A letter from Adelaide/Aleid of Holland (1262, July)

Translated letter:

I Adelaide, defender of Zeeland and Holland, formerly wife of lord John of Avesnes, to all who will view the present letters, greeting in the Lord. At the request of religious men, the abbot and convent of Ten Duinen and with the consent of Arnold, brother of Witten, son of Nicholai of Valkenesse and their friends, we make known to all who will view these that the said Arnold and Gertrude, his wife, daughter of lord John Vossart, with the consent of his brother Witten and Berton and Splenter and their relatives and friends, in our presence with voluntary will, has claimed (the church) free and quit from any suit which he had against the church of Ten Duinen on account of his wife, daughter of John Vossart of Hontenesse, concerning the inheritance of lord Odin Splenter, formerly grandfather of his wife, and the proceeds thenceforth received, and concerning any suit which he could have at the date of the present letters – as he had also done some time ago at Zande in the presence of the abbot of Ten Duinen and the brother Dionysius, monk of Ten Duinen and lay brother William called Burfliet of the same place and many other monks and laymen – and within the (time of the) Assumption of the glorious Virgin in the presence of the aldermen of Hulst he will proclaim (the church) free and quit in perpetuity as he had done in our presence. Likewise the said Arnold and Gertrude his wife promised with bodily oath taken and under suretyship of all their property, movable and immovable, that he will have all his heirs come in our presence and in the presence of the aforesaid aldermen for the same quitclaiming. Moreover both the aforesaid Arnold and his wife have promised that in the future they will be faithful friends to all property and persons of said church of Dunis with all agitation and rancor of mind arising from any occasion whatsoever toward persons of said church of Ten Duinen completely removed from their heart. And so that the said church of Ten Duinen will not be troubled by anyone or any heirs of said Arnold and his wife in the future concerning the said suit, we, at the requests of the abbot and convent of Ten Duinen and Arnold and his wife have caused our seal to be affixed to the present letters; and for greater security the names of aldermen, namely Paul, son of Agath, Paul Brunbart and Liedelm of Scora, in whose presence the aforesaid Ar. and G. made the said quitclaim, have been included in these letters, and the seals of lord G[odfried] of Kruiningen, Witte brother of said Arnold and John Belard are affixed with our seal in testimony of the truth. Dated in the year of the Lord 1262, in the month of July.(1)

Original letter:

Ego Aelidis uxor quondam domini Iohannis de Auennis, tutrix Zelandie et Hollandie universis presentes litteras inspecturis salutem in Domino. Ad petitionem virorum religiosorum ... abbatis et conventus de Dunis et de consensu Arnoldi fratris Witten filii Nicholai de Valkenesse et suorum amicorum notum facimus omnibus hec visuris quod dictus Arnoldus et Gertrudis uxor eius, filia domini Iohannis Vossart, de consensu fratris sui Witten et Bertoni ac Splenter et cognatorum suorum et amicorum, de omni querela quam habuit contra ecclesiam de Dunis ratione uxoris sue, filie Iohannis Vossart de Hontenesse, de hereditate domini Odini Splenter quondam avi uxoris sue, et fructibus inde perceptis et de omni querela quam habere potuit ad datam presentium litterarum, coram nobis spontanea voluntate — sicut diu etiam fecerat apud Zande coram abbate de Dunis et fratre Dyonisio monacho de Dunis et fratre Willelmo; dicto Burfliet converso eiusdem loci ac multis aliis monachis et laicis — liberam et quitam clamavit, et coram scabinis de Hulst infra Assumptionem gloriose Virginis quitam et liberam in perpetuum acclamabit sicut fecerat coram nobis. Item promisit dictus Ar. et Gertrudis uxor eius sacramento prestito corporali et sub fideiussione omnium bonorum suorum mobilium et immobilium quod omnes heredes suos coram nobis et coram predict[i]s scabinis ad eandem quitisclamationem faciet pervenire. Item promittit tam predictus Ar. quam uxor eius quod de cetero erunt fideles amici omnibus bonis et personis dicte ecclesie de Dunis omni animi commotione et rancore de qualicumque occasione proveniente erga personas dicte ecclesie de Dunis de corde suo totaliter eliminata. Et ne dicta ecclesia de Dunis ab aliquo vel aliquibus dictorum Arnoldi et uxoris sue heredibus in posterum super dicta querela possit molestari, nos ad preces ... abbatis et conventus de Dunis et Arnoldi ac uxoris sue presentibus litteris sigillum nostrum duximus apponendum; et ad maiorem securitatem nomina scabinorum, videlicet Paulus filius Agathe, Paulus Brunbart et Liedelm de Scora, coram quibus dictam quitisclamationem fecerunt predicti Ar. et G., inserta sunt istis litteris, atque sigilla domini G. de Cruninghe, Witte fratris dicti Arnoldi ac Iohannis Belard sunt appensa cum nostro sigillo in testimonium veritatis. Datum anno Domini M° CC° LX° secundo, mense iulii.

Historical context:

The countess records a surrender of claims made by a family against a convent for the present and the future in her presence, to be repeated before aldermen.

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.1301, 3.313-14.

Date:

1262, July