Sender
Ferdinand/Ferrand of Portugal, Count of Flanders
Receiver
Public
Translated letter:
Ferdinand, count of Flanders and of Hainaut, and Joan, countess, his wife to all who will view the present letters, greeting.
We make known to all your society that our beloved knight Bernard of Wenebrechies, has legitimately by the judgment of our people given up all the tithes, lying in the parish of Lokerne and a certain tithe lying in the parish of Hasnede, which Roger, his brother, held while he lived, which tithes the same Bernard held from us in fealty, in our presence and that of our people, with Siger of Courtrai, knight, and Adele, his wife, daughter of the aforesaid Bernard, present and placing (their) hands [in ours], and he surrendered those same tithes and whatever right he had to them into our hands for the work of the nuns in the place of blessed Mary inTen Bossche. We, therefore, for the salvation of our souls and for the souls of our ancestors and successors have conferred the aforesaid tithes, through the judgment of our aforesaid people, legitimately resigned and fully absolved of feudal right, to the aforesaid nuns as alms to be possessed freely and peacefully in perpetuity.
So that these may remain constant in perpetuity, we have caused the present letters to be written and strengthened by the affixing of our seals.
Dated in the year of the Lord 1232, in the month of August.(1)
Original letter:
Fernandus, Flandrie et Hainonie comes, et Johanna, comitissa, uxor eius, omnibus presentes litteras inspecturis salutem.
Universitati vestre notum facimus, quod dilectus noster Bernardus de Wenebrechies, miles, omnes decimas, jacentes in parrochia de Lokerne et decimam quamdam, jacentem in parrochia de Hasnede, quam Rogerus frater suus tenebat dum viveret, quas decimas idem Bernardus de nobis tenebat in feodum, in presentia nostra et hominum nostrorum, Sigero de Cortraco, milite, et Aelide, uxore sua, filia predicti Bernardi, presentibus et manus apponentibus, decimas illas et quicquid juris in eis habebat in manus nostras ad opus monialium in loco beate Marie in Bosco per judicium hominum nostrorum legitime resignavit et easdem werpivit. Nos igitur pro salute animarum nostrarum ac pro animabus antecessorum; et successorum nostrorum prefatas decimas, per judicium predictorum hominum nostrorum legitime resignatas et a jure feodali penitus absolutas, prefatis monialibus in elemosinam contulimus in perpetuum libere ac pacifice possidendas.
Ut hec autem in perpetuum firma permaneant, presentes litteras scribi fecimus et sigillorum nostrorum appensionibus roborari.
Datum anno Domini MoCCo tricesimo secundo, mense Augusto.
Historical context:
The count and countess declare the transfer of tithes from a man and his daughter and son-in-law to nuns of St. Mary in Bosco, through the count and countess.
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), 564, ep.35.
Date:
1232, August
