A letter from Bonfill Sunyer

Translated letter:

In the name of the Lord.  I, Bonfill Sunyer and my wife Rodlend, are pledgers to you, countess Ermessenda.  By this document of pledge we pledge to you our alod which is in the county of Barcelona, in the parrish of St. Julian, in a place they call Malvert and Torrent.  And it came to me, Bonfill, through my parents by whatever authority and to me, Rodlend, by my tithe.  And it abuts: in the east the church of St. Mary of Linars, in the south the tower of Far, in the west the parrish of St. Mary of Cardedol, and in the north the church of St. Julian of Alfod.  Whatever is enclsed in these four abutments, we pledge said alod to you, wholly and entirely, with it exit and entry in such a way that from the first feast of St. Michael we shall have paid to you five ounces of gold of Barcelona coin, up to the other first feast of St. Michael, so that there be ten mancusos* in each ounce, and you would return this document to us or to anyone who paid said debt to you for us.  Which if we should not have paid you said debt within said term, than from then on said alod would be forfeit into your power to do what you wished.  And if we, pledgers, or any man or woman should move against this document of pledge or attempt to break it, we/they could not prevail or achieve what was sought, but we/they must pay double said alod to you with any improvement; and from then on this document of pledge would remain firm and stable for all time.  This document of pledge was made on the 4th kalends of September in the 26th year of the reign of king Henry.  Sign+ of Bonfill.  Sign+ of Rodlend, we who had this document of pledge made, signed it and asked witnesses to sign.  Sign+ of Berenguer. Sign+ of Gaucefred. Sign+ of Remon. +Bernard, priest, who wrote this document of pledge on the day and year above.

Original letter:

In nomine Domini. Ego Bonifilius Suniarii et uxor mea Rodlendis, pignoratores sumus tibi, Ermesindis, comitissa. Per hanc scripturam pignoracionis pignoramus tibi alodium nostrum quod est in comitatu Barchinonense, in parrochia Sancti Iuliani, in locum que dicunt Malvert et Torrent. Et advenit mihi, Bonifilio, per genitores nostros per qualicumque voce et ad me, Rodlendis, per meum decimum. Et affrontat: de oriente in ecclesia de Sancta Maria de Dinars, et de meridie in ipsa turre de Far, et de occiduo in parrochia de Sancta Maria de Cardedol, de circi in ecclesia Sancti Iuliani de Alfod. Quantum intra has quatuor affrontaciones includunt, sic pignoramus tibi iam dictum alodium, totum ab integro, cum exio et regressio suo, tali modo, ut de ista festivitate Sancti Michaelis prima habeamus tibi persolutas quinque uncias auri monete Barchinone usque ad aliam festivitatem iam dicti Sancti Michaelis primam ita tamen, ut decem mancusos sint in unaquaque uncia, et tu reddas ista scripturam aut nobis aut alicui qui pro nobis rediderit tibi iam dictum debitum. Quod si nos non habuerimus tibi persolutum iam dictum debitum ad iam dictum terminum, tunc in antea iam dictum alodium incurrat in tua potestate ad faciendum quod volueris. Quod si nos, pignoratores, aut ullus homo vel femina contra ista scriptura pignoracionis venerimus vel venerint ad irrumpendum, non valeamus vel valeant vendicare quod requisierimus vel requisierint, sed componamus aut componant iam dic­tum alodium tibi in duplo cum sua inmelioracione; et in antea hec scrip­tura pignoracionis firma et stabilis permaneat omni tempore. Facta ista scriptura pignoracionis iiii kalendas septembris anno xxvi regni Enrici, regis. Sig+num Bonifilius. Sig+num Rodlendis, qui hanc scripturam pignoracionis fecimus, firmavimus et testes firmare rogavimus. Sig+num Berengarius. Sig+num Gaucefredus. Sig+num Remon. Bernardus, presbiter, qui hanc scripturam pignoracionis scripsit die et anno quo supra.

Historical context:

The pledge made by Bonfill and his wife to the countess for the honor they held in Malver.

Scholarly notes:

• Arabic gold dinars, see Jonathan Jarrett, ” Currency Change in Pre-millennial Catalonia: Coinage, Counts and Economics,” Numismatic Chronicle 169 (2010 for 2009), pp. 217-243, 225.

Printed source:

LFM 1.396-97, #378. 

Date: