Cordelleville : The chapel

The parish of Cordelleville, part of the deanship of Cailly, can be traced back to the 13th century (Hippolyte Lemarchand : History of the Canton of Cailly). The archives even mention the names of the priests who have officiated since this time. The sandstone and flint nave of this little church dates back to the 16th century. However, certain details date its original construction back to the Roman era. An extended plan shows a single nave, a long-sloped, slate roof, a small slate bell-tower on the front apex of the roof. Carved into the west-facing façade are a round-arched portal and a circular window. The church houses naive, polychrome statues of Saint Sauveur, Saint Leonard and Saint Barbe which are proof of very ancient, popular art. The choir was destroyed in 1824 and the sacristy in 1990. At the same time the cemetery, which had been completely abandoned, was restored. In past centuries the church was a site of pilgrimage to St Leonard for late-walking children.

A notarial act dated January 10th 1691 stipulated that bishop Henry Picquet would pay for a series of masses and bell-ringings for the salvation of the soul of Damoiselle

Anne Erambourg, his wife, of their family and their posterity in the church of St Leonard in Cordelleville. The organisation and financing of the services are described in detail (Patrice Bizet Foundation : Cordeville - the Mme Henry Picquet Church Foundation).

During his visit on September 25th 1714, Bishop Claude Maur d’Abigné signalled a certain number of repairs and improvements to be made, “and we join with the priest in soliciting a clerk to help him administer the sacraments and sing the liturgies of holy days and Sundays, teach in the boys’ school and give advice about establishing a girls’ school, and to roof-tile, at least in part, a lean-to adjoining his presbytery to the said church “.

In 1707 the Cordelleville church had two bell-towers as it did at the time of the revolution. However, the one weighing 250 pounds was taken down in 1793 and sent to Rouen where it was melted down to be transformed into canons or coins. Thus the revolution left only one bell-tower on the Cordeville church.

In 1806 a prefectoral decree authorised the Mont-Cauvaire church council to take down this remaining bell-tower and to remove all the furniture from the Cordeville church. The Cordelleville parish was abolished and attached to Mont-Cauvaire for the celebration of worship.

On September 23rd 1825 the communes of Cordelleville and Tôt became part of the commune of Clères, by Royal Order. However, their churches, after a long battle with Mont-Cauvaire, were only attached to the church in Clères on January 24th 1897 by a decree signed by the president of the French Republic, Felix Faure. It was then signed on order by Monseigneur Sourrieu Archbishop of Rouen on January 29th 1897.

Between the revolution and 1825 the commune had two mayors, Louis Angran and Jacques Marguerite Lasseur.