A letter from Henry, count of Grandpre (1216, September)

Translated letter:

I, Henry, count of Grandpre, make known to all in the present and future, that I hold the castle of Grandpre and the whole castellany (jurisdiction of that castle) from my beloved lady Blanche, countess of Champagne, and from her son Thibaut, the count; and the castle of Buzancais with the whole castellany; and Sarnay, and those things which my beloved and faithful Guido of Sarnay holds from me in that castellany; and Autray and those things which my beloved and faithful Baldwin of Autray holds from me; and the fief which the lord of Cornay holds from me; and the fief which Giles of St. John held from me.

And if, besides these which are named in the present charter, there are any in my county that should be acknowledged and held from the lord of Champagne, I, on the day assigned to me by the lord of Champagne, ought in good faith acknowledge those to him/her. From the abovementioned fiefs and the men of those fiefs, I shall cause said countess and her son, Thibaut, count of Champagne, to be helped in good faith against all men. And so that this may remain known and kept in force, I have confirmed the present charter by the protection of my seal. Enacted in the year of the Lord’s incarnation, one thousand two hundred sixteenth, in the month of September.

Original letter:

Ego Henricus comes Grandis-prati notum facio tam presentibus quam futuris quod ego de dilecta mea domina Blancha, comitissa Campanie, et de Theobaldo, filio ejusdem, comite, teneo castellum Grandis-prati, et totam ca[s]tellaniam ejusdem castelli; et castellum de Busenciaco, cum tota castellania ejusdem castelli; et Sarnaium ; et ea que tenet de me dilectus et fidelis Guido de Sarnaio in eadem castellania; et Autreium, et ea que tenet de me dilectus et fidelis meus Balduinus de Autreio; et feodum quod de me tenet dominus de Cornaio; et feodum quod Gillo de Sancto Johanne de me tenebat. — Et si preter ista, que in presenti carta nominantur, aliqua sint in comitatu meo que deberent recognosci et teneri de domino Campanie, ego, ad diem mihi assignatam a domino Campanie, bona fide debeo ei ea recognoscere. — De supradictis autem feodis et de hominibus ipsorum feodorum faciam juvari bona fide contra omnes homines predictam comitissam et Theobaldum, filium ejusdem, comitem Campanie. – Et ut hoc ratum sit et firmum teneatur, presentem cartam sigilli mei munimine roboravi. – Actum anno Dominice incarnationis Mo ducentesimo sextodecimo, mense septembri.

Historical context:

The count of Grandpre confirms the fiefs he holds from the countess and her son, including those which are held from him, and a responsibility of service from them.

Printed source:

Layettes du Tresor des Chartes, ed. A. Teulet, 1.433-34, #1192.

Date:

1216, September