A letter of confirmation

Translated letter:

To the lord Pontius, abbot of the holy church of Cluny, Baldwin count of Flanders and countess Clementia, [wish] eternal happiness in Christ.  Desiring that those things that pertain to religion remain firm, so that a shrewd enemy not be able to destroy what is well begun, we make known to your serenity that grant which my lord count Robert while he was alive granted for the church of St. Bertin, with me agreeing, to your predecessor lord Hugo, abbot of pious memory, and confirmed it in writing, now also, for the remedy of our souls, I as well as my son, grant willingly to you and your successors, that it will be settled in all things, with no dispute.  But so that this grant of our remain firm in the sight of princes, with their consent, we have signed it and had it undersigned by the impression of our seal.  Sign of abbot Lambert, Sign of Walter treasurer, Sign of Rainier notary, Sign of Bernard chaplain, Sign of Alard, Sign of Roger castellan of Lille, Sign of Walter castellan of Courtray, Sign of Reiger steward/seneschal, Sign of William steward/senescal, Sign of Ulric butler, Sign of Guido.

Enacted in the year of the Lord 1112, in the town of Ypres, on the day before the ides of April.

Original letter:

Domno Pontio reverendo sancte Cluniacensis aecclesie abbati, Balduinus Flandrensium comes et Clementia comitissa, aeternam in Christo felicitatem. Cupientes ea que ad religionem pertinent firma permanere, ne videlicet bene inchoata callidus hostis valeat pessumdare, serenitati vestre notum facimus concessionem illam, quam de ecclesia Sancti Bertini dominus meus Rotbertus comes adhuc vivens, me quoque annuente, predecessori vestro domno Hugoni pie memorie abbati concessit, scriptoque confirmavit, nunc etiam, pro remedio animarum nostrarum, tam me, quam filium meum, libenter vobis vestrisque successoribus iterato concedere, ratamque per omnia, omni occasione seposita, fore. Porro ut hec concessio nostra firma permaneat in conspectu principum, cum eorundem assensu, eam firmavimus atque sigilli nostri impressione subter signari fecimus. Signum Lamberti abbatis, Signum Galterii thesaurarii, Signum Rainneri notarii, Signum Bernardi capellani, Signum Alardi, Signum Rodgerii castellani Insulani, Signum Galterii castellani Curtriacensis, Signum Reigeri dapiferi, Signum Gillelmi dapiferi, Signum Vulrici pincerne, Signum Guidonis.

Actum anno Domini MCXII, in villa Iprensi, pridie idus aprilis.

Historical context:

The countess and her son confirm a concession made by her and her late husband to St. Bertin.  Though Baldwin’s name comes first, the message clearly comes from Clementia (“tam me quam filium meum”).  The countess had given St. Bertin to Cluny while Robert was on crusade; he withdrew some of its rights when he returned, but continued to support the monastery.  

Printed source:

F. Vercauteren, Actes des Comtes de Flandres, 1071-1128 (Brussels:  Palais des Academies 1938), #56, 139-40.

Date: