A Letter from William Rufus and Sibylla

Translated letter:

In the name of the father and the son and the holy spirit, amen.  Let it be known to all present and future that I, William Rufus, formerly viscount of Ascalon, with the consent and will of my lady countess of Ascalon and Jaffa, by name Sibylla, daughter of the illustrious king Amalric, and with the granting of my wife and children, sold to the brothers of the Hospital of St. John the harvests of my two villages, namely Coquebel and Mordefro, to be held for five years five harvests for one thousand besants of the sale made; and the brothers will have their five harvests from the land of the villages.  I William Rufus or my heirs will have and take said villages as ours peacefully and without disturbance; I William or my [family] will not be responsible for anything that the brothers might do in the villages, nor what they do to the homes of the villagers, with the proviso [of what] I or mine, I William or my procurers ought to give to the brothers; and if I wished to mortgage these villages while I am alive, I wish and grant, if it please the lord of the land, that the brothers of the Hospital have prior [rights] over others; and if I wished to sell, while I am alive, and the lord of the land wished to grant it, I want the brothers of the Hospital to have the villages for 50 besants less than others would have. 

Witnesses of this thing are:  lady Magna, countess of Sidon; lord Reynald of Sidon; Joscelin, castellan of Ascalon, and Baldus his brother; Gerard of Ruinehac (Rognac?); Gurginus; Roger of Verdun; Bertrand of Jaffa and his brother, Guibert; Robert of Picquigny; William, viscount of Ascalon; William Berast of Jerusalem; Baldus Pelez; Henry of Beaugency; Walter Gibelet/Jebail; Dames Cambiator; John of Beaugency; Robert of Soissons; Gerard Larnus; Vitalis; John Bargennus; John of Boneit; Raymund and his brother Peter; Bartholomew Tributanus and his brother Raymund; Secard Tunsus; Erard Clemens, in the 1179th year from the incarnation of the lord.  This charter was made in the month of December.

Original letter:

In nomine patris et filii et spiritus sancti, amen. Notum sit omnibus presentibus et futuris quam ego Guilermus Rufus, olim vicecomes Ascalone, assensu et voluntate domine mee comitisse Ascalone et Joppe, Sibille nomine, flliam (sic) illustri regis Amarrici, et concessu uxoris mee et puerorum meorum, vendidi fratribus sancti Johannis Hospitalis messes duorum meorum causalium, scilicet de Coquebel et de Mordefro (?), abendos per v annos v messes pro mille bisanciis vendicionis facte; et eos fratres abebunt suos v messes levatos de terra causalium. Ego Guillermus Rufus vel mey heredes abebimus et capiemus causalia supradicta quasi nostra placide et quiete; de nulla re quod faciamt (sic) fratres in causalibus ego Guilermus vel mey nichil eis sumus responsuri, nec de hoc quod si fecerint domos rusticorum in causalibus, provisu mey vel meorum ego Guilermus vel mey procuratores fratribus reddere debemus; et si vellem invadiare hec causalia me vivente, volo et concedo, si domino terre placuerit, quatinus fratres Hospitalis habent propinquiores abendi quam alii; et si vendere voluero, me vivente, et dominus terre concedere voluerit, volo quatinus fratres Hospitalis pro l bisanciis minus quam alii abeant causalia.

Hujus rey sunt testes: domina Magna, comitissa Sagite; dominus Reinaudus Sagite; Jocelinus, castellanus Ascalone, et Baldus, ejus frater; Girardus de Ruinehaco; Gurginus; Rogerus de Verduno; Bertramdus Jopensis, et ejus frater Guibertus; Robertus de Pinqueni; Guilermus, vicecomes Ascalone; Guillelmus Berast Jer[usalem]; Baldus Pelez; Henricus de Balgenci; Valterius Gibeleit; Dames Cambiator; Johannes de Balgenci; Robertus Suessionis; Girardus Larnus; Vitalis; Johannes Bargennus; Johan­nes de Boneit; Remundus, et ejus frater Petrus; Bartholomeus Tributanus, et ejus frater Remundus; Secardus Tunsus; Erardus Clemens, anno ab incarnacione domini m° c° lxxix°.  Carta illa fuit facta mense decembris.

Historical context:

William Rufus, with the consent of his wife Sibylla, sells harvests of two villages to the brothers of the Hospital of Jerusalem.  The editor notes that the language of the charter is barbarous, with numerous grammatical and orthographic errors.

Printed source:

Delaville Le Roulx, Les Archives de l’ordre de Saint Jean de Jérusalem à Malte (Paris:  Thorin, 1883), 144-45. #53.

Date: