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, give and grant and confirm by the authority of royal majesty to you, count Joscelin, my most beloved uncle and seneschal, Chateau-neuf, which is situated in the mountains of Acre, with the vineyards and gardens, with all its lands cultivated and uncultivated, with all the peasants of the land and with all its appurtenances and divisions, to be possessed freely and peacefully as I possessed [them] on that day I gave them to be possessed by you and your heirs by hereditary right, except the village which is called Jazun, which I retain for myself with all its appurtenances.  Moreover I give to you and your heirs 500 besants at the fund of Acre and 500 at the fund of Tyre annually to be received and possessed by hereditary right through the customary terms of the fund of Acre and the fund of Tyre.  I also give to you and your heirs the fief which was John Baneri’s, namely a hundred besants at the fund of Acre and four measures [carrucatas] of land in the territory of Caimont, which fief you gave to your man Garner Parisi, who married the daughter of said John Baneri, under the service of one serving with two riders [equitaturis].  I gave all these to you and your heirs to be possessed by hereditary right in exchange for the town of St. Helyas, which I had given you before to be possessed with all its appurtenances in perpetuity, and in exchange for Luban and Carrubia which, with all their appurtenances and homage that John of Lumbre held, should have reverted to you after the death of lady Maria, formerly queen of Jerusalem.  I also give to you and your heirs Maron with all its appurtenances in seignory as well as in fiefs and the homage of Galfred Tortus, also the homage of St. George and all the land pertaining to St. George.  I have granted all of these of such conditions as are prescribed, that for all of those mentioned you and your heirs give service perpetually to me and my heirs of six knights except those enfeoffed.  That all these things as they are laid out above, you and your heirs may hold freely and peacefully and have in perpetuity, and that the page of my donation and grant may be held firm and indissoluble in eternity for you and your heirs, I have ordered the present charter to be protected and strengthened by the subscribed witnesses and my seal.  Done in this 1182nd year from the incarnation of the lord, 15th indiction, with the grant and consent of Guy, count of Jaffa and Ascalon, and my sister Sibylla their countess.  The witnesses of this thing are Reynald prince of Montreal and lord of Ebro, Reynald lord of Sidon, Baldwin, lord of Ramleh, Balian his brother, Aimeric constable, Galfred Tortus, Milo of Colovardino.  Given at Acre by the hand of William, archbishop of Tyre, and chancellor of the king, eighth kalends of March.

Original letter:

Notum sit omnibus tam futuris quam presentibus, quod ego Balduinus per dei graciam in sancta civitate Ierusalem Latinorum rex sextus dono et concedo regieque maiestatis auctoritate confirmo tibi comiti Ioscelino, avun­culo et senescalco meo mihi dilectissimo, castellum novum, quod in montanis Achonensibus situm est, cum vineis et olivetis et iardinis, cum omnibus terris suis cultis et incultis, cum omnibus villanis terre et cum omnibus pertinenciis et divisionibus suis, sicut libere et quiete illud possedi et ea die, qua tibi illud et heredibus tuis iure hereditario possidendum donavi, possidebam, excepto casali, quod dicitur Iazun, quod cum omnibus pertinenciis suis mihi retineo. Dono preterea tibi et heredibus tuis quingentos bisancios ad fundam Achon et quingentos ad fundam Tyri annuatim per consuetos funde Achon et funde Tyri terminos recipiendos et iure hereditario possidendos. Dono nichilominus tibi et heredibus tuis feodum, qui fuit Iohannis Banerii, centum scilicet bisancios ad fundam Aeon et quatuor carrucatas terre in territorio de Caimont; quem feodum tu donasti Garnerio homini tuo Parisiensi, qui predicti Iohannis Banerii filiam duxit uxorem, sub unius servientis servicio cum duabus equitaturis. Hec autem omnia tibi et heredibus tuis iure hereditario possidenda donavi pro commutatione castri sancti Helye, quod cum omnibus pertinenciis suis tibi perpetuo possidendum antea donaveram, et pro commutatione Lubani et Carrubie, que cum omnibus pertinenciis suis et cum hominio, quod fuit Io­hannis de Lumbres, post mortem domine Marie, Ierosolimorum quondam regine, ad te reverti debebant. Dono eciam tibi et heredibus tuis Maronum cum omnibus pertinenciis suis tam in dominiis quam in feodis et hominium Gaufredi Torti, hominium eciam sancti Georgii et tocius terre pertinentis ad sanctum Georgium. Tali siquidem conditione hec omnia, sicut prescripta sunt, tibi concessi, quod pro dictis omnibus mihi et heredibus meis tu et heredes tui servicium sex militum exceptis feodatis perpetuo faciatis. Ut igitur hec omnia, sicut superius enarrata sunt, tu et heredes tui libere et quiete teneatis et habeatis in perpetuum et ut huius donationis et concessionis mee pagina rata tibi et heredibus tuis teneatur in eternum et indissoluta, presentem cartam testibus subscriptis et sigillo meo muniri et corroborari precepi. Factum est hoc anno ab incarnatione domini m° c° lxxx° ii° indictione xv° concessione et assensu Guidonis Ioppes et Ascalonis comitis et Sibille sororis mee eorundem comitisse. Huius rei testes sunt princeps Reinaldus Montis Regalis et Ebronis dominus; Renaldus Sydonis dominus; Balduinus Ramatensis dominus, Balianus frater eius; Aimericus constabularius; Gaufridus Tortus, Milo de Colovardino. Data Acon per manum Willelmi Tyrensis archiepiscopi regisque cancellarii viii kal. marcii. 

Historical context:

Baldwin IV king of Jerusalem, with the consent of Sibylla and her husband, confers on seneschal Joscelin Chateau-neuf in the mountains of Acre, and the rents from the funds of Acre and Tyre.

Printed source:

Tabulae Ordinis Theutonici ex Tabularii Regii Berolinensis Codice Potissimum, ed. Ernestus Strehlke (Berlin:  Weidmann, 1869), 13-14, #14.    RRH #614.

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