A letter of confirmation and reward

Translated letter:

Elizabeth by the grace of God queen of Hungary to all the faithful of Christ present and future who will look at the present writing greetings in the savior of all.  We wish to bring to the notice of all of you by the contents of these that when lord king Ladislaus and duke Andrew his brother, our dearest sons, when their most victorious father lord Stephen illustrious king of Hungary was taken away from their midst when they were at a tender age they were unable to govern the kingdom and their subjects with the necessary rule, and thus by foreign enemies and dissension of the barons among themselves various suffering in the kingdom and injurious actions to the inhabitants in the depriving of possessions threatened the immunity of those desiring to help out of piety, we agreed that Damasa and Thomas, nobles of Bench, sons of Matthew, holding land in the county/ispánate of Veröce, would possess the land called Lusanch near the Hua river in that county of Veröce, which lady Maria our mother-in-law of pious memory gave them in exchange for the land of Bryzniche with vineyards and all its appurtenances, to that same Damasa and Thomas sons of said Matthew and their heirs and successors of the heirs to hold in perpetuity and possess in that manner that if they were deprived of the solace of heirs, they would have the ability freely to bequeath and sell that land to whomoever they wished, except for the right of princely rule in all things, which we reserve to ourselves and our successors.  For collections/fees, let them receive a third portion of marten-fur and other debts to be paid by their people to us.  We have granted moreover that if summoned they are by no means held to come to the court of the lord king or ours or of anyone else’s judge beyond Drava.  And that a foreign person cannot produce foreign witnesses against them. 

The boundaries of that land are designated in this way.  The first boundary begins from the east by three trees called beechwood (byk)  at the head of the Nepesch well/trench next to the land of master Giles going south beside the village (vyznicatus) lands it comes to a cherry (cherasy) tree signed with a cross and from there to a hornbeam (gyrtyan) tree surrounded by a land boundary, then it reaches the river Hua and through the river goes westward and from that river it goes out to an apple tree surrounded by an earth boundary, thence to a certain stream in a hayfield and through that stream above westward to a gyrtyan tree under which is a land boundary thence to a fuuz tree signed with a cross, surrounded by a land boundary, then it rises to a rise (byrch) and through that byrch it turns back northward and comes to the land of James, son of Beche, where there is an yhor tree surrounded by land boundary and there between two vineyards it comes to a cherry (cherasy) tree signed with a cross, thence moving directly to a tract on the mountain up to a large vineyard of aforesaid Matthew and there it moves to the road beside the land of master Giles and crossing through it it reaches though land boundaries to three previously mentioned trees and the mentioned boundary, and ends there.  In memory and perpetual stability of which thing we have granted the present letters  to Damasa and Thomas on said possession, strengthened by the protection of our double seal.  Dated by the hand of master Gregory, faithful chancellor of our court, in the thousand two hundred seventy fifth year.

Original letter:

Elysabeth dei gracia regina Hungarie vniuersis Christi fidelibus tam presentibus quam futuris presens scriptum inspecturis salutem in omnium saluatore.  Ad vniuersitatis vestre noticiam harum serie volumus peruenire, quod cum dominus Ladizlaus rex et dux Andreas frater eiusdem, karissimi filii nostri victoriosissimo patre eorum domino Stephano illustri rege Hungarie de medio sublato in etate tenera constituti regnum et subditos suos debito nequirent regimine gubernare et exinde per hostes extraneos varie necessitates regno et per discordiam baronum inter se habitam iniuriarum acciones incolis eiusdem in ablacione possessionum imminerent inmunitati, quorumlibet ex officio pietatis succurrere cupientes Damasa [et] Thome nobilibus de Bench filiis Mathye in comitatu de Wereuce more nobilium terram tenentibus duximus annuendum, ut terram Lusanch vocatam prope fluuium Hua existentem ad eundem comitatum de Wereuce pertinentem, quam domina Maria socrus nostra pie memorie eisdem in concambium terre Bryzniche dedit cum vineis et omnibus pertinenciis suis, iidem Damasa [et] Thomas filii Mathie antedicti ac heredes heredumque suorum successores perpetuo tenere valeant et eo modo possidere, vt si heredum solacio fuerint destituti, legandi et uendendi cuicunque voluerint ipsam terram liberam habeant facultatem, saluo in omnibus iure dominii principalis, eo quod nobis et nostris successoribus reseruamus.  De collectis, autem marturinarum et aliis debitis populorum suorum nobis persoluendis, terciam recipiant porcionem.  Concessimus insuper, vt ultra Drauam ad curiam domini regis et ad nostram vel alterius iudicis cuiuscunque citati nullatenus accedere teneantur.  Et quod persona extranea testes extraneos producere non possit contra ipsos.  Mete autem ipsius terre hoc ordine distinguntur.  Prima meta incipit ab oriente per tres arbores byk vocatas de capite putey Nepesch iuxta terram magistri Egidii tendens uersus meridiem iuxta terras vyznicatus peruenit ad arborem cherasy cruce signatam et inde ad arborem gyrtyan meta terrea circumfusam, inde peruenit ad fluuium Hua et per ipsum fluuium tendit versus occidentem et de illo fluuio exit directe ad arborem pomi meta terrea circumfusam, deinde tendit ad quendam riuulum in feneto et per eundem riuulum supra versus occidentem ad arborem gyrtyan sub qua est meta terrea deinde ad arborem fuuz cruce signatam meta terrea circumfusam, postea ascendit ad byrch et per ipsum byrch reflectitur ad septemtrionem et peruenit ad terram Jacoby filli Beche ubi est arbor yhor meta terrea circumfusa et ibi inter duas vineas peruenit ad arborem cherasy cruce signata, inde tendens directe ad eandem plagam in monte usque ad magnam vineam Mathye antedicti et ibi tendit ad viam iuxta terram magistri Egidii et transiens per eandem per metas terreas peruenit ad tres arbores antedictas et metam memoratam, ibique terminantur.  In cuius rei memoriam firmitatemque perpetuam presentes eisdem Damase [et] Thome ad dictam possessionem concessimus litteras duplicis sigilli nostri munimine roboratas.  Datum per manus magistri Gregorii aule nostre fidelis cancellarii, anno domini millesimo ducentesimo septuagesimo quinto.

Historical context:

In return for their service when there were rebellions against her young sons, the queen confirms the holding of land which her mother-in-law had granted them, along with special fees and rights, and she details the boundaries of that land.

Printed source:

Codex diplomaticus regni Croatiae, Dalmatiae et Slavoniae, ed. T. Smiciklas (Zagreb, 1904-34), 6.144-45, #129.  

Date: