A donation

Translated letter:

We, Isabella, by the grace of God queen of Hungary commending to memory signify to all to whom this reaches, by the contents of the present, that when lord Ladislaus, illustrious king of Hungary, our dearest consort, conferred certain conditionaries of his belonging to the estate at Héfiz (Calidis Aquis), namely Hetem, Thomas, Peter called Sokorou, payers of half a ferto to that estate, also Chydur and John son of Stephen, wine-givers with all their heirs and lands, possessions and other things pertaining to them on the holy sisters of the church of the Blessed Virgin, we, awaiting a donation of this kind being made by our lord king and wishing to provide for the salvation of our soul, [we] gave, donated, and conferred those payers of half a ferto and wine-givers, as much as we have that pertains to our granting, on those sisters to be possessed and held perpetually to serve in those conditions, in which they were held to serve our lord king and us.  Wishing that no one of the judges established at the time in Csepel Island (Magna Insula)  would have jurisdiction over those conditionaries with opportunity to collect their customary or extraordinary taxes in any way, since we wish that all their taxes be paid to those sisters fully and wholly.  We also say that all those who occupied lands or possessions of said conditionaries obtained by letters with false accusation or in whatever way, we revoke by the presents and wish said possessions to be possessed in every way by those sisters.  When the presents are transcribed for us, we shall have our privilege/charter on the noted donation given.  Dated in the Island of the Blessed Virgin on the feast of the Ascension of the Lord, in his 1277th year.

Original letter:

Nos I[sabella] Dei gratia regina Hungarie memorie commendantes significamus, quibus expedit, universis presentium per tenorem, quod cum dominus Ladislaus, illustris rex Hungarie, consors noster karissimus, quosdam conditionarios suos ad clicium pertinentes existentes in Calidis Aquis, Hetem videlicet, Thomam, Petrum dictum Sokorou, solutores dimidii fertonis ad ipsum clicium, item Chydur et Johannem filium Stephani, vinidatores cum omnibus heredibus suis seu terris, possessionibus et aliis ad eosdem pertinentibus devotis dominabus sororibus ecclesie Beate Virginis contulisset, nos donationem huiusmodi per dominum nostrum regem factam adtendentes volentesque consulere saluti anime nostre, eosdem solutores dimidii fertonis et vinidatores, quantum in nobis est, ad nostramque pertinet collationem, dedimus, donavimus et contulimus eisdem sororibus perpetuo possidendos et habendos in eisdem conditionibus servituros, in quibus domino nostro regi et nobis tenebantur famulari.  Volentes, quod nullus iudicum de Magna Insula pro tempore constitutorum in eosdem conditionarios iuriditionem (sic) habeat occasione debiti ipsorum consueti aut collectarum emergentium quovismodo, quia volumus, quod universa debita eorum eisdem sororibus persolvant plene et integre.   Dicimus etiam, quod omnes eos, qui de terris seu possesisonibus predictorum conditionariorum per litteras aliquas falsa suggestione aut quocunque modo impetratas occupassent, revocamus per presentes et per easdem sorores modis omnibus volumus possideri possessiones antedictas.  Presentes autem cum nobis reportate fuerint, privilegium nostrum dari faciemus super donatione prenotata.  Datum in Insula Beate Virginis, in festo Asscensionis Domini, anno Eiusdem Mo Cco LXXo septimo.

Historical context:

Adding to her husband’s donation of conditionaries (conditional serfs) to the sisters on the Island of Rabbits, the queen adds what pertains to her right, her wine-givers and the taxes they pay, and revoking any documents to the contrary, insists those taxes be paid to the sisters.  Zsoldos, The Árpáds, 50, suggests that what the queen added from her own right was probably the county/ispánate of Óbuda.

Printed source:

Budapest történek okleveles emlékel.  Monumenta diplomatica civitatis Budapest, I (1148-1301), ed. D. Csánky (Budapest:  Gárdonyi, 1936), 164-65, #148

Date: