A letter from Eleanor of Aquitaine (?)

Translated letter:

Eleanor, by the grace of God queeen of England, duchess of Normandy and Aquitaine, countess of Anjou, to all the faithful in Christ to whom the present writing comes, greetings in the Lord. Whatever we wish to be stable and lasting, so that it may be more stable and lasting, we commend to the testimony of letters. All your comnmunity should know that we, for love of God and devotion to piety, have given and confirmed by this our present charter to our beloved granddaughter Alix, daughter of Alice of happy memory once countess of Blois our dearest daughter, ten pounds rent in Poitevin money to be paid annually from our rent at Oleron, at the time of St. Michael, as long as she lives for her own uses to be held and possessed freely and with immunity. After the death of our said granddaughter, we have given and confirmed by this our present charter, the said ten pounds annual rent to God and Blessed Mary and the church of Fontevrault, for the love of God and the redemption of our soul and those of all our ancestors and descendents in pure and perpetual alms, to be possessed freely and with immunity by perpetual right and to be received each year on said date of St. Michael from our said rent of Oleron, to celebrate the anniversaries of our said granddaughter and her mother in that church. And so that this our donation remain undisturbed in the future, we have fortified the present charter by the affixing of our seal; and we commend it and place it under the protection of God and blessed Mary and the holy church and the highest pontiffs and the bishops of Poitiers and Saintes, lest any of our successors attempt to dispute or break this our donation. With these witnesses: Maurice bishop of Poitiers, Henry, bishop of Saintes, by whose counsel and authority this donation was made and confirmed; Geoffrey decan, Hugo subdeacon, William of Roche, William of St. Laurence, William Vimario, archdeacons of Poitiers; Ralph of Faye, our relative; Hamelin of Brolio and Peter Capiceri, our knights; Matilda vicountess of Oenaic(?); Roger, Joscelin, Ralph our chaplains; master Richard of Gnowesal and Geoffrey of Chinon, our clerks; Geoffrey of Chauvigny, Geoffrey of Yenne (?Jauneio), William, our servants. Dated at Poitiers, by the hand of said Roger, our chaplain.

Original letter:

Alienor, Dei gratia regina Anglie, ducissa Normannie, Aquitannie, comitissa Andegavie, omnibus Christi fidelibus ad quos presens scriptum pervenerit, salutem in Domino. Quicquid volumus esse stabile et firmum, ut stabilius et firmius sit, commendamus testimonio litterarum. Noverit igitur universitas vestra nos, pro amore Dei et intuitu pietatis, dilecte nepti nostre Aelizie, filie felicis memorie Aaelizie quondam comitisse Blesensis karissime filie nostre, dedisse et hac presenti carta nostra confirmasse decem libras redditus Pictavensium monete, annuatim percipiendas in redditu nostro Oleronis, ad terminum sancti Micahelis, quamdiu vixerit in proprios usus libere et quiete tenendas et habendas. Post decessum vero predicte neptis nostre, supradictas decem libratas redditus dedimus, et hac presenti carta nostra, confirmavimus Deo et Beate Marie et ecclesie Fontis Ebraldi, pro amore Dei et pro redemptione anime nostre et omnium antecessorum nostrorum et successorum nostrorum in puram et perpetuam elemosinam, libere et quiete jure perpetuo possidendas et singulis annis ad prefatum terminum sancti Micahelis in predicto redditu nostro Oleronis percipiendas, ad anniversarios jam dicte neptis nostre et matris ejus in eadem ecclesia fatiendos. Et ut hec nostra donatio inconcussa permaneat in posterum, presentem cartam sigilli nostri appositione roboravimus; eamque sub protectione Dei et beate Marie et sancte ecclesie et summi pontificis et episcoporum Pictavensis et Xanctonensis ponimus et commendamus, ne in posterum ab aliquibus successoribus nostris hec nostra donatio calumpniari, attemptari valeat vel infringi. Hiis testibus: Mauritio Pictavensi episcopo, Henrico Xanctonensi episcopo, quorum consilio et auctoritate hec donatio facta fuit et confirmata; Gaufrido decano, Hugone subdecano, Willelmo de Rupe, Willelmo de Sancto Laurentio, Willelmo Vimario, archidiaconis Pictavensibus; Radulfo de Faia, cognato nostro; Hamelino de Brolio et Petro Capiceri, militibus nostris; Matildi vicecomitissa Oenaici; Rogero, Joscelino, Rannulpho capellanis nostris; magistro Ricardo de Gnowesale et Gaufrido de Chinone, clericis nostris; Gaufrido de Calviniaco, Gaufrido de Jauneio, Willelmo, servientibus nostris. Data apud Pictavim, per manum Rogeri predicti, capellani nostri.

Historical context:

Eleanor grants 10 poitevin pounds from the provostship of Orleans for the use of her granddaughter, the nun Alix and after her death for the celebration of the anniversary of her death and her mother's. This Alix is the daughter of Eleanor's daughter Alix and Thibaut of Blois. She later became abbess of the monastery.

Printed source:

M. P. Marchegay, "Chartes de Fontevrault concernant l'Aunis et la Rochelle," 2nd series, BEC 19 (1857-58), 340-41.

Date:

?