A letter from Gaucher of Châtillon, count of Saint-Pol

Translated letter:

To his noble lady Blanche, countess palatine of Troyes.  Gaucher of Châtillon, count of Saint-Pol, greetings and service.  Your highness should know that according to the judicial inquiry which I made, the house of Brégy remains in your custody.

Original letter:

Nobili domine sue Blanche comitisse Trecensis palatine.  Galcherus de Castellione comes Sancti Pauli salutem et servitium.  Noverit sublimitas vestra quod secundum inquisitionem quam feci, domus de Brigiaco in vestra remanere tutela.

Historical context:

This letter reports on the results of an inquiry on her rights to a house at Brégy disputed with Renaud, count of Boulogne.  The details of the inquiry, as Evergates suggests, are outlined by Renaud in #325:

I, Renaud, count of Boulogne, make known to all who will look at the present letters that on the disagreement between me and my lady Blanche, countess palatine of Troyes, over the house and town of Brégy and its appurtenances, we agreed with Gaucher count of Saint-Pol and William of Barres that they would inquire in good faith into my right and the right of said countess over the aforesaid, as the father count Henry and his wife countess Marie, and their son count Henry, and Aubry, count of Dammartin, my father, held them, and that they would give me my right there, and hers to the countess.  Similarly on the head taxes that I said the countess had raised at Brégy and that she said I had raised, about which there was a disagreement between us, the two aforesaid would inquire into the truth.  And they will give me my right and the countess hers.  If however the two cannot agree, the lord king of France will take over and decide so that I as well as the countess will have it firm and unshaken.  Enacted in the 1208th year of the Lord, in the month of August.

Ego Reginaldus comes Bolonie. Omnibus presentes litteras inspecturis notum facio, quod super discordia que erat inter me et dominam meam Blancham comitissam Trecensam palatinam de domo et villa Bergiaci et appenditiis, in Galcherum comitem Sancti Pauli et Guillermum de Barris compromisimus in hunc modum, quod ipsi bona fide inquirent jus meum, et jus predicte comitisse super predictis, sicut Henricus comes pater et comitissa Maria uxor ejus, et Henricus comes filius eorum, et Albericus comes Damni martini pater meus tenuerunt, et quod inde jus meus michi dabunt et comitissa suum. Similiter de capitalibus que apud Bregiacum dicebam comitissam levasse, et que ipsa inde me levasse dicebat, de quibus inter nos erat discordia inquirent predicti duo veritatem.  Et illi jus meum mihi dabunt et comitissa suum.  Si autem ipsi duo non potuerint concordare, dominus rex Francie erit desuper, e quod inde nobis dederit tam ego quam comitissa, ratum habebimus et inconcussum.  Actum anno Domini MCC octavo, mense augusto.

Printed source:

The Cartulary of Countess Blanche of Champagne, edited by Theodore Evergates, © The Medieval Academy of America 2010 (University of Toronto Press, 2009) 270, #302 and 289-90, #325.  Reprinted with permission of the press.

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