A letter from Aleid

Sender

Aleid/Adelaide of Holland

Receiver

Public

Translated letter:

Aleid, lady of Hainaut, wife of the late lord John of Avesnes of pious memory, to all the faithful of Christ who will look at the present page, greetings and every good.

We wish it known to your community and we acknowledge by the witness of the present writing that for the debt of thirty pounds which we owed the church of Koningsveld and for the other ten pounds which we had assigned as alms to that church, we have conferred on it eight acres (iugera) of land, which is called the Maartensland, lying within the Elfhoeven, to remain perpetually for its use in this manner, namely that the convent of the said church of Koningsveld as recompense of said alms generously conferred on it by us will solemnly celebrate the memory of lord John of Avesnes our late husband of pious memory and our own after our death and that of our brothers of pious memory lord William illustrious king of the Romans and his brother lord Florens and our parents each year on our anniversaries.

So that no challenge may arise in the future over these matters, namely to the church and convent of Koningsveld, we obligate ourselves and our heirs in the presents to guarantee to lend them from said land or from the owed 40 of the prescribed pounds and we have secured this to that church with the present writing, strengthened by the protection of our seal.

Enacted in Delft in the 1265th year of the Lord in the month of February, with Gerard of Akerslote, judge in Delft, and many others, present and sworn witnesses.

Original letter:

Aleidis domina Hanonie, quondam pie memorie domini Iohannis de Auennis uxor, universis Christi fidelibus presentem paginam inspecturis, salutem et omne bonum.

Universitati vestre notum esse cupimus et presentis scripti testimonio profitemur  quod nos pro debito triginta librarum quas debebamus ecclesie de Konincsvelt et pro decem libris aliis quas in elemosinam eidem ecclesie duximus assignandas, eidem contulimus octo iugera terre, que Terra Martini nuncupatur, iacentia inter Undecim Mansos, suis usibus perpetuo permansura sub hac forma, videlicet quod conventus preferate ecclesie de Konincsvelt pro reconpensatione predicte elemosine sibi a nobis liberaliter collate pie memorie domini Iohannis de Auenis quondam mariti nostri memoriam necnon et nostram post obitum nostrum ac fratrum nostrorum pie memorie domini Willelmi illustris regis Romanorum et domini Florentii fratris sui ac parentum nostrorum singulis annis in anniversariis nostris sollempniter celebrabunt.

Ne itaque super hoc ipsis, videlicet ecclesie et conventui de Kunincsvelt, in posterum aliqua calumpnia possit oriri, ad warandiam ipsis prestandam de prefata terra sive de debito XL librarum prescriptarum nos et heredes nostros presentibus obligamus et hoc eidem ecclesie presenti scripto communimus sigilli nostri munimine roborato.

Actum in Delf anno Domini M° CC° LX° quinto, mense februario, presentibus et testibus Gerardo de Akerslote iudice in Delf, iuratis, et aliis quampluribus.

Historical context:

The countess announces that she has granted eight acres of land to a church to pay the alms she had promised, so they will celebrate the memory of her brothers and their parents.

Printed source:

Oorkondenboek van Holland en Zeeland tot 1299, ed. A.C.F.Koch, 3.438-39, #1409

Date:

1266, February 3

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.7916/90p2-g450

This is an archived work created in 2024 and downloaded from Columbia University Academic Commons.