COMMUNAL MONOGRAPH OF

SAINT-GERMAIN-DE-LA-GRANGE

From the canton and 11 kilometers from Montfort, 10 kilometers from Thoiry, on the ridge formed at their confluence by the Mauldre and the Ru Maldroit, the said ru separating the territory of Saint Germain-de-la-Grange from the territory of Thiverval to the north which is in the canton of Versailles.

At the limit of the territories of Saint Germain-de-la-Grange and Villiers Saint Frédéric, the Paris-Granville railway line passes at the bottom of a trench 8 meters deep which shows chalk with large tuberculous flint in horizontal layers.

From the 13th to the 15th centuries, Saint Germain de la Grange was referred to as Saint-Germain-sous-Neauphle, Moronville, Saint Germain de Moronville, Saint Germain de Morainville. The Harville family owned it in the 16th century.

This town, sparsely populated and which no longer has a church, was once the most important stronghold of the chatellenie of Neauphle. It owes the second part of its name to a castle that no longer exists, the Château de la Grange-aux-Bois (or the Grange du Bois).

The stronghold of Grange-aux-Bois, which was located in Saint Germain de la Grange, is confusing with the hamlet of Grange du Bois owned by the municipality of Bréviaires.

The Harville family is given by the armorial bearings as originating from the land of Harville near Yenvile in Beauce. In general, the place names in which the word barn enters owe this name to the barns built in the Middle Ages to receive the multiple royalties owed by the villains to the lords. There were also the tithe barns or tithe in which the tithe of products of all kinds was stored. Barns were often a kind of fortress because it was necessary to protect the supplies they contained against the greed of the invaders. Yenville must be Janville, currently the capital of the canton in the district of Chartres (Eure et Loir). I find no other Harville in Beauce other than three hamlets also located in Eure and Loir, but none of which is positively near Janville: I ° Harville, commune of Bailleau-le-Pin, canton of Illiers; 2 ° Harville, municipality of Civry, canton of Châteaudun; 3 ° Harville, commune of Illiers, capital of the canton in the district of Chartres.

In the 15th century, the Harville family detached a branch which had the seigneury of Grange-du-Bois. As we find these Harvilles in the 16th century, lords at the same time of Saint Germain de la Grange, we must infer that their stronghold of the Grange du Bois was that located in Saint Germain de la Grange and not that located in the Breviaries. A branch of the House of Harville owned the seigneury of Bordes near La Celle in the 13th and 14th centuries. Another branch had the Marquisate of Palaiseau. The house of Harville died on March 8, 1815. In addition to the hamlets of Harville en Beauce, there is a commune of Harville in the Meuse.

In 1479, Mathurin de Harville paid homage to the Duke of Brittany, Lord of Neauphle for La Grange-du-Bois and twenty dependent fiefs. He repeated this homage to the king in 1494.

In 1529, his son Philippe de Harville paid homage to the king for La Grange du Bois, Thiverval, Plaisir in part, Millemont etc.

In 1556, Philippe de Harville, squire, governor for the king in the bailiwick and county of Montfort, lord of Granche-du-Bois, Saint-Germain and other places, husband of Claude de Rouville appeared at the custom of Montfort.

In February 1580, the representative of Messire Pierre de Harville, knight, governor and bailiff of Montfort, lord of Granche-du-Bois, of St Germain de Morainville, appeared before the drafting of the custom of the provost and viscount of Paris, Maurepas, Plaisir etc, both in his name and as tutor to Mathurin, Henri and Louis de Harville children of him and the late Lady Louise de la Salle, his wife, lord of the seigneuries of Puisieux in France and Carrière near St Germain-en -Laye. But said appearing went back to the assembly that the seigneuries of Grange du Bois, Thiverval, Plaisir and St Germain de Morainville were customary in the county and bailiwick of Montfort.

Said Pierre de Harville lord of the Grange du Bois, governor and bailiff of Montfort, functions he held until 1559 had first married Louise de la Salle daughter of Jean de la Salle lord of Carrières-sous le bois de Laye , governor of the castle of St Germain. He married as a second marriage Marie de Briqueville widow of Charles d'Harcourt baron de Beuvron with whom he had no children. By his first wife he had: 1 ° Mathurin; 2 ° Henri, who killed with an arquebusade the young lady of Fulaines concubine of his father; 3 ° Louis, who will follow. From the demoiselle de Fulaines, he had a natural son, Emeri de Harville, known as the bastard of La Grange, who died childless.

In the 1600s, censal declarations were passed for the benefit of Pierre de Guy and Louis de Harville, lords of the Grange du Bois, by various laborers and by the Saint-Germain de Morainville factory.

Louis de Harville, Lord of La Grange du Bois, married Françoise Servin in 1604, with whom he had five daughters.

In 1638, the Grange du Bois was put up for sale on the heirs of a Louis de Harville said son of Philippe de Harville, and awarded to Claude de Bullion lord of Bonnellles, baron de Maule, superintendent of finances, who left it in share. to his daughter wife of M. de Bellièvre lord of Grignon.

In 1739, the seigneury was owned by M. de Novion (see Grignon).

Following power of attorney before the royal notary in the county of Pontchartrain, François Oursel, parish priest of St Germain de la Grange, was represented by the parish priest of Neauphle le Vieux.

The church of St Germain de la Grange was sold and demolished in 1793. By order of Monsignor Louis Charrier de la Roche, first bishop of Versailles, on September 23, 1802, the parish was suppressed and united with that of Villiers St Frédéric.

A stone cross marks the site of the old church.

Hauducoeur (Nicolas) born in Vicq in 1729, plowman in St Germain de la Grange, one of the delegates of this commune to the assembly of the bailiwick of Montfort was elected on March 28, 1789 deputy of the Third Estate to the States General by the Bailiwick of Montfort. He was mayor of St Germain de la Grange during the first municipality elected following the decree of December 14, 1789.

He voted with the majority of the national assembly, after which he fell into obscurity.

Part of the hamlet of Chateron depends on Saint-Germain de la Grange, the surplus of which depends on Neauphle-le-Château.

Population in 1866… 175 inhabitants

1910… 157 inhabitants

1926… 143 inhabitants

1931… 156 inhabitants

1936… 167 inhabitants

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Source: departmental archives, municipal monograph of Saint-Germain-de-la-Grange written by Paul Aubert, document number: J 3211/20 [9], transcription by Mathieu Thédié