A letter from Isabella

Sender

Henry of Champagne, king of Jerusalem
Isabella of Jerusalem

Receiver

Henry, prior of the church of the Teutons

Translated letter:

Let it be known to all present and future that I, Henry count palatine of Troyes and lord of the kingdom of Jerusalem, with the consent and will of lady Isabella, my wife, daughter of the illustrious former king Amalric,1 give and grant in perpetual alms to you, brother Henry preceptor of the house of the hospital of Teutons in Acre, and to the brothers and sick of that house, a certain uncultivated land situated in the castle of Jaffa, to build houses, and certain vineyards outside of Jaffa. That this my donation and alms may remain in force and undisturbed, I have ordered the present charter to be protected by my seal and the subscribed witnesses. Witnesses of this thing are: Hugo of Tiberias, Reynald of Sido, Ralph, seneschal, John, marshall. Enacted in the 1196th year of the lord’s incarnation in the month of March. Give at Acre by the hand of lord Joscius, archbishop of Tyre and chancellor of the kingdom.

Original letter:

Notum sit omnibus presentibus et futuris, quod ego Herricus, Trecensis comes palatinus et regni Ierusalem dominus, assensu et voluntate domine Ysabellia, uxoris mee, illustris quondam regis Amalrici filie, dono et in perpetuam elemosinam concedo tibi, fratri Herrico, domus hospitalis Alamanorum in Accon preceptori, et eiusdem domus fratribus et infirmis quandam gastinam terre ad domos faciendas in castello Ioppen sitam et quasdam vineas extra Ioppen sitas. Ut autem hec mea donatio et helemosina rata et inconcussa permaneat, presentem cartam sigillo meo et testibus subscriptis precepi communiri. Huius rei testus sunt: Hugo Tyberiadis, Rainaldus Sydonis, Radulfus senescalcus, Iohannes marescalcus. Actum anno dominice incarnationis m° c° xc° vi° mense marcio. Datum Acchon per manum domini Ioscii Tyrensis archiepiscopi regnique cancellarii.

Historical context:

With the consent of his wife, Henry gives the house of the hospital of Teutons in Acre a piece of land to build houses in the village of Jaffa and certain vineyard outside Jaffa.

Scholarly notes:

1 The adjective illustris could refer to 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), #32.

Date:

1196