A letter from Joan of Constantinople, Countess of Flanders (1221, January 4)

Translated letter:

I Joan, countess of Flanders and Hainaut, make known to all both future and present to whom these letters will have come, that my faithful John Cardon and lady Beatrice, his wife, gathered in my presence, have quitclaimed to the abbot and convent of Saint Peter of Oudenburg the dwelling and land and meadow and pasture and wood that lie in Emelghem, in Cacthem and in Iseghem with all their appurtenances, which Giles Canis of good memory conferred as perpetual alms to the abbot and convent, and they have surrendered whatever right they had to the aforesaid dwelling and its appurtenances. And for the confirming the good of peace between the abbot himself and his convent on one side and on the other the aforesaid John and lady Beatrice his wife, the aforesaid abbot, with the agreement of his convent, has conceded that he will give each year within eight days of the birthday of Lady Beatrice, daughter of the aforesaid John and lady Beatrice, for assistance of her marriage, 10 pounds in the currency of Flanders and, when the abbot of Oudenburg is deceased, John himself and lady Beatrice, his wife, will have from the abbot, by new arrangement, 50 shillings. And because all these things were done and drawn up in my presence, at the requests of the aforesaid John and lady Beatrice, his wife, I have granted that as lady of the land I will cause to be observed firmly this agreement as is written above and I have brought to the same abbot and convent the present document concerning this, validated by the affixing of my seal and strengthened by the recording below of witnesses who were present. My faithful witnesses: Philip, marquis of Namur, Michael of Haren, Hellin steward of Flanders, Michael constable of Flanders, John of Mecheln, Walter of Courtrai, protonotary of Flanders, my clerk Philip of Dergneau, Roger my clerk. Done at Courtrai, Monday before the Epiphany of the Lord, in the year of the Lord’s Incarnation 1220, in the month of January.(1)

Original letter:

Ego Johanna, Flandrie et Hainonie comitissa, omnibus notum facio ad quos littere iste pervenerint, tam futuris quam presentibus, quod fidelis meus Johannes Cardon et domina Beatrix, uxor sua, in presentia mea constituti, quitum clamaverunt abbati et conventui Sancti Petri de Audenborch mansionem et terram et prata et pascua et nemora, que jacent in Emelghem, in Cacthem et in Isenghem cum omnibus appenditiis suis, que bone memorie Egidius Canis contulit in elemosinam perpetuam predicto abbati et conventui et guerpierunt quicquid juris habebant in predicta mansione et appendiciis ejus. Et pro bono pacis confirmando inter ipsum abbatem et conventum suum ex una parte et prefatum Johannem et dominam Beatricem uxorem ipsius ex altera, sepe dictus abbas, per assensum conventus sui, concessit se daturum singulis annis infra octabas Natalis Domini Beatrici, filie prefati Johannis et domine Beatricis, ad auxilium matrimonii sui decem de libras flandrensis monete et, mortuo abbate de Audenborg, ipse Johannes et domina Beatrix, uxor sua, habebunt de abbate, noviter instituto quinquaginta solidos. Et quia hec omnia facta et tractata fuerunt coram me, ad preces sepedicti Johannis et domine Beatricis, uxoris sue, concessi quod hanc conventionem, sicut superius scriptum est, sicut domina terre firmiter observari faciam et super hoc eidem abbati et conventui presentem contuli paginam, sigilli mei appensione munitam et testium, qui interfuerunt subscriptione roboratam. Testes fideles mei: Philippus, marchio Namuracensis, Michael de Harnis, Hellin senescallus Flandrie, Michael Flandrie conestabularius, Johannis de Machlinis, Walterus de Curtraco, Flandrie prothonotarius, clericus meus, Philippus de Derenjau, Rogerus, clericus meus. Actum Curtraco, feria secunda ante Epiphaniam Domini, anno Dominice Incarnationis, millesimo ducentesimo vicesimo, mense Januario.

Historical context:

The countess, as witness and protector, declares the agreement between a couple and an abbot granting the abbot land to which they had a claim, in return for money to be given annually towards their daughter’s marriage.

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), 545-46, ep.15.

Date:

1221, January 4