A letter from Adelaide/Aleid of Holland (1262, July 12)

Translated letter:

Adelaide, defender of Holland and Zeeland, formerly wife of lord John of Avesnes, to all who will see the present letters, greetings in the Lord. You should know that in our presence lord Godfrey of Kruiningen, knight, and Biggo of Kouwerve, our faithful men, confessed that a while ago in the time of lord Florence of good memory, our brother, at his command, made a certain inquiry on a certain controversy and dispute/complaint which the heirs of Deinoud of Nieuwlande [had] against the church of Ter Doest over a certain land which is called Morlodenisse of Schoudeemoer and all the complaints which they claimed or could claim against that church of Ter Doest, which inquiry they completed when they diligently investigated the truth of the things about all the aforesaid through the testimony of religious as well as secular people and also through the authentic writings; they found the church of Ter Doest in no way obligated to the heirs of said Deinoud nor had they done injury to them in anything or furnish occasion or matter of complaint in anything, but rather they had promised their friendship and favor. We therefore, lest by the death or forgetting of our said faithful men it should happen that said testimony disappears, we have ordered it to be consigned to writing and fortified by the protection of our seal. Dated in the year of the Lord 1262, Wednesday after the octave of the apostles Peter and Paul.

Original letter:

Aelidis quondam uxor domini Iohannis de Auesnis, Hollandie et Zelandie tutrix, universis presentes litteras inspecturis salutem in Domino. Noveritis quod constituti in nostra presentia dominus Godefridus de Cruninghe, miles, et Biggo de Coudewerue, fideles nostri, confessi sunt quod dudum tempore bone memorie domini Florentii, germani nostri, de mandato ipsius inquisitionem quandam fecerunt super controversia quadam et querela quam heredes Deinodi de Noua Terra adversus ecclesiam de Thosan occasione cuiusdam terre que Morlodenesse dicitur et Mori et omnium querelarum quas adversus ipsam ecclesiam de Thosan pretendebant vel pretendere poterant, quam inquisitionem cum de predictis omnibus perfecissent et rei veritatem tam per religiosorum quam per secularium testimonia et etiam per scripta autentica diligentius indagassent, reppererunt ecclesiam de Thosan erga heredes Deinodi predicti in nullo penitus obligatam nec eisdem in aliquo iniuriam irrogasse nec querele occasionem vel materiam in aliquo ministrasse, sed potius eorum promeruisse amicitiam et favorem. Nos igitur, ne per obitum dictorum fidelium nostrorum vel oblivionem contingat dictum testimonium deperire, scripto illud mandari et sigilli nostri fecimus munimine roborari. Datum anno Domini M° CC° LX° secundo, feria quarta post octavas apostolorum Petri et Pauli.

Historical context:

The countess records the resolution of a conflict between laymen and a church, based on an investigation by two of her men.

Printed source:

Oorkondenboek van Holland en Zeeland tot 1299, ed. A.C.F.Koch (Gravenhage: Martinus Nijhoo, 1970), ep.1299, 3.311-12.

Date:

1262, July 12