Priory of Plessis-Grimoult

The priory of Plessis-Grimoult is a twelfth-century French priory built by the "Order of the Regular Canons of St. Augustine" located in Le Plessis-Grimoult in the department of Calvados. It was listed as a national heritage site in 1928, and the nearby archaeological site and the remains of the fortified garden were listed in 1996.[1]

Priory of Plessis-Grimoult
Prieuré du Plessis-Grimoult
Guillaume Causson's 13th-century doorway
Religion
AffiliationCatholic Church
RegionNormandy
DeityChristian God
PatronSaint Stephen
Year consecrated1131
Location
MunicipalityPlessis-Grimoult
CountryFrance
Geographic coordinates48°57′43″N 0°36′30″W
Architecture
FounderRichard Samson

History

Establishment

In 1047 the local baron, Grimoult of Plessis was executed for an attempted coup against the Duke of Normandy and his lands were given to the duke's half brother, the Bishop of Bayeaux, to become part of his diocese.[2] In 1131 the local church was dedicated to Saint Stephen.

Around 1135, William the Conquerer's former chaplain, Richard Samson, was the local priest. He brought a community of Canons regular to Plessis-Grimoult and in so doing became the first Prior there. The canons lived in Samson's own presbytery at that time. In 1153 under Samson's successor, the cannons moved to Champ Osburt. Under Prior Henri I the canons moved to the Chateau de Vire. The church building and priory in its current location were built in the late 13 century under the direction of Prior Guillaume Causson, Henri I's successor. Only the priory's entryway remains standing today.[3]

Under Bossuet

Jacques-Bénigne Bossuet became the tutor to the Grand Dauphin in 1671. The time his new position required him to spend at court meant he could no longer serve as Bishop of Condom. Because of this he lost access to all the monetary benefits he was entitled to as Bishop and could not afford to live the lavish lifestyle that came with living at court. To compensate his son's tutor, Louis XIV appointed him to be the prior of Plessis-Grimoult. This provided Bossuet with a steady income, without requiring too much of his time.

During his time as prior he had a dispute with Julian de Saint-Germain, the priest of Maisoncelles-la-Jourdain, over the collection of tithes. There was a trial on the 18th of August, 1677 which found that Saint-Germain had to pay Bossuet an annual sum of 230 livres in exchange for Bossuet giving up his right to collect tithes in Maisoncelles.[4]

Priors

The Priory had 35 Priors from its founding to the nationalization of church property during the French Revolution.

No. Name Years in office Notes[3]
1 Richard Samson ~1135-1153 Founder.
2 Nicholas Coquin (Nicholas I) 1153-1190 Moved priory to Champ Osburt
3 Étienne I 1193-Unknown
4 Radulphe Unknown-1210 Distant relative of Baron Grimoult
5 Guillame I 1210-1234
6 Pierre de la Barre (Pierre I) 1234-1250
7 Henri 1250-Unknown Moved Priory to the Chateau de Vire
8 Guillaume Causson (Guillaume II) Unknown-1290 Built the Church and the Priory's entryway (which still stands today)
9 Richard le Moine (the monk) 1290-1314
10 Guillaume Pinçon (Guillaume III) 1314-1340
11 Guillaume de Canteil (Guillaume IV) 1340-1369 Reduced the number of canons from fifty-six to forty-five
12 Jean Maufras (Jean I) 1370-1398
13 Pierre de Missy (Pierre II) 1398-1400
14 Matthieu de Chaumoncel 1400-1412
15 Guillaume de l'Orme (Guillaume V) 1412-1433
16 Jean Marivint (Jean II) 1433-1457 Buried in the Church
17 Pierre de Missy (Pierre III) 1470-1477
18 Bertin Marvint 1477-1480 Nephew of Jean Marvint
19 Gabriel le Veneur 1480-1523
20 Nicholas de Saint-Germain (Nicholas II) 1523-1543 Uncle of the next Prior
21 Guillaume de Saint-Germain (Guillaume VI) 1543-1582 During his Priorship Calvinists burned down most of the Priory
22 Robert Maunoury 1582
23 Francois de Lusignan 1582-1592
24 Louis Cochu 1592-1604
25 Jean le Bel, or le Bel de Nantes 1605-Unknown
26 François de Montmorency (Francois II) 1612-1618 Beheaded in 1627 because he broke the law against dueling
27 Louis de Montmorency (Louis II) 1618 Brother of the previous
28 Étienne le Berger (Étienne II) 1618-1625
29 Georges du Fay 1625-1651
30 Jaques de Matignon 1652-1670
31 Jacques-Bénigne Bossuet 1671-1704 Tutor to the eldest son of Louis XIV
32 Marie-Joseph d'Hostung 1704-1706
33 Léonor Goyon de Matignon 1706-1757 Cousin of Jacques I, Prince of Monaco
34 M. Lemercier 1757-1787
35 Louis-François de Berton du Prat 1787-1789 Last Prior of Plessis-Grimoult

Architecture
Priory in 1830
The fortified Garden

In 1830 the building consisted of a transept terminating in an apse. There were several columns with capitals which dated back to the 13th century. The choir was older than the tower. The roof was non-existent by 1830, having most likely been made of wood. The western wall of the cloister was still standing. Two doors open on the gallery of the cloister, the capitals of the columns are from the end of the 14th or 15th century. In the other rooms on the ground floor, the eight-sided columns have capitals that are perhaps from the 14th century. There is a beautiful fireplace in a room that is believed to be the kitchen. Gardens and ponds are farther to the east. To the west of the outer courtyard of the priory, there is a doorway that dates to about the thirteenth or fourteenth century.[5]

Parishes Served

The priory served the parishes of Plessis, Roullours, Carville, Chênedollé, Truttemer-le-Grand, Montsecret, Sainte-Honorine-la-Chardonne, Saint-Jean-le-Blanc, Campandré, Monchauvet, Frênes, Saint-Vigor-des-Mézerets, Périgny, Cauville, Proussy, Bernières-le-Patry, Maisoncelles-la-Jourdan, Estry, Saint-Christophe-de-Chaulieu, Beauchêne, Clairefougère, Saint-Cornier-des-Landes, Saint-Jean-des-Bois, Saint-Quentin-les-Chardonnets, Yvrandes, Bonnemaison, Courvaudon, Feuguerolles-Bully, Fontaine-Étoupefour, Rosel, La Cambe, Osmanville, Mondrainville, Noyers-Bocage, Planquery, Saint-Germain-d'Elle, Bretteville-le-Rabet, Campeaux, and Colombelles.

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References
  1. Ancienne abbaye » [archive], notice no PA00111601, base Mérimée, ministère français de la Culture .
  2. Élisabeth Zadora-Rio : Enceinte fortifiée du Plessis-Grimoult.
  3. Alix, Frederic (1911). Les abbés du prieuré Saint-Etienne du Plessis-Grimoult, ordre de Saint-Augustin au diocèse de Bayeux [The Abbots of St. Stephen's Priory in Le Plessis-Grimoult, Ordre of St. Augustin in the diocese of Bayeux] (in French). Revue d'histoire de l'Église de France. pp. 728–733.
  4. Gaston, Jean (1912), "Une transaction entre Bossuet et le curé de Maisoncelles-La-Jourdan", Revue d'Histoire de L'église de France (in French), 14: 174–177
  5. Arcisse de Caumont, Statistique monumentale du Calvados, vol.3 : Arrondissements de Vire et de Bayeux, Caen, Hardel, 1857 (lire en ligne [archive])], p. 223.
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