Wednesday, September 30, 2015

1460 Fealty Oath

Alexandre, Prince of Insulae Draconis ( +Jeff Berry ) put me in touch with one of his subjects (Robert de Canterbury, Visct. O.P. & Etc) who also likes playing with words and period legal documents and I've been having a fun time looking over his blog, which can be found at http://forsooth.pbworks.com/w/page/13933257/FrontPage

Among the fun things I found there was a 1460 fealty oath given by the Duke of York and the Earl of Rutland:

 Item, the said Richard duke of York, shall promise and bind him by his solemn oath, in manner and form as followeth:

In the name of God, Amen. I Richard duke of York, promise and swear by the faith and truth that I owe to almighty God, that I shall never do, consent, procure or stir, directly or indirectly, privily or openly, nor as much as in me is and shall be, suffer to be done, consented, procured or stirred, anything that may be or tend to the abridgement of the natural life of king Henry the Sixth, or to the hurt or diminishing of his reign or royal dignity, by violence or any other wise, against his freedom and liberty; but that if any person or persons, would do or presume anything to the contrary, I shall with all my power and might withstand it, and make it to be withstood as far as my power will stretch thereunto; so help me God, and these holy evangelists.

Item, Edward earl of March, and Edmund earl of Rutland, the sons of the said Richard duke of York, shall make like oath.


I am completely stealing this for Saturday  :-)  +Brennan mac Fearghus   +Meredith Bailin Hull , you've been warned.   :-)

Tuesday, September 15, 2015

More evidence of jointly-issued charters

SCA award texts tend to be issued jointly by the King and Queen, unless the award is specific to one Royal or another (like the East's Queen's Order of Courtesy).   As I expand my sources for period legal texts, I'm finding more and more evidence that this practice follows period examples.  Many of the examples of jointly-issued texts I'm finding right now are from the Latin Kingdom of Jerusalem (aka Outremer aka the Crusader Kingdoms of the Middle East), because I'm working on a large article on medieval naming practices in that region.

Here are some more specific examples, for other people interested in this field:


Ego Raimundus, Dei gratia Tripolitanus comes, et Hodierna coniunx mea, eadem gratia Tripolis comitissa, regis Iherusalem filia

I Raymond, count of Tripoli (Tripolitan count) by the grace of God, and my spouse/wife Hodierna, by that same grace countess of Tripoli, daughter of the king of Jerusalem

From a charter issued 1140 (http://epistolae.ccnmtl.columbia.edu/letter/25262.html)


Notum sit omnibus presentibus et futuris, quod ego Henricus Trecensis comes palatinus assensu et voluntate domine Ysabellis, quondam regis Amalrici filie

Let it be known to all present and future that I, Henry count palatine of Troy, with the consent and will of lady Isabella, daughter of former king Amalric

From a charter issued 1193 (http://epistolae.ccnmtl.columbia.edu/letter/25248.html)


Notum sit omnibus presentibus et futuris, quod ego Aymericus dei gracia rex Ierusalem nonus et rex Cipri voluntate et assensu domine Ysabellis, uxoris mee, illustris regine et illustris quondam regis Amalrici filie

Let it be known to all present and future that I, Aimeric, by the grace of God ninth king of Jerusalem and king of Cyprus, with the will and consent of lady Isabel, my wife, illustrious queen and daughter of former illustrious king Amalric

From a charter issued 1198 (http://epistolae.ccnmtl.columbia.edu/letter/25256.html)


Ego Gwido de Lysanan rex nobilis Ierosolimis et Sibilla nobilis regina, uxor mea legittima

 I, Guy of Lusignan, noble king of Jerusalem, and Sibylla noble queen, my legitimate wife

From a charter issued 1186 (http://epistolae.ccnmtl.columbia.edu/letter/25234.html)