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Origin and history

The manor house of the Cocardière, located in Guerquesalles in the Orne, was acquired in 1477 by Regnault Le Lasseur, who was born into a family anobligated by Charles V in 1365. This fief quarter of Mesnil-Imbert became the property of the Lasseur, a noble lineage that passed it on from generation to generation. Regnault, then his son John (spouse of Isabel Bardout), and their descendant John II (married to Catherine de Lyre) consolidated the possession of the estate.

In the 16th century, the manor house was probably built in its present form, combining wood sloping panels of tiles and flint, with cut stones. Eustache de la Cocardière, lord of the place and military, served under Guillaume V de Hautemer before perishing in the wars of Religion. His son Jacques, then Guillaume (buried in 1669), continued the line until its extinction in the 18th century, causing the sale of the manor house to the Bosc.

The architecture of the mansion combines stone elevations, brick hurdles on the floors, and flat tile roof. A cider press and agricultural outbuildings (stable, cheese dryer) testify to its economic role. Ranked a historic monument in 1929 for its facades and roof, the house was restored in the 19th century, with a reorientation of its entrance and the addition of a family coat of arms. Subsequent modifications will include the installation of the town hall in a room on the ground floor.

The domain illustrates the evolution of a Norman fief, passing from the hands of the Lasseur — linked to the religious conflicts of the sixteenth century — to families such as the Mathan, before being ceded to the Bosc. The restorations of the 19th century, although partially transforming the structure, preserved original elements such as the frame of the press or the hurdles in pise. Today, the mansion remains a testimony to the seigneurial and agricultural history of Lower Normandy.

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