A letter from Joan of Constantinople, Countess of Flanders (1217/1218, February 26)

Translated letter:

I, Joan, countess of Flanders and Hainaut, make known to all, whom these letters reach, that my beloved and faithful John of Maghelines, with the consent of his brother Daniel, by my hand and will and before me pledged his tenth/tithe, which he held from me in fief and which tithe lies in the parish of Westende and Middelkerke and whatever might increase in that tithe, to the venerable men and my beloved abbot and convent and church of Oudenburg for 115 pounds, on such condition that said John could not redeem that tithe nor any of his heirs within six years in the first instance; however after six years, that John could redeem the tithe, or his heirs from year to year in the middle of March. I also, at the request of that John, made myself guarantor to the abbot and monks and church of Oudenborg, that I would make this agreement about said tithe firmly held as ruler/lady of the land. And so that this agreement maybe firmly held, I conveyed the present page to that church, protected by my appended seal and reinforced by the signature of the witnesses who were there. Witness my beloved and faithful Michael of Harnis, Walter of Formiseles, Gerard of Sotenghem, Giles of Agrimont, Michael of Ypern, Walter of Courtrai, my cleric. Dated at Insula/Rijsel, Sunday on which is sung “Oculi mei,” “my eyes,” [Psalm 24] in the year of the Lord 1217.

Original letter:

Ego Johanna, Flandrie et Hainonie comitissa, omnibus notum facio ad quos littere iste pervenerint, quod dilectus et fidelis meus Johannes de Maghelines, assentiente Daniele fratre suo, per manum et voluntatem meam et coram me pignori obligavit decimam suam, quam de me tenebat in feodum et que decima iacet in parrochia de Westenda et de Middelkerca et quicquid decime illi accrescere poterit, viris venerabilibus et dilectis meis abbati et conventui et ecclesie de Oudenborg pro centum et quindecim libras, tali conditione, quod dictus Johannes decimam illam redimere non poterit nec aliquis heredum suorum infra sex annos primo instantes; transactis autem illis sex annis, ipse Johannes decimam illam redimere poterit vel heredes sui de anno in annum et in medio Martii. Ego etiam, ad preces ipsius Johannis, erga abbatem et monachos et ecclesiam de Oudenborg me hostagiam constitui, quod conventionem istam de predicta decima tanquam domina terre firmiter ipsis teneri faciam. Et ut conventio eis firmiter teneatur, eidem ecclesie presentem contuli paginam, sigilli mei appensione munitam et testium, qui interfuerunt, subscriptione roboratam. Testes dilecti et fideles mei Michael de Hamis, Walterus de Formiseles, Gerardus de Sotenghem, Egidius de Agrimont, Michael de Ipra, Walterus de Curtraco, clericus meus. Datum apud Insulam, dominica qua cantatur oculi mei, anno Domini millesimo ducentesimo septimo decimo.

Historical context:

The countess records the terms of a feudal agreement with one of her men.

Printed source:

Johanna van Constantinopel, Gravin van Vlaanderen en Henegouwen ed. Theo Luykx, Verhandelingen van de Koninklijke Vlaamsche Academie voor Wetenschappen, Letteren en Schoone Kunsten van Belgie, Klasse der Letteren, VIII.5 (1946), 538-39, ep.7.

Date:

1217/1218, February 26