Sender
Eleanor of Aquitaine
Receiver
Public
Translated letter:
Eleanor, by the grace of God queen of England, duchess of Normandy and Aquitaine, countess of Anjou, to all the faithful of Christ to whom the present writing will come, greetings in the Lord.
Your whole community should know that we, for the salvation and redemption of our soul and those of our ancestors and descendents, have given to God and the church of Fontevrault ten pounds rent annually in Poitevin money, paid from the provosture of our people of Oleron, on the feast of St. Michael to be received each year: notwithstanding that we have instituted payment to lord Roger, our chaplain and brother of Fontevrault, who will celebrate divine services in our chapel at Fontevrault, in honor of St. Laurence, to receive said ten pounds annually as long as he lives: after the death of said Robert, the abbess of Fontevrault will have installed whom she wishes as chaplain in that chapel, from her order, who will receive the aforesaid ten pounds to sustain him for his life; and all his successors will similarly have that rent and possess it in perpetuity. And that this our donation, which we gave in pure alms to said church and chaplaincy of St. Laurence, remain undisturbed in the future, we have fortified the present charter with the affixing of our seal; and we place and commend it to the protection of God and blessed Mary and the holy church and the highest pontiff and the archbishop of Bourdeaux and the bishops of Poitiers and Saintes, lest in the future any of our successors should attempt to dispute or break this donation of ours.
Witnessed by: Maurice, bishop of Poitiers, Henry bishop of Saintes, by whose counsel this donation was made; Geoffrey decan, Hugo subdecan, William of La Roche, William of St. Laurence, William Vimar archdeacon of Poitiers; Ralph of Faye our kinsman, Hamelin of Brolio and Peter Capicerio, our knights; Matilda vicountess of Oenaic; Roger, Joscelin, and Rannulf, our chaplains; master Richard and Geoffrey of Chinon, our clerks; Geoffrey of Chauvigny, Geoffrey of Yenne (?Jaunaio), and William our servants.
Dated at Poitiers, by the hand of William of St. Maxentius, our clerk, in the year of grace 1199.
Original letter:
Alienor, Dei gratia regina Anglie, ducissa Normannie, Aquitannie, comitissa Andegavie, omnibus Christi fidelibus ad quos presens scriptum pervenerit, salutem in Domino.
Noverit universitas vestra quod nos, pro salute et remedio anime nostre et antecessorum et successorum nostrorum, donavimus Deo et ecclesie Fontis Ebraudi decem libras annui redditus, Pictavensis monete, in prepositura reddituum nostrorum Oleronis, ad festum sancti Michaelis singulis annis percipiendas: ita tamen quod dominus Rogerus, capellanus noster et frater Fontis Ebraudi, qui divina celebrabit in capella nostra quam apud Fonte Ebraudi, in honore beati Laurentii, fundavimus, dictas decem libras annuatim percipiet quamdiu vixerit; post decessum vero predicti Rogerii, abbatissa Fontis Ebraudi capellanum in eandem capellam institui faciet quem voluerit, de ordine suo, qui prenominatas decem libras ad sustentationem suam habebit, ad vitam suam; et omnes successores sui eundem redditum similiter habebunt et possidebunt imperpetuum. Et ut hec nostra donatio, quam in puram elemosinam prefate ecclesie et capellanie beati Laurentii donavimus, inconcussa permaneat in posterum, presentem cartam sigilli nostri appositione roboravimus; eamque sub protectione Dei et beate Marie et sancte ecclesie et summi pontificis et Burdegalensis archiepiscopi et Pictavensis atque Xanctonensis episcoporum ponimus et commendamus, ne in posterum ab aliquibus successoribus hec nostra donatio calumpniari attemptari, valeat vel infringi.
Hiis testibus: Mauricio Pictavensi episcopo, Henrico Xanctonensi episcopo, quorum consilio hec donatio facta fuit; Gaufrido decano, Hugone subdecano, Guillelmo de Rupe, Willelmo de Sancto Laurentio, Willelmo Vimario archidiacono Pictavensi; Radulfo de Faia cognato nostro, Hamelino de Brolio et Petro Capicerio, militibus nostris; Matildi vicecomitissa Oenaici; Rogero, Joscelino et Rannulfo, capellanis nostris; magistro Richardo et Gaufrido de Chinone, clericis nostris; Gaufrido de Calviniaco, Gaufrido de Jaunaio, et Willelmo servientibus nostris.
Data apud Pictavim, per manum Willelmi de Sancto Maxentio, clerici nostri, anno gratie MCLXXXXnono.
Historical context:
Eleanor assigns 10 poitevin pounds annually from the provostship of Oleron for the chapel of St. Laurent de Fontevrault, which she founded, and its chaplain Roger during his lifetime, and afterwards for whoever is named by the abbess for that position.
Printed source:
M. P. Marchegay, "Chartes de Fontevrault concernant l'Aunis et la Rochelle," 2nd series, BEC 19 (1857-58), 339-40.
Date:
1199
