A letter of donation

Translated letter:

In the name of the holy and individual trinity.  Robert junior, venerable count of Flanders, greetings to all the children of the church.  Be it known to all those serving Christ that I Robert junior, count, and my wife Clementia, have conferred the lands adjacent to the territory of Aire and the property (curtis) of Renier which is next to St. Venant, with all its appendages and the land of two properties in Widdebroucq and the land of one property in Spilebrona, all the customs  and tolls and whatever we have in said lands to the church of St. George of Hesdin and the church of Holy Savior of Anchin of which said church is a dependent, for the salvation of us and our predecessors and successors.  So that this might remain untroubled and inviolable for all time, I have had it signed by the impression of my seal and of the bishops Gerard of Cassel (Morinorum), Lambert of Artois, Radbod of Noyon, under excommunication,* and strengthened by the witness also and sign of the undersigned bishops, abbots, my magnates and princes.  Sign+ of Gerard , bishop of Cassel, S. + of Lambert of Artois, S. of Radbod of Noyon, bishops, S.+ of Lambert abbot of St. Bertin, S.+ of Alard abbot of St. Bavo, S. + of Aimery abbot of Holy Savior of Anchin, S. of Conon and his brother Everard, S. of Arnulf of Aldinard, S. of Stephen of Boular, S. of Rodulf chamberlain, S. of Onulf seneschal, S. of Alard, butler, S. of Baldric of Coham, S. of Segard and Arnulf of Coches, S. of Baldwin castellan of Aire, S. of Ledelm chaplain and of many others.

Original letter:

IN NOMINE SANCTE ET INDIVIDUE TRINITATIS. ROBERTUS JUNIOR, VENERABILIS Flandrensium comes, omnibus ecclesie filiis salutem. Notum sit omnibus Christo famulantibus quod ego Robertus comes junior et uxor mea Clementia, terras quasdam territorio Ariensi adjacentes, curtem quoque Raineri que est juxta Sanctum Venantium, cum omnibus appenditiis suis et terram duorum mansorum in Widebroc terramque unius mansi in Spilebrona, omnes quoque consuetudines et exactiones ac quicquid in predictis terris habebamus ecclesie Sancti Georgii Hesdinensis et ecclesie Sancti Salvatoris Aquicinensis cujus jam dicta ecclesia cella est, pro nostra nostrorumque predecessorum et successorum salutem contulimus. Ut autem hoc inconvulsum et inviolabile sempiterno tempore permaneat, sigilli mei impressione et episcoporum Gerardi Morinorum, Lamberti Atrebatensium, Radbodonis Noviomensium excommunicatione firmari, testimonio etiam atque signo subtersignatorum episcoporum, abbatum, optimatum atque principum meorum corroborari feci. Signum + Gerardi Morinorum episcopi, S. + Lamberti Atrebatensium, S. + Radbodonis Noviomensium episcoporum, S. + Lamberti abbatis Sancti Bertini, S. + Alardi abbatis Sancti Bavonis, S. + Aimerici abbatis Sancti Salvatoris Aquicinensis, S. Cononis et Everardi fratris ejus, S. Arnulfi de Aldinardo, S. Stephani de Boular, S. Rodulfi camerarii, S. Onulfi dapiferi, S. Alardi pincerne, S. Baldrici de Coham, S.Segardi et Arnulfi de Coches, S. Balduini castellani Ariensis, S. Ledelmi capellani et aliorum multorum.

Historical context:

The count and countess give various lands to the church of St. Georges of Hesdin a dependent of the abbey of Anchin.

Scholarly notes:

*Radbod was a confessed simoniac, who had been censured by Pope Gregory VII, but reinstated by Urban II, see Robert Somerville, Pope Urban II’s Council of Piacenza, (Oxford, 2011), 15.  I am grateful to Adam Kosto for this reference.

Printed source:

 F. Vercauteren, Actes des Comtes de Flandres, 1071-1128 (Brussels:  Palais des Academies 1938), #23, p.68-70. 

Date: