The Communes (1168-1384)

The charter of 1246

Marguerite of Constantinople, Countess of Flanders and Hainaut, sent a charter in 1246 to the eleven towns of which Montignies was the capital, for the use of the forest of Broqueroie.

We reproduce this charter as is:

Charter version - ORIGINAL (Translated in English version below)

Novembre 1246.

« Jou Margherite, contesse de Flandres et de Haynnau, fach savoir à tous chiaulx qui sont, qui ces lettres verront et orront, que comme il fust chose avcnans que contons fust meus entre l'abbé et l'église de Hasnon, d'une part, et les gens des villes qui après sont là dénommez, se loist assavoir : de Masnuy, de Jurbise, de le paroice Nostre-Dame, de le paroicc Sainct-Pierre, de le paroice Saint-Jehan, de le paroice d'Erbault, de le paroice d'Erbissœl, de le paroice de Castiel, de le paroicc de Lens, de le paroice de Hercie, de le Saisine, de le paroice de Nimy et de Maizières et de le paroice de Montegny, d'autre part, d'endroit des usaiges que le gens des paroices devantdittes demandoient et clamoient ens ès bois de Brocqucroye, qui sont l'abbé et l'église devant dicte; à le fin, par conseilles de preud'hommes, se loist assavoir : par le signeur du Ruelz, par le signeur de Lens, par Gerard de Haynnau et par Gillion Le Brun,chevallier, et par pluiseurs de mes aultres preud'hommes, et par l'assens des ij parties, l'abbet et le couvent devantdite, d'une part, et les gens des paroices devantaommées, d'autre, fu atournée en telle manière que : ly chevalz et ly poutrain et les pourchial des paroiehcs devantdictes doivent aller en ces bois, après le tierch giet, quant il sera pargiectez, enssy comme à le Toussain après; et les vacqucs et les viaulx y doivent aller après le syxemcns giet, se loist assavoir à le Toussaint, comme il est devant dict, et se ne doibt aller en ces bois devantdis nulles des biestes devantdittes, se cil des villes devant nommez ne les ont yvrenez u se ce ne sont leur propre, ne quièvres, ne quanmoix, ne brebis, ne moutons, ne aignielx, ne aultres bestes que ceste devantditte n'ont droit en ce bois à nulz tamps, et chascune paroice devantditte doit payer ung denier de cens à l'église de Hasnon, le jour St.-Jchan-Baptiste; et si le doivent apporter à Montegny, et rendre au mayetir de par l'église, devant esquievins de Montegny. Et si ne le faisoient, chacune paroice deffaillante est à deux solz d'amende de à l'église de Hasnon, et parmy cest cens, doivent-il avoir le pasturaige sicomme il est dit rectaullement et parmy ceste devise descure ditte fait, ly abbet de Hasnon ne poelt colper sen bois à mains de dix ans, se ce n'est pour s'en aydier et faire engien. Et pour chou que ce soit ferme chose, estauble à tousjours, jou ay fait pendre mon seel et ly chevalier devant dit le leur. Ce fut fait l'an de l'incarnation mil ijc quarante-six, ès mois de novembre. »

Vidiraus sous le sceau éckevinal de Hasnon. - N° 12,305 des dossiers des procès jugés du conseil souverain de Hainaut, t. H, fol. 106 v°, à la section jud. des arch. de l'Elat, à Mons.

Charter version - Translation English

November 1246.

"We, Marguerite, Countess of Flanders and Hainaut, inform all those who will see and read this charter, that, as agreed, approved and understood, on the one hand between the abbot and the abbey of 'Hanson, on the other hand the people of the towns hereinafter named, namely: Masnuy, Jurbise, Notre-dame, Erbisûeul, Castiel, Lens, Hercie, Saisine, Nimy, Maisières and Montigny concerning the uses (enjoyments) of pasture in the woods of Broqueroy belonging to the said abbot and church, uses which the people of the said parishes demanded and demanded. It results from the council of prudhomme (composed of the lord of Ruelz, Gillion, Sète de Lens, Hérard du Hainaut, Gillion le brun chevalier, and several others) the following decision approved by both parties:

failing which the parish in default will pay a fine of two cents, at the price of these taxable quotas, the parishes have the right to pasture as of right, as it is said here "if the obligations of this charter are fulfilled, the Abbé de Hasnon can only make cuts in its wood every ten years, and this for its own use or its tools, in order that this convention be a firm and stable thing, we, marguerite ... have hung our seal and the knights of the Also on the advice of the prudhomme, this was done in the year of the incarnation, 1246, in the month of November. » and this for its personal use or its tools, so that this convention is firm and stable thing, we, marguerite... hung our seal there and the knights of the council of prudhomme also, it was done the year of the incarnation 1246, in the month of November. » and this for its personal use or its tools, so that this convention is firm and stable thing, we, marguerite... hung our seal there and the knights of the council of prudhomme also, it was done the year of the incarnation 1246, in the month of November. »

Communal power.

The lords of the region of Lens held the highest offices in the courts of Burgundy, Spain and Austria, in the prairies of Hainaut, in the army, etc...

Their functions calling them elsewhere, the municipal power, more exactly aldermen, was introduced very early in the region, in Montignies, this power was therefore already exercised in 1246 in the name of the abbey of Hasnon which possessed this fiefdom in indeed, as it is said in the charter above, it is in front of the mayor and the aldermen of Montignies, capital of the 11 cities that the rents must be paid, there were therefore free bourgeois apart from the peasants and serfs. Various communal documents prove that the court of the aldermen had low justice on the lands, this jurisdiction passed acts of formatting and parchon, putting out of bread, orphans and guardians, inventories and seals.

Agriculture,

The abbeys of Cambron, St, Ghislain, St Denis were the main landowners.

They occupied themselves with clearing and cultivation; but not being able to suffice: for this task they rented the barns, courtyards and courtyards, seams to the inhabitants. Jacques de Montignies was elected abbot of Cambron in November 1293, he was the son of Jacques Plusquet, censier in Montignies.

He had exercised with great skill the office of receiver of rents, he was very charitable and excellent religious, by a good management of the temporal... he considerably increased the income of the abbey, in the midst of the critical circumstances of the time, when the abbey was surrounded by French and Flemish troops (war of rounds) (C. Monnier),

Father Jacques kept the property of the community intact. He died a year after having abandoned the prelature, his body rests in the south of the chapter, between those of his father and his mother.

Here is his epitaph:

"Here lies Jacquemus de Montignies, who passed away in the year of grace 1315, the day of Saint Juliana and was once Abbot of Cambron. His weapons were those of Cambron! The butt from left to right. »