HENRY II CONFIRMS TWO MARRIAGE CONTRACTS

INDEX:
1. The contract between Michael de Sainte-Marie-du-Bois and Henry de Hueceio (click here)
2. The contract between Geoffrey fitzMabel and Hamo the Butler (click here)



1. Henry II Confirms a Marriage Contract

Notes: The date of this act must be prior to December 1170.

TEXT:

Henry, king of the English, duke of the Normans and Aquitanians, and Count of the Angevins to the Archbishop of Rouen and the bishops, counts, barons, justices, viscounts, and all his ministers in Normandy, greetings.

Know that I have conceded and by the present charter confirmed the agreement [conventionem] made in my presence between Michael de Sainte-Marie-du-Bois and Henry de Hueceio.  Namely, that Michael gives all his land to Henry along with his first-born daughter [in marriage], thus so that Henry shall give Michael's other daughter honorably [in marriage] to a man when she shall reach marriageable age, and that Henry shall provide her with a dowry from his own money.  But if it should happen that the elder daughter should die before she is able to marry him, Henry himself ought to marry the younger one.  Henry de Hueceio became my man [devenit homo meus] for the land of the aforesaid Michael, at the request and with the agreement of the same Michael.  For which reason I want and firmly command that this agreement ought to remain firm and stable, and ought to be held unbroken between them, just as it had been done in my presence.

Witnesses: Richard de Humetis, constable; William de Caineto, Richard de Canville; Fulk Paenellus, William Malet, William de Hastings, William de Tracy, Thomas de Colunciis, William Patrick, Eudo son of Ernesius, William Torel, and Reginald de Pavilleius

[done] at La Fleche.

SOURCE: Paris, Archives Nationales, L975.  Printed in Recueil des Actes de Henri II, p. 445. Translated from the Latin by Richard Barton.



2. HENRY II CONFIRMS ANOTHER MARRIAGE CONTRACT

Notes: I have not yet analyzed the date range for this act.  Until I do it must be dated 1154-1189.

TEXT:
Henry, king of the English, duke of the Normans and Aquitanians, and Count of the Angevins, to the Archbishop of Rouen, bishops, abbots, counts, barons, justices, viscounts, and all my officials and vassals [fidelibus] in Normandy, greetings.

Know that Geoffrey son of Mabel, in my presence and with my permission, gave Agnes, his daughter, to Hamo the Butler, my official [servienti meo], as his wife.  Geoffrey gave her together with all his inheritance in land or money, in purchases and lawful exactions [in justis perquisitionibus] and in all other matters, regardless of which fief they are from, with the exception of those things that the same Geoffrey had earlier given to his older daughters as their marriage portions.  I moreover conceded all these things to Hamo and his heirs by Agnes and confirmed them with this charter of mine.  For which reason I want and firmly command that the said Hamo and his heirs by the said Agnes shall have and hold all those things, with all their appurtenances, in wood and field, in field and pastures, in waters and mills and fishponds [vivariis] and fishermen [piscariis], in roads and paths, and in all other places and with all other things belonging to them; I confirm these things free and quiet, wholly and honorably, with all liberties and free customs, just as Geoffrey or any of his ancestors before him held and had them better and more freely.

With these witnesses: Henry bishop of Bayeux, etc.

At Bur.
 

SOURCE:

Recueil des Actes de Henri II, pp. 536-537, no. 408, after a copy in the 13th-century Cartulaire de Normandie, Bib.de Rouen, ms 1235, fol 44v.  Translated from the Latin by Richard Barton



Theses translations are copyrighted by Richard Barton.  Permission is granted for electronic copying, distribution in print form for educational purposes and personal use. If you do reduplicate the document, please indicate the source. No permission is granted for commercial use.

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