Appendix: the Documents
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APPENDIX: THE DOCUMENTS ith almost 4,300 records documented in the five notarial books Wexamined for this book, only a sample of common document types can be included here. These 26 examples were selected to demonstrate commonality and variability, providing a transcription from the original Latin accompanied by English translation. The Latin transcriptions pres- ent the idiosyncratic spelling and vocabulary used by the scribes; they have not been “corrected.” These examples do not exhaust all possibili- ties of individual differences among all records. In addition, many of the most significant types, regarding legal conflicts, marriages, and lordship, cannot be easily portrayed by individual example. These included here provide some idea of the nature of the contracts recorded by the notaries of Santa Coloma de Queralt. Note: For the documents below, the document’s original Latin wording appears in italics, and the English translation follows. Direct Loans Loans were made using two types of currency, money and grain, a difference with very important implications concerning loan risk and repayment value. Generally, loans in money or grain were made in an equivalent range of value and followed similar formats and conditions. The only major difference between money loans and wheat loans was in the terms of repayment: a wheat loan could be paid off in either the stated amount of wheat or in the value of that wheat sold at market. This repayment term could be stated in various ways: vel precium earum sicut plus valebit usque in primi messibus venturis 1 or also secundum quod vos vendatis illud quod vobis remanet de eodem frumento . 2 The available options for repaying a debt of this kind are important for understanding the mentalité of the credit market and the usage of currency. There were 1,507 direct loans of all types, 1,105 money loans, 314 wheat loans, and 19 other loan transac- tions (with unspecified or unique terms). 152 APPENDIX: THE DOCUMENTS Money Loans Document #01: AHT Fondo Notarials, Santa Coloma de Queralt, Capsa 4, Signum 3804, f. 80v; Latin; December 1, 1293; Marginalia: canceled. Bartolomeus Dianet de Figerola debeo vobis Astruc Vives judeo Sancte Columbe xL sol. et iii sol[idi] Barch[inone] terni in primo venturo festo Sancte Marie Agusti et cetera. Racione mutui ultra alia debita. Kalendas decembris. Testes Bn. Sera et A. clericus. I, Bartolomeo Dianet of Figerola, owe to you Astruc Vives, Jew of Santa Coloma, 43 solidi of Barcelona on the first approaching feast of Santa Maria of August, etc. On account of a loan among other debts. 1st of December. Witnesses Bernat Sera and A[rnau] priest. Document #02: AHT Fondo Notarial, Santa Coloma de Queralt, Capsa 4, Signum 3804, f. 22v; Latin; September 9, 1293; Marginalia: canceled. Bn. Loreta et uxor mea Bga. de termino de Pontils per nos et nostros debemus vobis Mosse de Carcasona judeo Sancte Columbe octuaginta sol[idi] Barch[inone] terni de quibus promitimus vobis solvere in primo venturo festo carni privi intrantis quadragissime viginti sol[idi] et residuum in primo venturo festo Sancte Marie Agusti racione mutui extunc etcetera. Fid[iussor]es A. Giner et P. Ponc, P. Mayessen de Sen Guaylart. T[estes] A. Capioles et G. Prunera et Jacobus Scolaris. v idus septembris. We, Bernat Loreta and my wife, Berenguera, of the territory of Pontils, for us and ours, owe to you, Mosse de Carcasona, Jew of Santa Coloma, 80 solidi terni of Barcelona, for which we promise to repay to you 20 solidi on the first approaching feast at the beginning of Lent and the remainder on the first approaching feast of Santa Maria of August, on account of a loan, from then etc. Guarantors Arnau Giner, Pere Ponz, Pere Mayessen of Sent Gaylart. Witnesses Arnau Capioles, G. Prunera and Juame Scolaris. 9th of September. Document #03: AHT Fondo Notarials, Santa Coloma de Queralt, Capsa 10, Signum 3812, f. 23; Latin; May 17, 1304; Marginalia: none. Bertoli Bayner de Sancta Columba debeo vobis Burdo Soler dicti loci x sol[idi] racione mutui solvere ad S[anc]tam Ma[riam] Aug[ust]i. Fide Dominicus Bovis dicti loci, etc. T[estes] Jac. Ff., Bertolomeus Amat. xvi kalendas junii. I, Bertoli Bayner of Santa Coloma, owe to you Bort Soler of the said place 10 solidi on account of a loan, to [be] repaid on Santa Maria of August. Guarantor Dominic Bovis of the said place, etc. Witnesses Jaume Ferrer, Bertolomeo Amat. 17th of May. Document #04: AHT Fondo Notarials, Santa Coloma de Queralt, Capsa 18, Signum 3821, f. 106; Latin; February 26, 1313; Marginalia: canceled. APPENDIX: THE DOCUMENTS 153 P. Rocha et eius uxor Bngona., iura, de Pontils debemus vobis Astruch Vidal et Bonjach Abraham judeis Sancte Columbe et vestris xLiiii sol[idi] terni de pro- prio capitale pro vi sol[idi] lucri illorum racione mutui solvere ad festum omnium sanctorum et extunc. Fides Bn. Rocha pater dicti debitoris et Bnardus. Rocha filius Mathei Rocha condam et Bn. Sala dicti loci obli. etc. T[estes] d[ies] ut supra. Firmaverunt apocham. We, Pere Rocha and his wife, Berenguera, who swears, of Pontils, owe to you, Astruc Vidal and Bonjiac Abraham, Jews of Santa Coloma, and yours 64 solidi of principal and 6 solidi of interest on it, on account of a loan, to [be] repaid at the Feast of All Saints, and from then. Guarantors Bernat Rocha, the father of the debtor, and Bernat Rocha, son of the deceased Matheu Rocha, and Bernat Sala of the said place, obligated, etc. Witnesses, date as above. They signed later. Wheat Loans Document #05: AHT Fondo Notarials, Santa Coloma de Queralt, Capsa 4, Signum 3804, f.37v; Latin; September 29, 1293; Marginalia: canceled. A. Ffer. de Figerola debeo vobis Ro. Tixidor de Sancta Columba tres mige- rias et unam quartieram frumenti ad mensuram mercati Sancte Columbe vel pre- cium earum sicut plus valebit usque in primis mesibus venturis et excepto una fore in primo venturo festo Sancte Marie Agusti racione mutui. Fide Jacobus de Montesuperbo et G. de Bas de Figerola. Testes et dies ut supra. I, Arnau Ferrer of Figerola, owe to you Ramon Tixidor of Santa Coloma 3 migerias and 1 quarter of wheat at the measure of the market of Santa Coloma or the price of them as it is best valued at the first approaching harvest, one market-price excepted, 3 on the first approach- ing Feast of Santa Maria of August, on account of a loan. Guarantors Jaume de Montesuperbo and G. de Bas of Figerola. Witnesses and date as above. Document #06: AHT Fondo Notarials, Santa Coloma de Queralt, Capsa 10, Signum 3812, f. 126; Latin; February 28, 1305; Marginalia: vi, canceled. Bng. Belul et uxor mea Barchi[non]a, iur[a], de Sancta Columba debemus vobis Bonanato de Muntayola dicti loci x migerias fru[menti] de quibus dare prom- itimus ad S[anc]tam Ma[riam] Aug[ust]i sicut valebit prima die lune mensis junii racione mutui obli. etc. T[estes] Jac. Ff., Bn. Vidal, dies ut supra. We, Berenguer Belul and my wife, Barcelona, who swears, of Santa Coloma, owe to you Bonanat de Muntayola of the said place, 10 migerias of wheat, which we promise to give at Santa Maria of August as it is 154 APPENDIX: THE DOCUMENTS valued the first Monday of the month of June, on account of a loan, obli- gated, etc. Witnesses Jaume Ferrer, Bernat Vidal. Date as above. Credit Sales Credit sales were debt transactions in which the buyer or buyers of goods (most often an animal, but also quantities of cloth, wheat, or other items) owed some or all of the price of the goods to the seller at a future date. The terms most likely identified the total amount owed, although records rarely specified whether the amount listed as a debt made up the total or partial price of the goods sold. Occasionally, an immediate partial payment was acknowledged: a certain amount paid incontinenti (immedi- ately) as repayment could be made in more than one installment. While the amount of the debt was always very carefully identified, the buyers, sellers, and notaries were normally less concerned about providing the quantity of goods sold, indicating that the notarial entry was meant as a record of the debt, rather than the sale. Repayment was usually to be made within a period of less than one year, sometimes in only a matter of one or two months. Fideiussores (guarantors) were normally provided for all debt transactions and expected to cover the full amount of the debt if the buyer were unable to make repayment in the time specified. The format of credit-sale contracts was quite similar to those of direct loans, except for the stated reason for the debt, as these examples of animal sales (the most common), cloth sales, and a few other sale items demonstrate. There were a total of 1,359 credit sales, including 964 sales of animals (including one with grain), 70 sales of grain (including one with an ani- mal), 270 sales of cloth, and 56 sales of various other items. Animal Sales Document #07: AHT Fondo Notarial, Santa Coloma de Queralt, Capsa 4, Signum3804, f. 157v; Latin; February 22, 1294; Marginalia: ii, canceled. A. de Muntfar habitator de Muntfar debeo vobis Jacobo Moxo et A. Moxo de Cervaria L sol[idi] Barch[inone] terni de quibus promito vobis solvere ab hodie ad viii dies x sol[idi] et residuum in primo venturo festo Sancte Marie Agusti racione unius bovis pili rubei. Fid[eiussor]es Bn. de Loberela et A de Deusnosajut de Muntfar. T[estes] et d[ies] ut supra.