A letter from Eleanor of Provence (1264)

Translated letter:

E[leanor], by the grace of God queen of England, lady of Ireland, duchess of Acquitaine, to her beloved Peter of Bordeaux, holding the position of seneschal in Gascony, greetings and love. Since by a certain arrangement about the castle of Bergerac and its holdings made between our dearest lord H[enry], by the grace of God illustrious king of England, and Edward, our firstborn, on one side, and Renaud de Pons and Marguerite, his wife, [on the other], that Renaud and Marguerite, his wife, should recover said castle with all its holdings, we charge and order you to give over or have given over said castle with all its holdings according to the tenor of the letters of the most excellent lady and our sister M[arguerite], by the grace of God queen of France, without difficulty or any delay. Done at Paris, Tuesday after the Trinity, in the year of the Lord 1264.

Original letter:

A., Dei gracia regina Anglie, domina Hibernie, ducissa Aquitanie, dilecto sibi Petro de Burdegala, tenenti locum senescalli in Vasconia, salutem et dileccionem. Cum per quandam composicionem castri Brageriaci et pertinenciarum ejusdem inter karissimum dominum nostrum H., Dei gracia regem Anglie illustrem, et Edwardum, primogenitum nostrum, ex parte una, et Reginaldum de Pontibus et Margaritam, ejus uxorem, factam, iidem Reginaldus et Margarita, ejus uxor, dictum castrum cum omnibus pertinenciis recuperare debebant, mandamus vobis et precipimus quatinus castrum predictum cum omnibus pertinenciis predictis secundum tenorem litterarum excellentissime domine et sororis nostre M., Dei gracia regine Francie, deferenti deliberetis seu deliberari faciatis, sine difficultate et dilacione quacumque. Actum Parisiis, die Martis post Trinitatem, anno Domini millesimo cc. lx.iiij.

Historical context:

A long dispute between Renaud de Pons and his wife on one side and the English crown on the other over the castle of Bergerac had eventually been turned over to Marguerite, the queen of France and Eleanor's sister, to settle. Marguerite found for Renaud and his wife (see letters of Marguerite of Provence for the terms of the decision and her letter to Peter of Bordeaux, Epistolae 514.html). Eleanor accepted her sister's decision and acted on it, asking her senechal in Gascony to enforce it (Howell, 212).

Printed source:

Recueil d'actes relatifs à l'Administration des rois d'Angleterre en Guyenne au XIIIe siècle (Recogniciones Feodorum in Aquitania) ed. Chs. Bémont (Paris: Imprimerie Nationale, 1914), s.503 p.226

Date:

1264