A letter from Adelaide/Aleid of Holland (1259, February 22)

Translated letter:

In the name of the holy and indivisible Trinity. Adelaide of Hainaut, defender of Holland to all faithful of Christ who will view the present letters, in perpetuity. Since human weakness is unstable and inclined to harmful things and does not stand up to confusion, it is useful that those things that are known to be pious deeds carried out by modern (people)be prudently preserved in written testimony. Therefore may both present and future (people) know that, since the abbess and convent of the church of the blessed Virgin Mary in Rijnsburg had possessed peacefully and quietly, as their allod(1), certain property, namely certain land in the parish of Noordwijk lying within Sitwende, approximately 9.5 lands, and in the same place certain lands which are called Werft, conferred by a former countess of Holland by the name of Petronilla, of happy memory, as alms for the church mentioned, with all right appertaining, also certain lands called vronegers lying between the villas of Noordwijk and Vorhoute as well as the lands lying in the hamlets or villas of Lisse and Vlodorp, formerly of the lay brothers Ouger and Arnold, called Geir, living in Rijnsburg, and also lands located formerly at Lisekine, part in Lisse, part in Hiltsebroic, until for the usefulness of the aforenoted monastery having considered the advice of prudent people the aforesaid abbess and convent decided to make an exchange now of said property or aforenamed lands with Theodore [Dirk], knight, lord of Teylingen, for any tithes, both larger and smaller, both in wet and in dry (land), located in the parishes of Kercwerve and Rijnsburg, which the same knight held from us in fealty, with our consent and will, transferring through our hand the aforesaid property or lands to the knight mentioned, Theodore, which property and lands the aforesaid knight in place of the aforesaid tithes which he first held from us, received from our hand in fealty, paying due homage to us for these same things, except the land(2) lying in the marsh which is called Hiltsebroic, extending from the wood of Hillinghem up to Mere and containing 11 yards in width, which the said abbess and convent of the aforenoted monastery reserved for their own use, but with said knight, Theodore, surrendering the above-said tithes to us, we, with pious consideration and for the sake of eternal salvation, have conferred freely and absolutely these same things, with all right and dominion that could belong to us or our nephew Floris or our successors to these same things, to the church of holy Mary in Rijnsburg for the use and support of the abbess and convent of the aforenoted church, such that the aforesaid abbess and convent will enjoy the aforewritten tithes with right of patronage of the church of Kercwerve that belonged to the same knight for that same thing, but the said knight, Theodore, will enjoy the aforewritten property or lands thus transferred to him and exchanged for the said tithes, with full right perpetually. For this act were present: renowned lady Elisabeth, formerly queen of the Romans, Mathilde, countess of Holland, Richardis, lady-in-waiting of Holland, the noblemen lord Henry of Vorne, lord William of Brederode, lord Simon of Haarlem, lord John Persin, lord Hugh of Noordwijk. In testimony and proof of this thing done and for fuller and perpetual strength of certainty we have caused the present document to be validated by our seal and by the seals of nobleman lord Th[eodore] of Teylingen and the aforewritten others. Dated in the year of the Lord 1258 on the feast of St. Peter’s Chair.(3)

Original letter:

In nomine sancte et individue Trinitatis. Aleydis de Hanonia tutrix Hollandie universis Christi fidelibus presentes litteras inspecturis in perpetuum. Quoniam humana fragilitas labilis est et prona in detrimentum rerumque turbe non sufficit, expedit ea que a modernis pie gesta cognoscuntur et provide, scripti testimonio perhennari. Noverint igitur tam presentes quam posteri quod, cum abbatissa et conventus ecclesie beate Marie virginis in Rinsburg quedam bona, videlicet terras quasdam in parrochia de Nortghe infra Sitwende iacentes, circiter IX1/2 lant, et ibidem quasdam terras que dicuntur Werft a felicis recordationis olim Hollandie comitissa nomine Petronilla in elemosinam cum omni iure dictam comitissam contingente ecclesie collatas memorate, item quasdam terras vronegers nuncupatas inter villas de Nortge et Vorhoute iacentes necnon et terras quondam fratrum Ougeri et Arnoldi dicti Geir conversorum in Rinsburg in hamellis seu villis de Lisse et de Vlodorp iacentes, insuper et terras quondam Lisekine sitas partem in Lisse, partem in Hiltsebroic tamquam suum allodium pacifice possedissent et quiete, demum in hoc utilitati monasterii prescripti consilio pensata discretorum abbatissa et conventus antedicti iamdictorum bonorum seu terrarum prescriptarum cum Theoderico, milite, domino de Teylinge pro decimis quibuscumque, tam maioribus quam minutis, tam in humido quam in sicco, in parrochiis de Kercwerue; et de Rinsburg sitas, quas idem miles a nobis tenebat in feodo, commutationem facere decreverunt, per manum nostram predicta bona seu terras de consensu nostro et voluntate Th. militi memorato tradentes, que bona ac terras sepedictus miles loco decimarum predictarum quas a nobis prius tenebat, de manu nostra recepit in feodum nobis debitum prestans homagium de eisdem, excepto veno in palude que dicitur Hiltsebroich iacente, a nemore de Hillinghem usque Mere se extendente ac undecim virgas in latitudine continente, quem abbatissa et conventus dicti monasterii prenotati usui proprio reservarunt, dicto vero Th. milite decimas supradictas nobis resignante, nos easdem pia consideratione ac eterne salutis obtentu cum omni iure et dominio quod nobis vel nepoti nostro Florentio aut nostris successoribus competere posset in eisdem, ecclesie sancte Marie in Rinsburg ad opus et sustentationem abbatisse et conventus ecclesie prenotate libere contulimus et absolute, ita quidem quod abbatissa et conventus sepedicti decimis prescriptis cum iure patronatus ecclesie de Kercwerue quod eidem militi competiit in eadem, dictus vero Th. miles bonis seu terris prescriptis sibi pro dictis decimis sic traditis ac commutatis perpetuo gaudebunt pleno iure. Interfuerunt huic facto: illustris domina E. Romanorum quondam regina, M. comitissa Hollandie, R. domicella Hollandie, viri nobiles dominus Henricus de Vorne, dominus Willelrnusm de Brederode, dominus Symon de Harlem, dominus Iohannes Persin, dominus Hugo de Nortghe. In cuius rei testimonium et evidentiam facti pleniorem prepetueque robur firmitatis sigillo nostro et Th. nobilis viri domini de Teylinge et aliorum prescriptorum sigillis presentem paginam duximus roborandam. Datum anno Domini M° CC° LVIIIo, in Cathedra beati Petri.

Historical context:

The countess reaffirms and registers a detailed agreement between a convent and a knight over lands and tithes which had been initiated by a former countess of Holland, Petronilla, wife of Floris II in the early 12th century. The Feast of St. Peter’s Chair falls on January 18. Among the witnesses are Adele’s sister-in-law, Elisabeth wife of William II, her mother Mathilde, and her aunt Richardis.

Scholarly notes:

1 An allodium refers to a property that is held free and clear of all encumbrances. 2 “Veno” could be a variant spelling for “wendus,” defined by Latham as a measure of land (10 yokes). Du Cange confirms. 3 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.1205, 3.205-07.

Date:

1259, February 22