A letter from Joan of Constantinople, Countess of Flanders (1219, May)

Translated letter:

I Joan, countess of Flanders and of Hainaut, make known to all to whom these letters will have come, that Hugh of Halewina, my faithful, and lady Adeleide, his wife, gathered in my presence, relinquished into my hands in the presence of my people whatever right they held by right to oats of the granary of Courtrai, which Walter of Courtrai, protonotary of Flanders and my faithful man, holds in fealty from me in the parish of Courtrai and in the parish of Marcka and in the parish of Albert and in the parish of Bellingen and, since this has been done, I have warned my people, by the faith which they owe me, that the aforesaid, namely Hugh of Halewin and lady Adeleide, his wife, or their heirs, might (try to) possess or claim anything in the future by that right which they held to the oat, which the said Walter holds in fealty from me, and that I could confer that right to whom I wish. However they themselves have determined that not the said Hugh, not the said lady Adeleide, nor their heirs can have or claim any right in the future by that right, which they were accustomed to have, to oats, which the said Walter held in fealty from me, and that I could do my will entirely. Once this was heard, I, in the presence of my people, granted freely that aforesaid right, which the aforesaid Hugh and lady Adeleide, his wife, were accustomed to have to the oat of the aforesaid Walter, beloved protonotary of Flanders and my faithful, to the same Walter as an addition to his fief which he holds from me, to be possessed by hereditary right by himself and his heirs from me and my successors. And so that this my deed will be firmly and inviolably observed in the future for the same Walter and his heirs, I have granted to the aforesaid Walter the aforesaid document, validated by the affixing of my seal. Granted in the year of the Lord 1219, in the month of May.(1)

Original letter:

Ego Johanna, Flandrie et Hainonie comitissa, omnibus notum facio ad quos littere iste pervenerint, quod Hugo de Halewina, fidelis meus, et domina Adelida, uxor sua, in presentia mea constituti, resignaverunt in manus meas coram hominibus meis quicquid juris habebant jure spicarii Curtracensis in avena, quam Walterus de Curtraco, Flandrie prothonotarius et fidelis meus, de me tenet in feodum in parrochia Curtracensi et parrochia de Marcka et parrochia de Alberca et parrochia de Bellenghem et, hoc facto, submonui homines meos, per fidem quam mihi debebant, si predicti videlicet Hugo de Halewin et domina Adelida, uxor sua, vel heredes eorum in posterum aliquid possent habere vel clamare in jure illo quod habebant in avena, quam dictus Walterus de me tenet in feodum et si jus illud conferre possem cui vellem. Ipsi autem judicaverunt quod non dictus Hugo, non dicta domina Adelida, nec heredes eorum aliquid juris de cetero possent habere vel clamare in jure illo, quod solebant habere ad avenam, quam dictus Walterus de me tenebat in feodum et quod me ex toto meam facere possem voluntatem. Hoc audito, ego coram hominibus meis illud jus predictum, quod sepedictus Hugo et domina Adelida, uxor sua, solebant habere ad avenam prefati Walteri, Flandrie prothonotarii dilecti et fidelis mei, contuli liberaliter eidem Waltero in incrementum feodi sui, quod de me tenet, a me et successoribus meis ab ipso et heredibus suis jure hereditario possidendum. Et ut hoc factum meum in posterum eidem Waltero et heredibus suis firmiter et inviolabiliter observetur, sepedicto Waltero prefatam contuli paginam, sigilli mei appensione munitam. Datum anno Domini millesimo ducentesimo nonodecimo, mense Maio.

Historical context:

The countess declares that she has transferred the right to oats from the granary of Courtrai to her man, Walter, formerly held by Hugo of Halewina and his wife Adeleide which they relinquished to her.

Scholarly notes:

1 This translation was provided by Ashleigh Imus.

Printed source:

Johanna van Constantinopel, Gravin van Vlaanderen en Henegouwen ed. Theo Luykx, Verhandelingen van de Koninklijke Vlaamsche Academie voor Wetenschappen, Letteren en Schoone Kunsten van Belgie, Klasse der Letteren, VIII.5 (1946), 541-42, ep.10.

Date:

1219, May