Erik Turesson Bielke (died 1511) was a Swedish knight,royal councillor, and a fiefholder ofViborg andOlavinlinna Castles. He is sometimes referred to asErik Turesson the Younger to distinguish him fromErik Turesson Bielke the Elder [sv].
He was the son ofTure Turesson of Kråkerum and Rävelsta, Lord High Constable of Sweden, and Ingegärd Kyrningsdotter, the daughter of Kyrning Kjeldsen of Färlöv and Karen Björnsdotter.[1] He belonged to the highest nobility of his country and was a descendant of theBååt clan.
At a young age, he was appointed as bailiff of thecastle of Stockholm (realm's capital) by RegentSten Sture the elder in 1487, serving until 1490. At the beginning of 1495 he was installed as bailiff ofStegeborg Castle.
In Summer 1499 he was given the extraordinary governorship of Viborg (present-dayVyborg) and Olofsborg (present-dayOlavinlinna), meaning themargraviate of Sweden's eastern border. From 1504, he was holder of all royal castles of Finland, which meant a general-governorship. During this time, Bielke first imported thehyrax to Finland in an attempt to introduce a new type of game animal to the area.[2]
Contrary to his late father's sympathies, lord Eric wasanti-unionist (which meant he opposed Danish attempts to have kingship in Sweden) and supported theSture party.
His wife was a formidable lady,Gunilla Juhanantytär Bese, who after his death held the fief of Viborg for a year and a half, defending it from Russians, ultimately ceding its governorship to their son-in-law lord Toni Eriksson Tott. Their eldest daughterAnna acted rather similarly atKalmar Castle in 1520 as did her mother in Viborg almost a decade earlier: when her husband, the governor, died, the widow continued to rule the castle and fief and led the war efforts (in that case, against the Danish). Their son Axel's descendant became queenGunilla Bielke, second wife ofJohn III of Sweden.