A letter from Eleanor of Provence (09/07/1253)

Translated letter:

Mandate to William le Bretun on information by Robert son of Peter de Lekeburn that, whereas Gilbert de Cunnynggesholm held of him the manor of Cunninggesholm by knight service, after his decease his wife being pregnant by him and near childbed, Alan brother of the said Gilbert, being not yet of full age, intruded himself by force into the said manor which ought to be in the wardship of the said Robert until the age of the right heir of that manor, either a boy to be born, if it should live, or the said Alan—to cause the wife of the said Gilbert to be seen and by words and belly to be examined by good matrons whether she be pregnant or not, and afterwards by the oath of good men, knights and free men, to enquire of the truth of the premises, and if he find the thing to have been done as stated to cause Alan and his force, which he keeps with him in the said manor to the disherison of the child to be born, to be amoved by the sheriff of Lincoln, whom the king has commanded to be intendant to him; and to cause the said Robert to be inducted into the wardship of him as chief lord; saving the right of anyone hereafter. Testibus, Queen Eleanor and R.&c.

Historical context:

When Henry III went to Gascony to deal with a rebellion, he appointed Eleanor to run the government with the counsel of his brother Richard of Cornwall (who was married to Eleanor’s sister Sanchia). The Patent Rolls record the actions she took in that position.

Scholarly notes:

(1) After the first two volumes of the Patent Rolls published in Latin, the editors shifted to English translations, explaining that the "language tends gradually to become more formal and verbose."

Printed source:

Calendar of the Patent Rolls, Henry III, 1247-58, 4.222; summary in English.(1)

Date:

09/07/1253