A letter from Isabella

Translated letter:

Let it be known to all present and future that I, Henry count palatine of Troy, with the consent and will of lady Isabella my wife, daughter of illustrious former king Amalric,1 give and grant in free and perpetual alms to the sick of the hospital of Teutons, which is in Acre, and to all the brothers of that hospital, one house in Tyre that was Theodore of Sarepta’s, with a garden and all the appurtenances to that house.  I also give them two measures of land at Sedinum  to be possessed as holdings of free men in perpetuity.  That this my donation granted as alms remain in force and stable to them, I have ordered the present charter to be protected by my seal and subscribed witnesses.  Witnesses of this thing are:  Hugo of Tiberias; Reynald of Sidon; Ralph of Tiberias, seneschal of the kingdom; Terricus of Teneromonte; Terricus of Orca; Walter of Bethany; Amalric of Bethany; Gerard of Franlo; Ralph of Balesme.  This was done in the 1195th year of the lord’s incarnation, in the month of April.  Given at Acre by the hand of Joscius, archbishop of Tyre and chancellor of the kingdom.

Original letter:

Notum sit omnibus presentibus et futuris, quod ego Henricus Trecensis comes palatinus assensu et voluntate domine Ysabellis uxoris mee, illustris quondam regis Amalrici filie, dono et in liberam et perpetuam elemosinam concedo infirmis hospitalis Alamannorum, quod est in Accon, et universis eius­dem fratribus hospitalis domum unam in Tyro, que fuit Theodori de Sarepta, cum iardino et universis ad eandem domum pertinentibus. Dono quoque eisdem duas carrucatas terre apud Sedinum francesias libere in perpetuum sibi possidendas. Ut autem hec mea donatio eisdem in helemosinam concessa rata et stabilis permaneat, presentem cartam sigillo meo et testibus subscriptis precepi communiri. Huius rei testes sunt Hugo Tyberiadis; Reinaldus Sydonis; Radulfus Tyberiadis, regni senescalcus; Terricus de Tenero monte; Terricus de Orca; Galterius de Bethan; Amalricus de Bethan; Girardus de Franlo; Ra­dulfus de Balesme. Factum est hoc anno dominice incarnationis m° c° xc° v° mense aprili. Datum Acchon per manum domini Ioscii Tyrensis archiepiscopi regnique cancellarii.

Historical context:

With the consent of his wife, Henry gives the hospital of Teutons in Acre a house in Tyre, which was Theodore of Sarepta’s, and two measures of land at Sedinum.   The editor cites a note in French in the margin of the charter specifying that each carrucata should be 23 cords long and 16 wide; and a cord should be 18 toise (the height of an average man). "Chascun charuo dot havoir xxiiii cordes du longe et xvi du large; et la corde dot liavoir xviii toise du home mezaine."   He explains that in the kingdom of Jerusalem, a carrucata is 23 funes in length and width and that a funis is 18 steps that an average man can take with arms extended

Scholarly notes:

 The adjective illustris could refer to either father or daughter, but more likely to the father.

Printed source:

Tabulae Ordinis Theutonici:  Ex tabularii Regii Berolinensis Codice Potissimum, ed. Ernestus Strehlke (Berlin:  Weidman, 1869), 26-27, #31.

Date: