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Origin and history

The Château de Frênay is a seigneurial estate located 800 metres south of the village of Saint-Mars-sur-Colmont, in the department of Mayenne. In 1697, it included a manor house, moats, garennes, mills (such as those of the Goupillouse and Papillon), as well as lands divided into Upper and Lower Frênay. The fief, moving from the seigneuries of the Pallu and Plessis-Châtillon, granted his lord funeral privileges in the local church, including a burial in the choir and a liter under that of the Pallu.

Prior to 1730, the site housed a moat-lined house, three towers (one of which remained), a dovecote, ponds, an avenue and orchards enclosed with walls. A statue of St Michael, probably from an old seigneurial chapel or from a pinnacle of the church, now adorns the servitude buildings. The modern castle dates back to the 19th century, replacing older structures.

The seigneury of Frênay was marked by local conflicts, such as the seizure of wheat and buckwheat by Chouans (including Grangeray, Papouin and Valette) on the 11th year VIII mist (1 November 1799). A chapel, founded in 1716 by Pierre Pottier, imposed three weekly Masses. A historic church bell, bearing inscriptions mentioning the Emperor and the owner of Frênay, is kept in the castle.

The archives mention lords like Beuchant or Chouans, but their precise roles remain partially documented. The estate, linked to local families such as the Pottiers, illustrates the feudal and post-revolutionary organization of Mayenne, between seigneurial rights, agricultural exploitation and architectural transformations.

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