Translation:Will of Saliba

by Saliba

WILL OF SALIBA

3105. – 16 September 1264, Acre.

Saliba, burgess of Acre and confrater of the Hospital, bequeaths to the Hospital a house in Acre, makes various bequests to various people, and names as his heir Stephen of Meses, grand commander of the Hospital.

Source: Malta, Arch. de l’ordre, div. 1, anc. vol. 7 (now lost), no. 12 (orig.) – Text: Pauli, Cod. dipl., I, 263.

In the name of the Lord, amen. In the year of the incarnation one thousand two hundred and sixty four, in the month of September, on the sixteenth day of the same month, in the eighth indiction, in the presence of the notary and the undersigned witnesses. Let it be known to all, both in the present and in the future, that I, Saliba, a burgess of Acre, confrater of the Hospital of St. John of Jerusalem, weak in body though healthy in mind, and good and sound in memory, make and ordain in the following way my announced testament, or my last will, concerning my goods and property. In the first place, I seek the habit of the aforementioned Hospital of St. John of Jerusalem, if it happens that I die from this illness, and for my soul and the remission of my sins, I bequeath to the master of the aforementioned Hospital of St. John of Jerusalem one house from my aforementioned goods and property, located in the quarter of the Temple, which is worth four hundred and seventy five Saracen bezants. Likewise, from my aforementioned goods and property, to pay for my funeral, if I should die from this illness, I leave twelve Saracen bezants. Likewise to the workers of the city of Acre, twenty five bezants. Likewise I bequeath for one chaplain, who should sing for my soul and the remission of my sins every year in the church of St. Lawrence in Acre, twenty six Saracen bezants. Likewise, to repair the terrace of the aforementioned church of St. Lawrence, five bezants. Likewise to my sister Nayma, one hundred and fifty Saracen bezants. Likewise to my niece Isabella, daughter of the late Stephen, three hundred Saracen bezants. Likewise to Katelina, my daughter, one hundred and fifty Saracen bezants. Likewise to Leonard, my nephew, twenty bezants. Likewise to Thomasin, my nephew, twenty bezants. Likewise to my other nephew George, twenty bezants. Likewise to Sarquisius, twenty bezants. Likewise to the son of Sarquisius, five bezants. Likewise I bequeath to my lady Vista, my niece, twenty bezants. Likewise to the daughter of George, ten bezants. Likewise to Caolfa, my niece, twenty bezants. Likewise to Dominic, my nephew, five bezants. Likewise to the five sons of Bedera, twenty bezants, i.e. four bezants to each of them. Likewise to my lady Laurence, ten bezants. Likewise I desire and order that Nicholas, Bonaventure, Leonardin, and Isabellon, the sons of my late brother Stephen, have all that wine that I bought for eighty Saracen bezants, and that it be handed over to them by my executors and trustees and the distributors mentioned herein. Likewise I desire and command that the aforementioned Nicholas, Bonaventure, Leonard, and Isabellon should have one hundred and thirteen Saracen bezants and ten royal Acre pounds; I held and received these bezants and ten pounds from the aforementioned wine. Likewise I bequeath to Bedera twenty five Saracen bezants. Likewise to the hospital of the Holy Spirit, three bezants. Likewise to Agnes and her sisters, fifty bezants. Likewise to the brothers of the Order of the Preachers, five bezants. Likewise to the Friars Minor, five bezants. Likewise to St. Mary Magdalene, two bezants. Likewise to the Repentite sisters, two bezants. Likewise to the Carmelite brothers, five bezants. Likewise to the lepers of St. Lazarus, six bezants. Likewise to the hospital of St. Anthony, three bezants. Likewise to Holy Trinity, six bezants. Likewise to St. Brigid, two bezants. Likewise to the hospital of St. Catherine, two bezants. Likewise to St. Mary of Provence, two bezants. Likewise to Maria, my baptized slave, forty Saracen bezants. Likewise I emancipate Ahmed and Sofia, my slaves, and I command that the aforementioned Ahmed and Sofia become Christians. If it happens that I die from this illness, for all my other goods and property, movable and immovable, by law and by action, whatever and wherever they are, I establish as my heir brother Stephen de Meses, grand preceptor of the aforementioned Hospital of St. John of Jerusalem, and I desire and order that all my goods and property, movable and immovable, whatever and wherever they are, should come into the hands of the aforementioned brother Stephen de Meses, grand preceptor of the aforementioned Hospital of St. John of Jerusalem, my heir. And I establish as my executors and trustees and distributors, to carry out each and every one of the aforementioned things, the aforementioned Stephen de Meses, grand preceptor of the aforementioned Hospital of St. John of Jerusalem, Bernard Peter of Pisa, and William de Morta of Genoa, and I order that the aforementioned executors, trustees, and distributors should pay all the bequests mentioned above concerning my aforementioned goods and property to the aforementioned persons. And I especially order that this be my last will and announced testament; but if the aforementioned testament is not valid by the law of testaments, in any event I wish that it be valid according to the law of codicils or according to any other law concerning last wills. Made at Acre, in the plaza of St. John, in the house of the aforementioned Hospital of St. John of Jerusalem, in which the aforementioned Saliba lay sick. In the presence of brother Thomas Mausus, vice-preceptor of the aforementioned Hospital of St. John of Jerusalem; Jacob of Messina; Bonaventure of Fabriano; Peter, son of the late Michael the coppersmith; George, nephew of the aforementioned testator, and Marinetus, baptizes slave of Saliba, the aforementioned witness; these men were specially asked and called to be witnesses to the foregoing. I, Gerard Bonisani, judge and public notary established in Acre by the authority of the holy Roman church judge and of the commune of Marseilles, was involved in all the aforementioned matters, and I wrote this at the command of the aforementioned witness, and I issued the document in this public format.