The churchwardens' court case

Le Tôt, formerly a commune, was annexed to Clères for civil administration and to Mont-Cauvaire for spiritual matters during the Restoration. However, Le Tôt possessed a very fine parsonage where the officiating priest of Mont-Cauvaire resided, whilst the one in Clères was falling into ruin. If the chapel of Le Tôt were attached to the parish of Clères, the commune could then sell the said parsonage and thus obtain the necessary funds for a new building in Clères. Naturally, Mont-Cauvaire was having none of it!

 "The Archbishop, Monseigneur Blanquart de Bailleul, made the mistake of taking sides in this quarrel and pronouncing in favour of Clères. Threatened with the loss of the parsonage of Le Tôt, the vestry of Mont-Cauvaire took fright; for them, there was a necessity to resist and act, perhaps to plead before the Prefecture Council. It was to enter into open conflict with the Archbishopric." (Eugène Noel)

The parish priest then had the idea of asking Mr Louis Antoine Noel, Eugène's father, to become a churchwarden, and even to become the chairman of the vestry. He was well aware that the other wardens, most of whom could neither read nor write, would be unable to defend the interests of the parish of Mont-Cauvaire in this matter. Mr Noel, who had never attended church but who owned a mill for grinding dyewood at Le Tôt, finally agreed to defend the interests of Mont-Cauvaire. Beginning in 1845, the debates and the correspondence between the Archbishop, the Mayor, and the priest of Clères lasted several years. With the February Revolution of 1848, which established a new administration, everything had to be started afresh.

Soon, the Archbishop reassigned the priest of Mont-Cauvaire. Consequently, there was no longer a priest in Mont-Cauvaire, Cordelleville, or Le Tôt.

"It was learnt that the chapels of Le Tôt and Cordelleville, closed for months, would be provisionally served by the priest of Clères. For Clères, it was a discreet way of slipping into the position. The women swore to arm themselves with brooms... The priest of Clères was an estimable man. Mr Noel, wishing to spare him any possible unpleasantness, warned him by letter that the keys to the two chapels would be refused him." (Eugène Noel)

It was then, in 1851, that Mr Noel died. His son Eugène fell gravely ill. Once recovered, he in turn became a member of the vestry. The lawsuit ended with a victory for Mont-Cauvaire: Le Tôt would remain, along with its parsonage, attached to the parish of Mont-Cauvaire.

But the story did not end there: a decree by Félix Faure, President of the Republic, dated 24 January 1897, supplemented by an ordinance from Monseigneur Sourrieu, Archbishop of Rouen, dated 25 January 1897, put a definitive end to the discussions. After 72 years, Le Tôt and Cordelleville were attached to Clères for spiritual matters, just as they had been for civil matters in 1825-26.