LeRoys of Lower Normandy: Fontenay-sur-Mer
Fontenay-sur-Mer is located along the western edge of the Cotentin about 14 miles southeast of Valognes. It was under the Lordship of de Courcy and the Chateau remained in the ownership of the Gatellior family until 1935.
From the records for the Chateau de Courcy is found a grouping of LeRoys dating as early as 1452, when Michael Lucus, Squire Lord of Clais, exchanged property at Fontenay with Jehan LeRoy. There is a gap in these records until 1550 when Jacques Thouaye and Jeanne LeRoy sold to Jacques Pillon, Squire Lord of Rougemont, 20 tournament soils that his uncle, Jacques LeRoy, had given as dowry to his mother according to his marriage contract of January 9, 1547. In the year 1555 Thomas Willemette, son of Louis, citizen of Valognes, sold land to Master Michel LeRoy, of Fontenay. Then, in 1556, Michael LeRoy and Thomas Guillemerre exchanged land in Fontenay. Another sale of land mentions Guillaume LeRoy and Michel LeRoy, brothers, 1563. The next record is a purchase of lands in 1581 from Richard LeBerseur where Jean LeRoy is mentioned as Bachelor of Theology. In 1587 Grants of land delivered from the Lordship de Courcy mentions Pierre LeRoy, Michel LeRoy, sons of Thomas LeRoy.
It is significant to note that the Lord de Courcy embraced the reformed religion of the Protestant movement, having built a church at Fontenay, giving it to the people of Fontenay for their use, plus supplying an endowment for the maintenance of a minister. One wonders if Jean LeRoy, mentioned in 1581 as a Bachelor of Theology, was of the reformed faith.
From the inventory of the Charter de Courcy, held at the "Societe de Manche Archives" are recorded two acts naming a Richard LeRoy and others, along with some of their relationships to each other. The first act, in 1588, shows a shared inheritance which Valentin LeRoy passed on to Thomas LeRoy, the oldest in the line of succession, and to Jean LeRoy and Richard LeRoy, minors with trustee Richard Herview and Jean DeLarue. We do not know when Jean and Richard LeRoy were born, but by 1612 Thomas LeRoy and Richard LeRoy agree to be responsible for various pieces of land across from Cabonches, joining the shortcut from Bost, held by the Lord de Courcy. Do we now have two separate Richard LeRoys, one of 1588 and one of 1612? Or, are the two separate acts the same Richard LeRoy.
Given the fact that the first Richard LeRoy was a minor in 1588, his birth would have been any time from 1575 to 1587 (14 was the age of majority in 16th century Normandy), and his majority reached between 1589 and 1603. For the act of 1612, Richard LeRoy would have been of majority age and thus the Richard LeRoy of 1588 and 1612 could be one and the same. But, this creates another problem. Since Simeon LeRoy was baptized in 1637, and if the Richard LeRoy of Fontenay is his father, Richard LeRoy, would have been between the ages of 50 and 62 years old. Was Gillette Jacquet a much younger bride?
From the records for the Chateau de Courcy is found a grouping of LeRoys dating as early as 1452, when Michael Lucus, Squire Lord of Clais, exchanged property at Fontenay with Jehan LeRoy. There is a gap in these records until 1550 when Jacques Thouaye and Jeanne LeRoy sold to Jacques Pillon, Squire Lord of Rougemont, 20 tournament soils that his uncle, Jacques LeRoy, had given as dowry to his mother according to his marriage contract of January 9, 1547. In the year 1555 Thomas Willemette, son of Louis, citizen of Valognes, sold land to Master Michel LeRoy, of Fontenay. Then, in 1556, Michael LeRoy and Thomas Guillemerre exchanged land in Fontenay. Another sale of land mentions Guillaume LeRoy and Michel LeRoy, brothers, 1563. The next record is a purchase of lands in 1581 from Richard LeBerseur where Jean LeRoy is mentioned as Bachelor of Theology. In 1587 Grants of land delivered from the Lordship de Courcy mentions Pierre LeRoy, Michel LeRoy, sons of Thomas LeRoy.
It is significant to note that the Lord de Courcy embraced the reformed religion of the Protestant movement, having built a church at Fontenay, giving it to the people of Fontenay for their use, plus supplying an endowment for the maintenance of a minister. One wonders if Jean LeRoy, mentioned in 1581 as a Bachelor of Theology, was of the reformed faith.
From the inventory of the Charter de Courcy, held at the "Societe de Manche Archives" are recorded two acts naming a Richard LeRoy and others, along with some of their relationships to each other. The first act, in 1588, shows a shared inheritance which Valentin LeRoy passed on to Thomas LeRoy, the oldest in the line of succession, and to Jean LeRoy and Richard LeRoy, minors with trustee Richard Herview and Jean DeLarue. We do not know when Jean and Richard LeRoy were born, but by 1612 Thomas LeRoy and Richard LeRoy agree to be responsible for various pieces of land across from Cabonches, joining the shortcut from Bost, held by the Lord de Courcy. Do we now have two separate Richard LeRoys, one of 1588 and one of 1612? Or, are the two separate acts the same Richard LeRoy.
Given the fact that the first Richard LeRoy was a minor in 1588, his birth would have been any time from 1575 to 1587 (14 was the age of majority in 16th century Normandy), and his majority reached between 1589 and 1603. For the act of 1612, Richard LeRoy would have been of majority age and thus the Richard LeRoy of 1588 and 1612 could be one and the same. But, this creates another problem. Since Simeon LeRoy was baptized in 1637, and if the Richard LeRoy of Fontenay is his father, Richard LeRoy, would have been between the ages of 50 and 62 years old. Was Gillette Jacquet a much younger bride?