Hospital of Gerbonvaux

The hospital of Gerbonvaux is a Hôpital French located on the territory of the commune of Martigny-les-Gerbonvaux (the Vosges.

Geographical location

The access to the hospital is done since Martigny-les-Gerbonvaux. In the village, to take the direction of Ruppes, then at 1 km after the exit of Martigny, you arrive at a visible dirt track on both sides of your road. This dirt track is not other than the Roman Voie which goes from Langres to Trier. The hospital of Gerbonvaux is then on your left (in the forest) on this Roman way with approximately 300 meters of your road. It is highly disadvised to you going by car to the hospital, the way being of very bad quality, parks you at the beginning of the way and goes down to foot.

It should be noted that all openings (doors, windows, etc) are all on the side of the court (in the center of the building). The few openings towards outside consists in the passing and some small loopholes.

History

Etymology

In various titles, Gerbonvaux is named: Gilbonval and Girbonval in 1261; Gierbonval and Girbonvaulz in 1263; Gerbonval in 1265; Gerbonvaulx and Girbonvaul in 1318; Gilbonvaulz in 1331; Girbauvaul in 1355. This is only one restricted list of various names of the hospital of Gerbonvaux.

Origin of the hospital of Gerbonvaux

In April 1261, Geoffroy, lord of Bourlémont, and Sibille his wife become purchaser of the house of Gilbonval, with the help of the sum of 70 books. The field of Gerbonvaux was put on sale by the Abbaye of Seven-Fountains (order of the Prémontrés), Diocèse of Langres (Haute-Marne).

Gerbonvaux becomes a hospital

As of his acquisition, the lord of Bourlémont decides to make house of Gerbonvaux a hospital intended to receive the patients and the passers by. For that, the lord of Bourlémont equipped, by charter in date of the year 1265, of various goods in order to ensure operation of it. This charter definite incomes of Gerbonvaux.

Namely that the lord of Bourlémont yields to Gerbonvaux:

its rights of revenues on Martigny (les-Gerbonvaux, the Vosges), either out of furnace, or in warpings or another things, fors horns of its men and its sizes and its fines and the held stronghold of luy.
it gives moreover to the aforementioned house of Gerbonvaux, the house of Biaumont (Bermont, Chapelle of…, close to Greux where Jeanne d' Arc was going to collect every saturday).
it gives also permanablement and annually, two Muid S of wine on the revenues of Charmes (- the-Coast, Canton of Toul-South), plus an orchard to that the Charms; moreover, the dîme of a man of Saulxures-the-Valves (Canton Colombey-the-Beautiful).

In 1269, the children of Geoffroy of Bourlémont, Perrin and Geoffroy, confirmed the donation of 1265 by a charter.

“ I Jehans, lord de Joinville and sénéchaulz of Champaigne, and I Pierre, lord of Faulche, and us Jehans, abbots of Mirevault (Abbey of Mureau, order of Prémontré, with Pargny-under-Mureau, the Vosges), and us Garris brothers, priouz of the brothers preschours of Toul, inform all that in nostre presence estaublis Perrins and Joffrois, wire sai behind with noble baron Joffroi, known as Gravier, signour of Boullainmont (Bourlémont), have recognui that lour fathers, in his good SEN and its good memory, donnat, for Deu and in aumosne, with the ospitaul of Nostre Dame of Girbonval, all the revenues that it tenoit with Martigneie (Martigny-les-Gerbonvaux, the Vosges)… ”

In order to increase the resources of the hospital by the perception of stallages and of sale, and perhaps also to attract in this place of the inhabitants, Jean de Bourlémont had instituted in Gerbonvaux a fair which was annually held the day before, the day and the shortly after Saint-Eloy; and, so that the merchants could come there in full safety, he had requested and obtained, in 1318, of Edouard Ier, count de Bar, and of Ferry IV, duke of Lorraine, the letters of except-control and protection.

Other donations

In July 1265, Erars, knight of Parnei (Pargny-under-Mureau, the Vosges), gives for God and in alms, to the hospital of Nostre-Lady of Girbonvaulz six Muid S of wine to be taken at Charm-the-Coast;
In August 1266, lord Manissiez, knight of Brixey, and Sibille his wife, gave in alms to the opitaul of Nostre Dame of Gilbonval the sixth part of said of Martigny;
In January 1307, Sleeve-board, girl Aubri de Brissey (Brixey-with-Canons, Meuse), gives “to the maistre and aus brothers, to the ospital and the house of Girbonvaulz” ten networks of oats to be taken annually on its share of said of Martigny;
In 1321, Sunday after the Purification of Notre Dame, Jean, lord de Bourlémont, fact knowledge that Jean de Domrémy, priest, wire of Ysabelet, gave to his house of Bermont and Girbonvaus three Fauchée S of close and two ground days and half to the round of applause of Greux (the Vosges);
In December 1328, Jean de Bourlémont states that in his presence, Gilles of “Richamaingni (Richardménil, Meurthe-et-Moselle)”, his man, sold with “his hospitaul of Saint Eloy de Girbonvaux” a piece of wood located “top lou known as hospitaul of Girbonvaulz” for 50 books of goods small tournaments;
In May 1329, act passed in front of the official of the court of Toul, by which Husson de Toul, wire Monseigneur Vaultier, knight, “for the bienfaiz and proffiz that it has recehu in time passey ospitaul of Saint Eloy de Girbonvaulz, and aussy for will trez grant devotion that it has endit hospitaul”, gives him the share which it had in said of Charm-the-Coast (Meurthe-et-Moselle), moving in stronghold of the lord of Bourlémont, reserving itself some, its life lasting, the half, which will be delivered to him “by the mendoza pulley mastre and of apprevendiez dou known as hospitaul”. This donation was confirmed by Jean de Bourlémont the next on June 2nd;

The last known donation is in date of July 1468. It was made by Jean Bidal, priest, formerly governor of the hospital of Saint-Eloy of Gerbonvalt. It gave to that the hospital a house which it had made make with Neufchâteau and other acquisitions with the banns of Coussey, Jubainville and Martigny.

During the period of XVIe and part of XVIIe one does not note any more donations in favor of the hospital of Gerbonvaux. For the same period, Gerbonvaux underwent transformations of any nature, and does not seem any more to be surrounded of the prestige which, initially, woke up in its favor public generosity.

In spite of the letters of protection and safeguard, the fields of Gerbonvaux were devastated by people of war, its houses delivered to plundering. Gerbonvaux is obliged to resort to the way of the monitoires (1704 and 1711) to return in possession of its goods and to recover the titles and papers which had been removed to him.

Population of Gerbonvaux

In the beginning, the population of Gerbonvaux is made up of four category of people: a Master, brothers, patients and finally of the busy poor, then, a little later of the prebendaries.

1° the Master - the chief does not take, at the origin, that the title of Master; in the continuation, it is qualified successively and alternatively main

and main prosecutor,
and governor or simply governor,
vice-chancellor and main governor,
, vice-chancellor and main governor,
and vice-chancellor or only vice-chancellor,
governor and main administrator,
and administrator.

The Master is laic or an ecclesiastic, with the liking of the outlet drains, but generally an ecclesiastic; sometimes the priest of a nearby village. The Master of the hospital was held to give an account of his management to the outlet drain which named it.

2° brothers - They were charged to give care to the patients. They also had share with the administration of the house jointly with the Master.

3° the prebendaries or emoluments - Were generally ecclesiastics and of which several fulfilled the functions of Master. They had share with the government of the house.

Administration of Gerbonvaux

By melting the hospital, Geoffroy de Bourlémont had reserved himself some, for him and his successors, the collation or the right to name a Master, which would be maintained as well as the brothers, the patients and the poor.

This right passed initially to its direct heirs, then with the collateral lines, which exerted it until in the first years of the XVIIe century.

In 1520 and 1521, the exercise of the right of collation gave place to a true conflict between the candidates. Frederic, wild count of the Rhine and Salm, lord of Neuviller, Ogéviller, Bayon, Pulligny, etc, Master of the Horse of Lorraine, named Jacques Bocquenomme, priest of the diocese of Toul. The following year, Jean VIII, count de Salm, and Guillaume de Dommartin, lord of the known as place and of Fontenoy-in-Vosge, provided Thomassin Guerin, of Maxey-under-Brixey. In same time, Andre Bocquenomme and Jean Frisier, claim himself named by Jean, count de Salm, lord of Fish ponds, marshal of Barrois, took the title of Masters of Gerbonvaux, and the first had even the control in favor of one named Paris, bastard of Andre Paspargaire.

This confusion lasted several years, with the end of which the bishop of Toul, having believed to have to intervene, gave on March 16th 1530 letters of institution to Thomassin Guerin, which ends up taking possession of the government of the hospital.

The last owners of the right of collation, which passed by such an amount of with hand, and to which one attached a so great importance, were François de Bassompierre, general of Swiss and Grison maintained for the service the King very-Christian; François of Lorraine, count de Vaudémont, like husband of Christine de Salm, and because of its ground, and seigniory of Ruppes (the Vosges); and Georges-African de Bassompierre, lord of Removille, Chatelet, etc, Master of the Horse of Lorraine and baillif of Vosge, which, by act of the October 25th, December 12th and 19th 1619, yielded their right to the priests of the Oratory, lately established in Nancy.

Gerbonvaux in Oratoriens

The Oratoriens between thus in possession of Gerbonvaux under the terms of two acts, one in Latin, concerning the spiritual one, the other, in French, for the temporal one.

Consequently, it was the superior or one of the priests of the Oratory, delegated for this purpose, which took the title of Master of the hospital, and the goods of this one continued to be left with a Amodiateur.

This state of affair remained without disorder until in 1680. At that time, the knights about Notre-Dame of the Mount-Carmel and Saint-Lazare made mean in Oratoriens which they had to give to them Gerbonvaux with his goods, titles and papers, by restoring even the fruits and incomes that they had received some for twenty-nine years, and this pursuant to the edict of the king, December 1672, and of the judgment delivered, on March 4th 1673, by the royal room séant in the Arsenal of Paris, bearing meeting with the order of the maladreries (Gerbonvaux however does not answer the definition of the maladreries), hospital, benefit, commanderies and another places pious.

Oratoriens protest. They write various reports to prove that Gerbonvaux did not return in the category of the establishments aimed by the edicts and stops; they produce certificates of the mayors and inhabitants of the close villages, attesting that the divine service had always been done there, that hospitality there had been always exerted, that they of had even made restore the residences, ruined during the wars; but, though the right good was on their side, they feared to engage in an expensive lawsuit and, by act of October 23rd, 1681, ratified the next on December 4th by the general superior of the congregation of the Oratory, in Paris, they gave up with the order of Saint-Lazare the full one and whole pleasure of the hospital of Gerbonvaux.

The king having recognized that the meetings pronounced by the room of the arsenal were extraordinary and could not remain, it gave, in 1693, a declaration by which it divides about Saint-Lazare what had been consequently built-in there edict of 1672 and stop of 1673, and broke all the transactions which could have been made with this order. Consequently, the priests of the Oratory continued to enjoy Gerbonvaux, memberships and dependence, as they enjoyed it in 1670.

Gerbonvaux in 1745

A statement of visit, drawn up in 1745, by order of Mr. Sallet, subdelegated of the intendant at the department of Neufchâteau, gives interesting details on the state of this house and the way in which the poor there were placed and nourished. Here the transcription of the statement of this expert:

“I found a court closed of buildings (buildings rebuilt with nine about 1705) in which one enters by a great passage; in the occident of the aforesaid the court and on the right of the known as passage, is a main building to place the farmer, who is in charge of the reception with the poor; which housing is composed of two rooms in top. On the same part, on the left of the known as passage, is a large room glazed well and planchée in top and bottom, which is used for to receive and heat the poor, and in which there are three sufficient layers to lay down nine people, each one desdittes layers furnished with straw mattresses, two cloths and a pricked and filled glaze of packings, two other of the same glazes species, six other cloths which are lissivoient then.

With north is a vault set up under the invocation of Midsummer's Day and Saint-Eloy, which is roomy adze and in good state.

With the East and midday are the barns and stables.

Then about this recognition, I got informed, as well at the villages close as near the two poor which sortoient then of this hospital, in the way that one étoit received; on what one answered me that in the evening one there avoit with supper, even bread, even soup and even meat that the farmer; the following day with desjeuner or a piece of bread to carry; that, during the day, those which did not make that to pass swage with dining when it étoit the hour, and at any other time, a piece of bread”.

The modest furniture of which it has just been question seems extremely badly maintained, since it is noted, in 1752, that “the hospital beds are in very bad condition, having there only five bad glazes and six well estaminés cloths. All the bedstead of the poor are absolutely rotted and wormeaten. ”. The room which was affected for them did not find in better state: “For the room of the poor, it is necessary to restore the breaches which are in the walls, to rough-cast the aforementioned room everywhere, to raise the floor and to add to it the boards which miss there”.

Conclusion

At the time of my last visit (be 2003), I could note that incontestably these buildings are almost left with the abandonment, the court is invaded of vegetation, which makes very difficult any circulation, even for a pedestrian.

It is regrettable that such a place is dedicated to a slow but final death by the state of decay which starts to be that too much visible.

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