Timeline

Key figures

Origin and history

The Château de Beaulieu, located in Beaulieu-sur-Oudon in the department of Mayenne, finds its first records written in the 13th century. At that time, the land belonged to the Anthenese family, as evidenced by a division of 1260 between Hamelin and Yvon Le Franc, nephews of Hamelin of Anthenese. This document explicitly excludes the "donation of Beaulou" (former name of Beaulieu), transmitted by inheritance to Heumelin Le Franc, knight. This first act attests to the seigneurial anchoring of the site from the Middle Ages.

At the beginning of the 14th century, the seigneury passed to Guillaume de Couesmes through his marriage with Louise Le Franc, integrating Beaulieu into a set of noble estates. In 1353 and 1359 Briand de Couesmes was the certified lord. In the next century, the Lavals, seigneurs of Montjean and then Counts of Laval, became owners of the place, although families such as the Boisgamats or the Le Porc also claimed the title of " seigneurs de Beaulieu". This period marks the integration of the field into regional feudal structures.

In the 17th century, Beaulieu was included in the confessions of the County of Laval, confirming its status as a fief under this powerful seigneury. In 1696, Gaultier de la Villaudray acquired the land from Charles Belgium Hollande de La Tremeille, Duke of La Tremeille. The seigneury then remained united with the Villaudray, then with the castle itself, consolidating its role in the local seigneurial landscape.

Between 1731 and 1734 François Le Clerc, a provincial lieutenant in artillery and knight of Saint-Louis, became seigneur of Beaulieu through his alliance with Miss Gaultier de la Villaudray. He began a series of trials to defend his seigneurial prerogatives, especially against the local priest, in order to affirm his honorary rights at the church and his share in tithes. His will, approved in 1790, revealed a complex family transmission, with minor heirs and a widow, Renée Dubois.

The French Revolution marked a turning point for the castle: François Le Clerc, sick and suspected of emigration, saw his property placed under receivership. His mother, who was interned for 14 months, requested in 1794 the release of the receiver to recover some of the furniture. The family managed to retain the property through financial sacrifices. Finally, in 1844, Louise Berset of Hauterive, widow of M. Le Clerc, left the estate to her daughter Louise Le Clerc, wife of M. Berset de Vaufleury, thus closing centuries of noble transmissions.

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