A letter from Ferdinand/Ferrand of Portugal, Count of Flanders (1230, March)

Translated letter:

Ferdinand, count of Flanders and Hainaut and Joan, his wife, countess of Flanders and Hainaut, to all who will view the present letters, greeting. May all your society know that, since Mary daughter of Richard Sceleward held from us in fealty 33 measures of land beyond one lineam , lying in the parish in Zwenkau, and our faithful Gildulf and Henry Ram of Bruges by title of legitimate purchase had acquired that same land from the said Mary and from her heirs with our will, the same Gildulf and Henry for the sake of divine piety legitimately brought back the said land into our hands for the work of the hospital of St. John of Bruges, and we have given freely and benevolently, for the salvation of our souls and of our ancestors, the said land to be possessed perpetually, quit from all feudal service, which was due to us on said land. In testimony of this deed we have conferred on the said hospital the present letters sealed with our seals. Enacted in the year of the Lord 1229, in the month of March.(1)

Original letter:

Fernandus, Flandrie et Haynoie comes ac Johanna, uxor eius, Flandrie et Haynoie comitissa, omnibus presentes litteras inspecturis salutem. Noverint universi quod, cum Maria filia Riquardi Sceleward de nobis in feodum teneret triginta tres mensuras terre preter unam lineam, iacentes in parrochia in Suenkca, et eandem terram fideles nostri Gildulfus et Henricus Ram de Brugis titulo emptionis legitime acquisivissent a dicta Maria et ab heredibus suis de nostra voluntate, iidem Gildulfus et Henricus divine pietatis intuitu dictam terram in manus nostras legitime reportaverunt ad opus hospitalis sancti Johannis de Brugis et nos dictam terram, quitam ab omni feodali servitio, quod dicta terra nobis debebat, dicto hospitali donavimus liberaliter et benigne ob nostrarum et antecessorum nostrorum remedium animarum perpetuo possidendam. In cuius rei testimonium presentes litteras dicto hospitali contulimus, sigillis nostris sigillatas. Actum anno Domino millesimo ducentesimo, vicesimo nono, mense Martio.

Historical context:

The count and countess affirm the sale of land by a woman to two men who have turned it over to the count and countess to be donated to the work of the hospital of St. John of Bruges.

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), 557-58, ep.28.

Date:

1230, March