A letter from Joan of Constantinople, Countess of Flanders (1243, April)

Translated letter:

Thomas, count of Flanders and Hainaut, and Joan his wife, to all who will view the present letters, greeting. May all know that since the dearest religious women in Christ, the abbess and convent of Marke near Courtrai, of the Cistercian order held from us ten quarter-acres of land lying in the drisco/dries(1) between Oudenaarde and Eine, which we had given to them as alms, she herself, with our consent and will, for the benefit and liberation of her church, since it lay beneath a serious burden of debts, legitimately sold the said land to Eustace Zelle, burgess of Oudenaarde, for 200 Flemish pounds paid and transferred by them to Eustace himself, and with these they acquired also other goods and more useful things for their church. And since they brought back the same ten quarter-acres of land into our hands for the use of said Eustace and solemnly and legitimately guaranteed (it) in the presence of our people, we have to the aforesaid Eustace rendered it to be possessed from us for annual rent of ten pennies to be paid to us each year in the currency of Flanders at Oudenaarde, on the feast of blessed Remigius, without any hereditary service for us, with any jurisdiction in the aforesaid land remaining for us and our successors. But because the afore-written ten quarter-acres of land came to the said church from our free donation and, if they had remained with the same church, we should and would want to have guaranteed them for them, (thus) we as lord of the land firmly and faithfully promise to the aforenamed Eustace and his heirs or successors that we will guarantee and preserve said land completely against anyone in perpetuity. So that these matters might obtain the strength of certainty, we have caused the present letters to be done and strengthened by affixing of our seals. Enacted in the year of the Lord 1243, in the month of April.(2)

Original letter:

Thomas, Flandrie et Haynonie comes, et Johanna, uxor ipsius, universis presentes litteras inspecturis salutem. Noverint universi, quod, cum karissime in Christo religiose mulieres, abbatissa et conventus de Marka iuxta Curtracum, cisterciensis ordinis, tenerent de nobis decem bonaria terre iacentis in drisco inter Alden[ardum] et Eynes, que eis in elemosinam dederimus, ipse, de assensu et voluntate nostra, pro utilitate et liberatione sue ecclesie, cum gravi debitorum oneri subiaceret, terram iamdictam Eustacio Zelle, burgensi Alden[ardensi], pro ducentis libris flandrensibus eis ab ipso Eustacio traditis et solutis, legitime vendiderunt, e quibus etiam alia bona et ecclesie sue utiliora acquisiverunt. Et cum eadem decem bonaria terre in manus nostras ad opus dicti Eustacii reportassent ac solempniter et legitime presentibus nostris hominibus werpissent, nos ea prefato Eustacio reddidimus de nobis sub annuo censu decem denariorum flandrensis monete apud Alden[ardum], in festo beati Remigii, nobis annis singulis solvendorum, sine alio servicio de nobis hereditarie possidenda, in terra premissa qualibet iusticia nobis et nostris successoribus remanente. Quia vero prescripta decem bonaria terre, de nostra libera donatione pervenerunt ad dictam ecclesiam et, si eidem ecclesie remansissent, eadem sibi garandizasse deberemus et vellemus, nos firmiter et fideliter promittimus, quod prenominato Eustacio et suis heredibus sive successoribus tamquam dominus terre garandizabimus et conservabimus adversus quemlibet integraliter imperpetuum dictam terram. Que ut robur optineant firmitatis, presentes fieri fecimus litteras et sigillorum nostrorum appensione muniri. Actum anno Domini millesimo ducentesimo quadragesimo tertio, mense Aprili.

Historical context:

The count and countess note the sale by a convent of land they had given it to a townsman of Oudenaarde, for money to discharge the convent’s debts; they recognize and guarantee the transfer to be held in perpetuity for an annual rent.

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. Naturally, 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), 604-05, ep.77.

Date:

1243, April