A letter from Cecilia and her sons

Translated letter:

In the name of God.  I Cecilia, viscountess of Béziers, and I Roger and I Raymond Terencavel and I Bernard Ato her son[s] pledge in faith without deception to you Bremund bishop of Béziers and your successor bishops and the church of the holy martyrs of Nazaire and Celse of the see of Béziers and the canons and clerics of that church present and future that right to dwelling/procuration which we have in Béziers in the bishop, and in the abbey of St. Aphrodisius and in the lady of Lignano and her children, justly or injustly; and we pledge to you all those justices (sentences/jurisdictions) and assemblies/pleas, that is for homicides, adulteries and thefts and all other complaints which we are accustomed justly or unjustly to investigate and we are seen to have in canons, monks and clerics and their servants, lay or cleric of either sex in all Béziers and the whole bishoprics of Béziers who and in what way they are there and will be in the future.  And we similarly pledge to you the aforenamed all the justices and fees which we are accustomed to exercize and are seen to have justly or unjustly over homicides and adulteries and thefts and all other complaints from all men and women who and however they stay or dwell and will stay or dwell henceforth in the city and the the town of Lignano and in the town of Aspiran, and this for the 5000 good and negotiable Melgueil [solidos], etc.  And if the aforesaid pledgers or their heirs should seize anything in said pledge from you or yours, I Sicard of Murovetulo and Raymond Stephen of Servian and Peter of Pedenach and Salomon of Filgari and Peter Raymond of Corneilhan and William Sigar and Berengar of Teciano and Bernard of Auviciano and Peter Sigar of Béziers and Ermengaud of Fonshilion, we said ten promise by our faith to you and your successors, that for any seizure we shall come at your summons direct or by messenger to Béziers and we shall not leave without permission of you or your successor bishops until the whole has been emended to you or yours.  And if the Melgueil money should fall or be corrupted/adulterated with silver, we the aforementioned pledgers should render to you or yours a pound of fine silver reckoned at the correct weight of Béziers of 65 Melgueil solidos, until the declared whole be paid to you or your successors.  This charter was written on 15th kalends of June, in the year of the Lord 1131, in the reign of king Louis.  Sworn witnesses of this thing are Peter Sigar of Turre-ventose, Peter Rainard and his son Berengarius, Pons of Corneilhan, Elesiar of Castres, etc.  Stephen Sicfred wrote this [as] asked.

Original letter:

In nomine Domini. Ego Caecilia Biterrensis vicecomitissa & ego Rogerius & ego Raimundus Trencavellus & ego Bernardus-Atonis ejus filii impignoramus per fidem sine deceptione tibi Bremundo Biterrensi episcopo & successoribus tuis episcopis & ecclesiae sanctorum martyrum Nazarii & Celsi Biterrensis sedis & canonicis & clericis ipsius ecclesiae praesentibus atque futuris ipsum albergum quem habemus in Biterrensi episcopo & in abbate Sancti Afrodisii & in domina de Lignano & in ejus filiis juste sive injuste; & im­pignoramus vobis totas ipsas justicias & placita, hoc est de homicidiis, adulteriis & latrociniis & de omnibus aliis quaerimoniis quae nos juste sive injuste solemus quaerere & visi sumus habere in canonicis, monachis & clericis & in eorum familiis, laicis sive clericis utriusque sexus de toto Biterri & de toto Biterrensi episcopatu qui ibi & quae modo sunt & in antea erunt. Et impignoramus vobis praedictis similiter omnes justicias & placita quae exercere solemus & habere visi sumus juste sive injuste de homicidiis & adulteriis & latrociniis & omnibus aliis quaerimoniis de omnibus hominibus & foeminis qui & quae modo manent vel habitant & in antea manebunt vel habitabunt in castro & in villa de Lignano & in villa de Aspirano, & hoc propter solidos VM Melgorienses bonos & percurribiles, &c. Et si praedicti impignoratores vel haeredes eorum in praedicta pignore vobis aut vestris aliquid amparaverint, ego Sicardus de Murovetulo & Raimundus Stephani de Cerviano & Petrus de Pedenach & Salo­mon de Filgariis & Petrus Raimundi de Corneliano & Guillelmus Sigarii & Berengarius de Teciano & Bernardus de Auviciano & Petrus Sigarii de Biterris & Ermengaudus de Fonshilione, nos prae­dicti decem promittimus vobis per nostras fides & successoribus vestris, quod propter unumquodque amparamentum ad vestram commomtionem per vos vel per vestrum nuncium factam in Biterri veniamus & inde nullomodo exeamus sine vestra vel successorum vestrorum episcoporum licentia, donec totum vobis aut vestris sit emendatum. Et si Melgorienses ceciderint aut pejoraverint de argento, nos praedicti impigneratores debemus reddere vobis aut vestris libram de argento fino ad pensum directum de Biterris ad computum de solidis LXV Melgoriensibus, donec totum praefatum avere sit vobis aut vestris suc­cessoribus persolutum. Scripta fuit haec carta XV kalendas junii, anno Domini MCXXXI, regnante Lodoico rege. Hujus rei veridici testes sunt Petrus Sigarii de Turre-ventosa, Petrus Rainardi & filius ejus Berengarius, Poncius de Corneliano, Helisiarius de Castrias , &c. Stephanus Sicfredi rogatus scripsit.

Historical context:

This charter records an agreement Cecilia and her sons made with the bishop of Béziers to give over rights to lodging, legal jurisdiction, and fees, for a sum of money, a pledge which is backed up by ten men.

Printed source:

Histoire Générale de Languedoc   5.977-78, #515.2, CCCCXXII.

Date: