A letter from and Ferdinand of Portugal, Count of Flanders (1232, March)

Translated letter:

Ferdinand, count of Flanders and of 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 with our agreement and will, Segerus of Tiel, our faithful, has well and legitimately sold to the church of Sweet Valley 21 measures of oat, lying near Ysendyck in the polder(1) of Wasard, which the said Segerus held from us in fealty and we, for the salvation of our souls, have quit to the said church the said 21 measures to be received in perpetuity, releasing them fully from feudal right, except only for those maintaining justice for us on said land. In testimony of this deed we have caused the present letters to be strengthened by our seals. Enacted in the year of the Lord 1231 in the month of March.(2)

Original letter:

F[errandus], Flandrensis et Hainonie comes, et J[ohanna], uxor eius, Flandrensis et Hainonie comitissa, omnibus presentes litteras inspecturis salutem. Noverit universitas nostra quod de concensu et voluntate nostra Segerus de Thielt, fidelis noster, vendidit bene et legitime ecclesie de Dulci Valle viginti unum hodos avene, jacentes juxta Ysendycke in polra Wasardi, quod dictus S[egerus] de nobis in feodum tenebat et nos, pro remedio animarum nostrarum, quitavimus dicte ecclesie dictos viginti et unum hodos in perpetuum percipiendos, a jure feodali eos penitus absolventes, salva tamen justicia nobis in dicta terra manentibus. In cuius rei testimonium presentes litteras sigillis nostris fecimus roborari. Actum anno Domini millesimo ducentesimo trigesimo primo, mense Martio.

Historical context:

The count and countess affirm a sale to a church made with their consent, retaining only the control of justice over the land.

Scholarly notes:

1 A polder is a piece of land reclaimed from water. 2 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), 562-63, ep.33.

Date:

1232, March