A Letter from Sibylla

Translated letter:

In the name of the holy and individual trinity, of the father and son and holy spirit, amen.  Let it be known to all, future as well as present, that I Sibylla, countess of Jaffa and Ascalon, with the granting and consent of Baldwin, lord of Ramleh, and Balian, his brother, and also his daughters Eschive and Stephanie, grant and confirm to you lady Constance, sister of the king of France and countess of St. Giles, the secretarial function of Bayt Daras, your village, which George of Beziers sold for two hundred fifty besants and granted [you] to have in perpetuity.  So that the page of this my grant may remain in force and undissolved for eternity, I have ordered the present paper to be protected and strengthened by my seal.  This was done in this 1177th year from the incarnation of the Lord, eleventh indiction.  These are the witnesses:  William, archbishop of Tyre, prince Reginald; Joscelin of Semmosach, castellan of Ascalon; Baldwin, his brother; William of Mont Gournay; Rohard of St. Abraham; Robert of Picquigny; Galfred of Tours.

Original letter:

In nomine sancte et individue trinitatis, patris et filii et spiritus sancti, amen. Notum sit omnibus, tam futuris quam presentibus, quod ego Sibilla, comitissa Joppe et Ascalone, concessione et assensu Balduini, Ramatensis domini, et Baliani, fratris sui, necnon et filiarum suarum Eschive et Stephanie, concedo et confirmo tibi domine Constantie, sorori regis Francie et S. Egidii comitisse, scribanagium Bethduras, casalis tui, quod Georgius de Betheri pro ducentis quinquaginta bisanciis vendidit et in perpetuum habere concessit. Ut igitur hujus mee concessionis pagina rata permaneat in eternum et indissoluta, presentem cartam testibus subscriptis et meo sigillo muniri et corroborari precepi. Factum est hoc anno ab incarnatione Domini m c lxx vii, indictione undecima. Isti sunt testes : Wilelmus, Tyrensis archiepiscopus; princeps Reginaldus; Joscelinus de Semmosach, Ascalonensis castellanus; Balduinus, frater ejus; Willelmus de Mont Gorneit; Rohardus de S. Abraham; Robertus de Pinquigni; Gaufridus Turonensis.  

Historical context:

The countess confirms the sale of the secretarial function at Bayt Daras to Constance, countess of St. Giles and Toulouse.   She also witnessed, with her seal, Baldwin IV’s confirmation of the sale of the scribanagium to Constance, RRH #545, Sept. to Dec. 1177.

Printed source:

Delaville Le Roulx, J., Cartulaire Général de l’Ordre des Hospitaliers de S. Jean de Jérusalem 1100-1310 (Paris:  Leroux, 1894), #518.

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