A letter from Hincmar of Reims (after 869?)

Translated letter:

To abbess Theutberg for the regulation of the monastery of Avennay, which she had once determined with queen Ermintrude, about the number of clerics and nuns and the possessions of the towns of that monastery, namely a thousand one hundred fifty manses(1); signifying that he had arranged for it to be able to have twenty clerics and forty nuns there, and provided food for them and necessities and established ministers besides lights and the other necessities of the monastery; showing that Nivard the archbishop of Reims constructed the monastery of Hautville from possessions of the church of Reims, and his brother from his properties/possessions and what other good men gave to that place built the monastery of Avennay, which he handed over to the church of Reims, for which they had charters openly showing that; but through a royal gift, as other things of this church were held from a long time back by outsiders. Et cetera.

Original letter:

Teutbergae abbatissae pro ordinatione Avennaci monasterii, quam ipse quondam cum Irmintrude regina disposuerat, de numero clericorum et nonnarum atque de rebus villarum ipsius monasterii, videlicet mille centum quinquaginta mansis; significans, se disposuisse, viginti clericos et quadraginta nonnas ibidem consistere posse, victumque eis providisse et res necessarias ac ministeriales instituisse preter luminaria et cetera monasterii necessaria; ostendens, quod Nivardus Remorum archiepiscopus de rebus ecclesiae Remensis monasterium Altvillarense construxerit, et frater eius de suis proprietatibus et quae alii boni homines ad eundem locum dederunt Avennacum extruxerit monasterium, quodque ad ecclesiam Remensem tradiderit, unde et cartae habebantur id aperte pandentes; sed per regium donum, sicut et aliae res huius ecclesiae, ab externis a longo retro tenebatur tempore. Et cetera.

Historical context:

This summary of a letter from Hincmar to Theutberg about the holdings and arrangements for the monastery of Avennay is reported by Flodoard in his history of the church of Reims.

Scholarly notes:

(1)Mansis here is more likely a measure of land than a dwelling.

Printed source:

MGH, Scriptores, 13.549, Flodoardi Historia Remensis Ecclesiae, Lib.3.

Date:

after 869?