A letter from Adelaide/Aleid of Holland (1261, January 6)

Translated letter:

Adelaide [Aelis] who was the wife of lord John of Avennes, defender of Holland and of Zeeland, to the castellan of Ath and all his sergeants, greetings. We order and command you and wish that without fail you do not take from the gentlemen and handmaids of Notre Dame de Condet mortmain, the best [thousandth?] possession, or douzaine; and if you have taken them, that you give them back entirely, for as we have seen in the letters of my lord baron who has died and in the letters of my lady his mother the countess, they are quit of them and do not owe any of these things; and do this so that it does not come back to us again. This was done in the year of the incarnation of our Lord 1260, the day of the Epiphany.

Original letter:

Aelis, qui fu femme monseigneur Jehan de Avennes, baus de Hollande et de Zeellande, castellain d’Ath et a tous ses sergans salus. Nous vous mandons et commandons et volons sans faille que vous des siers et des anchielles Notre Dame de Condet ne prendes morte main, milleur catel ne dousainne; et se vous les aves pris, que vous entirement les rendes, car si com nous avons veut ens lettres monseigneur men baron qui trespasses est et ens lettres medame se mere le 5 comtesse, il en sont quitte, ne nient ne doivent de toutes ces coses; et tant en faites con nen reviegne plus a nous. Ce fu fait lan del incarnation notre Seignour mil CC LX, le jour del Apparition.

Historical context:

The countess informs the chatellan that the people of Notre Dame de Condet are quit of any monetary obligations: nothing should be taken from them and anything already taken should be returned.

Printed source:

Oorkondenboek van Holland en Zeeland tot 1299, ed. A.C.F.Koch (Gravenhage: Martinus Nijhoo, 1970), ep.1246, 3.252-53.

Date:

1261, January 6