will of King Henry II
The Last Testament of King Henry II of England
King Henry II was born in Le Mans, the County of Maine,
on 4 March 1133 to Geoffrey the fair by his wife the Empress Matlida, daughter of King Henry I of
England. He succeded his father as Count of Anjou and Maine, and he was Duke of Normandy when he
married Eleanor, Duchess of Aquitaine and the former Queen of France on 18 May 1182. By her, he
was the father of three kings of England: Henry the Young King, Richard the Lionheart and John. His daughters were
Queens of Sicily and of Castile, two grandsons were Holy Roman Emperors, and a granddaughter was Queen of France. He died
in the chapel of his castle at Chinon in his County of Anjou on 6 July 1189. He was buried in the Abbey of
Fontevrault, where his body remained until the French Revolution, at which time his tomb was desecated.
The will is found at John Nicholas., editor, Collection of all the Wills, now known to be extant, of the Kings & Queens of England (reprint, New York: AMS Pr., no date), pgs. 7-10.
King Henry II
of England made a
testament at the manor of Richard of Ilchester, in Waltham, diocese of
Winchester, England, on 22 February 1182; (source: W.L.
Warren, Henry II, English Monarchs series (Berkeley, California: University of California Press, 1973),
p. 559.) The transcript of his will and testament reads:
HENRICUS Dei gratia rex Angliĉ, Dux Normanniĉ et Aquitaniĉ, Henrico regi, et Ricardo, et Galfrido, et Johanni
filiis suis; archiepiscopis, episcopis, abbatibus, archidiaconis, decanis, comitibus, baronibus, justiciariis,
vicecomitibus, ministris, & omnibus hominibus & fidelibus suis tam clericus quam laicis tocius terrĉ
suĉ citra mare & ultra, salutem. Notum vobis facio, quod apud Waltham, prĉsentibus episcopis R. Wintoniensi
et J. Norwicensi, & G. cancellario filio meo, et magiftro Waltero [de] Constantii archidiacono Oxon. et
Godesrido de Luci archidiacono de Derebi, & Ranulfo de Glanvilla, et Rogero filio Reimsridi, et Hugone de
Morewie, & Radulfo filio Stephani camerario, et Willelmo Rufo, feci divisam meam de quadam parte pecuniĉ
meĉ in hunc modum: domui militiĉ templi Jerusalem MMMMM marcas argenti, domui hospitali Jerusalem MMMMM marcas
argenti; et ad communem defensionem terrĉ Jerosolimitanĉ MMMMM marcas argenti, per manum magiftrorum templi et
hospitali Jerusalem & visum eorundem habendas; prĉter pecuniam illam quam prius prĉdictis domibus templi
et hospitalis commiseram custodiendam; quam similiter dono ad defensionem ipsius terrĉ Jerosolimitanĉ, nisi
eam in vita mea repetere voluero; et aliis domious religiosis tocius Jerosolimĉ, et leprosis et inclusis et
heremitis ejusdem terrĉ MMMMM marcas argenti, dividendas per manum patriarchĉ Jerusalem, & visum episcoporum
terrĉ Jerosolimĉ, et magiftrorum templi et hospitalis; domibus religiosis Angliĉ, monachorum, canonicorum,
sanctimonialium, & leprosis, et inclusis, & heremitis ipsium terrĉ MMMMM marcas argenti, dividendas
per manum et visum R. archiepiscopi Cant. et R. Winton et B. Wigorn et G. Elyen et J. Norwic episcoporum, et
Ranulfi de Glanvilla justiciarii Angliĉ; domibus religiosis Normanniĉ, monachorum, canonicorum sanctimonialium,
et inclusis, et heremitis ejusdem terrĉ MMM marcas argenti, dividendas per manum et visum archepiscopi
Rothomagensis, et Baiocensis, et Abrincensis, et Sagiensis, et Ebroicensis episcoporum; domibus leprosorum
ipsius CCC marcas argenti per manum et visum prĉdictorum dividendas; monialibus Moretoniĉ C marcas argenti;
monialibus de Viliers extra Faleisiam C marcas argenti; domibus religiosis terrĉ comitis Andegaviĉ patris mei,
exceptis sanctimonialibus de ordine sontis Ebraldi, M marcas argentis per manus episcoporum Cenomannensis et
Andegavensis dividendas; ipsis autem sanctimonialibus Fontis Ebraldi, et domibus ipsius ordinis, MM marcas
argenti, dividendas per manum et visum abbatissĉ Fontis Ebraldi; sanctimonialibus sancti Sulpicii Britanniĉ
C marcas argenti; domui et toti ordini Grandis Montis MMM narcas argenti; domui & toti ordini de Chartusa
MM marcas argenti; domui Cistertii et omnibus ipsius ordinis, exceptis domibus ejusdem ordinis quĉ in terra
mea sunt quibus divisam meam feci, MM marcas argenti, dividendas per visum et manum abbatis Cistertii et
Clarevallis; domui Cluniaci M marcas argenti, prĉter hoc quod eidem domui accommodavi, quod ei perdono nisi
in vita mea repetere voluero; domui Majoris Monasterii perdono M marcas argenti quas ei commodavi, nisi eas
in vita mea repetere voluero; santimonialibus de Maitilli C marcas argenti; domui de Prĉmonstrato et toti
ordini, exceptis domibus ejusdem ordinis quĉ in terra mea sunt, CC marcas argenti; domui de Arrodis et toti
ordini, exceptis domibus ejusdem ordinis terrĉ meĉ, C marcas argenti; ad maritandas pauperes et liberas sminas
Angliĉ quĉ carent auxilio, CCC marcas argenti, dividendas per manum et visum R. Wintoniensis, et B. Wigorn,
et G. Elyensis, et J. Norwicensis episcoporum, et Ranulfi de Glanvilla; ad maritandas pauperes et liberas
sminas Normanniĉ quĉ carent auxilio, C marcas argenti, dividendas per manum et visum Rothomagensis archepiscopi,
et Baiocensis et Abrincensis, et Sagiensis, et Ebroicensis episcoporum; ad maritandas [pauperes] et liberas
sminas de terra comitis Andegaviĉ patris mea C marcas auri, per manum et visum Cenomannensis et Andegavensis
episcoporum dividendas. Hanc autem divisam feci imprĉdicto loco anno incarnationis Domini MCLXXXII. Quam
vobis filiis meis per fidem quam mihi debetis et sacramentum quod mihi jurastis, prĉcipio ut sirmiter et
inviolabiliter teneri saciatris; et quod super eos qui ipsam secerint manum non apponatis; et quicunque
contra hoc venire presumpserit, indignationem et iram omnipotentis Dei, et maledictionem ipsius Dei et meam
incurrat. Vobis etiam archepiscopis et episcopis mando, ut per sacramentum quod mihi secistis, et fidem quam
Deo et mihi debetis, in synodis vertris sollempniter accensis candelis excommunicetis et excommunicare
saciatis omnes illos qui hanc divisam meam infringere prĉsumpserint; et sciatis quod dominus papa hanc
divisam meam scripto et sigillo suo confirmavit sub interminatione anathematis.
Ex
antiquo Cod. MS Feodorum militum Angliĉ penes Remem. Regis, fol. I. Habet hunc titulum five rubricam,
"Hoc est Testamentum illustrissimi Regis Henrici Secundi Angliĉ."
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