prolonged noble property disputes – anu lahtinen 141 The cases of Ravijoki and Tursunperä, although not without problems, seem to have been relatively simple and straightforward once the case was brought before the court and the negligence of Stålarm had become obvious to the Court of Appeal as well. Planting was not quite as successful in his other lawsuit against Claes Claesson Uggla (Senior, 1583 – 1623). During the hearing, many nasty scandals of the past were brought to light. Analyzing the accusations that were hurled, one can see that some of them were to the point, while others were insinuations and not precisely in accordance with the letter of the law. In 1619, Planting claimed to the Svea Court of Appeal that Claes Claesson had in his possession some landed property to which the aforementioned Anna Johansdotter (Boga) was the rightful heir. Claes Claesson was the husband of BeataWachtmeister, niece of Elin Eriksdotter Stålarm, who in turn was the widow of Lars Torstensson, maternal uncle of Anna Johansdotter’s father. The dispute was about the estate of Haga and some smaller farms situated in Häme, Finland. In 1605, the late Elin Eriksdotter Stålarm had given one of the farms to Planting. However, all the estates in Häme had later been taken into the possession of Claes Claesson (even in this case, on behalf of his wife)386 When the case was brought to the court, there had already been several earlier complaints, interventions and alternative arrangements. By the 1570s, the offspring of Birgitta Johansdotter Fleming and Salmon Torstensson Ram had already taken their disputes to the King.387 Claes Claesson claimed that Lars Torstensson, himself childless, had bequeathed all 385 “[H]onn icke allenast war enss Manss Vthan flere Mans ofentligh hoora heller Släpa ... Der igenåm hon och föruärkade sine föreldras och Brodhers gunst och sijdt arf, Som henne elliest medh Redtå hadhe bort efther Sueriges Lagh,” written testimony by Axel Ivarsson, 30 Jan 1621, RA, SHA, E VI a 2aa, Liber causarum 26. 386 RA, SHA, E VI a 2 aa:26, Liber causarum 26. 387 Letter by King JohnII, 20 Aug 1578; Appendices in Liber causarum 26, RA, SHA, E VI a 2aa. “A Whore, a Witch, and a Murderer” or, Attempts to Justify Forfeitures of Property “[…] she was not only one man’s but several men’s public whore or slut […] and thus forfeited the favour of her parents and brothers as well as her inheritance […].”385
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