Bo Jonsson (Grip)
Bo Jonsson (Grip) (b. in the early
1330s, died
20 August 1386) was head of the royal council and marshal under the regency of
Magnus II of Sweden. Also in the council was his friend and colleague,
Karl Ulfsson av Ulvåsa, eldest son of
Saint Birgitta.
Bo Jonsson dominated the political life of Sweden for decades. Jonsson was the most influential representative to the council of aristocracy that deposed Magnus Eriksson in
1365 and installed
Albert of Sweden to the Swedish throne. In
1369 Bo Jonsson became Sweden's
Officialis Generalis (highest official). The family name, Grip, is Swedish for "
Griffin".
Through inheritance and unprejudiced methods, Jonsson came to control the largest wealth Sweden has ever seen. The lord usurped 1,500 farms in 350 parishes throughout Sweden, from Kalmar to Falun, through economic and political means. The quantity of land under his control exceeded 1/3 the entirety of
Sweden, surpassing even the ruling king's national land holdings, which made him Sweden's largest landowner. He is the largest non-royal landowner in Sweden's history.
From the
Gripsholm Castle in
Mariefred, which he founded, Bo Jonsson governed the entire valley of Lake
Mälaren,
Hälsingland, all of
Finland, large parts of
Västergötland, Eastern
Östergötland, and the
Småland coast, including the city of
Kalmar.
Bo Jonsson Grip controlled a dozen fortresses, among which were Finnish
Åbo Castle,
Tavastehus and
Viborg, Swedish
Kalmar Castle and
Nyköping Castle, in addition to ones built under his own direction:
Bjärkaholm,
Ringstaholm, and his most prized holding, Gripsholm.
As the head of the governing council, Jonsson was the most important and influential man in the struggle against German influence in
Sweden.
Bo Jonsson married twice during his life. His first marriage took place with the wealthy
Margareta Porse, who died shortly thereafter while undergoing childbirth. Jonsson allowed the baby to be delivered, though it died but one day later. Rumours held that Jonsson allowed the procedure to ensue in order to receive the inheritance right of his wife.
His second wife was the beautiful German
Margareta Dume, who had many admirers. One of her many suitors was
Karl Nilsson, a nobleman from
Södermanland. Nilsson was stabbed in front of the high altar at the
Church of gray brothers in
Stockholm, Sweden. It was rumoured that Bo Jonsson Grip was guilty, although Jonsson maintained witnessed testimonies swearing his presence to have been elsewhere at the time. Nine days later, however, the estate formerly belonging to Karl Nilsson fell into the hands of Jonsson.
Bo had one child,
Knut Bosson Grip.
