A letter from Joan of Constantinople, Countess of Flanders (1233, September)

Translated letter:

Joan, countess of Flanders and Hainaut, to all who will view the present letters, greeting. May all know, that from the revenue of 100 pounds, which the renowned and dearest lord and our husband Ferdinand, former count of Flanders and Hainaut, of pious memory, allotted with our consent in his will to the exchequer of Furnes to be paid annually and left to be distributed at the arrangement of his executors, we, according to the arrangement made of those same executors, with the advice of the venerable lord father Walter, bishop of Tournai, will cause to be paid 100 shillings annually to the hospital of Oudenarde, such that thence the said hospital, in memory of the lord count himself, will be bound to provide necessities for one bed and one pauper lying in it, in perpetuity. Moreover, we wish and command, that the receivers from Furnes of our revenue should pay out to the aforesaid hospital annually the aforesaid 100 shillings, half at the feast of St. Martin and the other half at the Purification of blessed Mary, until we will have suitably allotted in another place just so many revenues to the same hospital. So that these may remain constant in the future, we have caused the present letters to be written and strengthened with the protection of our seal. Dated in the year of the Lord 1233, in the month of September.(1)

Original letter:

Johanna, Flandrie et Hain[onie] comitissa, omnibus presentes litteras inspecturis salutem. Noverint universi, quod de redditu centum librarum, quas illustris et karissimus dominus ac maritus noster F[errandus], pie memorie, quondam Flandrie et Hainfonie] comes, in testamento suo ad scacarium Furnense annuatim solvendas, de nostro assensu assignavit et ordinationi testamentariorum suorum distribuendas reliquit, nos, iuxta ordinationem eorundem testamentariorum, de consilio reverendi patris domini Walteri, Tornacensis episcopi factam, centum solidos annuatim hospitali de Aldenardo solvi faciemus, ita quod inde dictum hospitale uni lecto et uni pauperi decumbenti in eo, ob memoriam ipsius domini comitis, tenebitur in perpetuum necessaria providere. Volumus autem et precipimus, ut receptores reddituum nostrorum de Furnis predictos centum solidos, medietatem in festo sancti Martini et aliam medietatem in Purificatione beate Marie, hospitali prefato annuatim persolvant, donec eidem hospitali totidem redditus in alio loc assignaverimus conpetenter. Ut hec igitur in posterum firma permaneant, presentes litteras scribi fecimus et sigilli nostri munimine roborari. Datum anno Domini M°CC° tricesimo tercio, mense Septembri.

Historical context:

The countess announces the mode and amount of payment to the hospital of Oudenarde, following the terms of her husband’s will to provide a bed for a pauper in perpetuity.

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), 567-68, ep.39.

Date:

1233, September