Saint-Nabor church of Colombey

The Saint-Nabor church of Colombey is a small religious building in ruin of the common of going Coincy located in skirt of forest on the old road of Colombey to the village of Coincy.

The church, hidden under the coppices and brambles is difficult to reach. It does not remain about it any more that the Romance tower with 4 coupled window whose roof is rather well preserved. It communicated with the nave only by one rather low door in full-clotheshanger. There remains also a section of wall in the south, two small windows of full-clotheshanger (17th century?), a beautiful Romance main door like some vestiges of the chorus and the tomb stones.

The church served Aubigny, Coincy and Colombey, the cure being with Coincy.

History

The origin of the church as its name are not known. The construction of its tower goes back to the 12th century.

It is probably dedicated to the worship of Saint Nabor. Saint-Nabor is the first historical name of the common of Saint-Avold in the Moselle. There exists also a village of Saint-Nabor in the the Low-Rhine.

The question of the membership of the church to the Ordre of Malta remains outstanding. The historical Note on the church and the castle of Colombey of Charles Abel, contained in the Memories of the Academy of Metz (1875 - 76), us describes all the owners of the Seigneurie of Colombey and, at any time, it is not question of the knights of Malta.

With the Middle Ages, it was the seat of an important parish of the archpriest of Noisseville. The abbot of Senones, with the diocese of Toul, was outlet drain of the cure (Lognon and Carrière, Pouillés). This patronage was old. The membership of the abbey of Senones indeed is attested since 1111 in a charter of the emperor Henri V. on April 2nd, 1123, a bubble of the Calixte pope confirming with the Antoine abbot of Pavia the goods and privileges of Senones, city the “ecclesia of Columbarie” to the number of its possessions (Parisse, Bullaire, N°126).

The July 24th 1712, the victory of Denain saved France during the war of succession of Spain against the Imperial ones. We know by the state of the allowances that they were paid by the King of France. Here the report presented by the Chouine priest of what it lost in the church of Dove: “The enemies forced the gate vault, took the chalice, the veil of St Ciborium, a boëte of money which was used for to carry money to the patients. They broke 4 windows and baraux and taken the two new paddles all, 2 surplis new, 2 altar clothes, 4 towels. They broke the dey, broke our vases and our candles and the door of the church and all which losses we estimate about with the value of 200 pounds and more. Fact with the church of Dove, on June 26th, 1712, in the presence of the aldermen of the aforesaid the parish. Memory of what I lost in the house curiale of Coincy: approximately 5 wine hoods as well drunk as released, 1 linen sheet of hemp, 3 shirts, 2 ties and of the handkerchiefs of pocket, 3 razors and the dish, broken my stone with razor, my broken window, all which things I estimate with the value of 30 books. ”

The church St Nabor served Coincy and Aubigny until the Legal settlement of 1801. The house curiale which belonged to Mr. d' Ancerville found with Coincy.

After terror, the churches were in sorry state and they all could not be restored. The emperor Napoleon fixed a restrictive number of branches. Of a stroke of the pen, he declared additional several localities. That was done during the countryside of Russia and it is curious to find documents signed of Moscow to attach certain localities, in particular Colombey with Coincy. In 1808, there was in the canton 17 serving (because of a lack of Presbytère). A report/ratio with Mgr Gaspard-Andre Jauffret announces at the beginning of this year there that Coincy and Colombey is served by Silly-on-Nied which is too distant.

In 1812, Colombey is attached to Coincy, since, Colombey will make party of the parish of Borny whereas Aubigny and Coincy of that of Saint-Agnan.

An act of the September 30th 1827 proposes to the mayor Coincy to sell the bell and materials of the church to help its commune required its quota in the acquisition of the presbytery. The bell is sold, descended and transferred to the church from Saint-Agnan. With its profit, Coincy sold to Mr. de Tricornot the old church probably built by the Order of Malta, given up since 1793 and starting to fall in ruin. Mgr Gaspard-Andre Jauffret came on the spot to study the cogency of the transaction.

In 1876, Charles Abel describes the church in the memories of the Academy of Metz in 1875-76:
“the church of Colombey, surrounded by its modest cemetery, is used still today as parish. Isolated in the middle of a forest from fir trees dominating a small valley in which the brook of Aubigny is played, this piles building makes admirably in the landscape. This insulation which has its charm is not without danger. Criminals, in 1875, were introduced into the bell-tower and quietly made leave the bell. One of realized flight that next Sunday, when it is a question of calling the faithful ones to the Divine office”. How what the plunderers of churches do not go back to today!
“But, in itself, the church of Colombey, presents to the eye of the passer by only its Romance bell-tower. Its windows with semicircular arch, its posts with trenchers, their capitals with sticks, show to do it 13th century. The church presented a gate in semicircular arch, narrow windows, a chorus arched in half dome”.

What remains about it today?

Admittedly, the Romance tower, capped of a slate hat which is hardly appropriate, is in good state of conservation. It has four geminated Romance bays and it communicates with the nave only by one rather low door with semicircular arch. But of the church, there remains only one section of wall, in the south, open of two small round windows in semicircular arch certainly of the 17th century, and a beautiful Romance door (15th century), the vestiges of the chorus in half dome; the northern wall does not exist any more; some large tomb stones are gathered in the tower. The vault is surrounded by splendid trees and draws up its terrace above curving brook Aubigny. Perched on its perch in the middle of the beautiful trees, of brambles and barbed wire of iron, it became practically inaccessible. Only its bell-tower shows through among the high branches; the roof was repaired according to the last will of the late ones. Under the arch one discovers, not without emotion, among others become anonymous, the tomb stones of Jean-Joseph-Charles-Richard De Tschudi, deceased in 1822 and of his wife died in 1844.

More recently in December 2003 Mr. Philippe Bernard-Michel proposes a project of rehabilitation of the vault at the municipal council of Coincy.

Clean of Colombey

Claude Gérardin.
September 2nd, 1575: Nicolas Barat - with the nomination of the Reville Father, abbot of Sénones.
June 30th, 1584: Abraham Simon - clerk notary Mr. the abbot of Sénones.
Jean Babardal - priest.
May 27th, 1611: Jean Lecammoufsier - canon of Lourbg.
July 10th, 1629: Light Carolus - canon.
December 31st, 1669: Claude Fammel - priest of Borny (December 2nd, 1661) permutation.
April 12th, 1671: François Louis (death on October 7th, 1695 at 65 years).
(1684: Huyn - priest.)
October 27th, 1695: Claude Clément - priest. Mr. the abbot of Sénones.
June 24th, 1696: Jean Mathieu Pie - priest of Saulny with the assent of Mr. the abbot of Sénones.
August 29th, 1697: Nicol Marshal - priest of Coinville (death on July 19th, 1707).
August 18th, 1707: Charles Louis - priest (death on June 25th, 1738 at 65 years).
July 3rd, 1738: Claude Christmas - priest. Mr. the abbot of Sénones.
February 24th, 1739: Louis Verniolle - priest. Mr. the abbot of Sénones.
June 30th, 1742: Dominique Lavalle - priest of Vigy (death on August 1st, 1781 at 82 years).
April 5th, 1779: Jean Butcher (vicar).
August 10th, 1781: Jean Etienne Pichon - priest. Mr. the abbot of Sénones.

This last withdrew after its replacement the May 19th 1791. The municipality refused the March 31st to him 1792 a certificate of residence, under pretext which it had meanwhile gone to Trier; it granted it however the following day, after the priest had been explained in front of it. She denounced it like emigrant the November 30th same year and he was related to the list the December 17th. Its furniture was sold the March 20th 1793.

May 1791: Christophe Marchal, initially constitutional chaplain of the hospital St Nicolas then cleaned of Colombey.

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