31 Codicil of Joan of Constantinople (December 1244), preserved in aninspeximus of the bishops of Cambrai, Tournai, and Arras (March 1245): DiBe ID31151; codicil of Margaret of Constantinople: Lille, ADN, B445/1811 (transfix, February 1277); codicil of Mahaut de Béthune (February 1261): Lille, ADN, B446/1202–1264 verso (copy); codicil of Guy de Dampierre (May 1304): Lille, ADN, B449/4181, Musée 119 (original, transfix) andADN, B449/4437 (copy). 32 See note 24. 33 For the inspeximus of Joan’s testament and codicil, see DiBeID22500 and 31151. 34 Four years after Robert’s testament had been made, a confirmation act of the bishop of Thérouane (1326) was transfixed to it. Lille, ADN, B448/5473. testamentary practices at the comital court in flanders and hainaut which could be engrossed as a separate sealed charter or attached to the testament in the form of a transfix, are known for Countess Joan, Countess Margaret, and Count Guy de Dampierre and his wife Mahaut de Béthune.31 In the case of Countess Joan, both testament and codicil were dated on the same day. In what follows, we shall discuss the role and profile of the testamentary executors and their counsellors,many of whom were clergymen. However, bishops and other ecclesiastical dignitaries not only acted as counsellor for the distribution of the bequeathed goods but often also confirmed the testator’s last will in the form of aninspeximus.32 In Flanders, the earliest inspeximus of a comital testament, that of Countess Joan, was drawn up a few months after her death on 5 December 1244. The inspeximus was promulgated and sealed in March 1245 by the provost, dean, and convent of the Chapter of Saint Peter’s in Lille.However,in the same month, a second inspeximus, this time of Countess Joan’s codicil (4 December1244),was issued by the bishops of Cambrai, Tournai, and Arras.33 Interestingly, the authors explicitly stated in the latter document that the inspeximus was made at the request of the new countess, Joan’s sister Margaret, who acted as one of the principal testamentary executors of her sister’s last will. As religious and charitable institutions constituted the largest group of legatees, it seems likely that Countess Margaret wanted the churchmen in whose diocese these institutions were situated to legally confirm the bequests. When the text of a last will was too long to be copied in aninspeximus, a brief confirmation charter transfixed to the testament could suffice, as is the case with the testament of Robert de Béthune in September 1322.34 However, there may be another reason 456
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