Mads Hansen Kofoed (1588 - 1646)

Born 1588 in Blykobbegård, Nyker, Bornholm Vester, Danmark

Ancestors

Husband of Karen Jørgensdatter — married about 1604 in Bornholm Danmark

Descendants

Died 1646 at about age 58 in Lübeck, Tyskland [uncertain]

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Biography

Mads Hansen was born in 1588. Mads Hansen Kofoed ... He passed away in 1646. ^[1]

Mads Hansen Kofoed is thought to have been born sometime between1580-90. He was the "ProprietS̆" of Vellensgård in Nyker and Eskildsgård in Pedersker parish, both of which he got through marriage with Karen Jørgensdatter. He purchased the rights to Eskildsgård on January 30, 1608 from his brother-in-law Esbern Kofoed. Vellensgård and Eskildsgård are both classified as "friegårds", later called"proprietair" farms, which is the highest of the three farm classifications.

Mads obtained permission to use the Kofoed coat-of-arms; later, in 1608,he was known to have used the title of "Free-man" (Frimand). On February 5,1629 he obtained the commission as Chief Justice (Landsdommer) for Bornholm. In 1637 he presented 50 Silverdalers to Rønne Hospital in gratitude for their having nursed him back to health after he survived a storm at sea.

Was involved in the surrender of Bornholm to the Swedish General Wrangel in 1645, after which he was judged a traitor to Bornholm and Danmark. After he died his widow was given a royal pardon for her husband's crime. I do not know of the place and circumstances of his death, he possibly died on Bornholm; however, he might have gone into exile with his brother Peder and like him died in Lübeck.

In 1629 King Christian IV had Mads Kofoed, as Chief Justice (Landsdommer) for Bornholm, swear his allegiance to the new Commander at Hammershusfortress: Holger Rosenkrans; in return he received, like other county judges before him, the rights to a number of farms "to enjoy and keepfreely, as long as he is Chief Justice." These farms were: three (3) farms in Klemensker parish (one of them Duebjerggård); one (1) farm,Bjergegård, in Vestermarie parish; one (1) farm in Rutsker parish; five (5) farms in Østermarie parish (one of them Lyrsbygård); and one (1)farm, Klintebygård, in Ibsker parish.

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 honor 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 a rest-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, KingChristian 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 Rigsdalers to the Hospital for the Poor in Rønne, which returned an interest of 10 Marks per year, for "as long as the money stays in my name." You would think that those funds were secure, but when Mads Kofoed went broke eight years later the hospital had to go to court in 1644 to secure the money and interest from the bond from his heirs.

Sadly, his debt grew again after his wife's death, as he had to pay out their inheritance to his children. After his death around 1646 the farmbuildings were very run-down and the total value of the property was not more than 700 Silverdalers. Those who have studied his judgements have come away with the impression that he, as far as possible, supported the lower-courts, and often was swayed by them. Also, it is noted that many of the officials for the lower-court seemed to gradually become members of the Kofoed-family!

This database researched and compiled by Norman Lee Madsen, Toronto,Ontario, copyright 1990-2001.

Born abt 1588 at Pg Blykobbegård, Nyker

Married bef 1605 Karen Jørgensdatter (1585 - 1650)

Died 1646 at Pg Vellensgård, Nyker aged 58, Conflicting sources state that Mads Hansen Kofoed died in exile in Lübeck, Tyskland, or Vellensgård, Nyker Parish.

Parents:

Hans Madsen Kofoed (1550 - 1623) Karrine Clausdatter Kames (1560 - 1602)

Children (6):

Hans Madsen Kofoed (1605 - 1654) Elsebeth Madsdatter Kofoed (1607 - 1676) Jørgen Madsen Kofoed (1610 - 1650) NN Madsdatter Kofoed (1612 - ) Mads Madsen Kofoed (1615 - 1665) Martha Madsdatter Kofoed (1617 - 1670)

Sources

1. ↑ Entered by Jørgen Hansen, Sunday, August 25, 2013.

• https://www.familysearch.org/tree/person/details/L6GQ-K9Y

• The Kofoed-Family of Bornholm compiled by: Norman Lee Madsen. Accessed 12 November 2019 at: http://www3.sympatico.ca/colin.swift/kofoed.htm

• The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, "Pedigree Resource File," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/2:2:SP61-91C : accessed 2017-04-12), entry for Mads Hansen /Kofoed/.

• http://www.fogsgaard.org/bf_tng/getperson.php?personID=I402&tree=Total

• http://www.bornholm-stamtavle.dk/stamtavle/jochum/HTMLFiles/HTMLFiles_100/P30815.html

• Blykobbegård, Nyker, Vester, Bornholm Location. Accessed 9 June 2019 at: https://www.danishfamilysearch.com/sogn229/stednavne89478

Acknowledgments

Thank you to Jørgen Hansen for creating Kofoed-32 on 25 Aug 13.