A letter from Marguerite of Provence (1264)

Translated letter:

Marguerite, by the grace of God queen of France, to the noble man and her dearest lord Peter of Bordeaux, seneschal of Gascony, greetings and affection of sincere love. Since the dispute long carried on between the illustrious king of England, our dearest brother, and lord Edward, his firstborn, our dearest nephew, on one side, and Renaud de Pons and Marguerite, his wife, on the other, has been amicably put to rest by us, to whom said parties recently gave full power, as is fully contained in the written form of that agreement, we charge you to restore to said Renaud and his wife the earth that was Elie Rudelh's, father of said Marguerite, and which he possessed at the time of his death, that is the castle of Bergerac with all its appurtenances and all others as it came into the hands of said king of England and Edward his son, or otherwise in their charge, and induct them into the bodily possession of the aforesaid, observing the form of the composition which we sent you under our counterseal, and approach the places that you consider best suited and necessary to carry this out without delay. Visit Issijac as well, enjoining and ordering the men of that place to obey said Renaud and his wife from now on in those things in which they were held to obey Elie Rudelh when he was alive. Dated Paris, second Ides of June, in the year of the Lord, 1264.

Original letter:

Margarita, Dei gracia Francie regina, nobili viro et karissimo domino suo, domino P. de Burdegala, tenenti locum senescalli Vasconie, salutem et sincere dileccionis affectum. Cnm questio diu agitata inter illustrem regem Anglie, karissimum fratrem nostrum, et dominum Edwardum, ejus primogenitum, nepotem nostrum karissimum, ex una parte, et Reginaldum de Pontibus et Margaritam, ejus uxorem, ex altera, per nos, cui dicte partes plenariam nuper dederunt potestatem, amicabiliter sit sopita, prout in litteris confectis super ipsa convencione plenius continetur, vobis mandamus quatinus, formam composicionis observantes quam sub contrasigillo nostro vobis misimus, terram que fuit Elie Rudelh, patris predicte Margarite, et quam tempore mortis sue possidebat, videlicet castrum Bregeriaci cum omnibus pertinenciis ejusdem et omnibus aliis, prout ad manum dicti regis Anglie et Edwardi, ejus filii, aut alterius de mandato eorumdem, devenerit, dictis Reginaldo et ejus uxori restituatis et in corporalem possessionem predictorum inducatis eosdem, et loca que videritis expedire et neccesse fuerit ad hujusmodi adimplendum sine dilacione aliqua accedatis; declinetis eciam apud Issijac, injungentes et precipientes ejusdem loci hominibus quod predictis Reginaldo et ejus uxori ex nunc obediant in hiis in quibus tenebantur obedire Elie Rudelli, tempore quo vivebat. Datum Parisiis. ij. idus Junii, anno Domini .m.cc.lx.quarto.

Historical context:

A long dispute between Renaud de Pons and his wife on one side and the English crown on the other over the castle of Bergerac had eventually been turned over to Marguerite to settle. Marguerite found for Renaud and his wife. Eleanor accepted her sister's decision and acted on it, asking her senechal in Gascony to enforce it (see Eleanor of Provence's letter to Peter of Bordeaux, Epistolae 650.html). Marguerite also wrote to the seneschal transmitting her decision and orders.

Printed source:

Recueil d'actes relatifs a l'Administration des rois d'Angleterre en Guyenne au XIIIe siècle (Recogniciones Feodorum in Aquitania) ed. Chs. Bémont (Paris: Imprimerie Nationale, 1914), s.503 p.226.

Date:

1264