A letter from Eleanor of Aquitaine (1152, May 26)

Translated letter:

In the name of the holy and individual Trinity. Since the memory of men slips away swiftly, lest any difficulty of controversy should arise over this among those to come, I Eleanor, by the grace of God duchess of Aquitainians and Normans, I signify to the future as well as the present, that by the counsel of illustrious men and the prayers of abbot Helie and the monks of Montierneuf and for the redemption of my soul and those of my father and my grandfathers, all those things which my ancestor gave, granted and confirmed, to the church of St. John the Evangelist of Montierneuf, and my father and grandfather similarly gave, granted and confirmed, I give, grant, and confirm and order to be held in perpetuity those things which have been acquired and those which will be acquired. I grant also and confirm all the protections which my ancestor, grandfather, and father gave to that monastery, and I place under the protection of total freedom all those things which are seen to pertain to it, and grant that they be free from every disturbance of whatever power, of all my relatives, and all my successors. And all things which are contained in the charter my father had made and ordered signed by his seal, I hold firm and grant to abbot Helie and the monks of Montierneuf and their successors to be held in perpetuity and possessed with immunity. The witnesses of this gift and grant are: Ebblo of Mauleon and his brother Ralph, and Hugo vicount of Chatellerault and his brother Ralph, and Segebrand Chabot et Saldebrol constable and many others. That this [charter] remain firm and unimpaired, I ordered it to be signed with the authority of our seal. This charter is dated at Poitiers by the hand of Bernard our chancellor, in the year 1152 from the Incarnation of the Lord, 7th kalends of June.

Original letter:

In nomine sancte et individue Trinitatis. Quoniam hominum memoria cito labitur, ne ob hoc inter posteros altercacionis scrupulus oriatur, ego Alienor, Dei gracia ducissa Acquitanorum et Normannorum, significo tam presentibus quam futuris, quod consilio illustrium virorum et precibus Helye abbatis et monachorum Novi Monasterii et pro remedio anime mee, patris et avi mei, illa omnia que ecclesie Sancti Johannis Euvangeliste Novi Monasterii actavus meus donavit, concessit et confirmavit, et similiter avus et pater meus donaverunt, concesserunt et confirmaverunt, tam in acquisitis quam in acquirendis do, concedo et confirmo et in perpetuum tenenda precipio. Concedo iterum et confirmo cuncta munimenta que actavus avus et pater meus eidem monasterio dederunt, et omnia illa que ad se pertinere videntur, sub tocius libertatis munimine pono, et ab omni inquietudine cujuscumque potestatis et omnium parentum meorum, cunctorumque successorum meorum libera esse concedo. Et omnia illa que in carta, quam pater meus eis fieri fecit et sigillo suo firmari precepit, continentur, rata habeo et Helye abbati et monachis Novi Monasterii successoribusque suis imperpetuum tenenda et quiete possidenda concedo. Hujus autem doni et concessionis testes sunt: Ebblo de Malo Leone et Radulfus frater ejus, et Ugo vicecomes castri Airaudi et Radulfus frater ejus, et Segebrandus Chabot et Saldebrol constabularius et alii quamplures. Ut autem [hec carta] firma et illibata permaneat, sigilli nostri auctoritate firmari precepi. Hec autem carta data est Pictavi, per manum Bernardi cancellarii nostri, anno M.C.L.II ab Incarnacione Domini, VII kalendas junii.

Historical context:

At the request of the abbot of Montierneuf, Eleanor confirms the donations and grants made by generations of her ancestors. This charter was presented at a meeting of the Medieval Academy of America by Janet Martindale, in a paper "Eleanor of Aquitaine, Queen of the French and Duchess of Aquitaine (1137-1152)," on April 3, 2008.

Printed source:

Recueil des Documents relatifs a L'Abbaye de Montierneuf de Poitiers (1076-1319), ed. Francois Villard (Poitiers, 1973), pp.135-36.

Date:

1152, May 26