Year 1672 December 5th
Sent by Colonel Pehr Hierta
We Christina by the grace of God Queen of Sweden, Gothia and Wend, Granduchess of Findland, Duchess of Esthonia, Carelia, Bremen, Verden, Stettin, Pommern, Cassuben and Wend, Princess of Rügen, Mistress of Ingria and Wismar; make known that since no human society can be kept together unless evil and mischief are punished, and neither can any regiment endure unless virtue and honor are rewarded, therefore all well ordered republics are also of the nature and quality that they support themselves on this as upon two foundations all to the end that through punishments vicious and refractory men may be kept in submission and obedience, and through honor and recompense the well disposed be held to honor and virtue, and also be as it were encouraged and incited towards useful services to the regiment; through which it has also come to pass that prudent rulers in the past have praiseworthily instituted this, and afterwards have continued with it unto this day, in order that virtue and manliness and loyalty towards the Sovereign and the Fatherland may not be without its due remembrance and reward; therefore inasmuch as Our faithful servant and lieutenant in the Westgothia cavalry, the faithful and intrepid Nielss Gunnarsson has from his youth exerted himself and taken pains to grasp the things by means of which he might serve his Sovereign and Country, and has especially trained and permitted himself to be used in war, first abroad and afterwards here within the Country in the last Danish conflict wherein he has conducted himself truly bravely and zealously, so that his commanders give him particular testimony of this.
Now as We learn that he has conducted himself well and faithfully in his service, therefore We have also desired to remember him especially with Our royal favor for the betterment of his estate, with noble coat of arms and privileges in consequence of which he also for himself, his children and descendants shall be obliged in accordance with their duty, to continue in all loyalty and faithfulness and untiring service and especially to hold them to seeking virtue and honor and to show Us and the crown all due and real service in every respect.
We have for this reason from favor and grace and also royal power and authority presented and given what we herewith and by virtue of this power of Our open letter wish to present and give to him and his legitimate descendants male as well as female, those born as well as unborn the following coat of arms, namely: A red shield, within it an armed arm holding upright a standard; above the shield a tilting helmet, the cover and the crown with blue, white and red divided; above on the helmet two standards of blue color in which are placed upright two red feathers and a white one between the two standards mentioned, precisely as it is here painted and reproduced with their proper colors.
So also We grant him Niells Gunnarsson and his legitimate descendants, in order that they may be distinguished from other families here in the kingdom to be named Gyllenhaal and to bear and use this described escutcheon and arm in all noble and knightly matters, performances and festive gatherings, in the field, in battles, stormings, skirmishes, tournaments, titlings, reproductions, seals, and also on all other occasions in jest and in seriousness according to what seems best to him and them, besides to enjoy all those privileges, liberties and rights that the knight estate and nobility enjoy and still hereafter may have conferred upon them; still the estate and condition of each one is limited to the privileges.
We request for this reason all potentates, kings, princes, free republics and all others that he Nielss Gunnarsson Gyllenhahl and his legitimate descendants happens to meet with to respect kindly and courteously each one in accordance with his estate and merit; We bid also herewith all those who are bound to Us in dutifulness and obedience and for Our sake desire and intend to act and to deal, that they acknowledge the oftnamed Niells Gunnarsson Gyllenhahl and his legitimate descendants as true noblemen granting him and them the honor and respect which accompany and belong to that estate, not doing him or them contrary to this, hindrance, harm or detriment in any manner now or in future times.
For this further certainly We have signed this letter with Our Own hand and purposely caused to be affixed Our Own and the Kingdom's seal here below. Given at Our residential palace Stockholm, the twentieth day in the month of December, the year after the birth of Christ one thousand six hundred and in the fifty second.
Christina
L;S;
Johan Wijnbladh
That this copy is the same in words and sense as the original itself is testified by the undersigned.
Date Haggetorp Nov. 20th 1672
L;S;
Johan Pålman
L;S;
Hanss Börgesson