Mogens Gøye

Mogens Gøye (surname also spelled Gøje or Gjøe

He was the son of marsk Eskild Gøye, and brother of Royal councillor Henrik Gøye. Mogens Gøye was the father of Birgitte Gøye, who married admiral Herluf Trolle and co-founded Herlufsholm School. He was the grandfather of statesman Peder Oxe.

Biography Belonging to a very wealthy and influential Jutland magnate family. Being educated abroad, Mogens Gøye was an outstanding man in the times of King John I (Hans). He amassed large tracts of lands through inheritance, marriage, and large-scale buys, and became one of the richest men in Danish history.

During the reign of Christian II, Gøye was a leading Royal councillor, and performed diplomatic and special assignments for the King. Gøye again acted as a balancing force, curbing the vengeful attitudes of the nobility towards the peasant supporters of Christian II. He was instrumental in averting a peasant rebellion in Viborg in 1531. In religious matters he became an eager Protestant, openly supporting the work of Lutheran reformer Hans Tausen, in opposition to most of Rigsrådet, which earned him hostility from the Roman Catholic clergy. In spite of all efforts, he did not succeed in damping the social clash of interests.

After the death of Frederick in 1533, Mogens Gøye tried in vain to get Frederick's Lutheran son Prince Christian, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein elected king under the name Christian III of Denmark. At the outbreak of the ensuing Count's Feud civil war, Gøye forced through the nobility's Election of Christian III in Jutland in 1534, and was a most loyal supporter of Christian III for the rest of the war. After the victory of Christian III and the Reformation in Denmark-Norway and Holstein in 1536–1537, Gøye continued as Steward during the new government, but he was weakened by ill health, and was gradually overshadowed by Johan Friis.