Introduction

In 1433, Jacoba of Bavaria had finally found the one in the person of the Zeeland nobleman Frank van Borselen. Three men had preceded him: a youthful French crown prince, an unstable Brabant duke and an English womaniser.

A royal marriage was (and is) more than a union between ordinary people. Besides love, the harsh realities of power and state interest come into play. Such was the case with Jacoba. She was the sole heir to the counties of Hainaut, Holland and Zeeland, and her previous marriages had been prompted by the interests of these counties. Now, in 1433, the situation had changed. Jacoba was still childless. Not surprisingly, vultures gathered around her, including the Burgundian duke Philip the Good.

For years Jacoba had resisted Burgundian influence by diplomatic means and force of arms, but in 1428 she was forced to conclude a peace treaty, the so-called Zoen of Delft. She recognised Philip as heir and promised to marry only with his consent. In the charter of 1433, that last point is undone. Jacoba was allowed to marry whom she wished. There was something in return: on the same day, she transferred her lands definitively to the Burgundian duke, who thus also became count of Hainaut, Holland and Zeeland.

The charter paved the way for the marriage of Jacoba and Frank van Borselen. For Frank, marrying a real sovereign meant a social promotion; he could now adorn himself with the title of count. Jacoba chose love. And they lived happily ever after? Perhaps that was true for Frank van Borselen who died in 1470, but certainly not for Jacoba. More than three years after this charter was issued, she died of consumption.

Physical Description

Parchment charter, sealed with the secret seal of Philip the Good. Gothic script. Signature of the secretary on the plica. Pencil annotation at the top of the charter.