A letter of donation

Translated letter:

In the name of the Father and Son and Holy Spirit.  I Baldwin, by the grace of God count of Flanders, make known to the present and the future that I and my lady mother Clementia, countess of Flanders, gave the church of the Holy Savior of Ham in perpetual alms, for the soul of my father [and] predecessor Robert, that is count of Flanders, and also for our souls, all the land we had and possessed in the parish of St. Martin of Laires. 

Similarly the noble man Elenard and his wife Cecilia and his sisters Ermentrude and Anecina, with my agreement, gave and granted in alms to said church of the Holy Savior of Ham, all the land, cultivated and uncultivated they had and held from us in the parish of Laires to supplement. 

Therefore in confirmation of this alms I, Baldwin count of Flanders, and my mother countess Clementia and said noble man Elenard and his wife Cecilia and sisters of Elenard,  Ermentrude and Anecina, agreed/came together at Ham and placed said alms on the major altar with a branch and clod of earth*, benignly granting that said church of Ham and the abbot and monks serving God there, should have, hold and possess said land of Laires, ours and that of Elenard and his sisters, with all dominion and justice completely, freely and peacefully and in perpetuity. 

And so that all these might be observed firmly by our successors, I Baldwin, count of Flanders, ordered this writing to be made and confirmed for the memory of those to come by my seal and the subscribed witnesses.

These were enacted in the 1115th year of the lord’s incarnation, at the time of Louis, king of the Franks, and lord bishop John of Morienne.  Witnesses:  count Bertin chaplain, Charles noble relative of the count, Robert of Bethune advocate/protector,** Allard the butler, Baldwin the chamberlain, Walter son of Alard, Roger castellan of Lille, Baldwin castellan of Lens, Thibaut and Engelbert of Aire, Anselm of Lillers,, Hugo Morell, Peter of Malaunoy, Evrard Paduls of Cotenes, Walter of Horebeke (?Gaurebeka), Herman of Filummeis, Julian of Lira, Eustache of Sauye, Rainier of Kernes, Baldwin the Poitevin, Rainier his son, Theodore Peles, Waco his step-son and many others.

Original letter:

In nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti. Ego Baldewinus, Dei gratia Flandrensium comes, presentibus et futuris notum facio quod ego et domina mater mea Clementia, Flandrensium comitissa, dedimus ecclesiae S. Salvatoris de Ham in perpetuam eelemosinam, pro anima patris mei Roberti praedecessoris scilicet mei comitis Flandriae et etiam pro animabus nostris omnem terram quam habebamus et possidebamus infra parrochiam S. Martini de Lares. Similiter vir nobilis Elenardus et uxor ejus Cecilia et sorores ejus Hermentrudis et Anecina, me concedente, dederunt et concesserunt in eelemosinam prefatae ecclesiae S.Salvatoris de Ham, omnem terram cultam et incultam quam habebant et a nobis tenebant infra parrochiam de Lares ad supplementum. Ergo ad confirmationem hujus eelemosinae ego Balduinus, comes Flandrensium et mater mea Clementia comitissa et praefatus vir nobilis Helenardus et uxor ejus Cecilia et sorores Helenardi, Hermentrudis et Anecina, convenimus apud Ham et praefatas eelemosinas ibi super majus altare cum ramo et cespite posuimus, benigne concedentes ut prefata ecclesia de Ham et abbas el monachi ibidem Deo servientes, prefatam terram de Lares, tam nostram quam Helenardi et sororum ejus, cum omni dominio et omni prorsus justicia, libere et pacifice atque perpetuo habeant, teneant et possideant. Et ut haec omnia a successoribus nostris firmiter observentur, ego Balduinus, Flandrensium comes, scriptum hoc inde fieri et ad memoriam posterorum sigillo meo et testibus subscriptis corroborari precepi.

Acta sunt haec anno dominicae incarnationis MCXV, tempore Ludovici regis Francorum et domini Joannis Morinorum episcopi. Testes : Bertinus comitis capellanus, nobilis Karolus comitis consanguineus, Robertas Betuniae advocatus, Allardus li boutillers, Balduinus li cambrelens, Walterus filius Alardi, Rogerus castellanus de Lisle, Balduinus castellanus de Lens, Tibaldus et Engelbertus de Aria, Anselmus de Lileirs, Hugo Morellus, Petrus de Malaunoy, Evrardus Paduls de Cotenes, Walterus de Gaurebeka, Hermannus de Filummeis, Julianus de Lira, Eustachius de Sauye, Reinerus de Kernes, Balduinus li Poitevins, Renerus filius ejus, Theodoricus Peles, Waco privignus ejus et alii multi.

Historical context:

The count and his mother  give to the abbey of St. Sauveur, at Ham-en-Artois, all the land they had at Laires and ratify a  donation made to the same by Elenard, his wife Cecile,  and his sisters. 

Scholarly notes:

*These are traditional symbolic objects handed over at the transfer of property.  See examples in Adelaide of Turin and Susa:  “Moreover by the small knife, knotted straw, glove and piece of earth and branch of tree for the share of that monastery thereby I make legitimate transfer”  (1072, March 16, et al).  I am grateful to Adam Kosto for this explanation.

**Advocacy, was the office of a noble layman to administer secular justice and protection for an ecclesiastical lord, a bishop or abbot, whose domain was immune to other organs of secular power.

Printed source:

 F. Vercauteren, Actes des Comtes de Flandres, 1071-1128 (Brussels:  Palais des Academies 1938), #74, 169-71. 

Date: