Jørgen Friis
Jørgen Friis (died 1616 in Skørping) was a Danish lord and Governor-general of Norway from 1601 to 1608. During his lifetime, the Danish nobility had a monopoly on a number of administrative offices. Friis was a member of that small class of upper nobility whose had access to the highest positions in Denmark-Norway, including membership on the riksråd. He became Governor-general of Norway in 1601 and initiated a major effort to revise the Norwegian law which led to Christian IV’s Norwegian Law of 1604. Personal life The date of Friis' birth is unknown, though it is likely that he was born at Nes Castle in Denmark. His father, Ivar Friis (died 1557), was the lord at Nes, and his mother was Sophie Andersdatter Glob (died after 1574). His family was part of an early noble line from southern Jutland, which has been traced back to at least the mid 1300-century, based on the earliest recording of their coat-of-arms. The family belonged to the leading noble circles in Jutland, and Jørgen Friis had an upbringing that was common for young men of his standing. As a young man he experienced military action when in 1576 he served in the king's retinue