A letter from Ermengol of Urgell

Translated letter:

In the name of the Lord.  I, Ermengol, count and marquis, with noone compelling by force or persuading by artifice but my own spontaneous will, chose to make a charter of donation to you, Arnau Mir of Tost and to your wife Arsenda.  By this document of my donation I give you the castrum of of Bescaràn with the church of St. Andrew which is there, together with the parish with its tithes and first fruits or payments and its appurtenances, with lands and vineyards and homes and gardens or mills and milling rights with their water courses and head waters, fruit-bearing and non-bearing  trees as said castrum now has them and said church held in former times, and whatever I have there and ought to have by whatever rights to that castrum and pertaining to that church.  Said castrum with said parrish and church are in the county of Urgell.  This castrum has these abutments:  in the east on the boundary of the castrum of Taraval, in the south on the boundary of castrum Benavent or in Petra or Tolon, and in the west on the boundary of castrum Concas, to the north on the boundary of castrum Lordan or Castellion.  Whatever is included within these abutments and whatever these boundaries contain, I give you in the aforenamed castrum with all its boundaries and appurtenances and with all that I added.  All the aforesaid, indeed, that I give you completely, I hand over by my right to your rule and power as your own allod to do whatever you will with it, and that is manifest.  And if I, the donor, or any man attempted to oppose this document of donation or to break or nullify it, whether my posterity or any successor of mine or any person of either sex, they could not prevail or make the claim, but I or he must pay to you or your posterity and your successors all the above which I give you with any improvement in quadruple; and henceforth this charter must remain firm now and for all time.  This charter of donation was made on the 2nd kalends of June in the 24th year of king Henry.  Sign+ of Ermengol, count, I who ordered this document of donation to be made with willing spirit and asked witnesses to sign and signed with the customary sign of the cross of the Lord.  Sign+ of Brocard William.  Sign+ of Bernard Trasvar.  Sign+ of Bertran Borrell.  Sign+ of Gauceran.  Sign+ of Arnau Mir. Sign+ of William Mir.  Raymond, priest, wrote this as asked on the day and year above.

Original letter:

In nomine Domini. Ego Ermengaudus, comes et marchio, null[i]us. cogentis imperio nec suadentis ingenio, set propria [et] expontanea elegit mihi volumptas. ut facio carta donationis ad te, Arnallo Mironi de Tost, et uxori tue Arsendis. Per hanc scriptura donacionis mee dono vobis castrum Bescarri cum ecclesiam Sancti Andree qui ibi est, simul cum ipsa parrochia cum decimis et primiciis sive oblacionibus atque pertinenciis eius, cum terris et vineis et domibus et ortis sive molendinis et molendinariis cum illorum decursibus et caput aquis, arboribus promiferis atque impomiferis, quantumcumque modo tenet predictum castrum et iam dicta ecclesia et preteritis temporibus tenuit, et quan­tumcumque ibi abeo et abere debeo per quascumque voces ad ipsum castrum et ad ipsa ecclesia pertinentes. Est, namque, predicto castro cum iam dicta parrochia et ecclesia in comitatum Orgellitano. Abet affrontaciones ipsum castrum: a parte orientis in termine de castrum Taravalli, et de meridie in termine de castrum Benavent vel in ipsa Petra sive et de Tolon, et de occiduo in termine de castrum Concas, de parte, vero, circi in termine castrum Lordano sive de Castelione. Quantum infra istas affrontaciones includunt et isti termini continent, sic dono vobis prenominato castro cum omnibus suis terminis et pertinenciis et cum quantum supra misi ab integrum. Supradicta vero omnia, que vobis dono ad integrum, de meo iure in vestrum trado dominio et potestatem ad vestrum proprium alaudem ad faciendum exinde quodcumque volueritis facere, et est manifestum. Et si ego donator aut ullus omo qui contra ista scriptura donacionis venero aut venerit ad inrumpendum aut ad evacuandum, aut mea posterita aut aliquis succesor meus ad hoc venerit aut aliquis omo utriusque sexus, non hoc valeant aut valeat vendicare, set componam aut componat vobis vestreque posteritati et succesoribus vestris supradicta omnia que vobis dono cum omnem suam inmelioracionem in quadruplum; et in antea ista carta firma permaneat modo vel omnique tempore.  Facta carta donacionis II kalendas iunii anno XXIIII regis Enrici.  Sig+num Ermengaudus, comes, qui hanc scripturam donacionis libenti anima fieri iussi et testes firmarique rogavi et per crucem Domini solito signo signavi.  Sig+num Brocardi Guilelmi.  Sig+num Bernardi Trasvarii.  Sig+num Bertranni Borrelli. Sig+num Gaucerann.  Sig+num Arnallo Ermomiro.  Sig+num Guilelmo Mironi.  Remundum, sacerdotem, rogatus scripsit et die et anno quod supra.

Historical context:

This charter records a donation which count Ermengol made to Arnau and Arsend of the castrum of Bescaràn and the church of St. Andrew, afterwards given to Raymond, count of Pallars, as allod, as contained in a treaty between the count of Urgell and Raymond.  A castrum is an administrative district including a castle with a fortification.

Printed source:

Liber Feudorum Maior, 1.122-23, #122.  

Date: