A letter from Joan of Constantinople, Countess of Flanders (1220/1221, January 27)

Translated letter:

I Joan, countess of Flanders and Hainaut, make known to all that my faithful Rudolf of Rodes, having stood in my presence, renounced into my hands a tithe, which he had at Snellegem and which he held in fealty from me, and I gave the said tithe as perpetual alms to the abbot and convent of Saint Andrew at Bruges. And so that my fief will not diminish, the aforesaid abbot and convent have given to the said Rudolf of Rodes rents, which they held at Jabbeke and at Houtawa, in exchange for the said tithe up to the value of 20 pounds and in the rents, which the said abbot and convent gave in exchange to the said Rudolf, I and the castellan of Bruges and lord Nigel, my dearest relative, have retained for ourselves all our right and other jurisdiction.(1) And so that this my deed should endure stable and firm in the future for the aforesaid abbot and convent, I have conferred on them the present document strengthened by the affixing of my seal. Granted at Bruges, Wednesday after the conversion of Saint Paul, in the year of the Lord 1220.

Original letter:

Ego Johanna, Flandrie et Hainonie comitissa, omnibus notum facio quod fidelis meus Radulphus de Rode, in presentia mea constitutus, resignavit in manus meas decimam, quam habebat apud Snellegem et quam de me tenebat in feodum et ego dictam decimam dedi in elemosinam perpetuam abbati et conventui Sancti Andree juxta Brugis. Et ne feodum meum minueretur, prefatus abbas et conventus dederunt dicto Radulpho de Rodes redditus, quos habebant apud Jabbeca et apud Houtawa, in concambium dicte decime usque ad valentiam viginti librarum et in redditibus, quos dictus abbas et conventus dederunt in concambium dicto Radulpho, ego et castellanus brugensis et dominus Nigelle, karissimus consanguineus meus, totum jus nostrum et alteram justiciam nobis retinuimus. Et ut hoc factum meum prefato abbati et conventui in posterum stabile et firmum permaneat, eis presentem contuli paginam, sigilli mei appensione munitam. Datum Brugis, feria IIII post conversionem Sancti Pauli, anno millesimo ducentesimo vicesimo.

Historical context:

The countess describes the terms of a donation of tithes which she made to an abbot and convent which had been relinquished to her by the man who held it in exchange for payment from the convent.

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), 546-47, ep.16.

Date:

1220/1221, January 27