The Lunge Family

Roskilde domkirke

There are few families with such an outstanding position in the
history of Danish nobility like the "old Lunger".  This was not only
due to their riches and social reputation or their many important men
from 1350 till 1450 - this is also due to that the last female Lunge-
descendants became the ancestresses of several large and respected
Danish families, Bille, Brahe, Krabbe, the new Lunge family and through
these indirectly to all the Danish nobility from the 16th and 17th century.
There was a good reason, why  fru Lisbet Bryske chose the Lunge-family
as the starting-point in her family books, for it is really an exception to meet
a genealogical  table from the 16th century without  the wellknown coat
of arms of the Lunges.

The Lunge family was from the earliest time connected to Sjælland. The male
line died out ab. year 1480, but the name was annected via a  Spindelinje
( female line), a line from the family Dyre. (jvf. D.A.A. 1891. S. 155)

First mentioned member of the Lunge family was Oluf Lunge, (+ bef. 1302)
He issued in 1268 with Oluf Rostok, Oluf Ranesen, Mag. Rane and more
men in Næstved a witness about a pawn -letter for St. Clare kloster in Roskilde;
he was in 1282 the conciliator in a feud between Sorø kloster and hr. Peder
Olufsen of "Tiufstorp"; he had in 1285 authority by the dean in Roskilde, mag.
Rane, to convey a farm in Allinde to St. Clare kloster, which had belonged to
the dean's brother hr. Oluf Rostock; he was in 1287 the bailiff of the bishop of
Roskilde in Bjernede and Fodby, and he conveyed and pawned estate to St.
Clare kloster ; he had in 1288 to convey some estate to the kloster for frøken
Agnes, daughter of king Erik Plovpenning, who calls him his friend; he sealed
in 1290 and witnessed a signature with the civilian Niels Hermansen.
Oluf Lunge was dead in 1302, while his widow still lived.

Their children were:
1. Oluf Olufsen Lunge, born bef. 1302, + after 1321
2. Johannes Olufsen Lunge, + after 1341
3. Margrethe Lunge, + after 1335.


Oluf Olufsen Lunge, Born bef. 1302, + after 1321
married to N.N.
pawned 1302 estate in Ølby and Vidskølle to St.Clare Kloster for a
debt, which he and his mother and brother owed for his two sisters'
admission to the kloster; he sealed in 1316 the witness of a signature
with Oluf Fleming; he got the same year via law the estate in Kjelleklinte,
Saltofte etc. which was pawed to him by Anders Nielsen and hr.
Svenning Truelsen; he was in 1321 the co-issuer of a witness of Sjællands
Landsthing.

Children:
1. Jacob Olufsen Lunge, + betw. 31 May 1384 and 29 June 1387
2. Oluf Olufsen Lunge, + bef. 7 Oct. 1386,
3. Ellene Lunge, + aft. 1383,
4. Olufsdatter Lunge,
5. Cecilie Olufsdatter Lunge,
6. Elsebe Olufsdatter Lunge 

Lunge, Jacob Olufsen, – ab.1385, Rigsraad, was one of king Valdemar's

and Queen Margrethe's most trusted and brilliant men. His ancestors were
probably Patriciens in Roskilde, at least they were connected to this city.
One of them was in 1287 bailiff of the bishop at Bjernede and Fodbygård,
and Jacob Olufsen had the estate of the bishopric in Fodby as a vasalry.
He was connected to Roskilde in many ways. He rented much estate from
St. Clare kloster, and he was closely related to the Gynceke-sons at
Falkendale, who was one of the most respected families in Roskilde, but he
himself was connected to the highest nobility through family ties. The bishop
Niels Jepsen Ulfeldt called him "gener noster". His father Oluf Lunge is
mentioned in the first part of the 14th century  and the last time probably in
1339, and at the same time Jens Olufsen and Oluf Lunge came forward,
rising the Lunge name to the highest esteem.

Already in 1342 Jacob Olufsen is mentioned among king Valdemar's
most trusted men, since he was one of the king's men at the peace-
agreement with king Magnus at Helsingborg, and from that time his
name is met during the next 40 years in most state-documents and
in a number of private documents. The king made him chief at Als,
but the mutual trust among them seemed to be no more than
between the king and the nobility. During the Jutland rebellion in
1357 the king suspected him for being in collusion with the rebels
and let - after the rebels had conquered the castle in Randers - in
his indignation both J.O.and several other magnates sent into prison.
He confiscated their properties and took their vasalries from them,
but it seems that a reconciliation came soon after without having reduced
the reputation of J.O.

After the king's death he was elected as the kingdom's representative
in order to negotiate with the Scanias about the election of Valdemar's
successor, but it seems that J.O. was one of the first, who felt the wise
Queen Margrethe's efforts to restrict the growing power of the nobility.
In 1376 he lost one of his most important vasalries, Kalundborg castle,
and the next year the queen redeemed Holbæk castle, which he had as
a pawn, but he was allowed to keep it as an ordinary vasalry.From his
other vasalries are only known Trudsholm in Jutland which he still had
in 1377.

Hr. J.O.,who still lived in May 1384, was a very rich man. There is
only an imperfect knowledge about his properties, but from an exchange
among his children in 1387 is seen that he at his death owned Højstrup and
Rygård manor, and main farms in Skovsø and Valby and a large number
of farms at Zealand,but this was probably  not everything. Among other
estate he had been the owner of Hegnet (Salling) which he sold in 1382.

J.O was married several times. The family books call his wives:
1) Maren Myndel of Nielstrup and Adserstrup. 2) Elsebe Sandberg.
3) Mette Limbek, widow after hr. Niels Hack. But these informations are
not correct, for it is sure that one of his wives was called Sophie, although
the informations have a little to do with the truth, since Niels Hack of
Assendrup calls Jacob's son Ove Lunge his sister's son in a letter.

From his many children are for sure known 7 sons and 2
daughters, there is information about Anders, Folmer and Niels.

Jacob Olufsen Lunge died between 31 May 1384 and 29 June 1387

Dansk Biografisk Lexicon
Thiset.

Lunge, Anders Jacobsen, o.1363-1429, Rigshofmester, was a son
of Jacob Olufsen L. His name is already mentioned in 1376 in a
document  (of Huitfeldt), where the Scania nobility elected Oluf king,
Anders was said to be a knight already then and a prominent man.
He says in 1424 that he is 61 years of age - so he was only 13 years
in 1376  - it seems to be no injustice to Huitfeldt to say that  he must
have added the name Lunge himself in his letter from 1376. The
knight mentioned in the letter is not Anders Jacobsen Lunge, but
A. J. Grim.  A.J.L. is mentioned the first time in a document from 1382.

In his younger years he wrote himself of Skafterup and Broby, two
now disappeared Zealand manors. The last manor Broby he sold to
Sorø kloster. He later resided - after he (bef. 1399) had married
Ingeborg Nielsdatter (Panter), widow after hr. Peder Ovesen Neb of
Egede, - for some years in Gunderslevlille, but after his wife had
inherited Egede after her children from  first marriage, A.J wrote
himself to Egede.

After his father he had inherited a brother's part in Rygård, but
he sold it to his brother Folmer, and he bought Gjerdrup and Ordrup
at Zealand and Ordrup in Thy -  and finally fru Ingeborg inherited
after her rich family a large Jutland estate, amongst these Knivholt
and Bøgested and parts of Asdal and Skovgård. So A.J. was one
of the richest men in the country. He estimated in 1424 his landed
property a value of 4000 Gylden. And he soon achieved an important
role in public life.

In 1388 he was still a væbner , but in 1390 he became a knight.
In 1397 he was a rigsråd and also a chief at Kalmar.He had this
office a year before and fought with success as the leader of
civilians from Kalmar against the Fetaljebrothers, but on his way
home he lost one of his ships at Gulland; it was captured by some
Preussian ships, which had been sent out in the same business as
himself.

As for vasalries he had in 1398 and 1403 Helsingborg castle and
in 1419 and 1423 Ravnsborg and Tranekjær, which are 2 of 4
castles he had as a vasalry in 1424. In  412 he was a hofmester,
the hightest temporal office of the kingdom, which he possibly got
in 1409 after Hr Jens Due, and it seems he kept it until his death in
1429. His name is of course met very often in letters and documents
of that period; he was one of 2 temporal delegates to the church
assembly in Constanz 1415-16 and is the first in the row of
temporal magnates, who in 1424 gave witness about Sønderjylland's
position to Denmark. But there is no information about his personality
or his way of work.


After the death of his first wife - she still lived 1411 - he married
(before 1416) Elline Evertsdatter Moltke, who survived him and
later married hr. Frederik Wardenberg. Since he inherited Egede
after his first wife, he probably had one or several children with
her, but he was childless at his death, and since his brother Folmer
only left daughters, the family quickly lost its ruling position, which it
had had for a short time in the Danish nobility.

Dansk Biografisk Lexicon
Thiset.


Lunge, Folmer Jacobsen, –o.1412, Rigsraad,was a son of Jacob
Olufsen Lunge and had in 1387, when he exchanged the family estate
with his brothers, the manor Højstrup in Stevns herred. At this time
he was both a knight and a member of the rigsråd, and in the following
years he was one of Queen Margrethe's most important advicers, he was
one of few, who at the Union meeting in Kalmar in July 1397 issued
the witness about the agreed decisions. He was also used as a diplomatic
delegate, in 1402 he was in Preussia and was handed over from the
Højmester the swindler, who had given himself out to be Margrethe's
deceased son Oluf ; two years later he mediated in Visby with the
Preussians, who had taken Gulland. His family manor Højstrup he had
pawned and later (in 1406) conveyed to the queen; his own main farms
were Rythe (Rygaard) and Tvede.

F.L is still mentioned in March 1411 in the Kolding-agreement, but in
March 1413 his wife Elisabeth Hansdatter (Podebusk) is a widow.

Dansk Biografisk Lexicon

Kr. Erslev.


Lunge, Niels Jacobsen, –1402–, bishop, a son of Jacob Olufsen
Lunge, is mentioned as a cannon in Roskilde in 1387 and still in 1401.
In January 1402 he was by papal provision appointed bishop in
Strengnæs, while the pope transferred the former bishop, the Swede
Peder Johansson, to Gardar in Greenland. Already a half year later
this decision was changed since the pope discovered that it had all been
decided against bishop Peder's wish, and that Gardar bishopric was not
free. Bishop Peder kept his Swedish bishopric and N.J.L. stayed in
Denmark, where he still several years later calls himself bishop of
Strengnæs. His later life is unknown.  

Dansk Biografisk Lexicon
Kr. Erslev, Dronn. Margrethe S. 255. 483.

Kr. Erslev.