What an outrageous story! At least you have been able to track the sequence of events, which is more than most people get to do in these architectural mysteries.
Do you know who MB was? One day you will have to trace your building’s history in the archives — a project for when you are retired I think.
Fraussie
November 13th, 2012 at 9:52 am
We may get the crest yet – we heard from Mr Previous Owner that he’s working on it! We don’t know who MB was. The previous owners tried to track it down without success but when I’m retired – which is not for the next 6 or 7 years for me, I’m afraid – I’ll definitely search the archives.
I’ve got the booklet from the notaires explaining how you follow the document trail through the archival references and clues. I’ve heard from people that have done it that the archivists are super helpful and absolutely delighted when some member of the public turns up to brighten their day with a request. The old hand written documents can be quite hard to read though. We know the history of our place back to the mid-19th C from what is on the deed, but beyond that is just guessing. There is a very interesting theory about why our place exists, so one day we will have to take ourselves off and do the serious research.
Fraussie
November 13th, 2012 at 4:26 pm
Ah, I didn’t know the notaires had a booklet. I’ll chase that up.
Gigi
November 12th, 2012 at 11:34 pm
Oh Lordy!! This looks like dangerous work! Please be careful, relationnel!! …and keep the noise down as well ;). The ppo is obviously a nutter! …Looking forward to seeing the end result.
Fraussie
November 13th, 2012 at 9:54 am
I was a bit worried initially as well, but he seems to have it all under control. I’m hoping to post the end result by the end of the week …
Barb Hall
November 13th, 2012 at 5:23 am
Really sorry to hear about your problems. That is so disappointing and complete vandalism to do that to a 600 year old building. Hope decency prevails and the keystone is returned.
How amazing to think that somebody put that horizontal bar in. I wonder how long ago that was?
Very funny story. Hope you get your fireplaces sorted soon. Christmas is coming and you need a nice big roaring fire to sit around.
Love
denisefrombolton
Fraussie
November 13th, 2012 at 9:56 am
Yes, you never know what you’ll find! Unfortunately Relationnel is working at Christmas so we’ll be in Paris, but I am hoping to see in the New Year sipping champagne and eating foie gras in front of a blazing fire in our renovated fireplace. I think it’s keeping Relationnel motivated!
Ahem…I do hope you mean sparkling Vouvray or crémant de Loire. Champagne in the Loire — tsk– so over-priced and trading on it’s name at the expense of quality. Support your local vignerons ! :-))
Fraussie
November 13th, 2012 at 4:33 pm
I’m afraid there is no way that I could consider drink sparkling vouvray or crémant de Loire on a festive occasion such as New Year. I am a true champagne lover and have my own not over-priced source of vintage champagne that I have been enjoying for fifteen years. I am happy to support local vignerons for their other wines though but I have a very eclectic cellar and like different wines from different regions for different occasions and different foods. All our wines come from the cellar door and over the years we have developed friendships with wine growers all over France and even Italy.
Maple Leaf
November 13th, 2012 at 10:10 am
Looks like a scary undertaking. I hope you get the crest back! PPO does sound nuts!
I hope you do get your lovely New Year’s fire 🙂
Fraussie
November 13th, 2012 at 10:52 am
Thank you! Relationnel is very convincing when he explains it all so I guess it’s going to work out! And maybe PO will convince PPO into giving us back the crest. He seems very hopeful.
Lyn
November 15th, 2012 at 12:22 pm
What a wonderful job Relationnel is doing. I hope you enjoy your champagne at New Year, it sounds great, we’ll probably be trying to keep cool under the trees in the back yard.
[…] the untrained eye, the current state of the fireplace may not seem any different from the last time I posted. However, another 5 days’ work put has been been into it! The fireplace […]
[…] we would just have to have a smaller fire, not no fire at all. You may remember the story of the delinquent owner who removed the crest stone when he had to sell the house. Well, the exact same person bricked up […]
[…] the stone sink and bench, which I thought were original features of the house, were added by the people who began restoring the house before our previous owners bought […]
What an outrageous story! At least you have been able to track the sequence of events, which is more than most people get to do in these architectural mysteries.
Do you know who MB was? One day you will have to trace your building’s history in the archives — a project for when you are retired I think.
We may get the crest yet – we heard from Mr Previous Owner that he’s working on it! We don’t know who MB was. The previous owners tried to track it down without success but when I’m retired – which is not for the next 6 or 7 years for me, I’m afraid – I’ll definitely search the archives.
I’ve got the booklet from the notaires explaining how you follow the document trail through the archival references and clues. I’ve heard from people that have done it that the archivists are super helpful and absolutely delighted when some member of the public turns up to brighten their day with a request. The old hand written documents can be quite hard to read though. We know the history of our place back to the mid-19th C from what is on the deed, but beyond that is just guessing. There is a very interesting theory about why our place exists, so one day we will have to take ourselves off and do the serious research.
Ah, I didn’t know the notaires had a booklet. I’ll chase that up.
Oh Lordy!! This looks like dangerous work! Please be careful, relationnel!! …and keep the noise down as well ;). The ppo is obviously a nutter! …Looking forward to seeing the end result.
I was a bit worried initially as well, but he seems to have it all under control. I’m hoping to post the end result by the end of the week …
Really sorry to hear about your problems. That is so disappointing and complete vandalism to do that to a 600 year old building. Hope decency prevails and the keystone is returned.
Yes, I hope so too!
How amazing to think that somebody put that horizontal bar in. I wonder how long ago that was?
Very funny story. Hope you get your fireplaces sorted soon. Christmas is coming and you need a nice big roaring fire to sit around.
Love
denisefrombolton
Yes, you never know what you’ll find! Unfortunately Relationnel is working at Christmas so we’ll be in Paris, but I am hoping to see in the New Year sipping champagne and eating foie gras in front of a blazing fire in our renovated fireplace. I think it’s keeping Relationnel motivated!
Ahem…I do hope you mean sparkling Vouvray or crémant de Loire. Champagne in the Loire — tsk– so over-priced and trading on it’s name at the expense of quality. Support your local vignerons ! :-))
I’m afraid there is no way that I could consider drink sparkling vouvray or crémant de Loire on a festive occasion such as New Year. I am a true champagne lover and have my own not over-priced source of vintage champagne that I have been enjoying for fifteen years. I am happy to support local vignerons for their other wines though but I have a very eclectic cellar and like different wines from different regions for different occasions and different foods. All our wines come from the cellar door and over the years we have developed friendships with wine growers all over France and even Italy.
Looks like a scary undertaking. I hope you get the crest back! PPO does sound nuts!
I hope you do get your lovely New Year’s fire 🙂
Thank you! Relationnel is very convincing when he explains it all so I guess it’s going to work out! And maybe PO will convince PPO into giving us back the crest. He seems very hopeful.
What a wonderful job Relationnel is doing. I hope you enjoy your champagne at New Year, it sounds great, we’ll probably be trying to keep cool under the trees in the back yard.
[…] the untrained eye, the current state of the fireplace may not seem any different from the last time I posted. However, another 5 days’ work put has been been into it! The fireplace […]
[…] we would just have to have a smaller fire, not no fire at all. You may remember the story of the delinquent owner who removed the crest stone when he had to sell the house. Well, the exact same person bricked up […]
[…] the stone sink and bench, which I thought were original features of the house, were added by the people who began restoring the house before our previous owners bought […]
[…] haven’t seen Mr and Mrs Previous Owner for quite some time, what with moving, retirement blues, Christmas, New Year, the flu, Granada, […]