Sender
Eleanor of Aquitaine
Receiver
Public
Translated letter:
Eleanor, by the grace of God queen of England, duchess of Normandy, of Aquitaine, and countess of Anjou, to the archbishops, bishops, abbots, counts, vicounts, barons, seneschals, provosts, bailiffs, and all the sons of holy mother Church, greetings in true salvation.
Your whole community should know that we, for the salvation of our soul and in pious remembrance of king Henry, and good memory of our son king Henry, and the powerful man king Richard and our other sons and daughters, [we] have given and granted, with the consent and will of our dearest son John, illustrious king of England, to God and blessed Mary and the nuns of Fontevrault, to celebrate our anniversary and that of our said sons, a hundred Poitevin pounds, to be received each year from our provosture of Oleron, from the first crop, before the king or prince or any other take anything from it: namely on the feast of St. John the Baptist 50 pounds, and on the nativity of the Lord another fifty pounds; without contradiction, delay, or any interference. So that this donation may be firm and persevere unchanging in perpetuity, we have commended it to writing and have had it reinforced by the protection of our seal.
Before these witnesses: Bartholomew archbishop of Tours, Helya archbishop of Bordeaux, Maurice bishop of Poitiers, Henry bishop of Saintes, William of Rupibus seneschal of Anjou, Geoffrey of Celle seneschal of Poitou, Brandin seneschal of Gascony, Peter Bertin, Peter Foucher and many others.
Dated by the hand of William of St. Maxentius, our clerk, at Fontevrault, in the year of the incarnate Word, 1199, in the first year of the reign of king John.
Original letter:
Alienor, Dei gracia regina Anglie, ducissa Normannie, Aquitanie, comitissa Andegavie, archiepiscopis, episcopis, abbatibus, comitibus, vicecomitibus, baronibus, senescallis, prepositis, baillivis, et omnibus sancte matris Ecclesie filiis, salutem in vero salutari.
Noverit universitaas vestra quod nos, pro salute anime nostre et venerabilis viri nostri pie recordationis Henrici regis, et bone memorie regis Henrici, filii nostri, et potentis viri regis Ricardi ceterorumque filiorum ac filiarum nostrarum, dedimus et concessimus, cum assensu et voluntate karissimi filii nostri Johannis, illustris regis Anglie, Deo et beate Marie et sanctimonialibus Fontis Ebraldi, ad faciendum anniversarium nostrum et predictorum filiorum nostrorum, centum libras Pictavenses, percipiendas singulis annis in prepositura nostra de Olerone, de primo proventu antequam rex vel princeps vel aliquis alius quicquam inde percipiat: videlicet ad festum Sancti Johannis Baptiste quinquaginta libras, et ad Nathale Domini alias L libras; sine contradictione, dilatione, omni occasione cessante. Ut autem donatio ista firma et stabilis in pepetuum perseveret, scripto eam commendari et sigilli nostri munimine fecimus roborari.
Testibus hiis: Bartholomeo Turonensi archiepiscopo, Helya Burdegalensi archiepiscopo, Mauritio Pictavensi episcopo, Henrico Sanctonensi episcopo, Willelmo de Rupibus senescallo Andegavie, Gaufrido de Cella senescallo Pictavie, Brandino senescallo Gasconie, Petro Bertini, Petro Foscher et multis aliis.
Datum per manum Willelmi de Sancto Maxentio, clerici nostri, apud Fontem Ebraudi, anno incarnati Verbi millesimo CLXXXXnono, anno regni regis Johannis primo.
Historical context:
Eleanor, with the assent of her son John, endows the abbey with 100 poitevin pounds for the salvation of the souls of her husband and children and her own, and to celebrate the anniversaries of their deaths.
Printed source:
M. P. Marchegay, "Chartes de Fontevrault concernant l'Aunis et la Rochelle," 2nd series, BEC 19 (1857-58), 337-38.
Date:
1199
