A letter from Eleanor of Provence, queen of England (1262)

Translated letter:

Let all who see the present letters know that we, Eleanor queen of England by the grace of God, lady of Ireland and duchess of Aquitaine, join with lady Beatrice, countess of Provence, our dearest mother on the manor of Havelin in the diocese of Norwick in this manner, namely, that our said mother ceded, quitted, and gave us and ours in perpetuity the aforesaid manor with its rights and appurtenances which she had for her life and for fifteen years beyond from the donation of her lord husband and [our] dearest husband the illustrious king of England, retaining nothing in them. And we promise in good faith and under obligation of all our goods for the aforesaid donation and quittance to assign 100 marks of good and legal sterling in rents annually for the work of the house of the hospital of Jerusalem in Les Echelles which our said mother founded and we are held to make said assignment [assigned payment] at the judgment of the major preceptor of said hospital of Jerusalem who will be at that time in England but if we can not make said assignment when we come to England, we promise under said obligation that we will pay and give to said preceptor whoever he is at that time and to the work of said hospital of Les Echelles, 1500 marks of good and legal sterling to correct payment of the aforementioned rents within the next three years namely on the next feast of St. Michael 500 marks and so on each year on said feast 500 until the [debt of] 1500 marks to said preceptor is fully satisfied. Let it also be known that if said assignment of 100 marks in annual rents can not be made and had for the aforesaid sum of 1500 marks, we promise to supply the whole deficit and we wish to be held and especially obligated to this and we renounce all written or non-written and customary right in this by which we might contravene the aforesaid or any [part] of it. In witness of which we have had our letters patent made. Enacted at St. Maurice of Fossés on the day of St. Michael of Mont Tomba in the year of the lord 1262.

Original letter:

Noverint universi presentes litteras inspecturi quod nos Alianora dei gratia regina Anglie, domina Hibernie et ducissa Aquitanie super manerio de Havelin Norwickensis diocesis cum domina Beatrice comitissa Provincie mater nostra karissima convenimus in hunc modum videlicet quod dicta mater nostra manerium predictum cum juribus et pertinenciis suis quod habebat ad vitam suam et per quindecim annos ultra de donatione domini viri et viri karissimi illustris regis Anglie cessit quietavit et donavit nobis et nostris in perpetuum nichil penitus retinens in eodem. Et nos pro predicta donacione et quietancia promitimus bona fide et sub obligatione omnium bonorum nostrorum assignare 100 marchas sterlingorum bonorum et legalium in redditibus annuatim ad opus domus hospitalis jerosolimitanensis de Scalis quam fundavit predicta mater nostra et predictam assignationem tenemur facere ad arbitrium prioris maioris dicti hospitalis ierosolimitanensi qui pro tempore fuerit in partibus Angletanis verum si dictam assignationem facere non possemus quando in Anglia venerimus promictimus sub obligatione predicta nos soluturas et daturas dicto priori qui pro tempore fuerit nomine et ad opus dicti hospitalis de Scalis mille et quingentas marcas bonorum et legalium sterlingorum ad emendos redditus supradictos persolvendos infra tres annos proxime venturos videlicet in festo beati Michaelis proxime venturi quingentas, marcas et sic singulis annis in dicto festo quingentas marcas quousque de dictis mille et quingentis marcis fuerint prefato priori plenarie satisfactum. Item sciendum quod si predicta assignatio centum marcarum in redditibus annuatim non poterit fieri et haberi pro predicta summa mille et quingentarum marcarum nos totum defectum de nostro proprio suplere promictimus et ad hoc volumus nos teneri et specialiter obligari et in hoc renunciamus omni juri scripto et non scripto et consuetudinario per quod possemus venire contra predicta vel aliquod predictorum. In cuius rei testimonium has nostras litteras fieri fecimus patentes Actum apud Sanctum Maurum de Fossatis die beati Michaelis in monte tumba anno domini millesimo ducentesimo sexagesimo secundo.

Historical context:

This is an agreement Beatrice made with her daughter Eleanor to cede Havelin to her for an annual rent to be paid to the Hospital of St. John of Jerusalem which Beatrice founded.

Manuscript source:

Archivi di Stato di Torino, Hôpital des Echelles, #1.

Printed source:

Francisque Viard, Beatrice de Savoye (Lyon: L'Echo de Savoie, 1942) 122-23, document #14.

Date:

1262