A letter from Baron and Knights of Rieumes (1201)

Translated letter:

Let it be manifest to all both present and future who hear or read this charter that I, Bernard Baron of Rieumes, William Baron, John of Semezias, Bernard of Terrada, William of Gaza, Peter Faber, Peter of Terrada, William of Pera, Raymond Sancius, Raymond of Tilio, William of Gaza, Peter Argollo, Vitalis Ramendiacius, Vitalis of Anano, Bernard of Cussol, Willim Faber, William Lorda, Peter Figulus, Peter Fortilius, Vitalis Infantus, John of Calva Artiga, John of Gaza, Arnald Caldairon, Raymond of Salmonte, Bernard of Gazopodio, Bonetus of Banerius, Vitalis Cassanea, Sancius of Casteres, Raymond of Mo, Arnald Pontius, Martin of Ardpodio, William Pontius, William of Contivad, Pontius Cava, the man Bono of St. Clare, Fortis of Peter Adam, William Baron, Raymond Ovelerius, Peter of Montibus, Bernard Ovelerius, Peter Bares, Raymond Rufat, Raymond Stephen, William Dominic, William Tranca, Vitalis of Micole, Vitalis Faber, John of Beran, Peter of Aul, Peter Barrilerius, Vitalis Fortis, Peter of Micole, Peter Cussol, Dominic Caballo, Raymond of Manoaco, Bernard Fortilius, Bertrand Amaldrann, Bernard of Calva Artiga, John Marra, Raymond of Tornas, Garsea Baron, William Peter, Bernard Tornerius, Bernard Stephen, Vitalis of Villanova, Raymond of Serla, Peter Gazana, Martin Amaldrann, Garsia Cerlin, Bernard of Donato, Donato, John of Linarius, Raymond Figulus, William Peter Pontius, William of Linarius, Raymond of Bezuas, Arnald of Salmonte, Bernard of Barta, Raymond of Calva Artia, Cenato of Cotolenquis, William of Lupocasca, Bernard Marcel, Vitalis of Manoaco, Bernard of St. Vitale, John Vaquerius, John Ovelerius, John of Cussol, Peter Rufus, John of Terrada, Peter John, Peter Siguin, Vitalis Daul, Bernard of Aulola, Raymond of Semezias, William of Carda, Martin Carda, William Estufa, Vitalis of Manoaco, Peter Barta, Bernard of Banerius, we all by the mandate and command of lord Bernard, count of Comminges, having touched the sacrosanct Gospels, swear to you Matilda and Petronilla, daughters of the abovesaid lord count Bernard and lady countess Marie, daughter of lord William of Montpellier and to your heirs that after the death of the abovesaid lord count, we will be and remain faithful to you and will guard and preserve your life and limb, as best we can and without any deceit or fraud and without any wicked contrivance, and the castrum of Rieumes and the town and all rights pertaining there, and everything as much as the aforesaid lord count has or should have in Saves and in the episcopate of Toulouse, and what he will have in the future, or anyone on behalf of him or from him, whether they be castles, towns, tolls, estates, men or women or their holdings, lands and offices, or whatever it may be; for all this entirely we swear to you, thus namely that we will be faithful men and assistants thenceforth to you, and also to [other] daughters if more will issue from the abovesaid lord count and from the abovesaid lady Marie. Nonetheless, if the abovesaid lord Bernard, count of Comminges, will have an infant, namely a son or sons from the abovesaid lady countess Marie, we will enact this oath and faith to him or to them and their heir in good faith and without any deceit or fraud. But if from that son or sons, (he) will perish without legitimate heir, we will uphold all this, as expressed above for those (females) and for their heir, and also, if more daughters will issue from the abovesaid lord count and from the abovesaid lady countess Marie, daughter of lord William of Montpellier, by these four holy Gospels, in good faith, and without any deceit or fraud, and without any wicked contrivance. This was enacted and thus granted on the second day of the beginning of the month of December, Sunday, with Philip king of the Franks ruling, Raymond count of Toulouse, Raymond bishop elect, in the year 1201 from the Lord's incarnation. Witnesses of all these oaths are Peter Raymond, prior of the church of Reims, Bernard the chaplain, brother of Raymond Corne, Peter of Forcaldo, chaplain, Bruno of Toulouse, Raymond of Portello, called son of the elder Peter, Peter Arnald, public notary of Toulouse who wrote this charter.1

Original letter:

Manifestum sit universis, tam presentibus quam futuris, hanc cartam audientibus, vel legentibus, quod ego Bernardu Baronus de Reumis, et Guillelmus Baronus, et Johannes de Semezias, et Bernardus de Terrada, et Guillelmus de Gaza, et Petrus Faber, et Petrus de Terrada, et Guillelmus de Pera, et Raimundus Sancius, et Raimundus de Tilio, et Guillelmus de Gaza, et Petrus Argollus, et Vitalis Ramendiacii, et Vitalis de Anano, et Bernardus de Cussol, et Guillelmus Faber, et Guillelmus Lorda, et Petrus Figulus, et Petrus Fortilius, et Vitalis Infantus, et Johannes de Calva artiga, et Johannes de Gaza, et Arnaldus Caldaironus, et Raimundus de Salmonte, et Bernardus de Gazopodio, et Bonetus de Baneriis, et Vitalis Cassanea, et Sancius de Casteres, et Raimundus de Mo, et Arnaldus Poncius, et Martinus de Ardpodio, et Guillelmus Poncius, et Guillelmus de Contivad, et Poncius Cava, et Bonus homo de Sancto Clare, et Fortis de Petro Adam, et Guillelmus Baronus, et Raimundus Ovelerius, et Petrus de Montibus, et Bernardus Ovelerius, et Petrus Bares, et Raimundus Rufatus, et Raimundus Stephanus, et Guillelmus Dominicus, et Guillelmus Trauca, et Vitalis de Micole, et Vitalis Faber, et Johannes de Berano , et Petrus de Auli. et Petrus Barrilerius, et Vitalis Fortis, et Petrus de Micole, et Petrus Cussol, et Dominicus Caballus, et Raimundus de Manoaco , et Bernardus Fortilius, et Bertrandus Amaldrannus , et Bernardus de Calva artiga, et Johannes Marra, et Raimundus de Tornas, et Garsea Baronus, et Guillelmus Petrus.et Bernardus Tornerius, et Bernardus Stephanus, et Vitalis de Villa nova, et Raimundus de Serla, et Petrus Gazana, et Martinus Amaldrannus, et Garsia Cerlinus, et Bernardus de Donato, et Donatus, et Johannes de Linariis, et Raimundus Figulus, et Guillelmus Petri Poncii, et Guillelmus de Linariis, et Raimundus de Bezuas, et Arnaldus de Salmonte, et Bernardus de Barta, et Raimundus de Calva artiga, et Cenatus de Cotolenquis, et Guillelmus de Lupocasca, et Bernardus Marcellus, et Vitalis de Manoaco, et Bernardus de Sancio Vitale, et Johannes Vaquerius, et Johannes Ovelerius, et Johannes de Cussol, et Petrus Rufus, et Johannes de Terrada, et Petrus Johannes, et Petrus Siguinus, et Vitalis Dauli, et Bernardus de Aulola, et Raimundus de Semezias, et Guillelmus de Carda, et Martinus Carda, et Guillelmus Estufa, et Vitalis de Manoaco, et Petrus Barta, et Bernardus de Baneriis, nos omnes, mandato et jussu domini Bernardi, comitis Convenarum,tactis sacrosanctis Euvangeliis, juramus tibi Matelde et Petronille, filiabus supradicti domini Bernardi comitis, et domine comitisse Marie, filie domini Guillelmi Montispessulani, et vestris heredibus , quatinus, post obitum domini supradicti comitis, fideles vobis permaneamus et erimus, et vitam et membram vestram custodiemus et salvabimus , nostro posse, absque omni dolo et fraude, et sine omni malo ingenio, et castrum Reumarum et villam, et omnia jura ibi pertinencia, et totum tantum quantum prefatus dominus comes habet, vel habere debet, in Saves et in episcopatu Tolose, vel in antea habebit ipse, vel aliquis pro eo, vel ex eo, sive sint castra, vel villas, seu forcias, vel bovarias, sive homines vel feminas, aut eorum tenencias, sive terras, vel honores, sive quicquid sit; totum ab integrum vobis juramus, ita scilicet ut fideles et coadjutores inde vobis erimus, et magis filiabus, si amplius exierint de supradicto domino comite et de supradicta domina Maria. Tamen, si predictus dominus Bernardus, comes Convenarum, habuerit infantem, scilicet filium, vel filios de supradicta domina comitissa Maria, ad ilium, vel ad illos, faciemus hoc sacramentum et fidelitatem, et ad eorum heredem, bona fide, et remoto omni dolo et fraude. Si vero ex illo filio, vel filiis, decesserit sine legitimo herede, totum hoc, uti melius suprascriptum est, tenebimus ad istas et ad eorum heredem: et ad amplius, si amplius filie exierinta supradicto domino comite et a supradicta domina Maria comitissa, filia domini Guillelmi Montispessulani, per hec sancta IIIIor Euvangelia, bona fide, et remoto omni dolo et fraude, et absque omni malo ingenio. Hoc fuit factum et ita concessum II die introitu mensis decembris, dominica die, regnante Philippo rege Francorum, Raimundo Tolose comite, Raimundo electo episcopo, anno M°cc° i° ab incarnatione Domini. Horum omnium Sacramentorum testes sunt Petrus Raimundus, prior ecclesie Reumarum, et Bernardus capellanus, frater Raimundi Corne, et Petrus de Forcaldo capellanus. et Brunus de Tolosa, et Raimundus de Portello, filius dictus Petri majoris, et Petrus Arnaldus, publicus notarius Tolose, qui cartam istam scripsit.

Historical context:

Oath of fidelity taken by certain knights to Marie’s daughters, Matilda and Petronilla, regarding the castrum of Rieumes in the event of their father’s death. Since the daughters were very young at this point, we can assume that the oath was taken for the benefit of their mother, in the event of her husband's death. If sons are born from the marriage, the same oath will be taken to them.

Scholarly notes:

1. The text and translation were provided by Ashleigh Imus.

Printed source:

Liber Instrumentorum Memorialium Cartulaire des Guillems de Montpellier (Montpellier: La Societe Archeologique de Montpellier, 1884), 360-62, doc.208.

Date:

1201