A letter from Thomas of Savoy (1238, September)

Translated letter:

Thomas, count of Flanders and Hainaut, and Joan, his wife, to all who will view the present letters, greeting in the Lord. May all know that, since Joan, daughter and heir of Walter of Rodenburg, clerk, desiring to provide for the salvation of her soul, with the consent of Agnes, her sister, allotted all that she held or was due to hold, both movable and immovable property, houses, lands, possessions, revenues both feudal and other, as alms for this, so that there might be a certain monastery near Courtrai where she herself(1) and other women under the regular habit of the Cistercian order might serve God, Joan herself having stood in our presence on account of this, with our people standing by, whose names have been written below, returned into our hands and freely surrendered, through the advocate given to her by law, everything which she held from us in fealty for the use of the above-said monastery, with her sister present and agreeing to (her) words, and likewise she surrendered through the advocate whatever of the aforesaid belonged or could belong to her. Also present for this were Walter of Rodenburg, canon of Courtrai, and Ada, his sister, related in the second degree of consanguinity to the sisters themselves, inasmuch as the closest heirs of flesh (i.e. blood relatives), and by adding willing consent to those things which the aforesaid sisters had done, in the same way through advocates they fully surrendered both for themselves and for the mentioned sisters all right which in the aforewritten could fall to them, promising with oath taken that in no way will they challenge the aforewritten. Since, moreover, in the judgment of our people the return and surrender of this sort into our hands were done legitimately, we, desiring that veneration of the lord be increased, by approving that which was done concerning these things, we have rendered to the abbess of the same monastery the things expressed above for the use of the monastery itself, exempt from feudal right and homage and any exaction, to be possessed freely and peacefully with full perpetual right, with our high jurisdiction remaining for us and our successors concerning what they held from us. Our men, in whose presence these things were done, namely Philip of Dergnau, Roger of Cluenghien, Siger of Moscre, Walter his brother, Walter of Locre, knight, Lambekinus, usher, Walter, butler and Giles of Champagne, summoned by us, judged that the aforesaid return and surrender, as was said, and equally our approval, rendering or investiture were done well and legitimately nor thenceforth could be invalidated, since in all the aforesaid the right had been fully acquired by the same monastery. So that these things may obtain the strength of certainty, we have caused the present letters to be strengthened by the protection of our seals. Enacted in the year of the Lord 1238, in the month of September.(2)

Original letter:

Thomas, Flandrie et Hanonie comes, et J [ohanna], uxor ipsius, omnibus presentes litteras inspecturis salutem in Domino. Noverint universi quod, cum Johanna, filia et heres Waleri de Rodeborc clerici, sue saluti anime cupiens providere, omnia que habebat vel habere debebat, tam mobilia quam inmobilia, domos, terras, possessiones, redditus tam feodalia quam alia, de assensu Agnetis, sororis ipsius ad hoc in elemosinam assignasset, ut eis quoddam fieret monasterium iuxta Curtracum, ubi ipse et alie mulieres sub regulari habitu cisterciensis ordinis Domino deservirent, ipsa Johanna in nostra propter hoc presentia constituta, adstantibus nostris hominibus quorum nomina subscripta sunt, omnia que de nobis tenebat in feodum ad opus jamdicti monasterii per advocatum per legem sibi traditum, in manus nostras reportavit libere et guerpivit, presente et consentiente dicta sorore ipsius, et quicquid in premissis sibi competebat vel competere poterat per advocatum similiter guerpivit. Ad idem etiam fuerunt presentes Walterus de Rodeborc, canonicus Curtracensis, et Ada, soror ipsius in secundo gratu consanguinitatis ipsis sororibus attinentes utpote heredes proximiores carum et eis que super hoc sorores fecerunt antedicte consensum spontaneum adhibendo, omne jus, quod in prescriptis sibi poterat obvenire, eodem modo per advocatos penitus guerpierunt tam ipsis quam sororibus memoratis, fide prestita promittentibus quod contra prescripta nullo modo venirent. Cum autem hujusmodi reportatio et guerpitio in manus nostras judicio nostrorum hominum legitime facte essent, nos, cultum ampliari dominicum affectantes, quod factum erat super hiis approbando ad opus ipsius monasterii expressa supererius a iure feodali et homagio et omni exactione exempta, eiusdem monasterii reddidimus abbatisse cum pleno iure perpetuo pacifice et libere possidenda in hiis que tenebantur de nobis, alta justicia nobis et nostris successoribus remanente. Nostri autem homines, quibus presentibus hec acta sunt, videlicet Philippus de Dergnau, Rogerus de Cluenghien, Sigerus de Moscre, Walterus frater eius, Walterus de Locre, milites, Lambekinus hostiarius, Walterus, buticularius et Egidius de Campania, a nobis submoniti iudicaverunt quod prefate reportatio et guerpitio, ut dictum est, et nostra pariter approbatio, redditio sive investicio bene et legitime facte erant nec deinceps poterant irritari, cum in predictis omnibus ius esset eidem monasterio plenius acquisitum. Que ut robur optineant firmitatis, presentes litteras fieri fecimus sigillorum nostrorum munimine roborari. Actum anno Domini millesimo CC° tricesimo octavo, mense Septembri.

Historical context:

The countess and her second husband assent to the transfer of all the possessions of an heiress, with the consent of her sister and second cousins to found a monastery near Courtrai where she and other women might serve in the Cistercian order.

Scholarly notes:

1 Text reads “ipse”; it should probably be “ipsa.” 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), 579-80, ep.52.

Date:

1238, September