A letter to the monks of Sainte Foy

Translated letter:

In the name of the holy and individual Trinity.  I countess Adela, daughter of William king of the English and queen Matilda, for the salvation of my lord count Henry and for the redemption of my soul and that of my children, and at the same time of [my said parents and] all my relatives, after that confirmation and restitution which I made to the monks of the church of Ste Foy of Coulommiers, with the judgment and hearing of several nobles, with the benevolent favor of God it pleased me and my sons to extend said church somewhat from my fiefs, so that the monks, present and future, might be able to carry out the service to God and their lady Ste Foy, without serious poverty.  First, so that if any of my men, soldier, burgher, serf, free or villein, decided to give out of charity from his own possessions an honor, money, or anything else that pertains to our domain, they would have free permission on my part to give and the monks to receive.  I grant to the monks of Ste Foy our carucate [1] whole, as it was possessed by our ancestors, at Bussy [2] with all the lands, and meadows that pertain to that carucate, and the barn in front of the church, and the house that is set to the left of that barn, and the mill that is above said town, and every parrish and the usufructs pertaining to it, as was possessed by me with all the other abovementioned.  I give seven customary tenants in Francheville, which William Normandus, master/teacher of my son, had before; and, in dedication to the church, I added three other tenants, with all every customary service in that town and 40 shillings every year from the rent of Olavenne, and 20 from the rent of the Troyes bridge.  And I grant the hill in which the church of Ste Foy is placed to said monks with all its revenues, namely the parrish, domain, rent and tenants, and every customary service completely which I and my lord Henry were accustomed to have there.   Besides all these, I engage what my chaplains in the church of St Denis are accustomed to receive, completely, for their sustenance [3]:  so that Rainald holds his part as long as he lives; after his death, with no opposition or obstacle, it would revert to the monks.  Moreover I grant to said monks in said church and in the church of Saints, the right of patronage, so that they have authority to institute priests in the abovenamed churches, and present them to the bishop in whose diocese said churches were built; similarly every toll which issues from the feast of St Denis in the market or in every village, I confirm to their use.  And at Lagny, I give those monks three arpents [4] of the best vineyard and my house as I have and possess it, with every privilege; and I also grant them that small piece of land which is on the slope of the road that goes to Chantemerle, where their barn was built [and the fishery of the mill before the gate of the town].*  Besides I grant them in my two mills, namely in the mill that is before the gate of Coulommiers, in in which in the same way that my father, the builder of the Moutier Neuf [of Poitiers] gave to God and St. John the Evangelist, and the monks of that monastery, through all his woods, to all those obeying the monks, the usage to cut whatever was necessary to suffice them, so I give and grant to the monks of that monastery of St. Saturnine, in my forest of Argensum, wherever they wish, as much as they need to take for the use of the church or the building of houses, heat, and whatever their needs.  I also give and grant those monks pasture through that whole wood for their  sheep and cattle and pigs, and whatever king of animal, to hold freely and peacefully without any custom in perpetuity.  I establish that place, the lands and whatever the monks possess within said wood to be altogether free.  And let no one dare to trouble the monks for any payment.

Witnesses are:  Hugh, brother of the count; William Baret; Bernard Dormiens; Gerard; Adalemus, cleric; Froger, cook, and many others. This was done at Niort, in the year 1017 from the incarnation.

* At this point the Conques version ends with the following passage:  “This whole gift, as written above, I and my son count Thibaud, in the presence of the lord Boniface, abbot of Conques, and the brothers of that place, with our hand strengthening it, we placed on the altar.  This charter was written in the one thousand one hundred seventh year of the incarnation, at my order, countess Adela, and my son’s, Thibaud, on the third nones of the month of July, Friday, in the reign of king Philip.  Authors of this charter are all those whose names are below.  Sign of countess Adela.  Sign of count Thibaud.  Sign of Hugh Mansellus and Peter Fugafamem.  Sign of Rainald of Altamaresca, Borrell of Blois, Hildiger of Aliorra, Pagan, porter of Thalamo, Durant priest.  Sign of Roger, chancellor who sealed the charter, Rainald chaplain.  Sign of Hugh Falvi.  Sign of Bernard.  Sign of Rodulf Pungentis.  

Original letter:

In nomine sanctae et individuae Trinitatis.  Ego Adela comitissa, Willelmi regis Anglorum et Matildis reginae filia, pro salute domini mei comitis Henrici, et pro redemptione animae meae filiorumque meorum simulque [+supradictorum genitorum vel] omnium parentum meorum, post illam confirmationem et restitutionem, quam plurimorum nobilium judicio et audientia, monachis Sanctae Fidis de Columbariensi ecclesia feci, benignissimo nutu Dei placuit mihi et filiis meis [ipsam] praedictam ecclesiam aliquantum de [nostris] meis [+communibus] beneficiis amplificare, quatinus monachi presentes vel succedentes servitium Dei et Sancte Fidis, domine sue, ibidem valeant sine gravi penuria perficere.  In primis, ut si quis [nostroum] meorum hominum miles, burgensis, servus, liber vel rusticus, ex propriis possessionibus honorem, [+scilicet] pecuniam vel aliud aliquid quod ad [dominatum] dominium nostrum pertinet, eis pro caritate largiri decreverit, liberam ex mea parte licentiam habeant donandi, et monachi recipiendi.  Concedo [etiam] et monachis Sanctae Fidis carrucam nostram integre, sicuti ab antecessoribus nostris possessa est apud Bussiacum cum omnibus terris,[+et] pratis quae ad ipsam carrucam pertinent, et horreum ante ecclesiam, et domum quae ad levam ipsius horrei sita est, et molendinum quod est supra villam +predictam, cum omni parrochia et usuariis ad ipsam pertinentibus, sicuti a [comitissa Adela] me cum omnibus aliis supradictis possessum est.  Dono [etiam] et illos [VII] septem hospites in [eadem, no name]] Franca Villa, quos prius habuit Willelmus Normandus, magister filii mei; et, in dedicatione ecclesiae, auxi alios tres hospites, cum omni consuetudine in eadem villa, et XL solidos omni anno de censu Lavenne, et XX de censu pontis Treiaci.  Concedo et moncellum in quo ecclesia Sanctae Fidis posita est monachis predictis, cum omnibus redditibus suis, villicationem scilicet, dominationem, censum et hospites, et ex integro omnem consuetudinem quam ibi ego et dominus meus Henricus solebamus habere.  [Super] Praeter haec omnia, illud quod capellani mei in ecclesiam Sancti Dionysii solent accipere, totum ab integro, ad [victum] vitam illorum, committo:  ita tamen ut Rainaldus partem suam quamdiu vixerit teneat; post mortem vero ejus, omni contrarietate ablata et omni impedimento, ad monachos redeat.  Insuper concedo predictis monachis in supradicta ecclesia et in ecclesia de Senz, jus patronatus, ut authoritatem habeant in prenominatis ecclesiis sacerdotes institudendi, et episcopo, in cujus diocesi constructae sunt jamdictae ecclesiae, presentandi; theloneum similiter omne quod in festivitate sancti Dionysii in mercato vel in omni castro exierit, ad opus illorum confirmo.  Et apud [Laniacum] Latiniacum dono eisdem monachis tres [aripennos] arpentos optime [vineae] vinete et domum meam, sicut habeo et possideo, cum omni integritate sua; et illud terrae paululum quod est in clivo itinerum quo pergitur [Cantumerio] Cantemerlo, ubi horreum illorum constructum est, simili modo concedo eis [+et piscariam molini ante portam castri]*.  Preterea concedo eis in duobus molendinis meis, in molendino scilicet quod est ante portam castri Columbarii, et in quod eodem modo quo pater meus, constructor Monasterii Novi, donavit Deo et sancto Joanni Evangelistae, et monachis ejusdem monasterii, per omnes silvas suas, omnibus obedientiis eorumdem monachorum, ad quoscumque necessarios usus incidere quantum suffecerit illis, ita quoque et ego dono et concedo monachis ejusdem monasterii degentibus apud S. Saturninum, in silva mea de Argensum, ubicunque voluerint, quantum fuerit opus accipere ad ecclesiae scilicet vel domorum aedificationem, calefactionem quoque seu quoscunque necessarios usus.  Dono etiam et concedo eisdem monachis pascum per totum ipsum nemus pecoribus et armentis seu porcis eorum, et cujuslibet generis animalibus, libera et quieta absque ulla consuetudine in perpetuum habenda.  Constituo quoque locum ipsum, terras etiam et quascunque possident monachi infra jam dictum nemus omnino liberas esse.  Et ne aliquis monachos pro aliqua exactione inquietare praesumat. 

Testes sunt:  Hugo, frater comitis; Willelmus Baret; Bernardus Dormiens; Girardus; Adalelmus, clericus; Frogerius, coquus; et multi alii.  Factum est hoc apud Niortum, anno ab incarnatione Domini MXVII.

* At this point the Conques version ends with the following passage:  Hoc totum donum, sicut suprascriptum est, ego et filius meus comes Teobaldus, in presentia domni Bonefacii Conchensis abbatis et fratrum ejusdem loci et manu nostra corroborando super altare ponimus.  Anno ab incarnatione Domini millesimo centesimo VII scripta est carta hec, jubente me Adela comitissa et jubente filio meo Teobaldo, III nonas mensis julii, feria VI, regnante Philippo rege.  – Auctores hujus carte sunt omnes quorum inferius nomina posita sunt.  Signum Adele comitisse.  Signum Teobaldi comitis.  S. Hugo Mansellus et Petrus Fugafamem.  S. Rainaldi de Altamaresca, Borrellus Blesensis, Hildigerius de Aliorra, Paganus hostiarius de Thalamo, Durantus presbyter.  S. Rotgerius cancellarius qui sigillavit cartulam, Rainaldus capellanus.  S. Hugoni Flavi.  S. Bernardi.  S. Rodulfi Pungentis.

Historical context:

The countess confirms the monks’ possessions and their right to collect a market toll, “issues with her son … a general consent to all future donations to the monks by her men… of goods from both their own possessions and the comital domain” (LoPrete, 478, App.1, #67).  She also makes various donations of her own. There are different copies of this charter; for details about them, see LoPrete, Adela of Blois, 478-80, App.1, #67.  I have used the Champollion-Figeac text which has more details, and put Conques variants in brackets in the Latin text.  I have also added the end of the Conques text.

Scholarly notes:

[1] A carucate is the land a plough team of eight oxen could till in a single annual season.  [2] Either Bussy-St-Martin or Bussy-St-Georges, about 2 km apart and 4km southwest of Lagny, see LoPrete, 479. [3] LoPrete prefers the reading of victum in the Conques text to vitam in CF. [4] An arpent is a unit of land area equivalent to 3,420 square meters (about 1 acre).

Printed source:

J.J. Champollion-Figeac ,  ed. Documents historiques inédits …de la Bibliothèque Royale et des archives … (Paris, 1843), 2.9.5-7, #3; also in Cartulaire de l'Abbaye de Conques en Rouergue, ed. Gustave Desjardins(Paris:  Picard, 1879), 352-53, #485, a shorter text. 

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