Église Saint-Pierre et Saint-Paul de La Ferté
Place research page generated from the structured place spine and the companion place markdown.
Church / priory foundation site tied to the 989–996 charter of Gautier de La Ferté, younger son of Renaud de Gournay. The charter names Renaud, Alberade, and Hugh and is the earliest surviving documentary anchor for the early Lords of Gournay.
Linked ancestors
- G35 Renaud de Gournay named as father in foundation charter
- G34 Hugh de Gournay II identified with the consenting brother Hugh in charter context
This is the specific church and priory place associated with the 989–996 La Ferté foundation charter. It is one of the most important documentary places in the early Gournay line.
Why this place matters
The La Ferté charter is the first surviving documentary anchor naming the early Lords of Gournay. It ties together Renaud de Gournay, his wife Alberade, their son Hugh, and their younger son Gautier de La Ferté. For genealogy, this is where tradition becomes document.
The foundation
Gautier de La Ferté founded the priory with the consent of his elder brother Hugh. The witness framework places the charter between 989 and 996. This makes the site a primary documentary anchor, not merely a later family tradition.
What remains from the founding period
This is one of the rare high-priority places where a source claims survival from the actual G35/G34 documentary period. MonVillageNormand states that the first edifice was constructed between 989 and 996 and that the apse remains from that period. The official La Ferté-Saint-Samson patrimony page similarly says the church was founded around 990 by Gautier and that only the original apse remains.
That makes Saint-Pierre-et-Saint-Paul the strongest candidate in this whole group for a surviving built element tied to the 989–996 La Ferté charter generation.
Later rebuilding
The same sources caution that the church has been repeatedly destroyed and rebuilt because of its proximity to the fortress. Much of the visible structure is later: the official patrimony page describes the rest of the building as 16th century except for a nave from 1846. The place file should therefore distinguish the claimed original apse from the later visible church.
Interpretation caution
This record should not be used for the castle / motte, even though the two places sit close together. The Butte féodale record should carry the defensive-place narrative.
Sources
- La Ferté-Saint-Samson patrimony page
- MonVillageNormand, “Église Saint-Pierre et Saint-Paul de La Ferté-en-Bray”
Crosslinks
research/places/la-ferte-en-bray.mdresearch/places/la-ferte-butte-feodale.mdresearch/people/g35-renaud-de-gournay-fact-sheet.research.mdresearch/people/g34-hugh-de-gournay-ii-fact-sheet.research.md