Maure-de-Bretagne
Etymology and Origin of Maure-de-Bretagne
In the 9th century, Anowareth (son of Breton nobleman Riwor; and brother of Budworeth, a priest) was the machtiern (chief) of the large parish of Pipriac (adjacent to Anast, which is now called Maure-de-Bretagne). Pipriac was already an important parish at that time, inhabited by a population composed of Breton nobles, priests, settlers and slaves. Anowareth inherited land in that parish from his father.
Anowareth was destined for priesthood. He received his clerical tonsure in 832. His godfather (Jarncolin, machtiern of Anast) cut his hair as part of the ceremony, and gave him the field of Peron, in the town of Anast, as a gift. The noble Anast (and De Maure) family line probably descend from Anowareth.
In 834, Anowareth gifted some of his land in Pipriac to the parish of Redon.
Anowareth probably moved (with his family) from the parish of Pipriac to the town of Anast, and established a home in the village of Mernel (the ancient mounds surrounding the town of Mernel allow us to assume that Mernel could well be the home of Anowareth and his family).
In 843, Anowareth went on a pilgrimage to Glanfeuil, along with some other Breton pilgrims.They knocked on the door of the convent, and were permitted to spend the night in prayer at the tomb of St Maur. There, Anowareth had a wonderful vision that drew him to donate most of his property to the abbey at Glanfeuil.
Anowareth donated (a) his inherited land in Anast and (b) the Anast parish church, and (c) six of the seven dependent chapels of the church (the seventh parish was Mernel; reserved probably because it was Anowareth’s family home). The land he donated included some of his lands in Teillac, and one-eights of the farm of Peron in Anast. Teillac was in the large parish of Pipriac (at that time), and Pipriac bordered Langon Maure (Maure-de-Bretagne).
The property transfer act was signed on 1 May 834 in the parish of Pipriac. The nobles in Pipriac, in 834, were Riwor, Riwohen, Hiawid, Haëlocan, Winoc, Worbri, Winnau, Wétenoc etc.. – The priests, in 834, were Worcomin, Riscun and Paschaël (and 882 Atoère, Drewoion and Anauhoiarn).
The monks accepted the gift from Anowareth and came settled near the town of Anast. They built a monastery in honor of Saint Maur. It was called the priory of Saint Maur, and was situated on the road to Campel.
Anowareth then renounced the world and put on the monastic habit in the monastery of St. Maur.
DE MAURE LORDS:
The first Lord of the “De Maure” family appears in the records in 1240, a lord called Jehan De Maure (“Jehan” is the Old French version of “Jean”).
There was definitely a connection between the “Anast” and “De Maure” family lines. The bulk of the Anast family lands/property would have been passed down to the eldest son (who carried on the “Anast” surname), however at some stage a younger sibling probably inherited some of the remains of the family property under the legal custom of “juveigneur” (a “juveigneur” was the younger/youngest child that received all that remains of the family patrimony). We can deduce this because in 1294, the Anast’s and De Maure’s are found associated in the role of being knights to the Duke of Brittany, “Monsour Jehan de Moor recognut debvoir in ost (army) of the Duc de Bretagne; demy knight and heirs of Monsour Geoffroy Anast doibvent the Aultre half and heirs of William Monsour of Anast demy knight.” The latter were certainly Thomas Anast (who married Peronne L’Espine, and had children: Geoffrey and Thomas (Thomas was known for his fairness, his knowledge of law and his oratorical talent. He was firstly a judge of Limoges, then later the dean of Chapître Angers, before being appointed bishop of Quimper in 1321).
There was a long line of Jean De Maure’s, at least eight were listed. The last Jean De Maure was married to Mary Anger and died in 1529.
There is a little street called “rue Thomas D’Anast” in Maure-de-Bretagne today. It is not far from a street called “Le Château de Maure”.
OTHER VERSION:
In 843, the parish of Anast in Ille-Et-Vilaine, Brittany was donated to the abbey of Saint-Maur-sur-Loire in Anjou (named after Saint Maurus) by Anauwareth. Some Monks from Saint-Maur-sur-Loire founded a Benedictine monastery in the area where Anast had been, which naturally took the name of their abbey, Saint-Maur (or Saint-Maure). The area was first known as Anast, then later split into two areas called Anast and Maure, and finally combined into one area called Maure (in 1928 Maure was renamed Maure-de-Bretagne).
After the destruction of the abbey of Saint-Maur in the eleventh century by the Normans, the area fell into possession of the lords of Anast and the lords of Maure (from the 11th to the 13th centuries). In the thirteenth century Saint-Maur was shared between two lords of Anast (who owned two thirds) and one lord of Maure, Monsour Jehan de Maure, (who owned one third) (although the lords of Maure appear much before that time). The lordship of Anast survived after the ninth century until the end of the thirteenth. It was later divided into two sections, Anast and Maure, and final combined into just Maure.
François de Maure inherited the lordships of Maure, Brieux, and of Plessix-Anger. In 1550 he purchased what remained of the ancient and important barony Loheac. Then in 1553 he combined the four areas and established the County of Maure.
SOURCE: http://www.infobretagne.com/maure-de-bretagne.htm