Norwegian Probate Abstract - Vikna

Question

Would Leif or someone familiar with probates take a look at this abstract for Jonas Olsen.

My question is about the daughter Karen.  Should I "read anything into" the fact myndig is not indicated by her name?  Was she an uagte birth?  Is it just an omission of a bracket from Kiersten?  Why would she not be considered a legal heir?

In the paragraph below, it looks like Isak and Karen are both minors as they are given guardians.  Am I over-analyzing this?  Karen is a mystery and the Viknaboka has no further information on her either.

https://www.digitalarkivet.no/sk11216101706047

https://www.nb.no/nbsok/nb/6c1f87b8fb2fbf3dcaf030f509520351?index=2#209

Comments

Thanks to both of you!!

I guess my first mistake was relying on Google-translate over time as all they said (when I wrote it down a long time ago) was "legal" for myndig and I jumped to the conclusion of legal-heir and not legal-age.

Since I can't find anything (yet) on this Karen (whom I don't descend from anyway) I thought maybe she was disinherited or something.

Thanks for all the insight in reading these things.  I have copied your answers into my notes on probates.  I have such trouble with the actual probate documents themselves.  Unlike reading the church books, probates are way above my language pay-grade, so the abstracts are about all I can do on my own.  It's great having you available for help.

Answer 1

The first source you link to is an index-card abstract; the second source (the Viknabok) has much more extensive extracts from the probate.

"Myndig" means "of age"; the fact that Karen is not designated as such simply means she was still a minor (just like Isak). This is confirmed by the fact that she was given a guardian (just like Isak). She was in fact an heir, and there is nothing here to indicate that she was illegitimate.

My main concern here is that the math doesn't work out. After the widow got her half of the net estate, the amount due to be given to the kids was about 36 daler. As was common in Norway back then, sons got a full share and daughters a half share. The son's share (broderlod) was calculated at slightly more than 7 daler, and the daughter's half share at slightly more than 3.5 daler. This adds up to 36 daler if you have 4 sons and 2 daughters - but per the probate there were only 3 sons and 2 daughters. So it looks like the kids got cheated out of a bit of their inheritance (sorry, this is the retired accountant in me taking over).

Comments

The Bygdebok transcript also says that the children were given 10 dalers each. Maybe the mother was compensated with a brother lot for that, but it's a little strange that the lots don't add up.

Here's the scanned original:

SAT, Namdal sorenskriveri, 3/3A/L0006: Skifteprotokoll, 1734-1743, s. 280b-281a
Brukslenke for sidevisning: https://www.digitalarkivet.no/sk20090218660762

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I'll just add to C-H's excellent analysis that the age of majority in Norway from 1619 to 1869 was 25 years. Until 1863, unmarried girls were considered legal minors regardless of age.

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It is said "billiges Enchen hendes Broderlod" (page 281b lower right)

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Well, that certainly explain things, Do you see if it's also mentioned why she gets ths brother lot? I just can't read this low-contrast stuff now, due to cataract on both eyes. I'm awaiting eye surgery, but it takes time.

I've been through thousands of pages of 18th century documents but I've had to temporarily put it away. I certainly miss to be able to read it.

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Ah yes, I see now - the widow did get one broderlod as well. Thank you for making the numbers work!

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I have not found any explanation for why she got it.