A letter from Adelaide/Aleid of Holland (1259, January 20)

Translated letter:

To all who will view the present letter, Adelaide, formerly wife of lord John of Avesnes, defender of Holland and Zeeland, greeting and everything good. Since the lord Floris of good memory, our dearest brother, for the sake of divine reward, had conceded to the officer and brothers of the house of the Teutonic order in Utrecht that all property that they want to transfer for expenses or for their own buildings they can deduct before all tolls of the county of Holland freely and without any exaction of toll, we, wishing to consider valid and welcome his said concession made prudently, by testimony of the present letters release the aforesaid brothers free with all their property which they want to transfer for expenses or their own buildings, as often as it will have happened that they pass before the said tolls. Dated at Ath in the year of the Lord 1258, on the day of the martyrs Fabian and Sebastian.(1)

Original letter:

Universis presentem litteram inspecturis Aleydis uxor quondam domini Iohannis de Auesnis, Hollandie et Zelandie tutrix, salutem et omne bonum. Cum dominus Florentius bone memorie, karissimus frater noster, concesserit divine remunerationis intuitu commendatori et fratribus domus Teuthonice in Traiecto quod omnia bona que in expensis aut edificiis propriis convertere volunt, ante omnia thelonia comitatus Hollandie libere et sine aliqua exactione thelonei deducere possunt, nos, dictam concessionem suam provide factam volentes habere gratam et ratam, predictos fratres dimittentes liberos cum omnibus bonis eorum que in expensis aut edificiis propriis convertere volunt, quociens ante dicta thelonia eos contigerit pertransire, presentium testimonio litterarum. Datum apud Ach anno Domini millesimo ducentesimo quinquagesimo octavo, in die Fabiani et Sebastiani martirum.

Historical context:

The countess reaffirms an exemption from tolls granted by her brother Floris to the Teutonic knights of Utrecht.

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.1203, 3.203-04.

Date:

1259, January 20