A letter from Hugo, duke of Burgundy, and Matilda of Touraine

Translated letter:

I Hugo, by the grace of God duke of Burgundy, and my spouse Matilda, at the request of monks of St. Mary of Citeaux, grant the manse which Ogier holds completely free in the town called Bouillant, so that that Ogier and all his successors dwelling in that manse be perpetually free from us and from all our successors, and from all officers and squires [scutariis] at Beaune and all others, so that from now on there may be no tax or violence on them or their possessions.   And in order that this freedom of theirs in all things be made public, we order a wooden cross affixed as a sign before the house in which they will have dwelt.  And if any of our men should be tempted to violate this freedom declared by us in our time or that of our heirs, and the report of that should be heard by us or our heirs, that transgressor of our law will pay 20 pounds of Dijon money to the Duke of that time.  And indeed Ogier and his wife, and their sons Martin, Norbert, Bernard, Odo, Hugh, Thibaud, by our witness and that of our men, grant the Cistercian monks whatever they believed they held by right in the establishment of Crepey, holding back nothing at all for themselves there.  This peace to the brothers and penalty to the transgressors.

Witnesses:  Duke Hugo and his spouse Matilda; Renier of Chatillon; Tecelin; Henry, provost of the castle of Beaune; Odo, decan, Renaud; Maingod; Peter, brother of Hugo, provost.

Original letter:

Ego Hugo Dei gratia dux Burgundie et conjunx mea Mataldis, rogatu monachorum Sancte Marie de Cistercio, concedimus mansum quod Ogerius tenet in villa que vocatur Bulliacus, ex toto liberum, ut ipse Ogerius et omnes successors ejus eumdem mansum inhabitantes sint perpetuo liberi a nobis et ab omnibus successoribus nostris, et ab omnibus officiariis et scutariis Bealnensibus et ceteris omnibus, quatinus ab hinc nulla exactio vel violentia eis aut rebus eorum fiat.  Et ut hec libertas ipsorum omnibus propaletur, crucem ligneam ante domum quam manserint precepimus, ut pro signo figerent.  Et si quis hominum nostrorum hanc libertatem a nobis decretam nostris temporibus aut heredum nostrorum violare temptaverint, et ad nos aut ad heredes nostros clamor inde auditus fuerit, ille transgressor legis nostre XX libras divionensis monete Duci tunc temporis solvat.  Ille vero Ogerius et uxor ejus, ac filii eorum Martinus, Norbertus, Bernardus, Odo, Hugo, Theobaldus, testimonio nostro ac hominum nostrorum concedunt monachis Cisterciensibus quicquid juris credebant se habere in fundo Crispiaci, nichil ex toto sibi inde retinentes.  Pax hec fratribus et pena transgredientibus.   Testes:  Hugo Dux et conjunx ejus Mealdis; Renerus de Castellione; Thecelinus; Henricus, prepositus Bealnensis castri; Odo, decanus; Renaudus; Maingodus; Petrus, frater Hugonis prepositi.

Historical context:

This charter grants freedom from taxes to the manse at Bouillant and confirms the donation of Crepey by Ogier and his family to the Cistercian monks.  Petit notes that Tescelin, lord of Fontaines, the father of St. Bernard and a member of the duke’s household, became a monk at Clairvaux no later than 1120 and that the canons of Saulieu had already ceded Crepey to Citeaux.

Printed source:

Ernest Petit, Histoire des Ducs de Bourgogne de la Race Capetienne (Dijon, 1885, 1887) 1.473-74, #191.

Date: