A letter from Joan of Constantinople, Countess of Flanders (1214, October 24)

Translated letter:

I, J[oan], countess of Flanders and Hainaut, make known to all who will look at the present letters that I have sworn to my lord, the illustrious king of France, that I shall hand over to him or his agent, on the next Thursday before the feast of All Saints, at Peronne, the son of the duke of Louvain, and that I shall cause to be destroyed the fortresses of Valenciennes, Ypres, Oudenaarde and Kastel; so that they be destroyed at the will of that king and not rebuilt unless at his pleasure; and all the other fortresses of Flanders shall remain the way they are at that point, not shall they be reenforced in any way, nor can other fortresses be made unless it be done at the pleasure of that lord king.

John of Nesle, chatelain of Bruge, and Seher, chatelain of Ghent, and all the other men of the lord king, will have all their lands back and will hold them peacefully. The other men of Flanders and Hainaut, who swore the truce and wished to swear this peace, will have their lands back. When all these things have been carried out, as said, it will be in the will of the lord king to ransom from such war my lord count F[ernand] of Flanders and Hainaut, and my other men of Flanders and Hainaut, at his pleasure. The count of Boulogne and the others from other lands are not parties to this agreement.

The names of those who have sworn to hold all the above in good faith are subscribed here: Lady Sibylle of Wavrin, Arnold of Oudenaarde, Raco of Gavre, Gilbert of Bourgueil(?), constable Michael, Giles of Aigremont, Peter of Douai, Gerard of Relengues, Ph[illip] of Arnell, Gerard of Jauche, uncle William, Giles of Berbencon, Walter of Fontaines, Alard of Cimaio, Walter of Lengne, Walter of Lens, Walter of Hundecote, Hugo of Rou, Giles of Tri.

So that it shall remain in force, I and the aforenamed have had our seals affixed to the present page.

Enacted at Paris, in the year of the Lord 1214; on the Friday just before the Feast of the Apostles Simon and Jude.

Original letter:

Ego J. comitissa Flandrie et Hainonie notum facio omnibus presentes litteras inspecturis quod ego juravi domino meo, illustri regi Francie, quod ego tradam ei vel ejus mandato, hac die jovis proxima ante festum Omnium Sanctorum, filium ducis Lovanii apud Peronam, et quod dirui faciam fortericias de Valencenis, de Ypra, de Audenarda et de Casello; ita quod sint dirute ad ejusdem domini regis voluntatem, neque rehedificabuntur nisi per ejus beneplacitum; et omnes alie fortericie Flandrie in eo puncto in quo modo sunt remanebunt, neque aliquo modo inforciabuntur, neque alie fortericie poterunt fieri, nisi per ejusdem domini regis beneplacitum hoc fieret. —Johannes de Nigella, castellanus Brugensis, et Seherus castellanus Gandavensis, et omnes alii homines domini regis, omnes terras suas rehabebunt et pacifice tenebunt. — Alii homines Flandrie et Hainonie, qui juraverunt treugam et qui voluerunt jurare hanc pacem, terras suas rehabebunt. — Conpletis autem omnibus istis, sicut dictum est, erit in voluntate domini regis de domino meo F. comite Flandrie et Hainonie, et de aliis hominibus meis de Flandria et Hainonia, pro beneplacito suo, de tali guerra redimendis. — Comes autem Bolonie et alii qui sunt de aliis terris, non sunt in hac concordia. — Hec vero omnia supradicta bona fide tenenda juraverunt quorum nomina subscribuntur : domina Sibilla de Wavrin, Ernulfus de Audenarda, Raco de Gavre, Gilebertus de Borguella, Michael constabularius, Gilo de Acrimonte, Petrus de Duaco, Girardus de Relengue, Ph. de Arnellis, Girardus de Jace, Guillelmus avunculus, Gilo de Berbencon, Galterus de Fontanis, Alardus de Cimaio, Galterus de Lengne, Galterus de Lens, Galterus de Hundecote, Hugo de Rou, Gilo de Tri. — Quod ut ratum permaneat, ego et isti prenominati presenti pagine sigilla nostra fecimus apponi. — Actum Parisius, anno Domini M° cc° xiiii, die veneris proxima ante festum Apostolorum Simonis et Jude.

Historical context:

Joan’s husband, Fernand of Portugal, made an alliance with John, king of England, Otto IV, and counts of Holland and Boulogne, which was not well received by the French king, Philip Augustus. When France’s intended attack on England was thwarted by the pope removing the interdict against the English king, John, Philip Augustus turned his large fleet against Flanders. Flanders was defeated at Bouvines in 1214, Lille was destroyed, Ghent, Ypres and Bruges burned, and Fernand was captured and imprisoned in Paris. He would remain in captivity until 1227, while Joan ruled Flanders and worked to have him released. Joan named powerful nobles as bailiff during Ferrand’s imprisonment, John of Nesle to 1224, Arnold of Oudenaarde from 1224-27, and later Thierry of Beveren from 1233-37. The editor of the charter notes that it is sealed with 15 seals.

Printed source:

Layettes du Trésor des Chartes, ed. Alexandre Teulet (Paris: Henri Plon, 1863), 1.407-08, #1088.

Date:

1214, October 24