James Rougier and Jeanne Brouard, 1696; Samuel Le Mesurier and Elizabeth Brett, 1690
A case heard in the Ecclesiastical Court in May 1696 by the Rector, Jean Bonamy.
25 May, 1696. James Rougier son of James, of St Pierre du Bois, complains that Jeanne Brouard, daughter of Nicolas, refuses to solemnize marriage with him despite the banns having been published three times unopposed. This case has been deferred until Monsieur Bonamy can hear it.
15 June, 1696. Monsieur Bonamy, the Rector, encouraged the two parties, James Rougier and Jeanne Brouard, to sort out their problems, but Jeanne answered him by explaining that she had found out about things James Rougier had done that were so dishonest, so gross and so unreasonable that he had from that moment become repulsive to her, and that she would rather die a thousand times than marry him. And she said again and again that if she had to choose between being condemned to death and marrying him she would choose death every time, because what he had done was so disgusting and repellent.
25 June 1696. Mons. Bonamy made his report. He said he had done everything he could possibly think of to accomplish what had been asked of him, but that he had got absolutely nowhere, inasmuch as the girl completely and utterly detested Rougier and could not be persuaded to change her mind.
Decision put off at the request of Jeanne's mother, just in case the parties concerned could resolve their differences.1
25th September 1690. Sieur Samuel Le Mesurier2 accuses Dame Elizabeth Brett of having broken her promise to marry him, even after the banns had been called three times without opposition; she is to appear before the Court.
22nd October 1690. Dame Elizabeth Brett appeared before the Court to answer the charge against her brought by Sieur Samuel Le Mesurier, who requested that she be made to get married within the week. Dame Elizabeth De Jersey, Elizabeth Brett's mother, had sent her brother, Sieur Richard De Jersey along with Sieur Jean Le Mesurier, Samuel's brother, as representatives to ask the Court to postpone her daughter's case. When Sieur De Jersey had promised them in person that her daughter's marriage would take place within a fortnight, she was granted her wish. [From the French.]
1 James (Jacques) Rougier son of James married Elizabeth Le Messurier at St Pierre du Bois in 1701. This may be the same man; another James Rougier was married there in 1703 to a woman named Le Ray, and yet another in 1709 to Thomasse Paint. Amongst many Brouard ladies, Jeanne Brouard is not found in the records as having married there.
2 Samuel Le Mesurier, of the Foulon, was born in 1662, son of Jean Le Mesurier, Captain of the Town militia. He did marry Elizabeth Brett (always spelt in the French way, 'Bret'), daughter of Elie Brett and Elizabeth De Jersey, February 5, 1690/1. (An Elie Brett had married Jeanne Fiott in 1689; and a Marie Brett married Nicolas Priaulx in 1696.) Samuel died in 1716, and Elizabeth in 1725. The Dean, Nicolas De Saumarez, was Samuel's cousin. [Allès MSS. 27 October 1689. Partage de l'heritage du feu Sr Elie Brett party entre le Sr Elie Brett ainé du dit deffunct et Elizabeth Brett sa soeur. ... Elizabeth de Jersey, veuve du dit deffunct.]