A letter from Blanche of Navarre, Countess of Champagne (1212)

Translated letter:

I, Blanche, palatine countess of Troyes, make known to all in the present and future that I, with the common counsel and consent of my barons and vavassors, have established that if any of the barons or vavassors of Champagne or Brie, shall have died without male heir but had several daughters, the first born of the daughters is to have the castle; the others indeed are to have the open land, so that from that open land a reasonable portion be assigned to each of them according to the value of the rents/income of the castle, not the estimated or computed value of the domain or the fortress of the castle, nor the value of justice within the castle, nor the value of the fiefs that pertain to the castle.

And if, after reasonable portioning has been made of whatever, as was stated above, if there should be anything remaining of that open land, the firstborn of the daughters, the lady of the castle, should have her portion in what remains with the other sisters. If, indeed , the open land is not worth so much that each of the daughters can have a reasonable portion from it according to the value of the rents/income of the castle, as stated above, it should be supplied from those rents.

If, however, there are two or more castles, the first of the daughters should have the better castle; the second the better after that; the third the third; the fourth the fourth, and so on. The other daughters indeed should have the open land; so that, if they cannot have a reasonable portion according to the value of the castles, not the estimated or computed value of their domains or fortresses, as stated above, nor the value of the fiefs that pertain to the castles, to each of them there should be a reasonable portion augmented from the rents of the castles. I have made the same declaration about chatelains and vavassors who have castles or fortified homes.

It is also established that if anyone commits to a duel and dies within the days that could be assigned to him by right, he should not therefore lose his suit, but his heirs may take his place to request or defend his right. And if it happened that anyone, having committed to a duel, gave his advocacy before justice to someone who should take on the duel for him, and if he who had accepted that advocacy should die within the days which could be assigned to him by right, he who had committed to the duel and gave him his advocacy would not therefore lose his suit, but would be permitted to substitute another in the place of the one who had died.

So that all these things noted by the letters should remain known and kept in force, they are confirmed by the protection of my seal. Certain of my barons and vavassors have also placed the witness of their seals to this declaration.

Enacted in the thousand twohundred twelfth year from the incarnation of the Lord.

Original letter:

Ego Blancha comitissa Trecensis palatina notum universis, tam presentibus quam futuris, me, de communi consilio et assensu baronum meorum et vavassorum, statuisse quod, si aliquis baronum vel vassorum Campanie vel Brie sine herede masculo decesserit, et plures habuerit filias, primogenita filiarum habeat castellum; alie vero habeant p!anam terram, ita quod de illa terra plana unicuique illarum portio sua rationabilis assignetur juxta valentiam reddituum castelli, non estimata vel computata valentia dominii vel forteretie castelli, neque valentia justicie infra castellum, neque valentia feodorum que pertinent ad castellum. — Et si, post rationabilem cujuslibet portionem, sicut predictum est, factam, de terra illa plana aliquid residuum fuerit, in residuo illo primogenita filiarum domina castelli cum aliis sororibus suam habeat portionem. -- Si vero plana terra non valuerit tantum quod quelibet filiarum possit inde habere rationabilem portionem juxta valentiam redditium castelli, sicut predictum est, de castelli redditibus suppleatur. — Si autem duo vel plura fuerint castella, prima filiarum melius habeat castellum; secunda, melius post illud; tercia, tercium ; quarta, quartum, et sic de aliis. — Alie vero filie habeant planam terram; ita quod, si de plana terra non possint habere rationabilem portionem juxta valentiam castellorum, non estimata vel computata valentia dominii vel forterecie illorum, sicut predictum est, neque valentia justicie infra castella, neque valentia feodorum que pertinent ad castella, unicuiquc illarum portio sua fiat rationabilis et augeatur de redditibus castellorum. — Hoc idem stabilimentum feci de castellanis et vavassoribus qui habent castella vel domos fortes. — Statutum est etiam quod , si aliquis firmaverit duellum, et decesserit infra dies qui ei jure possent assignari, non idcirco perdat querelam suam, sed heres ejus sit loco ipsius pro jure suo requirendo vel defendendo. — Et si aliquis, firmato duello, ad hoc devenerit quod coram justicia dederit advocatiam suam alicui qui facere debeat duellum pro ipso, si ille qui receperit advocatiam illam decesserit infra dies qui ipsi de jure possent assignari, non ideo perdat querelam suam ille qui duellum firmavit qui ei dederat advocatiam suam, sed liceat ei alium substituere loco illius qui decessit. — Ut autem hec omnia nota permaneant et rata teneantur litteris annotata, sigilli mei munimine roboravi. Quidam etiam de baronibus et vavassoribus meis huic stabilimento suorum apposuerunt testimonium sigillorum. — Actum anno ab incarnatione Domini millesimo ducentesimo duodecimo.

Historical context:

With the assent of a baronial assembly she had convened in 1212, the countess established procedures for daughters, rather than the closest male relative, to inherit castles and fortified residences if their fathers died without a son. She also declared the rights of those involved in judicial duels should they or their advocates die before the judgment. The Cartulary includes these Ordinances, as well as the letter from the committee the countess convened, with the names of the fourteen members she had named, #450.

Printed source:

Layettes du Tresor des Chartes, ed. Alexandre Teulet, 1.385-86, #1031; also in Cartulary, 407-10, #450.

Date:

1212