1 _FA1
2 DATE 4 Mar 1755
2 PLAC Middleclass Citizen (Borger)
1 _FA1
2 PLAC Freeman (Frimand)
1 MISC Coat of arms (Våben): a cow-foot (et koben)
In 1584 Esbern Kofoed was the crown appointed Customs Officer (KongeligTolder) of Bornholm, with a yearly payment (årsløn) of 2 barrels ofbutter. At the same time he was a Alderman (Rådmand) in Rønne, as can beseen by the fact that he was one of the delegates from all over Denmarkwere sent to Lund, in Skåne province, to elect Prince Christian's (IV) asheir-apparent on July 20, 1584. Records from this time tell that thefollowing delegates were sent to represent the citizens of Rønne: "MichelHerttuig, Borgemester, Esbern Kofod og Claus Kamitz, Raadmænd."He became Mayor (Borgmester) of Rønne in 1590, a position which he heldup until 1623. We can see that the seal he used in his official dutiesas mayor displays the same cow-foot image as that used by Peder (Poulsen)Kofoed (1548-1616) of Kofoedgård, 23 Slg. Østermarie. Possibly the sameperson as the Esbern Kofoed (-1608-1622-), of Frigård, 12 Vdg. Poulsker,who was married to Elline Jørgensdatter?
In 1608 when the next crown prince was to be hailed as heir-apparent anddelegates were chosen to attend; the document regarding this reads asfollows.
From the original document, in old danish:
"Wi effterschreffne Esper Kofod, Borgemester i Rothne, Madz Raffn, AndersJenssøn, Hermand Bohn, Jørgen Franch och Claus Hartvigh, Raadmend ibid.,sambt det gandske burgerskaff her wdj Rothne, saa och det gandske gemeineburgerskaff aff Nexe, och denn menig Almue aff de andre smaabyer ochfiskeleyer, Hasle, Suannicke och Aakirckebye, som ingen Kongl.Priuilegier haffuer, kiendis och giør Witterligt for alle," at da det erdem befalet at sende Fuldmægtige til København paa Trefoldigheds Søndag,for at kaare Prins Christian; Saa haffuer nu erlig och velbyrdig MandHans Lindenov til Örslef, med allis woris guode willie oc samtycke,wdmelt och tilforordnet disse to dannemendt, som er erlig och welact mandMichel Hartuig, Borgemester i Rothne, oc Mauritz Jenssen, Borgemester iNexø", til paa alles vegne at rejse til København.The above translated to english:
"We the undersigned Esper Kofod, Mayor in Rønne, Mads Ravn, AndersJensen, Herman Bohn, Jørgen Franck and Claus Hartwig, Aldermen ibid., aswell as the entire trade-license holders here in Rønne, and also theentire trade-license holders of Nexø, also the common folk from all theother small towns and fishing-villages: Hasle, Svaneke and Aakirkeby,which have no Royal-Privileges, we hereby declare for One and All that wehave been requested to send Delegates to København on Trinity Sunday, forthe hailing of Prince Christian; Therefore the honest and highborn manHans Lindenov of Örslev, has with everyones good will and consentrequested these two danish men, whom are the honest and respected manMichel Hartwig, Mayor in Rønne, and Mauritz Jensen, Mayor in Nexø", totravel to København on behalf of all Bornholmers. Hans Lindenov was the"lienholder" (vassal) for Bornholm 1594-1610.From "På spor af de første Kofod'er" by Jørn Klindt, published 1979:
On the 31st of May 1563 the war started up with a terrible sea battle offthe Rønne shoreline. Later that same year the Danish-Lübeck fleet, underthe command of Peder Skram, patrolled the sea between Bornholm and Øland- wherein, as was the custom, they went ashore and requesitioning heavytaxes. Amid all the skirmishes a small Bornholm fishing boat was trappedby the Swedes of Øland. The Swedish Admiral, Jacob Bagge, had also beentaken prisoner by the Lübeck commander of Hammershus, Sweder Ketting; whourged his prisoner to write a letter to his superior officer at KalmarCastle to suggest an exhange of the four Bornholmer fishermen with fourSwedish prisoners on Bornholm. In another letter sent at the same timeto the Swedish king, he writes: "We are treated well - but for God's sakegive the Danish prisoners humane treatment - some are of the nobility andrespected men." We find that one of the Bornholm fishermen (the ship'scaptain?) was named "Æsbiörnn Kofoth" (Esbern Kofod).The war was full of cruelties on all sides, from the Bornholm shorewitnesses viewed the Swedes tie up their Lübeck prisoners on thier ownship and then set it on fire. Prisoners of war were slit open and thrownover board, and the Lübeck commander Sweder Ketting was horrified to findtheir remnants washed ashore the next day, writing: "God Almighty help usthat we should not alow such horrible transgressions go unpunished." TheDanish admiral, Herluf Trolle, was also shocked by the terrible crueltycommitted by the Swedes against their prisoners, and together with JacobBagge formulated a request to the Swedish king: "Your Royal Majesty'snavy has subjected its prisoners to a most cruel, inhumane treatmentunheard of in any warring nation. Your Royal Majesty must know that Godwill surely render His punishment." However, the Swedish king was goinginsane at that time, so we do not know if the request was heeded.
The cruelties of the war caused an uproar throughout Europe - especiallysince Lübeck, a free-city in the Hoy Roman Empire, was involved. It isnot known if the request did any good; it is doubtful that the exchangeof prisoners ever took place, nor is it known if "Æsbiörnn Kofoth" everreturned home. Although the researcher M.K. Zarthmann thought that hemust be identical to the Esbern Kofod who was a customs officer and latermayor of Rønne until 1623. I have not been able to find any otherjustification for this hypothesis than the fact that they were bothseamen; if Esbern, for example, was 20 years old when taken prisoner in1563, he would still have been in the office of mayor at age 80 - whichseems unlikely. Age-wise a more probable connection is that of theEsbern Kofod, who in 1569 lived at "Kofodgaard" (later known as Frigård,15 Vdg.) in Vestermarie parish - we do not know anything about him, butat least we can allow ourselves the fantasy that he just could be"Æsbiörnn Kofoth", who survived cruel imprisonment and later on abandonedhis life at sea to settle on a farm.
This database researched and compiled by Norman Lee Madsen, Toronto,Ontario, copyright 2006.
1 _FA1
2 PLAC Freeman (Frimand)
1 MISC Coat of arms (Våben): a cow-foot (et koben)
In 1584 Esbern Kofoed was the crown appointed Customs Officer (KongeligTolder) of Bornholm, with a yearly payment (årsløn) of 2 barrels ofbutter. At the same time he was a Alderman (Rådmand) in Rønne, as can beseen by the fact that he was one of the delegates from all over Denmarkwere sent to Lund, in Skåne province, to elect Prince Christian's (IV) asheir-apparent on July 20, 1584. Records from this time tell that thefollowing delegates were sent to represent the citizens of Rønne: "MichelHerttuig, Borgemester, Esbern Kofod og Claus Kamitz, Raadmænd."He became Mayor (Borgmester) of Rønne in 1590, a position which he heldup until 1623. We can see that the seal he used in his official dutiesas mayor displays the same cow-foot image as that used by Peder (Poulsen)Kofoed (1548-1616) of Kofoedgård, 23 Slg. Østermarie. Possibly the sameperson as the Esbern Kofoed (-1608-1622-), of Frigård, 12 Vdg. Poulsker,who was married to Elline Jørgensdatter?
In 1608 when the next crown prince was to be hailed as heir-apparent anddelegates were chosen to attend; the document regarding this reads asfollows.
From the original document, in old danish:
"Wi effterschreffne Esper Kofod, Borgemester i Rothne, Madz Raffn, AndersJenssøn, Hermand Bohn, Jørgen Franch och Claus Hartvigh, Raadmend ibid.,sambt det gandske burgerskaff her wdj Rothne, saa och det gandske gemeineburgerskaff aff Nexe, och denn menig Almue aff de andre smaabyer ochfiskeleyer, Hasle, Suannicke och Aakirckebye, som ingen Kongl.Priuilegier haffuer, kiendis och giør Witterligt for alle," at da det erdem befalet at sende Fuldmægtige til København paa Trefoldigheds Søndag,for at kaare Prins Christian; Saa haffuer nu erlig och velbyrdig MandHans Lindenov til Örslef, med allis woris guode willie oc samtycke,wdmelt och tilforordnet disse to dannemendt, som er erlig och welact mandMichel Hartuig, Borgemester i Rothne, oc Mauritz Jenssen, Borgemester iNexø", til paa alles vegne at rejse til København.The above translated to english:
"We the undersigned Esper Kofod, Mayor in Rønne, Mads Ravn, AndersJensen, Herman Bohn, Jørgen Franck and Claus Hartwig, Aldermen ibid., aswell as the entire trade-license holders here in Rønne, and also theentire trade-license holders of Nexø, also the common folk from all theother small towns and fishing-villages: Hasle, Svaneke and Aakirkeby,which have no Royal-Privileges, we hereby declare for One and All that wehave been requested to send Delegates to København on Trinity Sunday, forthe hailing of Prince Christian; Therefore the honest and highborn manHans Lindenov of Örslev, has with everyones good will and consentrequested these two danish men, whom are the honest and respected manMichel Hartwig, Mayor in Rønne, and Mauritz Jensen, Mayor in Nexø", totravel to København on behalf of all Bornholmers. Hans Lindenov was the"lienholder" (vassal) for Bornholm 1594-1610.From "På spor af de første Kofod'er" by Jørn Klindt, published 1979:
On the 31st of May 1563 the war started up with a terrible sea battle offthe Rønne shoreline. Later that same year the Danish-Lübeck fleet, underthe command of Peder Skram, patrolled the sea between Bornholm and Øland- wherein, as was the custom, they went ashore and requesitioning heavytaxes. Amid all the skirmishes a small Bornholm fishing boat was trappedby the Swedes of Øland. The Swedish Admiral, Jacob Bagge, had also beentaken prisoner by the Lübeck commander of Hammershus, Sweder Ketting; whourged his prisoner to write a letter to his superior officer at KalmarCastle to suggest an exhange of the four Bornholmer fishermen with fourSwedish prisoners on Bornholm. In another letter sent at the same timeto the Swedish king, he writes: "We are treated well - but for God's sakegive the Danish prisoners humane treatment - some are of the nobility andrespected men." We find that one of the Bornholm fishermen (the ship'scaptain?) was named "Æsbiörnn Kofoth" (Esbern Kofod).The war was full of cruelties on all sides, from the Bornholm shorewitnesses viewed the Swedes tie up their Lübeck prisoners on thier ownship and then set it on fire. Prisoners of war were slit open and thrownover board, and the Lübeck commander Sweder Ketting was horrified to findtheir remnants washed ashore the next day, writing: "God Almighty help usthat we should not alow such horrible transgressions go unpunished." TheDanish admiral, Herluf Trolle, was also shocked by the terrible crueltycommitted by the Swedes against their prisoners, and together with JacobBagge formulated a request to the Swedish king: "Your Royal Majesty'snavy has subjected its prisoners to a most cruel, inhumane treatmentunheard of in any warring nation. Your Royal Majesty must know that Godwill surely render His punishment." However, the Swedish king was goinginsane at that time, so we do not know if the request was heeded.
The cruelties of the war caused an uproar throughout Europe - especiallysince Lübeck, a free-city in the Hoy Roman Empire, was involved. It isnot known if the request did any good; it is doubtful that the exchangeof prisoners ever took place, nor is it known if "Æsbiörnn Kofoth" everreturned home. Although the researcher M.K. Zarthmann thought that hemust be identical to the Esbern Kofod who was a customs officer and latermayor of Rønne until 1623. I have not been able to find any otherjustification for this hypothesis than the fact that they were bothseamen; if Esbern, for example, was 20 years old when taken prisoner in1563, he would still have been in the office of mayor at age 80 - whichseems unlikely. Age-wise a more probable connection is that of theEsbern Kofod, who in 1569 lived at "Kofodgaard" (later known as Frigård,15 Vdg.) in Vestermarie parish - we do not know anything about him, butat least we can allow ourselves the fantasy that he just could be"Æsbiörnn Kofoth", who survived cruel imprisonment and later on abandonedhis life at sea to settle on a farm.
This database researched and compiled by Norman Lee Madsen, Toronto,Ontario, copyright 2006.