A letter from Thomas of Savoy, count of Flanders (1242, February)

Translated letter:

Thomas, count of Flanders and Hainaut and Joan, his wife, countess of Flanders and Hainaut, to all who will view the present letters, greeting. May all know that we, for God and the salvation of our souls, have conceded for alms a chaplaincy, which we held at Aalst, pertaining to our donation, and we have given [it] to the hospital of poor infirm lying in bed in Aalst, nonetheless such that whichever chaplain will be established for the same chaplaincy by the brothers and sisters, he should be chosen on the advice of good [people] of the said hospital, [and the chaplain] will receive the gift of said chaplaincy from our hands or our successors, after he will have been presented by those same ones to us or our successors. And we wish that whenever we or our heirs come to Aalst, the chaplain of the aforesaid hospital should demonstrate such service as other chaplains from our other chapels and villas demonstrate to us. Moreover because we wish to become founders more fully of the above-noted hospital, through abundance of benefice, we have conferred all our vacant ground in which our chapel at Aalst was situated, which is called Zelhof, as alms for the mentioned poor, so that the aforesaid hospital may be transferred to the said place for the sake of many conveniences to be brought forth thenceforth to the poor themselves. In testimony and protection of this deed we have already brought to the said hospital the present letters strengthened by the affixing of our seals. Enacted at Ghent, in the year of the Lord 1241, in the month of February.1

Original letter:

Thomas, Flandrie et Haynonie comes et Johanna, uxor ejus, Flandrie etHaynonie comitissa, universis presentes litteras inspecturis salutem. Noverint universi quod nos pro Deo et animarum nostrarum salute capellaneam, quam habebamus apud Alost, ad nostram donationem spectantem concessimus in elemosinam et dedimus hospitali pauperum infirmorum lecto decumbentium de Alost, ita tamen quod quicumque ad andem capellaneam instituetur capellanus a fratribus et sororibus dicti hospitalis de consilio bonorum eligatur, donum dicte capellanie recepturus de manibus nostris vel successoribus nostris, postquam nobis vel successoribus nostris ab eisdem fuerit presentatus. Et volumus quod quandocumque nos vel heredes nostri venerimus apud Alost, capellanus hospitalis predicti tale servitium nobis exhibeat, quale nobis exhibent alii capellani de nostris aliis capellis et villis. Insuper quia sepenotati hospitalis beneficii abundantia plenius volumus fieri iiindatores, totam aream nostram, in qua sita fuit capella nostra apud Alost, que dicitur Zelhof, memoratis pauperibus in elemosinam contulimus, ut ad dictum locum prefatum ospitale propter multas commoditates ipsis pauperibus inde profuturas transferatur. In cujus rei testimonium et munimen presentes litteras jam dicto contulimus hospitali sigillorum nostrorum appensione munitas. Actum apud Gandavum, anno Domini millesimo ducentesimo qua- iiagesimo primo, mense Februario.

Historical context:

The count and countess donate a chaplaincy at Aalst to the hospital for the poor at Aalst, to be chosen by the brothers and sisters, but to receive the gift from the count and countess, and to serve as chaplain to them when they visit.

Scholarly notes:

1 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), 597-98, ep.69.

Date:

1242, February