A letter from Adelaide/Aleid of Holland (1260, December 15)

Translated letter:

Adelaide, defender of Holland and Zeeland, formerly wife of lord John of Avesnes, to all who will view the present document, greeting everlasting in the Lord. Since the renowned lord W. of good memory, formerly our brother king of the Romans, in imitation of our father Floris of bright memory, received under his special protection the church of Does, of the Cistercian order, as well as the people serving there for God our Creator, with all their property established through the county of Holland, granting to those same brothers freedom of selling and buying whatever they wanted, and as often as they transported anything necessary for their own uses by boat or in another way, that they might pass through completely free perpetually from any impediment, from all toll or any taxes and improper custom of all who were in his power, we, considering valid and welcome the said favor and other freedoms made for the aforesaid brothers, as is contained more fully in the letters of the said lord king prepared concerning this, also confirm (them) by testimony of the present letters. But if anyone of all those who are known to belong under our law, having seen these letters, should presume to disturb in any way the aforesaid brothers, may he know that he most certainly will incur our offense, and as much as the aforenoted brothers will have spent for exacting justice on account of this, may he know that he will be indebted to us by that much. Dated at Middelburg in the year of the Lord 1260, Wednesday after (the feast of) Lucy.(1)

Original letter:

Universis presens scriptum visuris Aleidis, quondam uxor domini Iohannis de Auesnis, Hollandie et Zelandie tutrix salutem in Domino sempiternam. Cum illustris quondam frater noster, dominus W. Romanorum rex bone memorie ad imitationem clare memorie genitoris nostri Florentii ecclesiam de Thosan, Cisterciensis ordinis, necnon et personas Deo Creatori nostra ibidem militantes, cum omnibus bonis suis per comitatum Hollandie constitutis sub suam protectionem susceperit specialem, concedens eisdem fratribus licentiam vendendi et emendi quecumque voluerint; et quociens aliqua propriis usibus necessaria na[.]igio seu alio modo transvexerint. ab omni theloneo et quibuslibet exactionibus ac prava consuetudine mnium qui sue fuerunt potestatis, liberi prorsus perpetuo et absque omni pertranseant impedimento, nos dictam gratiam et alias libertates predictis fratribus factas, prout [„] litteris dicti domini regis super hoc confectis plenius continetur, gratas habemus et ratas et confirmamus presentium testimonio litterarum. Si quis vero eorum omnium qui ad ius nostrum pertinere noscuntur visis litteris istis sepedictos fratres modo quolibet molestare presumpserit, sciant se certissime nostram offensam incurrisse, et quantum fratres prenotati in exigendo iusticiam propter hoc ipsum expenderint, tanti se nobis noverit esse debitorem. Datum apud Middelburg anno Domini M° CC° sexagesimo, feria quarta post Lucie.

Historical context:

The countess reaffirms a concession made by her father and then her brother to Cisterican brothers to carry on their business affairs free of all taxes and tolls, and threatens a financial penalty on any who impede them.

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.1245, 3.251-2.

Date:

1260, December 15