A letter of commitment

Translated letter:

Under this agreement, Ramon, count, and Elisabeth, countess commit/entrust to Hugh William that castle/village of Fornells in this manner and this arrangement, that that Hugo swear fidelity to them and that he would not refuse said castrum of Fornells however often they ask for it and would give them power and control without deceiving them, and they would stay there as long as said count Ramon and countess Elizabeth or one of them wished, and that said Hugo would not send his castellans or castellan (male or female) into said castle without the counsel of said count Ramon and countess Elizabeth, and that said castellan (male or female) would commit himself to the hands of said count Ramon and countess Elizabeth, and that they would swear fidelity to them for said castrum Fornells that they would not refuse it to said count or countess however often they might ask them for it, and would give them power and control without deceiving them.  And all that is written here Hugo will do and keep to said count Ramon and countess Elizabeth.  And similarly said Hugo will have his wife Adalgard act within the limit that said count and countess set, and the sons of said Hugo when they are of age, so that they will act towards the said count and countess as said Hugo agreed to act and does, and that Hugo and his said wife and mother-in-law Ermesind and the said sons of Hugo when they are of age, will define and keep peace and withdraw for count Ramon and countess Elisabeth all said authority and every control/direction they proclaimed or had or will have in the future by whatever manner they ought to have it in said village of Fornells and in its building and in every allod that Bernard Ermengol conceded to said count and countess and that said Hugo swore oath and fidelity to said count Ramon and countess Elisabeth, which they asked for.  All the aforesaid Hugo and his wife and his mother-in-law and his sons, when they are of age, will do and keep to count Ramon and countess Elisabeth, and to that son to whom that said count Ramon and countess Elisabeth will have bequeathed all the aforesaid; and all this should be done without deception of the said count and countess Elisabeth.  And if it should happen that said Hugo die, similarly said count Ramon and countess Elisabeth will entrust  said castrum of Fornells to the oldest son of said Hugo, and if that oldest son of said Hugo should die, they will similarly entrust said castrum of Fornells to another son of said Hugo, and this under the aforesaid agreement.

And for this, in the name of the Lord, I said Hugo William, together with my said wife the woman Adalgard and with our sons put in mortgage/pledge every allod of ours which we have or ought to have  in the county of Gerona to you count Ramon and to countess Elizabeth in this manner and by this arrangement that if we should not have held or kept or done and did not see that all the above was done and kept of Fornells as is written above to you count Ramon and to you countess Elizabeth, all said allod which we pledged to you, will fall into your power to do with it as you should wish as fully your own.  And similarly all the said allod that we pledged will fall into your power, if our sons do not confirm to you this pledge which we gave you and do not keep all the aforesaid for Fornells when they are of age.  And if count Ramon and countess Elizabeth should die, Hugo and his wife and mother-in-law and his sons, when they are of age will do and keep all the aforesaid to the son to whom said count Ramon and countess Elizabeth will have bequeathed it all.  This was enacted on the 7th ides of February in the 18th year of the reign of king Henry.  Si+gn of Hugo William.  Si+gn of the woman Adalgard, who signed this agreement, authorizing the pledge of the allod in the said manner, and asked it to be signed by these witnesses.  Count Ramon. [no witnesses are listed]

Original letter:

Sub ista conveniencia Raimundus, comes, et Elisabet, comitissa, comendant ad Hugonem Guillelmi ipsum castrum de Fornels hoc modo et hoc ordine, ut ipse Hugo iuret inde eis fidelitatem et quod non vetet eis predictum castrum de Fornels quitquite vicibus requirant eum illi, et potestativos et dominos eos inde faciant sine illorum engan, et quod staticam ibi habeant quamdiu voluerint Remundus predictus, comes, et Elisabet, comitissa, aut unus ex eis, et quod predictus Hugo non mittat in predicto castro homines castellanos aut castellanum, aut feminas castellanas aut castellanam, sine consilio Remundi, comitis, et Elisabet, comitisse predictorum, et quod ipse castellanus aut castellana per hoc commendent se manibus ad Remundum, comitem, et ad Elisabet, comitissam, predictos, et quod iurent fidelitatem eis de predicto castro Fornels quod non vetent eum predicto comiti aut comitisse quitquit vicibus requirant eum illi aut illis, et potestativos et dominos eos faciant sine illorum engan.  Et hoc omne quod supradictum est, faciat Hugo et atendat ad Remundum, comitem, et ad Elisabet, comitissam, predictos.  Et similiter Hugo predictus faciat facere ad uxorem suam Adalgardi ad ipsum terminum quod comes et comitissa predicti mandaverint et ad filios Hugonis predicti quando etatem habuerint, ut tantum ipsi faciant ad comitem et comitissam predictos, quantum Hugo predictus eis facere convenit et facit, et quod Hugo et uxor sua predicta et socrus sua Ermesindis et filii predicti Hugonis, quando etatem habuerint, definiant et pacificent et evacuent ad Remundum, comitem, et ad Elisabet, comitissam, predictos omnes voces et omne directum que proclamaverint aut habuerint aut habent aut in futurum per quemcumque modum habere debent in predicto castro de Fornels et in suo edificio et in omni ipso alodio quod Bernardus Ermengaudi concessit ad dictum comitem et ad comitissam, et quod predictus Hugo iuret sacramentum et fidelitatem ad Reimundum, comite, et ad Elisabet, comitissa, predictos, quale ipsi eis requisierint.  Hec omnia predicta faciant et atendant Hugo et uxor sua et socrus sua et filii sui, quando etatem habuerint, ad Raimundum, comitem, et ad Elisabet, comitissam, et ad ipsum filium qui Raimundus predictus comes et Elisabet, comitisse, testati fuerint predicta omnia; et hoc omne sit factum sine engan predicti comitis et Elisabet, comitisse.  Et si Hugonem predictum mori contingerit, similiter Raimundus, comes, et Elisabet, comitissa, predicti comendent predictum castrum de Fornels ad maiorem filium Hugonis predicti, et si ipse maior filius Hugonis predicti mortuus fuerit, similiter comendent predictum castrum de Fornels ad alium filium Hugonis predicti, et hoc sub predicta conveniencia. 

Et propter hoc, in nomine Domini, ego Hugo Guillelmi predictus, una cum uxore mea predicta Adalgard, femina, et filiis nostris mittimus in pignus omne ipsum nostrum alodium quod habemus in comitatu Gerundense aut habere debemus ad te, Raimundum, comitem, et ad Elisabet, comitissam, hoc modo et hoc ordine, ut, si non tenuerimus et non adtenderimus et non fecerimus et facere et attendere non procuraverimus predicta omnia de Fornels sicut suprascripta sunt ad te, Raimundum, comitem, et ad te, Elisabet, comitissam, predictum omne alodium, quod vobis in pignore mittimus, incurrat in vestra potestate ad faciendum exinde quodcumque volueritis ad vestrum plenissimum proprium.  Et similiter incurrat predictum omne alodium quod vobis in pignore mittimus in vestra potestate, si filii nostri non firmaverint vobis hoc pignus quod vobis mittimus et non adtenderint vobis predicta omnia de Fornels quando etatem habuerint.  Et si Raimundum, comite, et Elisabet, comitissa, mori contingerit, hec omnia predicta faciant et atendant Hugo et uxor sua et socrus sua et filii sui, quando etate[m] habuerint, ad ipsum filium cui Raimundus, comes, et Elisabet, comitissa predicta, omnia testati fuerint.  Actum est hoc II idus februarii anno XVIII regni Henrici, regis.  Sig+num Hugonis Guillelmi.  Sig+num Adalgardis, femine, qui hanc convenienciam, auctorizando hoc pignus alodii secundum predictum modum, firmaverunt et his testibus firmari rogaverunt.  Reimundus, comes.

Historical context:

The count and countess commit the castrum of Fornells to Hugh of William and his wife Adalgard which they had vacated in a charter drawn up the previous day (Epistolae 26373.html).   In a will made by Bernard Ermengol, who had previously held Fornells, on May 3, 1048 (LFM  1.450-52 #431), he says that if he has a son, the son and his mother should be under the protection of the count and countess, if no son is born, Fornells should revert to them.  Apparently no son was born so they commit Fornells to Hugh and Adalgard.  A castrum is an administrative unit with a castle at the center.

Printed source:

Liber Feudorum Maior (LFM), ed. Francisco Miquel Rosell, (Barcelona, 1945),1.453-54, #433.

Date: