A Letter from Baldwin IV and Sibylla

Translated letter:

Let it be known to all, future as well as present, that I, Baldwin, by the grace of God sixth king of the Latins in the holy city of Jerusalem, with the grant and consent of my sister Sibylla, countess of Jaffa and Ascalon, grant and confirm to you, count Joscelin, my seneschal and maternal uncle, and to your heirs, all things which you bought from Petronilla viscountess of Acre with the grant and consent of her sons Baldwin and Clarenbald, also granting Hodierna wife of said Baldwin, for four thousand five hundred besants, namely two villages by name Samueth and Sophia with all their appurtenances and divisions and with all the peasants, also the houses which she possessed in my stronghold, which is called Chateau-neuf, and all the vineyards and gardens and every possession which she is seen/known to possess by hereditary right in the aforenamed stronghold and its territory as well as in homes and vineyards and gardens.  I granted all these things to be possessed by you and your heirs by perpetual right on such condition that you may obtain them to give, sell or mortgage in whole or in part to whomever and do your will in every way with every obstacle of opposition and every claim altogether removed.  So that you and your heirs may possess the previously determined sale, as we said, freely and peacefully and without service in perpetuity and so that my page of this grant and confirmation may remain in force and indissoluble for eternity, I have ordered the present charter to be protected and strengthened by the subscribed witnesses and my seal.  Done in this the 1179th year from the incarnation of the lord, 12th indiction.  Witnesses of this thing are Reynald, prince of Montreal and lord of Ebro, lord Balian of Ibelin, Reynald, lord of Sidon, Walter of Beirut, Guido, his brother, Pagan of Haifa, Balian of Jaffa, Soher of Memmedeo, Gosohuin Boccus, William of Molembec, Gerard of Ridfort, royal marshal, Giselbert of Fleury, viscount of Acre, Pons Marriani, Anselm of Luca, William of Furcis, Raymond Melangen, Ralph of Nigella.  Given by the hand of William, archbishop of Tyre and royal chancellor, eleventh kalends of November.

Original letter:

Notum sit omnibus tam futuris quam presentibus, quod ego Balduinus per dei graciam in sancta civitate Ierusalem Latinorum rex sextus concessione et assensu Sibille sororis mee, Ioppensis et Ascalonensis commitisse, concedo et confirmo tibi comiti Iocelino, avunculo et senescalco meo, et heredibus tuis omnia, quecunque a Petronilla Acconensi vicecomitissa concessione et assensu filiorum suorum Bauduini et Clarenbaudi, concedente eciam Hodierna predicti Balduini uxore, pro quatuor milibus bisantiorum et quingentis emisti, duo scilicet casalia nomine Samueth et Sophie cum omnibus pertinenciis et divisionibus suis et cum omnibus villanis, domos eciam, quas in castello meo, quod Castellum Novum nominatur, possidebat, et omnes vineas et iardina et omnem possessionem, quam in prenominato castello et in eiusdem territorio tam in terra quam in domibus et vineis et iardinis iure hereditario possidere videbatur. Hec autem omnia tali conditione tibi et heredibus tuis iure perpetuo possidenda concessi, quatinus ea optinere ex integro vel per partes dare, vendere vel invadiare cuilibet et omnimodam inde voluntatem tuam facere possis omni penitus contrarietatis obstaculo remoto et omni calumpnia. Ut igitur tu et heredes tui pretaxatam empcionem, sicut prediximus, libere et quiete et sine servicio possideatis in perpetuum et huius concessionis et confirmationis mee pagina rata permaneat in eternum et indissoluta, presentem cartam testibus subscriptis et sigillo meo muniri et corroborari precepi. Factum est hoc anno ab incarnacione domini m° c° lxx° ix° indictione xii". Huius rei testes sunt princeps Renaldus Montis Regalis et Ebronis dominus; dominus Balianus de Ybelino, Renaldus Sydonis dominus; Gauterius de Berito; Guido frater eius; Paganus de Caypha; Balianus Ioppensis; Soherius de Memmedeo; Gosohuinus Boccus; Willelmus de Molembec; Giraldus de Ridefort, regius marescalcus; Giselbertus de Floriaco, Acconensis vicecomes; Poncius Marriani; Antelmus de Luca; Willelmus de Furcis; Raimundus Melangen; Rad(u)l(phus) de Nigella. Data Accon per manum Willelmi Tyrensis archiepiscopi regisque cancellarii undecimo kal. Novembris.

Historical context:

Baldwin IV, with the consent of his sister Sibylla, confirms a sale to his seneschal, count Joscelin, of two villages by Petronilla, viscountess of Acre.

Printed source:

Tabulae Ordinis Theutonici ex Tabularii Regii Berolinensis Codice Potissimum, ed. Ernestus Strehlke (Berlin:  Weidmann, 1869), 11 —12, #11.  RRH #587

Date: