A letter from Blanche of Navarre, Countess of Champagne (August, 1214)

Translated letter:

I, Blanche, countess palatine of Troyes, make known to all who see the present letters that when my dearest lord William, bishop of Langres, had come to Troyes on his own business, I asked him if he pleased to receive there the homage of my dearest son count Thibaut. He answered that he ought not receive that homage except at Langres, but for my favor and love of my son, so that my effort would be spared, he would receive that homage at Troyes, excepting the right of the Langres church and his own, and excepting the right of my son. Thus he accepted that homage and I granted and grant that in this there will be no prejudice to the church of Langres or to that bishop in his right, but his right shall remain secure and my son’s to him. In witness of which I had the present letters written and fortified by my seal. Enacted in the year 1214, in the month of August.

Original letter:

Ego, Blancha, comitissa Trecensis palatina, notum facio universis presentes litteras inspecturis quod, cum karissimus dominus meus Willermus, Lingonensis episcopus, pro quibusdam negociis suis Trecas venisset, rogavi eum ut, si ei placeret, reciperet ibidem homagium karissimi filii mei comitis Theobaldi. Ipse vero respondit quod non, nisi Lingonis homagium illud recipere debebat, set pro mei gracia et amore filii, ut labori meo taliter parceretur illud homagium reciperet Trecis, salvo jure Lingonensis ecclesie et suo, et salvo jure filii mei. Sic autem accepit homagium illud, et ego concessi et concedo quod in hoc nullum prejudicium fiat ecclesie Lingonensi vel ipsi episcopo in jure suo, set eis jus suum bene salvum remaneat et filio meo suum. In cujus rei testimonium presentes litteras fieri volui sigilli mei apposicione munitas. Actum anno MCCXIIII mense augusto.

Historical context:

The countess explains how Thibaut’s homage to William, bishop of Langres came about and affirms that it does not in any way interfere with the rights of the church of Langres or its bishop. Evergates takes the homage sworn by Thibaut to the king and to various others, including archbishops of Reims and Sens, bishops of Langres, Châlons, and Autun, the duke of Burgundy and the count of Nevers, as evidence of a succession crisis, always in the wings, but emerging more openly at this point: the acceptance of his homage confirmed “Thibaut’s control of Champagne lands and hence his succession” (Feudal Society, 47). The letter of the bishop of Langres says: We wished to make known to your whole body that for the whole fief which our beloved and faithful B[lanche] countess of Troyes held from us, we have received as our man the [son] of the countess, Thibaut count of Champagne, as his predecessors held that fief from our predecessors, except for the bailey of said countess which she should hold until said count has completed his twenty-first year, if she should wish. To the prayers of said count we have granted said countess that if the count wished to leave that bailey before he is twenty-one, unless he does so through his mother, we would help her in good faith and compel said count to remain in the bailey of his said mother. Enacted in the year of grace 1214, in the month of August. (Longnon, 1.472, ep.13).

Manuscript source:

Cartulary of the bishopric of Langres, copy M. de la Boullaye, fo 48r.

Printed source:

Documents relatifs au Comté de Champagne et de Brie, 1172-1361, ed. Auguste Longnon (Paris: Imprimerie Nationale, 1901) v.1 Les Fiefs, 472-73, ep.14.

Date:

August, 1214