A letter from the abbot of St. Remy of Reims

Translated letter:

Milo, by permission of God abbot of St. Remy of Reims, and the whole chapter of this place, to all to whom these letters may come, greetings in the Lord.  Let your universality know that we, with equal will, associate our dearest lady in Christ and our friend, B[lanche] illustrious countess of Champagne and the future heirs of Champagne in making a new town in our woods of St. Remy next to Villare (Villiers), in such a way that that countess and all the heirs of Champagne share with us in that town in all modes and measures, namely in every ban and  justice, and wood and plain, and assize. – We however retain for us the bannal ovens, mills and fisheries, and tithes and altars and other spiritual things, without the countess sharing in them. – Also our wood of Moissonne remains free to us, to do our will in all modes and measures.  – And it is to be noted that our monk-prior, who will live in that town for us, and the countess’s provost will choose the mayor and municipal officials for the commune; and the mayor and officials will be faithful to our monk for us and the provost to the countess for the countess.  – For the rest all the carrugia (plough-measures of land) and the old rents and meadows and lands and other domains that we had at Braux and at Villiers before this charter was made, remain to us altogether free and quit, under the protection of the countess. – Two parts of our wood, which is between Hauterive and Villiers, will be burned to make the new town.  The third part of that wood will be the monks’ and only within the intercession of the countess; but for crimes in that wood, half will be ours and half the countess’s, if her bailiffs are summoned to the crime.  --   Our house at Curtesor and at Braux and the town of Braux will have their usage in the third part of the wood and the countess will give usage to be had if necessary, except the toll for going and coming. -- All the serving monks who live in the town will be free.  – Noone will be able to hold land in the town unless he is a resident of the town.  – The men of St. Remy who are at Curtesor will not be able to come to live in that town. – The countess will guarantee and defend by right our house of Braux and the rights pertaining to it. – It is also to be known that in that new town the countess or her bailiff will have no tax, no assessment, no procuration (right to quarter).  We however grant this association to the countess and the heirs of Champagne on the condition that those things which we grant in this association, they cannot take away by her hand in any way, or give in fief or alms.  – Which, that it remain in force, we have given to that countess and the heirs of Champagne our page, fortified by the appending of our seals, in witness of this association.  Enacted in the year of the Lord’s incarnation, one thousand two hundred sixth, in the reign of the glorious and victorious king of the Franks, Philip.

Original letter:

Milo, Dei permissione Sancti Remigii Remensis abbas, totumque loci ipsius capitulum, omnibus ad quos littere iste pervenerint in Domino salutem. – Noverit universitas vestra quod nos pari voluntate associamus karissimam in Xpisto dominam et amicam nostram B. illustrem Campanie comitissam et venturos Campanie heredes ad faciendam novam villam in nemoribus nostris Sancti Remigii juxta Villare, tali modo quod ipsa comitissa et omnes Campanie heredes nobiscum parcientur in eadem villa in omnibus modis et commodis, videlicet in omni banno et justicia, et bosco et piano, et assisia. — Retinemus tamen nobis furnos bannales, molendinos et piscarias, et decimas, et altaria, et cetera spiritualia, sine parte comitisse.—Nemus etiam nostrum de Moissones remanet nobis quitum, ad faciendum voluntatem nostram in omnibus modis et commodis. — Et notandum quod propositus monachus noster, qui in eadem villa manebit pro nobis, et propositus comitisse majorem et scabinos eligent per commune; et major et scabini fidelitatem facient monacho nostro pro nobis, et preposito comitisse pro comitissa. — Ceterum omnia carruagia et veteres census, et prata, et terre, et alia domania que apud Braux et apud Villare, antequam carta hec fieret, habebamus, nobis remanent omnino libera et quita, in custodia comitisse. — Due partes nemoris nostri, quod est inter Altam-ripam et Villare, ille exartabuntur pro nova villa facienda. Tercia autem pars ejusdem nemoris erit monachi et in advocatione solummodo comitisse; sed de forisfactis ejusdem nemoris, medietas erit nostra, et medietas comitisse, si ballivi ejus ad forisfactum sint vocati. — Domus nostre de Curtesor et de Braux, et villa de Braux usuarium suum in illa tercia parte nemoris habebunt, et ad habendum usuarium dabit comitissa, si necesse est, salvum eundo et redeundo conductum. — Omnes servientes monachi, manentes in villa, liberi erunt. — Nullus poterit tenere terram in villa, nisi mansionarius sit in villa. —Homines Sancti Remigii qui sunt apud Curtesor, in illa villa mansuri venire non poterunt. — Comi­tissa garantizabit et defendet per rectum domum nostram de Braux et jura ad eam pertinentia. — Sciendum etiam quod in eadem villa nova comitissa vel ejus ballivi nullam talliam, nullum gistum, nullam procurationem habebunt. — Nos autem associationem hanc concedimus comitisse et heredibus Campanie ea conditione quod illa , que ipsis in hac associatione concedimus, de manu sua aliquo modo tollere non poterunt, vel in feodum vel elemosinam dare. – Quod ut ratum permaneat, paginam nostram, sigillorum nostrorum appensione munitam, ipsi comitisse et heredibus Campanie dedimus in testimonium hujus associationis.  Actum anno Dominice incarnationis millesimo ducentesimo sexto, regnante glorioso et victorioso Francorum rege Philippo.

Historical context:

The charter records the agreement between the abbot and chapter of St. Remy and the countess on the building of a new town in the monks' woods and their shared participation in the governing of the town, with some exceptions.

Printed source:

Layettes du Trésor des Chartes, 1.307-08.

Date: