Stockholm, National Archives, Kopiesamling, vol. 18 (f.d. Avskriftssamling 11B). Ture Pedersson Bielke’s and Gustav Fincke’s copybook, 1555–1557 Cataloguer Ville Walta Finnish Literature Society (SKS) Codices Fennici Creative Commons BY 4.0 Stockholm National Archives Kopiesamling, vol. 18 f.d. Avskriftssamling 11B 1555–1557, Finland, Savonlinna(?) Copybook concerning the affairs of Ture Pedersson Bielke and Gustav Fincke

Fols. 1r–133v: Copies of letters, instructions and other documents concerning Ture Pedersson Bielke and Gustav Fincke, from 1555–1557. For a large number of documents, there are duplicates in another copybook for the same men (Stockholm, National Archives, Kopiesamling I, vol. 17), as well as in Gustav Fincke’s copybook (Stockholm, National Archives, E8685). Many documents have been edited in Arwidsson 1846–1858, vols. 3, 4 and 8.

[1r] Denne efterskreffne book lyder och innehåller wise vtskreffter och kopier aff de bre[ffue], [instruct]tioner och befalninger såm iag Tur[e] [Persson] till Salstad haffuer bekåmmeth och undf[änget] utaff Stormectigh förste och herre her [Gustaf] Sueriges, götes och wendis etc. konung min nådige here, seden deth iag med erligh och welbördigh man Göstaff fincke till porkale bleff ör ordinereth i slåtz loffuen på Nyslåtth, och så wise copier och vtskreffter aff de breff såm wii bade samfelth och enskylth haffue skreffueth högbmelte konge matz: till igen, och så medföliende ett register åm den årlige rente och andr[a] lägenheter såm wii samfelth haffue för fareth her vtii Nylåtz lään, och i like matte giffueth hans konge matz suar och besked der vpå anno etc. 1555. Ture persons egen handh. (A letter to King Gustav Vasa, dated 27 October 1555) Stormectigh Förste och herr her Göstaff ... [8r–9r] (translation of a letter into Finnish) ... [21r–24r] (instructions for bailiffs) ... [29r–30r] (medical instructions to cure a fever) ... [74r–75r] (an account of wages paid to servants) ... [91r] ... Åbo slot then 25 Januarii anno etc. 57.

[96r–133v] (accounts of Savonlinna (Nyslott) län from 1555)

(Fols. 13v, 40r, 52r, 91v–95v, 100v–103v, 107v, 113v, 116v, 119v, 123v, 134r–v are blank.)

Additional folia: between fols. 80 and 81, by a new hand, fragment of the letter on fols. 80v–81r, and beginning of letter starting on fol. 81v; between fols. 130 and 131, a slip (by scribe II) with a copy of some of the information found on fol. 129r; after fol. 134, by a new hand, a note mentioning Åke Bengtsson and Klaus Fleming, signed S.S.

 Paper 134 + 3 folios 21 31 Text area varies Foliation in upper margin in ink; fol. 70 has been counted twice. The quire structure is mixed. There are four quires containing fols. 1–38, 39–87, 88–103 and 104–134. The first and last quires both include at least one smaller quire within them.

A leaf has been excised before fol. 1. Between fols. 80 and 81 an unnumbered loose leaf. A leaf has been torn between fols. 103 and 104 (apparently blank). A small torn and loose slip between fols. 130 and 131. Three folia trimmed after fol. 134. After fol. 134 a loose unnumbered leaf.

The manuscript is in decent overall condition. There is considerable fraying along the edges, which has caused some loss of text, especially at the beginning of the manuscript.

 One unruled column with a varying number of lines (34–45); inventory on fols. 124r–128v in two columns.

Two main hands writing a cursive script of saec. XVI: I: fols. 1r–8r, 9r–12v, 79v–82r, 83v–91r, II: 14r–78v, 82r–83v, 96r–133v. These hands are different than those appearing in the other copybook containing Ture Pedersson Bielke’s and Gustav Fincke’s documents (Stockholm, National Archives, Kopiesamling, vol. 17). However, Hand I at least appears in another copybook containing Gustav Bielke’s correspondence (Stockholm, National Archives, E8685).

A few other hands write shorter sections. The prologue on fol. 1r is stated to be by Ture Pedersson Bielke. Since the same hand does not appear elsewhere in the book, it seems possible it is indeed an autograph.

Simple pen-drawn initials. Otherwise, no decoration.

Brown leather covers, which are slightly smaller than the folia they are covering. On the front cover a saec. XVIII headline ‘DD pars 2da. Her Thure Pehrssons och Göste finckes ankomne bref ifrå konungen och deras till konungen. mästdelas lijka medh book lit. EE [= Stockholm, National Archives, Kopiesamling I, vol. 17]’. A separated cardboard spine with the title of the book ‘Ture Pedersson Bielkes och Göst. Finckes brefbok 1555–1557’, and the old shelf-mark ‘Avskrifts. 11 B’.

The manuscript is one of two copybooks (the other one is Stockholm, National Archives, Kopiesamling I, vol. 17) containing outgoing and incoming correspondence, accounts and other documents related to the administrative tasks of Ture Pedersson Bielke (d. 1577) and Gustav Fincke (d. 1566). They were responsible for organizing the Finnish military efforts in a war against Russia, 1555–1557. Both copybooks were probably made contemporaneously with the writing and receiving of the documents. In addition to letters, there are copies of royal decrees and tax accounts. Two scribes were mainly responsible for the work (different ones from those appearing in the other copybook); possibly they were from Savonlinna Castle. Some copies of the same documents are also found in Gustav Fincke’s personal copybook (Stockholm, National Archives, E8685).

The manuscript has two main scribes, who are not the same as those responsible for the other copybook related to Bielke and Fincke. However, Hand I at least also appears in Gustav Fincke’s personal copybook (E 8685).

On the front cover, an old shelf-mark, ‘DD’. In the National Archives, the manuscript also had an earlier shelf-mark ‘Avskriftssamling 11B’ (on a separated cardboard).

Apparently the copybooks were kept at the manor of Kankas from where they were likely taken to the Swedish National Archives in 1706 together with the copybooks of Gustav Fincke's son, Gödik Fincke.

 Adolf Iwar Arwidsson, Handlingar till upplysning af Finlands häfder, vol. 1–10, Stockholm 1846–1858, 3, III–IV. Encoding added