A letter from William, count of Holland (1248, September)

Translated letter:

We, William ever venerable by God’s grace chosen as king of the Romans, count of Holland, wish that it be known to all that, since the nobleman Floris, our brother, has recognized to the noble lady Margaret countess of Flanders and of Hainaut and to her successors, the counts of Flanders, in his place as well as in our name and place, her rights which her ancestors held and possessed in the land of Zeeland, and he has promised that they must be observed for herself and her successors, the counts of Flanders, according to the plan which is contained more fully in the letters prepared on this, and he has promised to the aforesaid lady countess to restore her arrears both concerning the six thousand pounds in the money of Flanders that must be paid to the same countess, for the arrears themselves he has obliged himself in his name and also in our name and place, unless it is possible through sound reckoning to subtract from the abovesaid sum, and concerning the one thousand two hundred pounds in the money of the same for Peter of Sebourc and Egidius of Koudekerke and their friends that must be paid to them according to the inquest and advice of the aforesaid lady countess, as is contained more fully in the letters of the aforesaid Floris, - we hold all the aforesaid established and sure as it was carried out by the aforesaid Floris, our brother, as if done in our name and in our place, and we promise to protect all the aforesaid through surrender of our property and our men. In addition we promise that, if the arrears to the aforesaid lady countess should increase the sum of six thousand pounds in the money of Flanders through sound reckoning, we will pay to the aforesaid lady countess all that has accrued through surrender of our property and of the property of our men, as is expressed more fully in the charter of Floris, our brother; we also promise that we will protect as immune from damage the pledges of surety that Floris has placed towards the aforesaid lady countess, and we hold established and sure that Floris, our brother, has placed in surrender for those same pledges his property and that of his people and ours and that of our people if they should incur loss from the abovesaid pledge of surety. In testimony of the aforesaid we have signed the present letters protected by the impression of our seal. Granted in the year of the Lord 1248, in the month of September.(1)

Original letter:

Nos Willelmus Dei gratia Romanorum in regem electus semper augustus, comes Hollandie, notum fieri volumus universis quod, cum nobilis vir Florentius, frater noster, nobili domine Margarete Flandrie et Haynonie comitisse et eius successoribus, comitibus Flandrie, vice sua necnon et nomine et vice nostra recognoverit iura sua que antecessores sui in terra Zelandie tenuerunt et habuerunt, et ea promiserit observanda ipsi et eius successoribus, comitibus Flandrie, secundum formam que in litteris super hoc confectis plenius continetur, et predicte domine comitisse promiserit restituenda arreragia sua et de sex milibus libris Flandrensis monete eidem comitisse persolvendis pro ipsis arreragiis se nomine suo et nomine etiam et vice nostra obligaverit nisi de summa predicta per bonam computationem diminui possit, et de mille et ducentis libris eiusdem monete pro Petro de Sebourc et Egidio de Koudekerke et amicis eorum reddendis eisdem secundum inquisitionem et consilium predicte domine comitisse, sicut in litteris predicti Florentii plenius continetur, — nos predicta omnia rata et firma habemus sicut facta sunt a predicto Florentio, fratre nostro, tamquam facta nomine nostro et vice nostra, et predicta omnia nos promittimus servaturos per abandonium nostrorum bonorum et hominum nostrorum. Promittimus insuper quod, si arreragia predicte domine comitisse excrescant summam sex milium librarum Flandrensis monete per bonam computationem, nos predicte domine comitisse totum quod excreverit, persolvemus per abandonium bonorum nostrorum et bonorum hominum nostrorum, sicut in carta Florentii, fratris nostri, plenius est expressum; promittimus etiam quod nos fideiussores quos posuit Florentius erga predictam dominam comitissam, indempnes conservabimus, et ratum et firmum habemus quod Florentius, frater noster, posuit in abandonium eisdem plegiis bona sua et suorum et nostra et nostrorum si dampnum incurrerent ex fideiussione supradicta. In predictorum autem testimonium presentes litteras tradidimus sigilli nostri impressione munitas. Datum anno Domini millesimo ducentesimo quadragesimo octavo, mense septembri.

Historical context:

William, count of Holland, and elected king of the Romans by one faction, confirms the agreement between his brother Floris and the countess to payment of arrears, acknowledging his own responsibility and her ancestral rights.

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), 2.428-29, ep.777.

Date:

1248, September