han var også officer. I 1645, hvor general Wrangel var gået i land i Nexø, og på grund af hans og også hans 2 brødre vandærende indsats, blev alle 3 brødre landsforvist sammen med flere andre officerer. Alle 3 brødre døde inden de blev benådet. De 2 brødre var borgmester Peder Hansen Kofoed, Rønne, som bl.a havde en søn, den senere Jens Kofoed kendt fra opstanden 1658, den 3. bror var Jacob Kofoed fra Kyndegård i Nyker, alle 3 tilhørte Rønnelinien af Kofoedslægten. Fra Klindts bog ved vi, at Mads Kofoed som landsdommer blev aflønnet med 11 gårde. Men da han blev landsforvist i 1646 blev dommerhvervet frataget ham og dermed også de 11 gårde som hans aflønning gik tilbage til kronen. Se Borringholmernes historiebog I side 234 [2]
|
Anebasen — Ole Thyge Plannthin
ca. 1588 - 1646 (58 år)
