A letter from Rangard of La Marche (1067, March 13)

Translated letter:

This is the agreement which was made between countess Rangard and her son-in-law William. Said Rangard agreed to give to said William Rodes with the whole county of Razes, and with all the abbeys which are in said county, and all the customs and revenues which come from said county or should, and with all the terms and appurtenances which pertain to said county, and all the castles which are in said county or will be in the future. This whole, as is written above, I the above-written Rangard give to said William without deception. And those castles which I said Rangard have or could have in said county I shall put in the power of said William and give him power without deception, and affirm that to all men who hold from me or will in the future, without deception; and if I do have have power over those castles, I shall be the supporter of said William without deception, until said William has them without deception. In this agreement, while above-written Rangard is alive, she will hold and possess all the above-written with the above-written William. And if said Rangard should wish to reduce on her part, what said Rangard holds in half of the properties; and from all customs and taxes which come from said county and will in future, and all things which pertain to said count and his possession in said county, which will come from those assemblies and those jurisdictions, and from said county, above-written Rangard will have half while she is alive; and after the death of said Rangard all honors and possessions, customs and taxes, and assemblies which come from said county or will in the future will remain to above-written William and his wife Adelaide and their children. And also said Rangard agrees to said William that from this hour forward she will not impede him by any trick, nor do him harm in those above honors, I said Rangard do not give and will not give obstacle without the counsel of said William. And similarly said William agrees to said Rangard that from this hour forward said William in all the above, will not impede or do harm by any trick to above-written Rangard without the counsel of said Rangard. And if there is a man or men, a woman or women who opposed you said William in said county or in all the above, I above-written Rangard will be a guarantor to you by straight loyalty without deception. And if above-written William should die and does not have a son or daughter from above-written wife, above-written honor will come into the power of said Rangard without deception. This pact was enacted in the year 67 after 1000, in the 7th year of king Philip’s reign, on the third ides of March in Termes, in the town of Davejean inside the upper story near that church. This pact was made and sworn, as sounds in those oaths, in the presence of the lord archbishop of Narbonne Wilfred, and viscount Udalgar, and viscount Berengar, and Udalgar viscount of Chantre? (Cantri-novi), and Oliver and Peter-Berengar, and Raimond Ricalf, and Bernard-Petronis, and Bernard of Villemagne, and Henry son of count Raymond, and Berengar-Raymond, and Pons-Raymond, and William-John, and clerics Raymond-Ermengaud with his son, and Peter-Gifred, and Adalbert, and Alexander of Rodes, and Bernard-Simon, and Bernard Raymond of Pons, and Simon Peter.

Original letter:

Haec est convenientia quae facta est inter Rengardis comitissam et Guillermum comitem generum suum. Convenit Rengardis praedicta ad Guillermum praedictum, ut donet ei Redez cum omni comitatu de Redensi, & cum omnes abbatias quae in praedicto comitatu sunt, seu omnes usus & censos quae de praefato comitatu exeunt vel exire debent, & cum omnibus terminis & pertinentiis quae ad praedictum comitatum pertinent, & cunctos castellos quae in praedicto comitatu sunt aut in antea erunt. Hoc totum, sicut superius scriptum est, dono praescripta Rengardis ad praedictum Guillermum sine suo engan. Et ipsos castellos quos ego praedicta Rangardis habeo vel habere potuero in praedicto comitatu, in potestate de Guillermo jamdicto los metre & poderos l’en fare sine suo engan, & affidar los si fare ad omnes homines, qui eos tenent per me aut in antea tenuerint, sine suo engan; & [si] de ipsos castellos en poderosa no so, adjutor en sere ad Guillermum praedictum sine suo engan, usque praedictus Guillermus eos habeat sine suo engan. In tali vero conventa, ut dum praescripta Rengardis viva fuerit, teneat & possideat haec omnia praescripta cum Guillermo praescripto. Et si ad praedicta Rengardis vezia in talent que se degets per so chaball ad sua part, que tengetz Rengardis praedicta in medietad de las dominicaturas; & de omnes usus & censos quae de praedicto comitatu exeunt & in antea exierint, & de omnia quae de praedicto comitatu pertinent ad comitem & ipso avere quae exierit de ipsos placitos & de ipsas juticias, & de jamdicto comitatu habeat praescripta Rengardis medietatem dum viva fuerit; & post obitum Rengardis praedictae remaneat ad Guillermum praescriptum, & ad uxorem suam Adalez, & ad filios eorum, omnes honores, & dominicaturas, & usus, & censos, & placitos quae de praedicto comitatu exeunt aut in antea exierint. Et item convenit Rengardis praedicta ad praedictum Guillermum, ut de ista hora in antea in jamdicta omnia encombre no li meta per nullum ingenium, ni li feza ad damnum praedicti Guillermi, de ipsas honores supradictas non do ne les donre encombre Rengardis praedicta sine consilio Guillermi praedicti. Et similiter convenit Guillermus praedictus ad Rengardis praedictam, ut de ista hora in antea in jamdicta omnia encombre no li metz ne li feze per ullum ingenium ad damnum praescriptae Rengardis, & de ipsas honores supradictas no les de ne les donra encombre Guillermus praedictus sine consilio Rengardis praedictae. Et si homo est aut homines, faemina vel faeminae qui in jamdictum comitatum vel in jamdicta omnia tibi Guillermo iamdicto aliqua contrapellaverit, ego Rengardis praescripta guarents t’en sere per directam fidem sine tuo engan. Et si Guillermus praescriptus mortuus fuerit, & filium vel filiam de praescripta uxore non habuerit, veniat praescriptus honor in potestate de praedicta Rengardis sine engan. Actum est hoc pactum anno LXVII post M, in VIIo anno regnante rege Philippo, & in III idus martii, in Termenes in villa Davegano intus in solarium prope ipsa ecclesia . Fuit autem hoc pactum factum & juratum, sicut in ipsos sacramentales resonat, in praesentia domni archiepiscopi Narbonensis Guilfredi, & Udalgarii vicecomitis, & Berengarii vicecomitis, & Udalgarii vicecomitis Cantri-novi, & Oliverii, & Petri-Berengarii, & Raimundi Ricalfi, & Bernardi-Petronis, & Bernard de Villemagna, & Enrici filii comitis Remundi, & Berengarii-Remundi, & Poncii-Remundi, & Guillermi-Joanni, & clericorum Remundi-Ermengaudi cum suo filio, & Petri Gifredi, & Adalberti, & Alexandri de Redez, & Bernard Scimon, & Bernard Remon de Ponca [c cedilla], & Scimon Pere.

Historical context:

Agreement between Rangard, countess of Carcassonne, and William, count of Cerdagne, her son-in-law. husband of her daughter Adelaide, in which she agrees to share the county of Razes with him and leave it to him and her daughter after her death. He later claimed full rights to it.

Printed source:

Devic and Vaissette, Histoire Générale de Languedoc (Toulouse: Privat, 1875) 5.554-56, #282, CCXXXVII; also in Liber Feudorum Maior, 2.296-98, #814.

Date:

1067, March 13