A letter from Godfried of Kruiningen (1262, April 25)

Translated letter:

G., knight, lord of Crunighes, to his illustrious lady Adelaide. defender of Holland and Zeeland, formerly wife of lord John of Avesnes, greeting and ready service with honor in all things. I notify your Excellency that although the abbot of Does had undertaken for himself to end the suit which the heirs of Deinod Curthals initiated against the church of blessed Mary of Does, and with me present and other good men, through arbitral judgment he had ended it, by releasing the church from everything that the aforesaid heirs of Deinoid claimed or attempted to claim, and I with your authority and in your place, since for this you entrusted your position to me, had accepted and even confirmed the said judgement, (then) after very few days had passed Bliec of Stauennesse, who had taken as wife the widow of Vanins, son of the aforesaid Deinoid, concerning the same suit accused the said church, and finally on a day established, with me present and other good men, after there was discussion concerning this, the aforesaid abbot offered to him on the part of his church that he himself would choose two good men and the church (would choose) two, and you would be in place of the fifth, or whoever at the time would be lord of the land, and investigation of the truth would be made, and whatever you said or judged with the aforesaid four or with two of them, after the investigation of the truth that the aforesaid abbot in the name of his church was bound to do by law, he would most willingly fulfill this. However the said Bliec refused to accept these things. In testimony of this deed I have delivered to the said abbot the present letters consigned with my seal and with the seals of good men, who were present at the aforesaid, whose seals are affixed to the present (letters). Dated in the year of the Lord 1262, on the day of the Evangelist St. Mark.(1)

Original letter:

Illustri domine sue A. quondam uxori domini Iohannis de Auennis tutrici Hollandie et Zelandie, G. miles, dominus de Crunighes salutem et paratum cum honore in omnibus famulatum. Eccellentie vestre significo quod, cum abbas de Thosan querelam quam adversus ecclesiam beate Marie de Thosan moverant heredes Deinodi Curthals, in se suscepisset terminandam et eam me presente et aliis bonis viris per arbitralem sententiam terminasset, absolvendo ecclesiam ab omnibus que predicti heredes Deinoide petebant vel petere valebant, et ego auctoritate vestra et vice vestra, quia in hoc mihi commiseratis vices vestras, dictam sententiam acceptassem et etiam confirmassem, paucissimis interpositis diebus Bliec de Stauennesse, qui relictam Vanins filii predicti Deinoidi duxerat in uxorem, super eadem querela dictam ecclesiam impetebat, et tandem die statuta, presente me et aliis bonis viris, postquam tractatum fuit super ea, obtulit ei abbas prefatus ex parte ecclesie sue quod ipse duos bonos viros eligeret et ecclesia duos, et vos essetis loco quinti vel quicumque pro tempore dominus esset terre, et fieret inquisitio veritatis, et quicquid diceretis vel iudicaretis cum predictis quatuor vel cum duobus ex ipsis post inquisitionem veritatis quod abbas prefatus nomine ecclesie sue de iure deberet facere, hoc libentissime adimpleret. Hec autem dictus Bliec noluit acceptare. In cuius rei testimonium presentes litteras sigillo meo una cum sigillis bonorum virorum quorum sigilla presentibus sunt appensa qui predictis interfuerunt, dicto abbati tradidi consignatas. Datum anno Domini M° CC° LXII°, in die sancti Marci Ewangeliste.

Historical context:

A knight appointed as the countess’s representative reports to her on the quarrel between an abbot and a family, which had been settled but was reopened by a man who had married into the family and who refused the suggested arbitration.

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.1289, 3.300-01.

Date:

1262, April 25