A letter from Thomas of Savoy (1239/1240, March)

Translated letter:

I Thomas, count of Flanders and Hainaut, and I Joan, his wife, countess of Flanders and Hainaut, make known to both present and future (people) that for love of God and for the salvation of our souls and of all our people both predecessors and successors, we have conferred as pure and perpetual alms to the house of the hospital of blessed Mary in Oudenaarde, where gathering together from everywhere the poor and infirm of Christ are mercifully received, ten quarter-acres of the drisco/dries(1), called a "common" of Eines in the place across from the land of the aforesaid hospital, which was once John Potre's, townsman of Oudenaarde, and (we have conferred) whatever right we held to those same things, saving for us our superior dominion over them, and saving the right of anyone which he will have been able to prove by law of the land that he holds in the said land or in said drisco/dries. In testimony, strength, and confirmation of this deed we have caused the present document to be strengthened by the affixing of our seals. Enacted in the year of the Lord 1239, in the month of March.(2)

Original letter:

Ego Thomas, Flandrie et Haynoie comes, et ego Johanna, uxor eius, Flandrie et Haynoie comitissa, notum facimus tam presentibus quam futuris, quod pro Dei amore et pro salute animarum nostrarum et tam predecessorum quam successorum nostrorum omnium, contulimus in puram et perpetuam elemosinam domui hospitalis beate Marie in Alden[ardo], ubi pauperes Christi et infirmi undique confluentes misericorditer recipiuntur, decem bonaria terre in drisco de Eynes in loco qui situs est contra terram predicti hospitalis, que quondam fuit Johannis Portre, opidani Alden[ardensis], et quicquid iuris in eisdem habuimus, salvo nobis nostro superiori dominio in illis, et salvo iure uniuscuiusque, quod se habere in dicta terra sive in dicto drisco per legem patrie poterit demonstrare. In cuius rei testimonium, munimen et confirmationem presentem cartam sigillorum nostrorum appensione duximus roborandam. Actum anno Domini millesimo ducentesimo tricesimo nono, mense Martio.

Historical context:

The count and countess confirm their donation of land to the hospital of St. Mary for care of the poor.

Scholarly notes:

1 Drysco is a Latinized form of the Flemish/Dutch word “dries”, which means “a common” or land that is supposed to be used by the community, for pasture, drying cloth or whatever other function vital to the community. The "dries" was not to be enclosed (fenced) without permission of everybody concerned, including the lord of the area. (Walter P. Simons)
2 The 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), 585-86, ep.58.

Date:

1239/1240, March