Notre-Dame de Théville Church dans la Manche

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Key figures

Origin and history

The Notre-Dame de Théville church, located in the Manche department in Normandy, is a Catholic building whose origins date back to at least the twelfth century. It was initially placed under the patronage of Geoffroy de Montbray, bishop of Coutances, before being granted to the Abbey of Montebourg by Guillaume, son of Robert Estur de l'Isle. This donation, confirmed by Henry of Tilly and Pope Adrien IV, marked the beginning of a long history linked to the conflicts of patronage between the abbey and the family of Tilly, particularly around the rights of designation of the priest and the distribution of agricultural income (gerbs).

In the 13th century, Jean de Tilly exercised the right of patronage, but tensions persisted with Abbé de Montebourg, leading to a division of responsibilities around 1350. During the Hundred Years War, during the English occupation, this right was temporarily vested in King Henry V, as evidenced by Norman archives. In 1492, a judicial sentence finally restored patronage to the Abbey of Montebourg, ending decades of litigation. These conflicts illustrated the political and religious stakes of the time, when local lords and ecclesiastical institutions disputed the authority over parishes.

Major changes in the building began in the Renaissance. In 1594, the parish priest Guillaume Blondel initiated the first parish registers, while his successor, François Daireaux, modernized the choir in the 17th century: the Gothic windows were enlarged into basket handles, and a sacristy was added. In the 18th century, the works increased: construction of the present tower (1736–43), raising the nave (1780), and reconstruction of the presbytery. The Revolution marked a turning point with the refusal of the oath of parish priest Louis-Charles Onfroy, replaced by Gilles Gibon, before the first one returned in 1808 to finish his life there.

Climate and political hazards continue to mark the history of the church. In 1793, lightning destroyed the bell tower's arrow, replaced in 1808 by a building. A fire ravaged the sacristy in 1844, while repairs were financed by the state after a storm in 1833. The furniture, although partially renewed (master altar of the 19th century, retable of the 18th century), preserves remarkable pieces like a statue of St James of the 15th century, classified historical monument. These elements reflect the successive adaptations of the building to liturgical needs and material constraints.

Today, the Notre-Dame de Théville church is characterized by its unique nave without sideways and its bell tower in a building, inherited from the reconstructions of the 18th and 19th centuries. His cemetery attests to his central role in community life, while commemorative stained glass windows, such as the one dedicated to Pierre Bourdet who died during the First World War, recall his anchoring in local history. The building thus embodies nearly nine centuries of religious and social life in Normandy.

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