A letter from Aleid

Translated letter:

Aleid, sister of the lord of glorious memory, William, illustrious king of the Romans, wife of the late lord John of Avesnes, [we] make known to all that we, wishing to be diligent for the peace and quiet of all our towns [and] those living in our new town at Rivo and all those passing through it, we have selected the present regulations from all and each of the regulations and customs of the fatherlands, as the best and most honorable we could find, and conferred them on our townsmen in Rivo, by which we wish them and those living there, coming and going through, to be ruled according to what is suitable to the circumstances and agendas of individuals:

First and principally ordering that the regulations which the aldermen and the counselors made with our justiciar, so that they remain stable until we decree them to be revoked. 

2. Item, who contradicts the judgment of the aldermen will pay the judge ten pounds and whatever alderman twenty solidos.

3. Item, he will not be judged beyond what the aldermen decided.

4. Item, whoever shall have wounded another fatally, and this is known to the aldermen, will lose his hand or ten pounds.

5. Item, who commits homicide will receive capital punishment. 

6. If anyone wounds another not gravely but enough to draw blood, he will pay the judge twenty solidos and give satisfaction to the wounded man according to the judgment of the aldermen.

7. Item, if one throws another violently to the ground, he will pay the judge twenty solidos; he will make good the violent thrust to the one thrown by the judgment of the aldermen.

8. Item, one who punches another in the jaw pays the judge five solidos, and give satisfaction to the wounded according to the sentence of the aldermen.

9. Item, one who attacks another’s house and this is known to the aldermen, will either by himself or through suitable townsmen emend that [by paying] ten pounds to the judge and will give satisfaction to the one attacked as the lord of the house according to the pronouncement of the aldermen.

10. If anyone, burgher to guest or guest to burgher, or burgher to burgher, certifies before aldermen  that he will pay something at a certain time, unless he pays at that time by pledge/security or money, we compel the debtor to pay the creditor; if he does not pay, we will deliver his person over to the creditor.

11. Item, no one may seek to provoke another to a duel within the privileged area.

12. Item, aldermen can by visual or auditory testimony of upright men prove [others] guilty; to convict someone there must be two aldermen or more with the judge or his deputy being involved.

13. Item, whoever seeks to be shown justice from a burgher within that same privileged area, having received retribution from him is held to be shown [that] there.

14. Item when it happens that we or our successors are in the vicinity, they will be held to credit food and drink to us for a fortnight under legal security of then getting it back.

15. No one may buy food/provisions before our cook or messenger has bought, as long as he is prepared to buy at a suitable hour.

16. Service to us and our successors to be offered annually for this district, we have suspended at our will for the new settlement and the little means of the town.

17. Item if our justiciar or his deputy acting in aid of the town or defense of our castle, does not swiftly come when called, he will be held to pay sixty Holland solidos to the judge.

18. Item whoever does not attend to the summons of the judge for arresting persons or things, to provide peace or end battle, will be bound to the judge for ten solidos.

19. Item if it happens that aldermen hesitate in giving sentences or differing on the right, they should come for advice to the magistrates in Dordrecht and carry out what must be done by their counsel.

20. They are bound to follow the smaller [penalty?] in sentencing if they all disagree.

21. Review/investigation by two or three aldermen is valid.

22. If the aldermen incur expenses by the advice of […], the common town will pay them.

23. Item, he is considered a townsman who remains in his home or another within that district for six weeks and will be accepted as a townsman by the justiciar and the aldermen.

24. We reserve to ourselves [the right] to increase, diminish, or change the aforesaid regulations or privileged areas  as we decide is fitting to the need of the town and those who come there. 

Dated and enacted in the 1274th year of the Lord, on the morrow of St. Gertrude. 

This present charter is protected by the oath of the townsmen of Rivo and the impression of our seal.

Original letter:

Aleydes, germana inclite recordacionis domini Wilhelmi Romanorum regis illustris, uxor quondam domini Ihoannis de Uennis, notum facimus universis quod nos, oppidanorum nostrorum omnium commorancium in novo oppido nostro apud Riuum et omnium ibidem transeuntium paci et quieti studere volentes, ex omnibus et singulis constitucionibus et consuetudinibus patriarum, prout melius et honestius potuimus indagare, presentes constitutiones excerpsimus et eas oppidanis nostris in Riuo contulimus, quibus ipsos et ibidem morantes, venientes et transeuntes regi volimus secundum quod congruit personarum circumstanciis et agendis:

Primo et principaliter ordinantes quod constituciones quas scabini et consilarii cum iusticiario nostro fecerint, rate permaneant donec eas decreverimus revocandas.

2. Item qui contradicit sententie scabinorum, solvet iudici decem libras et cuilibet scabino viginti solidos.

3. Item non iudicabitur ulterius quam scabini sententiaverint.

4. Item qui alium letaliter vulneraverit et hoc scabinis notum sit, manum amittat vel decem libras.

5.Item homicidium faciens capite puniatur.

6. Si quis alium non graviter tamen usque ad sanguinis effusionem leserit, iudici viginti solidos persolvet et leso satisfaciet secundum sententiam scabinorum.

7.Item proiciens alium violenter ad terram, viginti solidos iudici solvet; violentam eiectionem per sententiam scabinorum emendabit proiecto.

8.Item maxillatam dans solvit iudici quinque solidos, et leso fatisfaciet secundum sententiam scabinorum.

9.Item qui domum alicuius inpugnaverit et hoc scabinis innotuerit per se vel per ydoneos oppidanos, iudici decem libras emendabit et tam inpugnato quam domino domus ad dictum scabinorum satisfaciet.

10.Si quis burgensis hospiti vel hospes burgensi vel burgensis burgensi aliquid se soluturum certificaverit coram scabinis ad certum terminum, nisi eodem termino persolverit pignore vel denariis, ad solvendum creditori debitorem conpellemus; quod sii solvendo non fuerit, personam eius deliberabimus creditori.

11.Item nullus alterum ad deuellum infra libertatem peterit provocare.

12.Item scabini tam ex visu quam auditu relacione proborum reos possunt convincere; ad pandandum aliquem oportet duos scabinos vel plures cum iudice vel eius vices gerente interesse.

13. Item quicumque a burgense se peterit exhiberi iustitiam infra libertatem eandem, reconventus ab eo ibidem exhiberi tenetur.

14.Item cum nos vel successiones nostras ibidem esse contigerit vel in vicino, esculentum et poculentum ad quindenam nobis credere tenebuntur sub conpetenti securuitate de tunc rehabendo. 

15.Item nullus emet victualia antequam cocus seu nuncius noster emerit, dum tamen hora congrua paratus existat ad emendum.

16.Obsequium autem nobis et posteris nostris pro hac libertate prestandum annutaim[annuatim], pro novella plantatione et pauperitate oppidi usque ad voluntatem nostram posuimus in suspenso.

17. Item sii  iusticiarus noster vel eius vices gerens in succursum oppidi vel castri nostri tuicionem, vocatus celiter non veniret, sexaginta solidos Hollandre iudici solvere teneretur.

18.Item quicumque ad monicionem iudicis pro personis arrestandis vel rebus, pace sumenda vel pugna dirivenda non accederet, teneretur iudici in decem solidis.

19. Item si in sententiis proferendis vel iure differendo scabinos hesitare contigerit, ad consilium scabinorum in Dordracum intrarent et per eorum consilium expediant quod incumbit.

20. Pauciores in sententiando sequi tenentur si omnes discordant.

21. Item duorum vel trium valeat recongnitio scabinorum.

22.Item si scabini pro consilio qu[....]do expensas fecerint, illas solvet oppidum commune.

23. Item ille pro oppidano habeatur qui in sua domo vel aliena infra libertatem morari contixit per sex ebdomadas et per iusticiarium et scabinos oppidanus receptus fuerit.

24. Reservamus nobis autem augendi, minuendi seu mutandi constitutiones sive libertates prefixas, prout necessitati oppidi et adveniencium inibi decreverimus convenire.

Datum et actum anno Domini M CC septuagesimo quarto, in crastino beate Gertrudus.

Et est presens carta munita iuramento oppidanorum de Rivo et nostri impressione sigilli.

Historical context:

The countess issues this charter giving the regulations that will govern the new town of Rivo.

Printed source:

Oorkondenboek van Holland en Zeeland tot 1299, ed. A.C.F.Koch, 3.793-96, #1687

Date: