A letter from Adelaide/Aleid of Holland (1258, December 10)

Translated letter:

Adelaide, formerly wife of lord John of Avesnes of good memory, defender of Holland and Zeeland, to all who will view the present (letters), greeting. May all know that, with the abbot of Middelburg and lord Simon, knight, of Soeburg, gathered in our presence, the said knight acknowledged in our presence and in the presence of the people of the church of Middelburg and our (people) that he was satisfied concerning three wagons for gathering crops in Soeburg which he held in fealty from the abbot of Middelburg, and he claimed these free and quit from himself and all his heirs in perpetuity, obliging himself and his heirs to demonstrate full warranty concerning these according to law and kora of the country; moreover he has surrendered in true feudal right the use of one horse which he held annually from the abbot for plowing, into the hands of the abbot with the aforesaid wagons which we call in the vernacular “wagenloep,” declaring in our presence that he must not ever demand back his wagons or the said horse in the future. Witnesses who were present are these: lord Nicholas of Bersalia, knight, Baldwin of Brigghedamme, Paul and Paul of Brigghedamme, Peter and Baldwin, brothers of Soeburg, Giles of Koudekerke and Giles of Arnemude, and many others. Enacted in the year of the Lord 1258, 4th Ides of December.(1)

Original letter:

Aleydis quondam uxor domini Iohannis de Auennis bone memorie, tutrix Hollandie et Zelandie, universis presentia visuris salutem. Noverint universi quod, constitutis in nostra presentia abbate de Middelburg et domino Symone, milite, de Subburg, dictus miles recognovit coram nobis et coram hominibus ecclesie de Middelburg et nostris sibi satisfactum fuisse de tribus evectionibus curruum colligentium messes in Subburg quas tenuit ab abbate de Middelburg in feodum, et clamavit eas liberas et quitas a se et omnibus suis heredibus in perpetuum, obligando seipsum et suos heredes de illis secundum legem et choram patrie plenam warandiam prestaturos; insuper usum equi unius quem babuit [sic] annuatim ab abbate ad arandum in vere iure feodali resignavit in manus abbatis cum predictis evectionibus curruum quas vulgariter appellamus wagenloep, coram nobis se et suos dictum equum neque evectiones umquam decetero debere repetere protestando. Testes qui interfuerunt sunt hii: dominus Nicholaus de Bersalia, miles, Balduinus de Briggedamme. Paulus et Paulus de Brigghedamme, Petrus et Balduinus fratres de Subburg, Egidius de Koudekerke et Egidius de Arnemude, et plures alii. Acta sunt hec anno Domini M° CC° LVIIIo, IIII idus decembris.

Historical context:

The countess confirms the agreement between a knight and an abbot over crop wagons and a horse.

Scholarly notes:

1 This translation was provided by Ashleigh Imus.

Printed source:

Oorkondenboek van Holland en Zeeland tot 1299, ed. A.C.F.Koch (Gravenhage: Martinus Nijhoo, 1970), ep.1201, 3.201.

Date:

1258, December 10