A rise in status

Translated letter:

Elizabeth by the grace of God queen of Hungary to all the faithful of Christ present and future who will have notice of the presents greetings in the eternal Lord.  It is known to be of concern to royal and reginal sollicitude to measure the merits of individuals and raise them higher particularly by the reward of their generosity, particularly one brought up from the first times of his childhood in their home, who in age and virtues deserved to receive the increases, not at all fearing to expose himself to various kinds of dangers for the honor of the realm and the reginal crown.  Therefore we wish to bring to the notice of all of you by the contents of these that when Damian, cleric, son of Gregory, Jacou son of James, and Stephen son of Benedict, our vine-growers from the town of St. Benedict of Kaal (Szentbenedekkál), from the first times of their childhood serving continually in our home, never leaving us in our times of need, gave pleasing and agreeable service, namely in carrying out our missions as well as other services, humbly asked us that we deign to transfer them for the merits of these kinds of services, moving them from their status with their possessions by reginal benevolence into the number and society of reginal servants.  And since we considered their petitions legitimate and appropriate, having taken counsel of our barons, and we wish to respond to each according to the demands of their merits with recompense, so that others stimulated by their example may be enflamed yet more to the zeal of loyalty, we have determined to transfer that Damian and through him Moxas with his sons, Poukam son of Guegus, sons of his brother and through Jacou his brother Garmanum and through Stephen his brothers Martin and Timothy and their heirs and successors with all their possessions which their grandfathers and fathers possessed removing them from their status [transferring them] into the number and assembly of royal servants.  And so that this freedom granted from us to them remain always safe and unbroken and cannot in the course of time be maliciously revoked by anyone as invalid, we have granted the present letters strengthened by the protection of our double seal.  Dated by the hand of master Gregory our faithful, chancellor of our court in the 1273rd year of the Lord.

Original letter:

[E]lysabeth Dei gratia regina Hungarie universis Christi fidelibus tam presentibus, quam futuris presentium notitiam habituris salutem in Domino sempiternam. Regie reginalisque sollicitudinis interesse dinoscitur metiri merita singulorum et illos specialius sue munificentie premio extollere potiori, qui a primevis pueritie sue temporibus in domo eorundem educati, sicut etatis, sic virtutum meruere recipere incrementa pro regie et reginalis corone honore variis se periculorum generibus nullatenus exponere formidantes. Proinde ad universitatis vestre notitiam harum serie volumus pervenire, quod cum Damianus clericus filius Gregorii, Jacou filius Jacobi et Stephanus filius Benedicti vinitores nostri de villa Sancti Benedicti de Kaal a primevis sue pueritie temporibus iugiter in domo nostra serviendo et nos in nullis necessitatibus nostris relinquendo gratum nobis et acceptum impendissent famulatum, tam videlicet in deferendis legationibus nostris, quam aliis servitiis impendendis, a nobis humiliter postularunt, quod ipsos propter huiusmodi servitiorum suorum merita a conditione eorum auferendo cum possessionibus suis de benignitate reginali in numerum et collegium servientum regalium transferre dignaremur. Et quia nos petitiones ipsorum habito consilio baronum nostrorum legitimas et congruas fore consideravimus velimusque unicuique secundum exigentium suorum meritorum retributionis titulo respondere, ut alii eorum exemplo provocati ad fidelitatis studia fortius accendantur, ipsum Damianum et per eum Moxam cum filiis suis, Poukam filium Guegus, filios fratris sui et per Jacou Garmanum fratrem suum ac per Stephanum Martinum et Thymotheum fratres suos et heredes eorum seu successores cum omnibus possessionibus eorum, quas avi et patres ipsorum possiderunt a conditione eorum penitus eximendo in numerum et cetum servientum regalium duximus transferendos. Et ut hec a nobis eisdem concessa libertas salva semper et inconcussa permaneat, nec processu temporum possit per quempiam in irritum malitiose revocari, presentes eisdem concessimus litteras duplicis sigilli nostri munimine roborando. Datum per manus magistri Gregorii fidelis nostri, aule nostre cancellarii anno Domini millesimo CCo septuagesimo tertio.

Historical context:

The queen rewards the service of various men and their relations by raising them to the status of reginal servants.  Zsoldos, The Árpáds, 130-31, notes that some of the queen’s clerics came from lower ranks of society and were ennobled by her, as is true here of Damian.

Translation notes:

Az Árpád-házi hercegek, hercegnök és a királnék okleveleinek kritikai jegyzéke, Regesta ducum, ducissarum stirpis Arpadiana, ed. E. Szentpétery, A. Zsoldos (Budapest 2008),  72. #103.

Date: