Kerstin Gabrielsdotter

Kerstin Gabrielsdotter, born around 1529, died around 1590, was a Swedish noblewoman who was accused of murdering Johan III 's illegitimate daughter Lucretia Gyllenhielm with the help of magic. She is possibly the only member of the nobility who has been charged with witchcraft in Sweden.

Biography Kerstin's father was the district chief in Uppvidinge Gabriel Körning to Getnö farm in Almundsryd parish. The mother was Märta Jakobsdotter (Persdotter),

Kerstin was married for the first time, most recently in 1553, to Måns Ol (of) sson. After Måns Olofsson's death, the widow regained the farm. Erik XIV 's kitchen master, governor throughout Småland, bailiff in Kronoberg County 1589–1590, commander at Kronoberg Castle 1590, Castle Act at Kalmar Castle 1591, and district chief in Kinnevalds district 1594. He was the owner of Åryd (in Hemmesjö parish) and through his marriage also Osaby.

Kerstin Gabrielsdotter had three children: daughter Margareta Ulfsax (1548 -1622), son Per Ulfsax (1562-1606), Duke Karl's rhyming chronicle states that the king gave her the opportunity to swear off the accusation through the oath of 12 noble women. However, she failed to gather twelve such character witnesses. The suspicions that she caused her husband's death contributed to her being convicted of the charge of witchcraft. She was sentenced to death and executed. More tangible sources from the time state she still lived in 1590.

It was unusual for members of the nobility to be executed for witchcraft. In Denmark, the noblewoman Christenze Kruckow was executed in 1621.