A letter from Mathilde

Translated letter:

We, Mathilde, countess of Holland, wish to make known to all who will see the present letter that for the remedy of our soul and that of our beloved husband of pious memory lord Floris count of Holland, and our beloved sons, namely lord William of bright memory, king of the Romans, and his wife lady Elizabeth, queen, and also of lord Floris and all our predecessors and our very dear relative Floris, count of Holland and our beloved daughters said lady Aleide of Hainaut and lady Margaret, countess of Henneberg and their children, we have conferred in alms the whole land that is called Gemeente in the vulgate, lying in the office of Monster near Eikenduinen, except three morgas* to the chapel of Eikenduinen conferred in alms, assigning to said land 10 pounds Holland in annual revenue to the chapel of the court in s’Gravenzande, in the hand of the abbot of St. Mary of the Island that divine rites be celebrated perpetually in said court, and two pounds to the chaplaincy of the chapel that is called Veur bij Schakenbos, to be received annually on said land eternally; indeed whatever said land can pay or be good for over the estimated twelve pounds, all this we confer completely on the convent of Loosduinen and we have declared it to pertain to their clothes, whence assigning the whole said land to the hands of the mentioned convent by the witness of the present letters.

Dated at Gravenzande, in the 1266th year, on the eve of St. Matthew apostle and evangelist.

Original letter:

Nos Machteldis comitissa Hollandiae notum esse cupimus omnibus praesentem literam visuris quod nos pro remedio animarum nostri et dilecti mariti nostri piae recordationis domini Florentii comitis Hollandiae et dilectorum filiorum nostrorum, videlicet domini Willelmi clarae memoriae Romanorum regis et eius uxoris dominae Elisabeth reginae necnon domini Florentii et omnium nostrorum praedecessorum et percari nostri consanguinei Florentii comitis Hollandiae ac dilectarum filiarum nostrarum dominae Aleydis dictae de Hannonia ac dominae Margaretae comitissae de Hennebergh et ipsarum liberorum contulimus in eleemosynam totam terram quae vulgariter Gemeente nuncupatur iacentem in officio de Monstre iuxta Hekendunen, praeter tres morgas ad capellaniam de Hekendunen in eleemosynam collatas, assignantes ad supradictam terram X libras Hollandicas in annuis reditibus ad capellaniam curiae in s'Gravezande in manu abbatis de Insula beatae Mariae ut in dicta curia perpetuo diuina celebrentur, et duas libras ad capellaniam capellae quae dicitur Voeren iuxta Scadekansbosch, annuatim super praefatam terram aeternaliter capiendas; quicquid vero praefata terra supra taxatas duodecim libras solvere vel valere poterit, hoc totum integraliter conventui de Losdunen conferimus et ad vestes eiusdem statuimus pertinere, unde totam dictam teram in manus memorati conventus resignanntes praesentium testimonio literarum.

Datum apud Gravesande anno M CC LX sexto, in vigilia beati Mathei apostoli et euangelistae. 

Historical context:

The countess records the gift of a large piece of land for the souls of her husband, herself, and her children and their children, with money to pay for perpetual rites and any excess to pay for clothes.

Scholarly notes:

• The morga is a measurement of land, up to one hectar.

Printed source:

Oorkondenboek van Holland en Zeeland tot 1299, ed. A.C.F.Koch  3.449-50, #1421.

Date: