A letter from Joan of Constantinople, Countess of Flanders (1217)

Translated letter:

This is the contract between lady Joan, Countess of Flanders and of Hainault, and William, Count of Holland, that the law of Zeeland should be sworn upon, such as it is currently written or in such a way that the people of Zeeland will be able to amend it, provided that through this the right of the Countess of Flanders, the right of the Count of Holland, and the right of the inhabitants of their castles are not diminished. The oath of the Countess must be received in Flanders, without violating the right of the Countess and without violating the right of the people of Zeeland, and the Count William and two castle representatives will swear on the law in Walcheren. And accordingly the Count of Holland must come to the Countess of Flanders and must ask her, to accept him whom she left in her land and her land in God’s protection and her own, and entrust this to him in good faith. And Count William wishes very much that the Countess should do on that land what her ancestors did, and the Countess must agreeably concede to this, that the Count himself and those who will be on his side should do on that land whatever the ancestors of the Count of Holland did in the times of the Countess’ ancestors. This contract must last for three years without violating the right of the Countess of Flanders and of the Count of Holland. And at the end of those three years, if Count William, or whoever will be in his place, should complain that the Countess will have seized with respect to him, all hostages, by virtue of whatever circumstance they reside, must be returned to Count William or to whoever will be in his place, except for those hostages who were there before these contracts. And those hostages must be led all the way to Coude Heide, and must be present for one day or for two days after they will have come to that place in the escort of the Countess, so that they may return safely to their land. At the end of those three years the Countess and Count of Holland must be in the same place in which they were before these contracts so there is no loss through their peace. Nor, on account of anything which is done or will have been done within these three years in that land, should the Countess be removed from her right, nor the Count William likewise from his right. And for the observance of these contracts the Count of Holland must provide his letters openly to the Countess of Flanders, and the Countess of Flanders must likewise provide her letters openly to the Count of Holland for the observance of these same contracts. The Countess of Flanders has promised to keep these contracts, and the castellan of Brügge, and Michael of Haren and Gerard of Jauche, who with the seal of the Countess affixed their seals to these letters. Likewise Count William has promised to keep these contracts, and the count of Bentheim, and Th. of Vorne, and Otto the steward of Zeeland, who with the seal of the Count affixed their seal to these letters. This contract was made at Hondsdam, on the third day after the feast of the Evangelist Mark, in the year of the Lord 1217 and should last from the beginning of May of this same year for three years.1

Original letter:

Talis est conventio inter dominam Iohannam, comitissam Flandrie et 15 Hainonie, et Willelmum comitem Hollandie, quod lex Zelandie debet iurari talis qualis modo scripta est, vel taliter qualiter homines Zelandie poterunt eam emendare, salvo tamen quod per hoc non minuatur ius comitisse Flandrie nec ius comitis Hollandie nec ius castellanorum ipsorum. Iuramentum comitisse debet recipi in Flandriasalvo iure comitisse et salvo iure hominum de Zelandia, et comes Willelmus et duo castellani iurabunt legem in Walacria. Et per tantum debet venire comes Hollandie ad comitissam Flandrie, et ipsam debet requirere quod illum quem relinquit in terra sua, et terram suam, accipiat in custodia Dei et sua, et hoc ei committere bona fide. Et bene vult comes Willelmus quod comitissa faciat in terra illa quod antecessores sui fecerunt, et comitissa debet ei benigne concedere quod ipse comes et illi qui erunt ex parte sua, in terra illa faciant quicquid antecessores comitis Hollandie fecerunt temporibus antecessorum comitisse. Hec conventio debet durare tres annos salvo iure comitisse Flandrie et comitis Hollandie. Et ad finem horum trium annorum, si comes Willelmus conqueratur vel ille qui erit loco suo, quod comitissa erga eum interceperit, omnes ostagii, pro quacumque re iaceant, debent reddi comiti Willelmo, vel illi qui loco suo erit, exceptis ostagiis qui ante conventiones istas iacebant. Et ostagii illi debent conduci usque ad Coude Heide, et esse per unum diem vel per duos dies postquam illic venerint in conductu comitisse, ut secure possint redire in terram suam. Ad finem istorum trium annorum comitissa et comes Hollandie debent esse in eodem puncto in quo fuerunt ante conventiones istas, si per concordiam eorum non remaneat. Nec pro aliqua re que infra hos tres annos facta fuerit in terra illa, debet elongari comitissa a iure suo, nec comes Hollandie similiter a iure suo. Et de istis conventionibus observandis debet dare comes Hollandie litteras suas patentes comitisse Flandrie, et comitissa Flandrie debet dare comiti Hollandie de eisdem conventionibus observandis similiter litteras suas patentes. Ad has etiam conventiones tenendas fidem dedit comitissa Flandrie et castellanus Brugensis, et Michael de Harnis, et Gerardus de Iacea, qui cum sigillo comitisse litteris istis sigilla sua apponi fecerunt. Similiter ad has easdem conventiones tenendas fidem dedit comes Willelmus, et comes de Benthem et Th. de Vorne, et Otto senescallus Zelandie, qui cum sigillo comitis litteris istis sigilla sua apposuerunt. Hec conventio facta fuit apud Hondsdam, tercia die post festum Marci evangeliste, anno Domini millesimo ducentesimo septimodecimo, et debet durare ab introitu maii eiusdem anni in tres annos.

Historical context:

William had been allied with Flanders and Boulogne and Otto IV in support of England against France and the emperor Frederick II, but after their defeat at Bouvines in 1214, he shifted his support to the emperor. He had various disputes with Flanders over land. In later years, Frederick II and his son Henry VII rule in favor of Joan.

Scholarly notes:

1. This translation was provided by Ashleigh Imus.

Printed source:

Oorkondenboek van Holland en Zeeland tot 1299, ed. A.C.F.Koch (Gravenhage: Martinus Nijhoo, 1970), ep.377, 1.556-58.

Date:

1217