Abbey of St. Trond:
Contention Over a Tithe, 1131
The collection and disposal of tithes was not always retained in the hands of
bishops. In feudal times they fell into the hands of abbots and secular persons. This
particular contention was settled in favor of the abbot, perhaps for the reason that the
tithe was on glebe land belonging to the monastery.
In the name of the Holy and Indivisible Trinity.
Be it known to all the faithful of Christ, present and future, how I, Andrew, by the
grace of God, Bishop of Utrecht, have given up in the fear of God and love of justice, a
case of friction between me and the Abbot of Saint-Trond and his monks, which originated
upon the investigation of some of my friends, and that I have altogether ceased in my
molestation. For the said abbot and monks have, within the limits of our diocese, a
certain church given to them for their sustenance in the town called Aalburg, more
specifically in the village of Babilonia, a number of fallow fields, the tithe of which
appeared to belong to our rights. We, however, though justice seemed to favor us somewhat,
not intending in any way to molest those religious men, have transferred the same into
their possession in order that they might invoke the mercy of God in their daily prayers
for our sins. This, too, we have decreed for the stability of the transfer, that no one of
this our episcopal see shall ever lay his hands on that tithe, but shall leave it to the
aforesaid monks in their free possession. And in order that this may remain firm forever
we have ordered this charter to be made out and have signed it and imposed our seal upon
it.
Given in the year of the Incarnation of the Lord 1131, etc.
Source:
C. Piot, ed., Cartulaire de l'Abbaye de Saint-Trond, (Brussels: Academie Royale
de Belgique, 1870), p. 42; reprinted in Roy C. Cave & Herbert H. Coulson, A Source
Book for Medieval Economic History, (Milwaukee: The Bruce Publishing Co., 1936;
reprint ed., New York: Biblo & Tannen, 1965), p. 386.
Scanned by Jerome S. Arkenberg, Cal. State Fullerton. The text has been modernized by
Prof. Arkenberg.
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© Paul Halsall, October 1998
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