Fief of Viipuri
Margraviate of Wiburg or
fief of Viipuri or
Viipuri county, 1320-1534, was for some two centuries a late medieval feudal fief in the southeastern border of
Finland and the entire
Swedish realm, held by its
chatelain, a fiefed, appointed feudal lord.
For extended periods the medieval commanders of
Viipuri castle (chatelains,
castellans), on the border with
republic of Novgorod, did in practice function as
margraves, collecting the crown's incomes from the fief in their own name and being entitled to keep them all to use for the defense of the realm's eastern border. They enjoyed more independence than the kingdom's other castellans, "
burgraves". However the fief of Viipuri castle and its county, was not formally hereditary, though almost all appointees were from certain families, related to the
Bonde-
Bååt-
Haak family that also between 1350s and 1390s held the Swedish titular version of the
earldom of Orkney.
Organization of that new territory for the Swedish realm took place between 1290s and 1330s. The conquered
Käkisalmi was lost, and
Neva river's Landkrona was destroyed catastrophically. There was much sporadical warring for decades after, until 1323.
Viipuri was however held, and the coast westwards. When the conquest became established, a special fief became formed. Gotland had strong trade relations with coastal Carelia. Novgorod succeeded maintaining its control of the Ladoga coast and Neva river.
The independence and privileges of the county were founded by the
Joninpoika brothers. Squire Petteri Joninpoika (later knighted) and his elder brother sir
Sune Jonsson, Lord of Flishult, Royal Councillor,
justiciar (lagman) on
Tiohärad (in inland Småland), together with their close relative Charles,
bishop of Linköping, allies of the new king
Magnus IV of Sweden, in 1320 or 1321 purchased
dominus Efflerus, the bailiff of the deposed king
Birger of Sweden, out from Viipuri castle. They committed to keep the castle and its revenues for bishop Charles until the purchase price be compensated.
Their escutcheon depicted a boat, as is also depicted in arms of the so-called Bonde family and Snakenborg family and Bååt family and Puke family; and they were from an originally
Smålandic family, some of them at that time using nickname Haak.
Lord Petteri was set up as the fiefholder, and the whole clan participated in consolidating the fief. They also brough numbers of their Smålandic peasants to start farms in the county. There are toponymic indications of an influx of Southern-Swedish immigrants having settled in vicinities of Viipuri and on the coast west up to
Kymi river.
Petteri and Sune recognized the new king and received important privileges, which effectively turned their holding of Viipuri as an independent feudal fief, the start of a veritable
margraviate.
The position of this fiefed chatelain was "to defend the castle and the county, to administer them, with freedom to organize the internal affairs of the county as it pleased them, to bear the revenues and use as it pleased..."
They also grabbed immense wealth for the family: Sune's son
Erengisle, Earl of Orkney is a recorded owner of
Kymenkartano manor in the Viipuri province, on which spot the later town of
Kotka became erected. Munkenäs, an immense domain in Vederlax, was owned first by Sten Turesson Bielke,
Lord High Constable of Sweden, and then his son Sten Stensson, Lord of Engsoe.
All the Swedish-party negotiators of
Treaty of Noteborg 1323, three years after the acquisition of Viipuri, appear to be members of their extended family or representatives of bishop Charles' diocese and merchants of Gotland which was a part of that diocese.
Its chatelains were generally from the most powerful families of the kingdom. They enjoyed large administrative powers and a good distance from the capital. Those realities made them practically independent rulers. The position of Viipuri's lord became effectively independent. As such, it was desired by many powerful magnates. In 1350s it was held by earl Erengisle's brother-in-law, the mighty King-Maker
Nicholas Turesson, Lord of Kråkerum of the Bielke. He personally owned Kaukjärvi domain in the
Karelian isthmus near Viipuri.
They organized defences, constant local guarding, provisions of food and equipment, kept fortress in shape, kept mercenaries and paid military.
The direct-line Joninpoika family ended in 1392 at the death of Earl Erengisle. However, the margraviate was, almost without exception, held by descendants (or husbands of such) of their extended family until its very end, over two centuries.
Early margraves of Viipuri created a petty nobility,
knaappiaateli, around their strategic points. More capable peasants with some leader role in local community, were given tax exemption against guard duties of local strongholds, those somewhat primitive
"linnavuori" fortresses. Cavalry service was not required from them for the
rälssi tax exemption.
Knaappirälssi of
Vehkalahti is particularly noted in literature for as having been an example of such petty nobility. Later margraves, such as Risto Niilonpoika and Charles Knutsson, declined to accept fully the nobility of such
knaappi families.
Apparently the main reason why the chatelain of the Viipuri county succeeded in keeping such an independent position compared to other castles and their holders, was Viipuri's extraordinary position as the easternmost outpost and the stronghold of the Swedish realm against eastern neighboring power, their attacks and desires to annex more land. Revenues from this county were needed for the defense of eastern border, which usually was understood in the government of he kingdom - were eastern defense not granted sufficient resources, taxes from more western aras would possibly also have been lost to enemy.
These fiefholders were also responsible for holding the border norther. In 1470s, they established another castle,
Olavinlinna, over 100 km north of Viipuri. All the Middle Ages, that fortress was kept under the command of Viipuri.
Important personages who held Viipuri county as their fief, were
Bo Jonsson Grip,
Risto Niilonpoika Vaasa (1417-42),
Charles Knutsson Bonde (1442-48, the future king),
Eerikki Akselinpoika Tott (1457-81),
Knut Posse (1495-97),
Sten Sture the Elder (particularly 1497-99 when personally in residence, between his regencies),
Eric Bielke and count
John of Hoya.
Particularly in 1440s and in late 15th century, the fortresses of the Viipuri castle were further enlarged and built.
In 1534, king
Gustav I of Sweden abolished the independent fief by deposing and exiling his brother-in-law
John, Count of Hoya. Lord
Niilo Grabbe took Viipuri castle by force on behalf of the king and became its royal governor, without gaining feudal privileges held by earlier holders of the castle.
This is to list all those medieval and 16th century lords who held Viipuri castle and its fief, as fiefed chatelains, in the independent way ("margrave") and not simply as governors or bailiffs. The list is incomplete, due to the scarcity of historical sources and thus gaps.
In 1320, lord Petteri Joninpoika (Haak) purchased the castle and its dominions from the bailiff Efflerus set there by the deposed king Birger.
* 1320 - 1338 (or later)
Petteri Joninpoika (and in c 1336 he was governor of all Finland)
* 1340 Dan Niklaanpoika
* c 1348 Gerhard Skytte
* 1357 - 1364
Niilo Tuurenpoika Bielke, kingdom's
Lord High Justiciar, son-in-law of Petteri Joninpoika's brother
* 1360s: Niilo's heirs, as pawn.
* 1370 King Albrekt
* 1371 - 1386
Bo Jonsson Grip (all Finland), Lord High Justiciar
* 1386 - 1399 Kaarle,
Charles Ulvsson, Lord of Tofta, kingdom's
Lord High Constable, stepson of a niece of Petteri Joninpoika
* 1403 - 1417
Tord Bonde, Lord High Constable, distant cousin of Petteri Joninpoika
* 1417 - 1442 Kristiern,
Risto Niilonpoika Vasa, Lord High Justiciar, brother-in-law of Tord Bonde
* 1440 - 1448 Kaarle,
Charles Knutsson, Lord of Fogelvik (b. 1408 - d. 1470), Lord High Constable, grandson of Charles Ulvsson and of Tord Bonde, became in 1448 king
* 1457 - 1481
Eerikki Akselinpoika Tott (b. c.1420 - d. 1487), great-grandson of Tord Bonde, son of a first cousin of Charles Knutsson
* 1481 Lauri, Laurens Axelsen
Thott, brother of previous
* 1483 Iivari,
Iver Axelsen Thott, Over
lord of Gotland, brother of previous, son-in-law of Charles Knutsson
* 1483 - 1495
Sten Sture the Elder, Kingdom's Regent, nephew of Charles Knutsson, great-grandson of Charles Ulvsson, and great-great-great-grandnephew of Niilo Tuurenpoika
** his deputy:
Niilo Eerikinpoika Gyllenstierna, grandson of Charles Knutsson
* 1495 - 1496 Knut,
Nuutti Posse (d. 1500)
* 1497 - 1501 again Sten Sture the Elder (b. 1440 - d. 1503), between his terms as
Regent of Sweden* 1499 - May 1511
Eerikki Tuurenpoika Bielke (d. 1511), great-great-grandnephew of Niilo Tuurenpoika
* 1511 - 1513
Gunilla Juhanantytär Bese, widow of
Eric Bielke, her predecessor
* 1513 - 1520
Toni Eerikinpoika Tott, son-in-law of the two previous, great-nephew of Eerikki Akselinpoika, Laurens and Iver of Gotland
* 1525 - 1534
Juhana, Count of Hoya and Bruchhausen (d. 1535), son-in-law of Sten Sture's nephew, brother-in-law of the reigning king Gustav I.
In 1534,
Gustav I of Sweden, Sten Sture's grandnephew, abolished the independent fief.
Lord
Nicholas Grabbe was the next commander of the Viipuri castle, 1534-45, but he did not receive the feudal privileges held by earlier chatelains.
