year: 1193
initiator: Gaufridus de Donjon, master of the Hospital
recipient: Church of Valenia and its bishop Anterius
institution: Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem
text: Jan. 1-31. Gaufredus de Donjon sancte domus Hospitalis Christi pauperum magister Hospitalis with the unanimous assent of all the Order of the Hospital of St John of Jerusalem, including the chapter, makes a sealed grant, restoring to the church of Valenia [ecclesia Valaniensis] and its bishop Anterius the right to take all those tithes of the lordship of Margattum that it was accustomed to enjoy in the time of the late dominus Rainaldus, with some exceptions. The church will have full tithes from casalia and their produce, carragia and rents; half tithes on the returns of poultry, eggs and cheese; whole tithes on the returns from the funda, platea, dyeworks and other revenues of Margatum. Full tithes will also be paid on the revenues of mills, except for the Order’s milling; half tithes on produce sold from gardens in which the Order has worked with its own labour and and at its own expense, but if any garden be rented out, full tithes will be paid. Half tithes will be paid on oil, but if the olive groves are rented out whole tithes will be due. Half tithes will be paid on carrucae and vineyards worked directly by the Hospital. Whole tithes will be due from the port, as in the days of lord Rainald, on grape juice [must] and wine, sumach, almonds and figs, jars, pots and pitchers. 15 Antiochene besants a year will be paid in place of tithes on the oven, unless it needs to be repaired, when tithes will be reduced while it is out of use. On five feasts - Easter, Pentecost, the Nativity of St John the Baptist, the Assumption of St Mary and All Saints - the Suriani and Armeni outside the town [suburbii], who have donkeys, will bring 10 somae of myrtle [mirtus] to the church of Valenia, which will enjoy freedom in all things as in the days of dominus Reinaldus. Witnesses: Dominus episcopus Anteradensis; Stephanus castellanus Margati; frater Petrus de Mirmanda castellanus Crati; frater Willelmus Lombardus; frater Raimundus Petri prior; frater Willelmus Borrel marescalcus; frater Martinus Gotzaldus preceptor; frater Robertus de Capenni; Bernardus de Sollempniaco; frater Bertran de Pignan; frater Gillebertus; and many brothers; Petrus de Fuare; Petrus de Coquina; and others; of the milites, Bertrandus de Gibelet; Stephanus Daillan; Amalricus frater ejus; Aimfredus; Johannes de Meunendon; Adam; Petrus Salerni; Petros scriba; of the canons, Simon Anteradensis archidiaconus; Valn. Beritensis; Petrus Ascalonensis; Pascalis. The charter was drawn up by Radulfus capellanus.
Jan. 1-31. Gaufredus de Donjon sancte domus Hospitalis Christi pauperum magister Hospitalis with the unanimous assent of all the Order of the Hospital of St John of Jerusalem, including the chapter, makes a sealed grant, restoring to the church of Valenia [ecclesia Valaniensis] and its bishop... more
sources: Delaville Le Roulx Cart Hosp 1:595-6, no. 941 (RRH no. 708)
RRR: Correspondence/envoy
1348
year: 1193
initiator: Gaufridus de Donjon, master of the Hospital
recipient: Frater W. de Vileruns prepositus ultramarinus
institution: Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem
text: Apr. 30. Frater Gaufridus sancta domus Hospitalis Hierusalem humilis magister and his chapter send frater W. de Vileruns prepositus ultramarinus news of the deaths of Mestoc [on 1 October], the vetus dominus Assyriorum, the sultan of Konya, and Saladin [on the Wednesday of the first week of March], among whose sons in Aleppo, Damascus and Cairo [Babylonia] there is discord. Now may be the time to recover the Holy Land.Truces still prevail, but the Latin East is short of inhabitants.
Apr. 30. Frater Gaufridus sancta domus Hospitalis Hierusalem humilis magister and his chapter send frater W. de Vileruns prepositus ultramarinus news of the deaths of Mestoc [on 1 October], the vetus dominus Assyriorum, the sultan of Konya, and Saladin [on the Wednesday of the first week of March... more
sources: Delaville Le Roulx, Cart Hosp 1:597-8, no. 945 (RRH no. 712)
RRR: Correspondence/envoy
1372
year: 1196
initiator: Gaufridus de Donjon, master of the Hospital
recipient: King Sancho VII of Navarre
institution: Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem
text: Apr. 1-30. Frater Gaufridus domus Hospitalis [Iherusalem] humilis magister et Christi pauperum servus writes to King Sancho VII of Navarre. He calls for assistance, dwelling on the danger facing the Latin East, the appeals from his brothers in captivity and the absence of enough defenders. He reports that Sefedinus [al-‘Adil], ruler of Old Cairo [Babilon] and Damascus, has raided the county of Tripoli and is expected in Palestine any day. He has made his son [al-Muazzam ‘Isa], lord of Jerusalem. He adds that the Nile has flooded disastrously and that Egypt is suffering extreme famine.
Apr. 1-30. Frater Gaufridus domus Hospitalis [Iherusalem] humilis magister et Christi pauperum servus writes to King Sancho VII of Navarre. He calls for assistance, dwelling on the danger facing the Latin East, the appeals from his brothers in captivity and the absence of enough defenders. He... more
sources: Garcia Larragueta, El Gran Priorado 2:89-90, no. 87 (RRH no. 728)
RRR: Permission/licence/authorization
1416
year: 1198
initiator: Gaufridus de Donjon, master of the Hospital
recipient: Inhabitants of the place called Cornaon
institution: Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem
text: *Nov. 24. Geofroy de Donjon, master of the Hospital of St John of Jerusalem, licences the inhabitants of the place called Cornaon, who are vassals of the Order, to plant vineyards at Cornaon and Malefogasse.
*Nov. 24. Geofroy de Donjon, master of the Hospital of St John of Jerusalem, licences the inhabitants of the place called Cornaon, who are vassals of the Order, to plant vineyards at Cornaon and Malefogasse.
sources: Delaville Le Roulx, Cart Hosp 1:656, no. 1045 (RRH no. 747e)
RRR: Correspondence/envoy
1438
year: 1199
initiator: Gaufridus de Donjon, master of the Hospital
recipient: King Sancho VII of Navarre
text: Apr. 23. Acre. Frater Gaufridus, Christi pauperum servus et domus Hospitalis Ierusalem humilis magister, writes to King Sancho VII of Navarre, explaining the politics of Ayyubid family relationships following Saladin’s death. He describes the attempts made by Saladin’s son, the domnus Babilonie [al-‘Aziz ‘Uthman of Egypt]], to displace his elder brother the domnus Damasci [al-Afdal ‘Ali of Damascus], the efforts of Cephedinus frater Saladini [al-‘Adil] to reconcile his nephews and his support for al-‘Aziz, who has replaced al-Afdal as the senior Ayyubid prince [honore Laoce quod interpretatur corone decoravit]. Gaufridus reminds Sancho that the truces negotiated between Saladin and King Richard I of England have ended. al-‘Adil and al-‘Aziz have reached Jerusalem and their intentions with respect to a renewal of the truce are not known in Acre. The county of Tripoli is not covered by any truce. He adds that the Holy Land, which is short of manpower, can be reconquered if the Christians will increase the forces at their disposal.
Apr. 23. Acre. Frater Gaufridus, Christi pauperum servus et domus Hospitalis Ierusalem humilis magister, writes to King Sancho VII of Navarre, explaining the politics of Ayyubid family relationships following Saladin’s death. He describes the attempts made by Saladin’s son, the domnus Babilonie [al... more
sources: Garcia Larragueta, El Gran Priorado 2:87-8, no. 86 (RRH no. 752)
RRR: Correspondence/envoy
1489
year: 1201
initiator: Gaufridus de Donjon, master of the Hospital
recipient: Prior Anglie of the Hospital of St John of Jerusalem
institution: Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem
text: Dec. 24 1200 - early summer 1201. [270] The magister Hospitalis Jerusalem informs the prior Anglie of the Hospital of St John of Jerusalem that the bishop of Acre, many pilgrims and many Hospitallers on their way to the West on the business of the Holy Land perished in a shipwreck off Biblium on the coast of Tripoli during the last passagium. Other ships carrying Hospitaller messengers from Acre were forced by storm damage to seek refuge in Tripoli. He reports that in the Muslim world the lord of Damascus, Sephadinus [al-‘Adil], has become master of Cairo [Babilon], expelling his nephew and others and is in a tense relationship with the sultan of Aleppo and many others. The Nile has failed to flood, leading to famine and the loss of livestock in Egypt, and a host of Egyptians have descended, like locusts, on the Holy Land. A young low-born Saracenus has been preaching an evangelical Christian campaign and has converted and baptized 2000. With the threat posed to the Latin East by the union of Damascus and Cairo, he appeals for help to the prior and to the king of England. He adds that in the invasion of Sicily by the Germans and Lombards the Hospitaller commandery [domus] of Barletta has been abandoned and that since the prior Anglie himself left the East no provisions have been received from the kingdom of Sicily, leading the Order to great expense in supplying its commanderies [domus] and castles. He needs money from the western Hospitaller communities. He asks for help to be sent on the next passagium in March.
Dec. 24 1200 - early summer 1201. [270] The magister Hospitalis Jerusalem informs the prior Anglie of the Hospital of St John of Jerusalem that the bishop of Acre, many pilgrims and many Hospitallers on their way to the West on the business of the Holy Land perished in a shipwreck off Biblium on... more
sources: Delaville Le Roulx, Cart Hosp 2:1-2, no. 1131 (RRH no. 787)
RRR: Agreement/treaty
1495
year: 1201
initiator: Gaufridus de Donjon, master of the Hospital
recipient: Philippe de Pleisset, master of the Knights Templar
institution: Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem
additional institution: Templars
text: *1201. [271] At the initiative of frère Geoffroy de Donjon, master of the Hospital of St John of Jerusalem, and Philippe de Pleisset, master of the Knights Templar, and of the leading brothers in both Orders, the Hospitallers of St John of Jerusalem and the Knights Templar come to an agreement. The only public oven in Valanie will belong to the Templars, but the bishop and the Hospitallers can have ovens for their private use.
*1201. [271] At the initiative of frère Geoffroy de Donjon, master of the Hospital of St John of Jerusalem, and Philippe de Pleisset, master of the Knights Templar, and of the leading brothers in both Orders, the Hospitallers of St John of Jerusalem and the Knights Templar come to an agreement. The... more
sources: Delaville Le Roulx, Cart Hosp 2:4, no. 1134 (RRH no. 787a)
RRR: Correspondence/envoy
1508
year: 1202
initiator: Gaufridus de Donjon, master of the Hospital
recipient: King Sancho VII of Navarre
text: Jun. 1-30. Frater Gaufridus, domus Hospitalis Ierusalem humilis magister et Christi pauperum servus, describes for King Sancho VII of Navarre an earthquake that caused massive destruction on 20 May. The towers, royal palace and walls of Acre were partly demolished, and countless houses are in ruins. The walls, towers, churches and houses in Tyre are so wrecked that they are unlikely to be restored in present lifetimes. There have been countless deaths. The walls and houses of Tripoli are damaged. The towers, walls, houses and fortifications of Archay are overturned and the place is not habitable. The Hospitaller castles [castra] of Cratum and Margatum need restoration. Antioch and parts of Armenia have not been so badly affected, but there has also been a disease spreading among animals and the crops have been ruined by the weather.
Jun. 1-30. Frater Gaufridus, domus Hospitalis Ierusalem humilis magister et Christi pauperum servus, describes for King Sancho VII of Navarre an earthquake that caused massive destruction on 20 May. The towers, royal palace and walls of Acre were partly demolished, and countless houses are in ruins... more
sources: Mayer, ‘Two unpublished letters’, pp. 306-8 (RRH no. 789)