A letter from Eleanor of Aquitaine (1199, May 4)

Translated letter:

Eleanor, by the grace of God queen of the Angles, duchess of Normandy and Aquitaine, countess of Anjou, to the archbishops, bishops, counts, viscounts, barons, justiciaries, provosts, and all her bailiffs and faithful, and to all the sons, present and future, of the holy mother Church, greetings. Let your whole community know that when, within a month after the death of our dearest son Richard, king of the Angles, we came to Poitiers, the abbot and convent and monks of our beloved St. John new-monastery, presented the charters of our father and grandfather and other ancestors of ours who were the founders of that monastery in the presence of our barons. We then considering the tenor of those charters and the many freedoms of that church most attentively, for the salvation of our soul and of our dearest son Richard king of the Angles, and also of the father of our grandfather and of other ancestors of ours, all those things which our grandfather gave, granted and confirmed to the church of St. John the evangelist of the New-monastery, and our father William similarly gave, granted, and confirmed, with the counsel of our barons and other faithful who were then present, we grant and confirm and order to be held in perpetuity, as much for those that will be acquired as for those that have been acquired. We grant and confirm all the protections which our grandfather and father William and our other ancestors gave to that monastery, and we concede that as well as those things which seem to pertain to it under the protection of all freedom from all disturbance of any power whatsoever and of all our relatives and other successors. Namely, we establish that monastery as free, as our fathers did, and the free town which is around that monastery, and those things which they now have in the new market; and, as our grandfather and father and ancestors granted, we grant whatever they were able to acquire up to the city walls, retaining no custom there for ourselves. We grant also the township [burgum] beyond the water of the river and the source/well [fontem] which is on the bank of the river, and the water from the mills of Chassagnes up to where Biber enters Clenne, and from the old dam/sluice-gate to the mills of Charruel, and thence to the mills of Essart. We grant the whole toll of the new bridge, as they had and held it at the time of the father of our grandfather, and his father. We grant the township of St. Saturn with its tanners, free and clear [liberum et francum] as was given by the father of our grandfather and as they have had up to now. And we grant all men who appertain to the right of that church, wherever they are, free and clear of all army or military service, except those that are called by the name of war, unless when the prince of Aquitaine enters the battlefield against his enemies. And we grant all places pertaining to it free from lodging and billeting, as the father of our grandfather and our own father wanted and ordered it to be free and quiet, so not we nor any of our heirs, no relative, no seneschal, no marshal, no chamberlain, no provost or anyone serving us may seek lodging or harbor by custom in the dependencies or places of that monastery; nor make a tax, nor compel anything to be given to him. We grant also the pond continguous to the city which Agnes made for the defense of the city which the father of our grandfather had under his rule, solid and quiet, so that noone may impede the course of the water coming to this pond; and he so gave that to said monastery solid and quiet, with its fisheries and mills, and the custom of the millstones which the men customarily extract without price, except for the old millstones which are thrown down/cast up from those mills; which millstones also the judge of Bonolio should by custom bring to the lake of Forges, and the judge of Forges to the mills, without cost. The monks should protect and keep those men who extract the mill-stones. We grant the towns [villa] Agriciac and Janua, called Moleria, with those things which our grandfather added from that woods, similarly the town of Puiseaux and the land also of Cursed-field [Prati-maledicti] and of Paisiac with its wood and those things who are at Legudiac, as the father of our grandfather acquired as fief from the archbishop of Bordeaux and his priests. We grant the reversion of Mosteriol and of Vyssel, and Cormer, and Faie, and the reversion of Boeto and of Exart, as they were determined, and half the toll of Vyssel and half of Lolai and the lands pertaining to it, and the cemetery of the church, and Jarreia with the lands pertaining to it. We grant the town of Bennac with the residences of the soldiers and the pasture-lands of that town and half the land of Cuguls and half of Girbergeria; and in the township of Angeriac, ten tributary measures of wine each year; and a fourth part of Oleron, except for the tower and castle; and in the territory of Bordeaux, the furthest garden [?ortiguum]; and in the city of Bordeaux, one oven beneath the tower and the pasture-land of Jart, with that place where the chapel of St. Nicholas is, and with all those things which the mother of our grandfather, Audearde, gave to said monastery. And we grant the marsh and the district of Serra, which our grandfather gave it. And we grant two parts from the salt tax, retaining the third, which our grandfather gave it; to collect which he also granted the monks to use their own man, and we grant it in the same way. We grant also the woods of Mouillere (?Moleriis), living and dead, as our grandfather acquired them from Elia of Chauvigny. And we grant all our woods, as the father of our grandfather and he and our father gave them in the past, for fire, for building or repairing houses, and doing whatever is necessary, for those who live in the monastery as well as those who are their dependents. We grant them the ditches from the pond to the river Clenne, and the tower which is below the pond, to be in the care of the monks, as our grandfather ordered in the past. We grant the customs (tolls) from Puiseaux and Pacy, which our grandfather gave them. We grant also whatever Hugh of Mota, the son of Roger, our grandfather’s seneschal gave the said monastery. We grant whatever our men from our fief or in our fief gave or sold them, and will give or sell from now on, for which and in which we grant them our customs. We grant also to those monks all our tolls and every custom through our whole land, so that they be permitted to sell and buy them as their own for their use without damage. We also order that, as the father of our grandfather, he himself, and our father established and ordered, all who pay out or sell in the township of the monks, whatever the exchange, should pay the monks the owed custom, without impediment from us or ours. Similarly, foreign merchants, if they go through there and sell their things, should pay the owed custom. Itinerant merchants indeed who live in the city, buying and selling, if they come into that township and sell their things there, should pay the owed custom to the monks; and those who go up to the city should pay no other than that same custom, with no damage. All those who dwell there, or bring their things there, or store them, should remain at peace with all their things, without any damage done to them by our men. About quarrels and conflicts which normally arise between our men and the monks’ men, we order that that it be as was done in the time of the father of our grandfather and of him and of our father; so that, if any of the monks’ men should wrong our provost, out provost may not compel him to come and meet justice in his court; but rather, having made a proclamation to the monks, and established the day, he would go to their court before the abbot or their provost and there he would accept whatever their court judged, as we know was done by our grandfather. We will hold to this and order our descendants to hold to it, and similarly we order it to be held by our men through all their dependencies. For we do not wish that that monastery be diminished in the fief which the father of our grandfather gave it, and our grandfather held to it, and our father, but we wish and command that that liberty and immunity which they gave it and held to be preserved there, so that, if anyone, compelled for any misdeed or by our anger, should flee to said township, he would remain there free and quiet until he either stands trial or dies in peace, as was always observed at the time of the father of our grandfather and of him and our father. If indeed anyone, kings, counts, bishops, judges or other secular persons should dispute this charter of our gift and grant or its confirmation, unless he make satisfactory amends, he will incur the wrath of almighty God and be subject to rigorous punishment at the last judgment. This charter of confirmation was made in the 1199th year from the incarnation of the Lord, on the day after the Finding of the Holy Cross, at Poitiers. These are the witnesses of this charter: Ademar, abbot of St. Maxentius, Peter, abbot of St. Cyprian, Ralph, count of Auge, Godfrey of Lusignan, Jobert of La Guerche, Simon of Lazaye, Longo Oggerius, Chalo of Rochefort, William Lovel, Amelin of Brolio, Ralph of Faie, William of Faie, William of Beaumont, Peter treasurer, Roger our chaplain, who wrote the charter of these privileges, William our clerk, William of Lozay then provost of Poitiers, and many others.

Original letter:

Alienor, Dei gratia regina Anglorum, ducissa Normannie, Aquitanie, comitissa Andegavie, archiepiscopis, episcopis, comitibus, vicecomitibus, baronibus, justiciariis, prepositis, et omnibus ballivis et fidelibus suis, et omnibus sancte matris Ecclesie filiis, tam presentibus quam futuris, salutem. Noverit universitas vestra quod, cum infra mensem post mortem karissimi filii nostri Richardi regis Anglorum Pictavim venissemus, dilecti nostri abbas et conventus et monachi Sancti Johannis Monasterii-novi cartas patris et avi nostri et aliorum predecessorum nostrorum, qui ipsius monasterii fundatores extiterant, coram baronibus nostris presentaverunt. — Nos autem ipsarum tenorem cartarum et ipsius ecclesie libertates plurimas attentius considerantes, pro salute anime nostre et karissimi filii nostri Richardi regis Anglorum, et eciam patris et avi nostri et aliorum antecessorum nostrorum, illa omnia que ecclesie Sancti Johannis evangeliste Novi-monasterii avus noster donavit, concessit et firmavit, et similiter pater noster Guillelmus donavit, concessit et firmavit, de consilio baronum ct aliorum fidelium nostrorum, qui tunc presentes aderant, concedimus et confirmamus et in perpetuum tenenda precipimus, tam in adquisitis quam in adquirendis. — Concedimus et confirmamus cuncta munimenta que avus et pater noster Guillelmus et alii antecessores nostri eidem monasterio dederunt, et concedimus tam illud quam ea que ad se pertinere videntur sub tocius libertatis munimine, ab omni inquietudine cujuscumque potestatis et omnium parentum nostrorum cunctorumque successorum nostrorum. —Videlicet, ipsum monasterium, sicut patres nostri fecerunt, constituimus liberum, et francum burgum quod cirqua illud monasterium est, et ea que nunc habent in mercato novo; et, sicut avus et pater noster et antecessores nostri concesserunt, quicquid poterunt adquirere usque ad muros civitatis concedimus, nullam ibi consuetudinem nobis retinentes. — Concedimus quoque burgum ultra aquam fluvii, et fontem qui est in ripa fluminis, et aquam a molendinis de Chassagnes usque quo Biberis intrat in Clennem, et a vetula exclusa usque ad molendina de Charruel, et inde usque ad molendina de Essartis. — Concedimus pedagium pontis novi totum, sicut tempore patris avi nostri et ipsius et patris nostri totum habuerunt et tenuerunt. — Concedimus burgum Sancti Saturnini cum tannatoribus suis, sicut a patre avi nostri datum est, liberum et francum, et sicut actenus habuerunt. —Et concedimus omnes homines qui pertinent ad jus illius ecclesie, ubicumque sint, ab omni exercitu et expedicione, excepta illa que vocatur nomine belli, liberos et francos, nisi quando princeps Aquitanie iniet canpale bellum contra suos inimicos — Et omnia loca ad ipsum pertinentia concedimus libera ab hospicio et harbergaria, sicut pater avi nostri et ipse et pater noster voluerunt et jusserunt esse libera et quieta, ita ut nec nos nec aliquis heredum nostrorum, non propinquus, non senescallus, non marescallus, non cubicularius, non prepositus aliquis noster aut serviens in obedienciis ipsius monasterii aut locis hospicium vel harbergariam per consuetudinem querat, aut talliatam faciat, aut sibi dari aliquid coguat. — Concedimus quoque stagnum civitati contiguum, quod Agnes fecit ad munimentum civitatis, quod pater avi nostri habuerat in dominio, solidum et quietum, ita quod nullus posset cursum aque ad hoc stagnum venientis inpedire; et ita solidum et quietum donavit illud prefato monasterio, cum piscaria et cum molendinis, et consuetudinem molarum quas homines consuetudinarii extrahunt sine precio, exceptis molis veteribus que de ipsis molendinis prohiciuntur; quas eciam molas judex de Bonolio per consuetudinem debet ducere usque ad lacum de Forgiis, et judex de Forgiis usque ad molendina, absque omni precio. Homines vero illos, qui molas extrahunt, debent monachi tueri et custodire. — Concedimus villam Agriciacum et villam Januas que Molerias dicitur, cum his que avus noster adecit de eadem silva, villam similiter Putheoli, terram quoque Prati-maledicti et de Paisiaco cum silva, et ea que sunt ad Legudiacum , sicut ea pater avi nostri beneficio adquisivit ab archiepiscopo Burdegalensi et clericis ejus. —Concedimus revestituram de Mosteriolo, et revestituram de Vyssello, et Cormer, et de Faia, et revestituram de Boeto, et revestituram de Exartis, sicut determinate sunt, et medietatem pedagii de Vysselo, et medietatem de Lolaio et terrarum illi pertinentium, et cimisterium ecclesie, et Jarreiam cum terris sibi appendentibus. — Concedimus villam Bennaci cum casamentis militum, et pasquarium ejusdem ville, et medietatem terre de Cuguls, et medietariam de Girbergeria; et, in burgo Angeriacensi, decem modios vini censuales unoquoque anno; et quartam partem de Olerone, excepta turre et castro; et in Burdegalensi territorio, ortiguum extremum; et in Burdegala civitate , furnum unum desub turre et pasquerium de Jart, cum loco illo ubi est capella Sancti Nicholai, et cum his omnibus rebus quas Aldeardis mater avi nostri predicto monasterio donavit. — Et concedimus maresia et podium de Sena, que avus noster illi donavit. —Et concedimus de levagio salis duas partes, tercia retenta, quas avus noster illi donavit; ad quas eciam colligendas concessit monachis proprium habere hominem, et nos eodem modo concedimus. — Concedimus etiam silvam de Moleriis, et vivam et mortuam, sicut eam avus noster amicicia et beneficio adquisivit ah Helia de Calviniaco. — Concedimus et omnes silvas nostras, sicut pater avi nostri et ipse et pater noster jam oliin dederant eis, ad ignem, ad domos faciendas vel reficiendas et ad omnia necessaria facienda, tam his qui habitant in monasterio quam his qui sunt per obediencias. — Concedimus eis truncatas a stagno usque ad flumen Clennis, et turrem que sub stagno est, ut sit in custodia monachorum, sicut avus noster olim preceperat. — Concedimus consuetudines de Puteo et de Pachiaco, quas eis avus noster donavit. — Concedimus eciam quicquid Hugo de Mota, filius Rogerii dapiferi patris avi nostri, predicto monasterio dedit. — Concedimus quicquid homines nostri de honore nostro sive in honore nostro eis dederunt vel vendiderunt, et amodo daturi sunt vel vendituri, de quibus et in quibus omnes consuetudines nostras concedimus eis. — Concedimus eciam eisdem monachis omnia pedagia nostra et omnem consuetudinem per totam ferram nostram, ut liceat eis sua propria et suis usibus vendere et emere sine injuria. — Precipimus eciam ut, sicut pater avi nostri et ipse et pater noster instituerant et preceperant, ut omnes qui sua in burgo monachorum ponunt et vendunt, quecumque merces sit, sine ulla contradictione nostri vel nostrorum, debitam consuetudinem monachis reddant.— Similiter mercatores exthranei, si transitum illic habuerint et sua vendiderint, eis debitam consuetudinem reddant. — Cursores vero qui habitant in civitate, ementes et vendentes, si in burgo illo venerint et sua ibi vendiderint, debitam consuetudinem monachis reddant; et ipsi idem civitatem ascendentes, non aliam quam ipsam consuetudinem, sublata omni injuria, persolvant. —Omnes vero illic commorantes, vel sua illic afferentes sive reponentes, quieti cum suis omnibus, absque ulla injuria a nostris hominibus sibi facta, permaneant. — De contentionibus autem et querelis que plerumque oriuntur inter homines nostros et homines monachorum, precipimus ut ita teneatur sicut factum est tempore patris avi nostri et ipsius et patris nostri; ita ut, si tortitudinem aliquis hominum monachorum fecerit preposito nostro, non coguat eum propositus noster venire in curiam suam et rectum facere; set magis, facta proclamatione monachis et statuta die, vadat in curiam illorum ante abbatem nut prepositum illorum et ibi accipiat quicquid eorum curia judicaverit, sicut factum esse conperimus ab avo nostro. —Hoc et nos tenebimus et posteros nostros tenere jubemus, et similiter per omnes obediencias illorum a nostris hominibus teneri precipimus. Nos enim volumus (corr. nolumus) monasterium illud de honore, quem pater avi nostri illi dedit, et ipse avus tenuit et pater noster, inminuere, set eandem libertatem et inmunitatem, quam illi dederunt et tenuerunt, volumus et jubemus ibi conservari, ita ut quod (sic), si aliquis pro aliquo forisfacto vel eciam, nobis iratis, timore pressus ad predictum burgum fugerit, liber et quietus ibi maneat donec aut placitum faciat aut in pace discedat, sicut semper observatum est tempore patris avi nostri et ipsius et patris nostri. — Si quis vero regum, comitum, episcoporum , judicum ac aliarum personarum secularium hanc nostre donacionis et concessionis sive confirmationis cartam calumpniatus fuerit vel perturbaverit, nisi emendando satisfecerit, iram Dei omnipotentis incurrat et in extremo examine ulcioni districte subjaceat. — Facta est carta confirmacionis hujus anno ab incarnacione Domini M° centesimo cx° nono, in crastino Inventionis Sancte Crucis, apud Pictavum. — Hujus autem carte isti sunt testes : Ademarus abbas Sancti Macxencii, Petrus abbas Sancti Cipriani, Radulfus comes Augi, Gaufridus de Lezignano , Jobertus de Guerchia, Simon de Lazay, Longus Oggerius, Chalo de Rupeforti, Guillelmus Lovel, Amelirius de Brolio, Radulfus de Faia, Guillelmus de Faia, Guillelmus de Bellomonte, Petrus capiscerius, Rogerus capellanus noster, qui cartam harum libertatum scripsit, Guillelmus clericus noster, Guillelmus de Lozaio tunc propositus Pictavensis et multi alii.

Historical context:

This is a charter of Eleanor, queen of the Angles, by which she enumerates and confirms the immunities and donations conceded to the monastery of St. John of Poitiers by her great-grandfather, grandfather and father.

Printed source:

Layettes du Tresor des Chartes, ed. A. Teulet (Paris: Henri Plon, 1863), 202-04, #495.

Date:

1199, May 4