A letter from Bertrand of Toulouse

Translated letter:

I Bertrand, count of Toulouse and Rouergue and Albi, give, grant and confirm the town of St Peter of Blagnac with its church and whatever pertains to it in allod without retention of anything, men and women, etc. and whatever count William had and held justly or unjustly and others from him, as Philippia, daughter of count William gave to St. Saturnine and its canons, so I give and confirm to them.  Moreover I take under my protection and care the church of the holy martyr Saturnine established in the suburb of Toulouse and declare it free from all, as pope Urban best made it free with his bishops and my father count Raymond at the consecration of that church and in the council of Nîmes.  I take also under my protection all the canons and every honor of that church and the men and women who pertain to that church of St. Saturnine.  This charter was made in the month of December, confirmed in the hands of lord Bertran, archbishop of Narbonne.  Sign of count Bertrand who signed this charter with his hands and asked it to be offered at the altar.  Sign of William Jordan, count of Ceritania.  Sign of Sicard.  Sign of Bernard Otto.  Sign of provost Munio with its canons who received this gift.

Original letter:

Ego Bertranus comes Tolosanus & Ruthenensis & Albiensis dono, concedo & confirmo villam Sancti Petri de Blanaco cum ipsa ecclesia & quidquid ad eam pertinet in allodium absque alicujus rei retentione, homines & faeminas, &c & quaecumque Willelmus comes juste vel injuste habuit & tenuit & alii ab eo, sicut Philippia filia Willelmi comitis dedit Sancto Saturnino & suis canonicis, ita ego  dono & confirmo eis. Praeterea suscipio  in defensione mea & tutela ecclesiam beati Saturnini martyris in Tolosano suburbio constitutam, & liberam eam ab omnibus statuo, sicut melius illam fecit liberam papa Urbanus cum suis episcopis & pater meus Raimundus comes in consecratione ipsius ecclesiae & in concilio Nemausensi. Suscipio etiam in defensione mea omnes  canonicos & omnem honorem ipsius ecclesiae & homines & faeminas quae ad ipsam ecclesiam beati Saturnini pertinent. Facta carta in mense decembri, confirmata in manibus domini Bertrani archiepiscopi Narbonensis. Sig. Bertrani comitis qui cartam istam manibus firmavit & oblatam super altare fieri rogavit. S. Willelmi Jordanis comitis Ceritaniae. Sig. Sicardi. Sig. Bernardus Otto. Sig. Munionis praepositi cum suis canonicis qui donum istud susceperunt.

Historical context:

Though this letter is not from Philippa, it does confirm a donation she had previously made; since I do not have that charter, I have included this in its place.  Count Bertrand is Philippa’s cousin, the son of her father's brother, Raymond.  The line of inheritance in Toulouse went from William to Philippa, as Bertrand recognizes here, though Raymond had seized control and held it for several years until he went on crusade and Philippa’s husband took the city, which he later mortgaged to Bertrand.

Printed source:

Histoire Générale de Languedoc, 5.767, #408, CCCXXX. 

Date: