A letter from Adelaide/Aleid of Holland (1261, December 10)

Translated letter:

Adelaide, defender of Holland and Zeeland, formerly wife of lord John of Avesnes, to all who will view the present (letters) greeting and all goodwill. Since the abbess and convent of Bethleem of the Cistercian order in Schelde, beloved to us in Christ, hold from the gift of our ancestors one hevenam of lands in the district or in the territory of Bridorp, free from all payment, we want all to know that we wish and through the sense of the present we command and order precisely to all those holding lands in the aforesaid hevena from the house of Giles, who is called by the surname Filius Comitis [Son of the Count], toward the east, that they pay one coin both of boon payment and expenditure for their said lands to the abbess and convent or to their ministers and no others. But if anyone will have refused to pay to the aforesaid abbess and convent, as was said, even if they will have paid another, he will not be free and quit; rather we will request from him the said payment with penalty just as the law has dictated, and we will be zealous to punish. In the year of the Lord 1261, Saturday after the feast of blessed Nicolas.(1)

Original letter:

Aleydis uxor quondam domini Iohannis de Avesnis, Hollandiae et Zelandiae tutrix, universis praesentia visuris salutem et omne bonum. Cum dilectae nobis in Christo abbatissa et conventus de Bethleem. Cisterciensis ordinis, in Schaldia ex dono praedecessorum nostrorum unam hevenam terrarum in officio sive in territorio de Bridorp habeant liberam ab omni scoto, nosse volumus universos quod nos finaliter volumus et tenore praesentium precise mandamus et praecipimus omnibus in praedicta hevena terras habentibus a domo Aegidii qui vocatur cognomine Filius Comitis versus orientem. ut scotum unum tam precariae quam expeditionis de terris suis predictis abbatissae et conventui vel ministris earum et nulli alii persolvant. Si quis vero praedictis abbatissae et conventui, prout dictum est, solvere contradixerit, etiam si alii solverint. liber vel quitus non erit: immo ab ipso dictum scotum cum gravamine, prout ius dictavit, requiremus et studebimus vendicare. Anno Domini M CC LXI, sabbatho post festum beati Nicolai.

Historical context:

The countess declares that anyone holding lands in property bestowed on nuns by her ancestors must make payment to the nuns or be penalized.

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.1277, 3.287.

Date:

1261, December 10