Documents inédits. Champagne, I, pp. 22 ff.
These documents illustrate the relation of his vassals to the count of Champagne. They are taken from a register of the fiefs and vassals of the count of Champagne, drawn up about 1172. There are many instances of such registers or inventories in the feudal age; the relations of lord and vassals were apt to become confused and subject to dispute. The particular purpose of the register in this case was to determine the number of knights owing military service to the count of Champagne, and the amount of service owed by each one.
OF CHÂTILLON AND FISMES.
- Count of Rethel, liege homage.
- Count of Grandpré, liege homage.
- Count of Roucy, liege homage.
- Count of Chiny.
- Roger of Rozoy, for the fief of Chaourse. Roger of Rozoy, his son [did homage].[{91}]
- Lord of Montmort, liege homage. Guy of Montmort [did homage]. He holds in fief the rights of the forest of Vassy and many other fiefs.
- Hugo of Oisy, a year’s guard.
- Gaulcher of Châtillon, guard and liege homage.
- The sons of Guy of Châtillon, a year’s guard and liege homage, etc., etc.
OF CHÂTEAU-THIERRY.
- Count of Soisson. His fief is thirty pounds of the tolls and taxes of Château-Thierry.[{92}]
- Lord of Pierrefonds.
- Lord of Nesles, Fresnes, and Roiglise.
- Lord of Braisne.
- Lord of Bazoches is liege man of the count after the bishop of Soissons,[{93}] and owes three months’ guard. For Coulonges and the forest as far as Ste. Gemme [his fief].
- André de Ferté, liege homage and a year’s guard.
- Bartholomé de Thury, liege homage and a year’s guard. His fief is at Thury, Coulombs, and Chacrise, etc., etc.
OF MEAUX.
- Count of Vermandois.
- Count of Beaumont.
- Bishop of Beauvais, for the fief of Savignies.
- Bochard of Montmorency. His fief is at Marly and Ferrières.
- Lord of Crécy-en-Brie. For Crécy and many other fiefs.
- Lord of Montjay.
- Viscount of La Ferté, liege homage and guard. For his holdings at Gandelus, Fresnes, La Ferté-Gaucher, La Ferté-sous-Jouarre, and Lizy, and their dependencies, except the fief which he holds of the bishop of Meaux and the abbot of St. Faron.
- Theobald of Crespy. For Bouillancy, etc., etc.
{91} This expression means apparently that the person named did the homage and performed the services for the holder of the fief, as his representative.
{92} Here is a case where the fief of a vassal is a portion of the revenues of the lord. As already noted, holding by feudal tenure was the regular form of contract in the feudal age; it was used not only in regard to the holding of land, but also for the acquisition of other possessions, as a sum of money, etc.