A letter from Baldwin and (1146, February 20)

Translated letter:

In the name of the Holy and Individual Trinity of the Father and Son and Holy Spirit, amen. Since it is appropriate to royal office to preserve the laws of churches inviolate, we wish to make known to all present and future that I, Baldwin, by the grace of God the fourth king of the Latins in holy Jerusalem, and my mother Melisende by that same grace their queen, to settle the struggle and discord between the peasants of a certain village of ours, Thaerisbena by name, and the peasants of the village of Bethfella, which village the church of St. Mary of the Valley of Josaphat in the territory of Tyre is known to possess, [we] grant to Guido, abbot of the aforenamed church of the valley of Josaphat and the monks serving God there and their successors without any challenge the possession by perpetual right, free and clear, of the land with its olive grove held up to now, which our aforesaid peasants challenged in the appurtenances of the said village Bethfella, by this agreement that the abbot and the said monks hand over the land and olive grove with a certain garden and other things which they possessed in the appurtenances of the village of Herbert of Paz, clear without any reservation by us or our successors. And that this page of our confirmation remain fixed and untroubled, we had it strengthened by the subscribed witnesses and the impression of our seal. This present inscription was made in the year 1146 from the Incarnation of the Lord, indiction 9. The witnesses of this matter are: Fulcher, [patriarch]-elect of the church of holy Jerusalem, Bernard bishop of Sidon, Benedict, bishop of Torpeiens, bishops, Peter, prior of the Lord’s Sepulchre, Aimeric, his canon, Godfrey, his treasurer, John archdeacon of Tyre, Ernesius, chancellor of the patriarch. From the monks of the church of the valley of Josaphat: Pagano subprior, Peter Gumbald. From the barons: Manasses, constable, Robert Crispin, butler, Orricus, viscount of Nablus, Sado marshal, Bernard Vacherius, Gerald Passerellus. Given at Tyre by the hand of Ralph, chancellor of the king, 11 kalends of March.

Original letter:

In nomine Sancte et Individue Trinitatis Patris et Filii et Spiritus sancti, amen. Quoniam ecclesiarum jura illibata conservare regie congruit dignitati, omnibus tam presentibus quam futuris notum fieri volumus quod ego Balduinus, per Dei gratiam in sancta Jerusalem Latinorum rex quartus, et Milisendis mater mea eadem gratia eorundem regina, ad sedandam litem et discordiam inter rusticos cujusdam casalis nostri Thaeresibena nomine et rusticos casalis Bethfella, quod casale ecclesia Sancte Marie Vallis Josaphat in territorio Tyrensi possidere dinoscitur, hactenus habitam terram illam cum oliveto quam prefati rustici nostri in pertinentia predicti casalis Bethfella scilicet, calumpniabantur, Guidoni prenominate ecclesie vallis Josaphat abbati et monachis ibidem Deo servientibus eorumque successoribus sine aliqua calumpnia, perpetuo jure, libere et quiete possidendam concedimus, tali quidem pactione quod idem abbas et prefati monachi terram et olivetum cum quodam orto ct cetera que in pertinencia casalis Herberti de Pazi possidebant sine ulla retentione nobis et successoribus nostris quiete dimittunt. Et ut hec confirmacionis nostre pagina rata et inconvulsa permaneat, testibus eam subscriptis corroborari et sigilli nostri subpressione muniri fecimus. Facta est autem presens inscriptio anno Incarnacionis Dominice MCXLVI, indictione VIIII. Hujus quidem rei sunt testes: Fulcherius, sancte Jerosolimitane ecclesie electus, Bernardus Sydoniensis episcopus, Benedictus Torpeiensis (?) episcopus, Petri Dominici Sepulcri prior, Aimericus ejusdem canonicus, Godefridus ejusdem thesaurarius, Johannes Tyrensis archidiaconus, Ernesius patriarche cancellarius. De monachis ecclesie Vallis Josaphat: Paganus subprior, Petrus Gumbaldi. De baronibus: Manasses constabularius, Robertus Crispini pincerna, Orricus Neapolis vicecomes, Sado marescalcus, Bernardus Vacherius, Geraldus Passerellus et quamplures alii. Datum Tyro per manum Radulfi regii cancellarii XI kalendas Marcii.

Historical context:

Baldwin III, king of Jerusalem, with the consent of his mother Melisende, settles a dispute between the serfs of the royal village of Thaeresibena (Toron?) and those of the village of Bethfella over an olive-grove which the church of St. Mary of the valley of Josaphat possessed in the territory of Tyre, by turning over the land to abbot Guido of that church, lands which the king’s serfs claimed belonged to the village of Thaerisbena, in exchange for land with an olive-grove and garden in the village of Herbert of Paz from the brothers.

Printed source:

Delaborde, H.F., Chartes de Terre Sainte (Paris: Thorin, 1880, Bibliothèque des Ecoles Francaises d’Athènes et de Rome, v.19, p.60-61, #26; RRH #240.

Date:

1146, February 20