A letter from William of Apremont (1221, April)

Translated letter:

I William of Apremont make known to all, present and future, that I have become the liege man of my dearest lady Blanche, illustrious countess of Troyes, and my dearest lord her son, Th[ibaut] count of Champagne, except for the allegiance to the counts of Burgundy, and I swore to them on the saints and promised that I will help them against every creature who might live and die, except the count of Burgundy, and then that I would help that count of Burgundy if he led (as chief) a war against said countess and count for his own cause. – On the other hand the countess and count of Champagne gave me and my heirs in perpetuity, with the twenty pounds which I already held from them in fief to be had each year from the proceeds of the fairs of Bar-le-Duc, ten pounds of annual income to be received each year from those proceeds. – I indeed am held to be guarantor for my brother to said countess and count and their heirs for the said twenty pounds which I had before from said proceeds of the fairs. – In witness of which, I had the present charter made and confirmed by the protection of my seal. – Enacted in the 1221st year of grace, in the month of April, on the day after Easter, at Rossnay.

Original letter:

Ego Willelmus de Asperomonte notum facio universis, tam presentibus quam futuris, quod ego deveni homo ligius karissime domine mee Blanche, illustri comitisse Trecensi, et karissimo domino meo Th. comiti Campanie, nato ejus, salva ligeitate comitis Burgundie, ipsisque juravi super sanctos et creantavi quod ipsos juvabo contra omnem creaturam que possit vivere et mori, preterquam contra comitem Burgundie, et tunc ipsum comitem Burgundie juvarem si contra predictos comitissam et comitem, pro propria causa sua et in suo capite, guerram moveret. — Ipsi autem comitissa et comes Campanie dederunt mihi et heredibus meis in perpetuum, cum illis viginti libris quas jam tenebam de ipsis in feodo et hominagio habendas singulis annis in proventibus nundinarum Barri, decem libras annui redditus singulis annis in eisdem proventibus percipiendas. — Ego vero dictis comitisse et comiti et eorum heredibus teneor portare guarantiam erga fratrem meum de prefatis viginti libris quas habebam antea in predictis proventibus nundinarum.— In cujus rei testimonium, presentem cartam feci fieri et sigilli mei munimine roborari. — Actum anno gracie M° cc° vicesimo primo, mense aprili, in crastino Pasche Floridi, apud Rosnacum.

Historical context:

William confirms his feudal relation to the countess and her son, which is subordinate to his relation to the count of Burgundy, to the extent that he would have to follow the latter to war against the former. The Layettes gives the date of March 28.

Printed source:

Layettes du Tresor des Chartes, ed. A. Teulet, 1.541, #1516.

Date:

1221, April