A letter from Henry III, king of England, her husband (10/07/1253)

Translated letter:

Since a marriage was recently agreed on and confirmed, with our consent and will, at Portese, between the son and heir of William of Vescy, and one of the blood-relatives of Peter of Savoy, and that same William has already died, not wishing that the lands and holdings of the foresaid heir fall into the hands of anyone who might lay them waste or destroy them, the king wishes and charges the lady queen that she have the foresaid lands and holdings surveyed/assessed, and when the assessment is fixed, she remit in the king's name the custody of the lands and holdings of the foresaid heir to said Peter inasmuch as said custody can be held by another. And since he had been charged to take advantage of the king's wardships, he did not wish to do anything about them without his assent and counsel. Count Richard had a similar letter; the king wrote by the same words and letters patent to the lady queen and count Richard. Witness as above. Witness the king. In the camp before Benauges, 7th day of October. Again in the same manner it is charged to the lady queen and Richard, count of Cornwall, that Walter of Bathon or Stephen of Feugeres be given possession of the foresaid custody in his name. Witness, etc. At Bazas, 6th of December, in the 38th year.

Original letter:

Cum nuper apud Portesium, de assensu et voluntate nostra, prolocutum esset matrimonium et firmatum inter filium et heredem Willelmi de Vescy, et altera (sic) consanguinearum Petri de Sabaudia; et idem Willelmus jam in fata decesserit: nolentes quod terre et tenementa predicti heredis ad manus alicujus devenirent qui ea destrueret aut vastaret, rex vult et mandat domine regine quod predictas terras et tenementa extendi faciat; et cum de extenta illa certa fuerit, custodiam terrarum et tenementorum predicti heredis, nomine regis, dimittat dicto Petro pro tanto, quantum ab alio habere poterit pro custodia predicta. Et quia sibi dederat in mandatis quod de wardis regis faceret commodum suum, noluit de ipsis aliquid facere sine assensu et consilio suo. Consimiles litteras habuit comes Ricardus; et per eadem verba scripsit rex per litteras suas patentes domine regine et comiti Ricardo. Teste ut supra. Teste Rege. In castris ante Benauges, VII die octobr. Iterato mandatum est et eodem modo domine regine et Ricardo, comiti Cornubiensi, quod Waltero de Bathon, vel Stephano de Feugeres seisinam predicte custodie nomine suo habere faciant. Teste, etc. Apud Vasatas, VI die decembris, anno XXXVIII.

Historical context:

The king asks Eleanor to transfer the custody of holdings from the deceased father of a betrothed man to the family of his bride. There is a brief follow-up two months later. William de Vescy had sworn to Henry that he would accept as the wife of his heir a Savoyard bride to be provided by the queen and Peter of Savoy; that bride would eventually be Agnes de Saluzzo, a cousin of the queen's. (Howell, Eleanor of Provence, 53, 117, 134).

Printed source:

Lettres de Rois, Reines et Autres Personnages des Cours de France et D'Angleterre, ed. M. Champollion-Figeac (Paris: Imprimerie Royale, 1839), 1.107, ep. 15.

Date:

10/07/1253