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Origin and history

The castle of Fosseuse, located in the Oise, derives its name from Rolland de Montmorency-Fosseux, who acquired in 1483 the seigneury then named Baillet-sur-Esches. The latter, married to Louise d'Orgemont, heiress of the premises, renamed the estate in reference to his Barony of Fosseux in Artois. The family of Orgemont, originally from Lagny, included Chancellor Pierre d'Orgemont among his ancestors, while the Montmorency, descendants of John II (1404-1477), retained the estate until its sale in 1577, marking the definitive abandonment of the name Baillet for the benefit of Fosseuse.

In the 17th century, after the death of François de Montmorency-Fosseux in 1684, the castle passed to Louise de Prie, widow of the Marshal of La Mothe-Houdancourt. In 1709, the estate was sold to Philippe Thome, adviser to the Parliament of Paris, who obtained his erection in marquisat including Bornel. The seigneury changed hands again in 1789, then belonging to Jacques Louis Le Boulanger, master of petitions, before being acquired in 1807 by Count Florian de Kergorlay, MP and peer of France, whose family kept him for more than a century.

Architecturally, the castle combines brick and stone, with two levels on high basement, surmounted by a slate attic. With a tower and a square pavilion, it is inserted into an English landscaped park, bordered by a piece of water. Joined historic monuments since 1992, it is now a guest house after successive restorations.

The Montmorency, an eminent family linked to duches such as Montmorency-Piney-Luxembourg, made a lasting mark on the history of the place. Their legacy is mixed with that of the Thome, Le Boulanger and Kergorlay, reflecting the social and political changes of the former regime in the Third Republic. The transmission of the estate, via alliances and sales, illustrates the heritage strategies of the French elite over five centuries.

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