KEEP OF THE GESTIERE
SAINT GEORGES SAINT OF MONTAIGU (THE VENDÉE)

What remains of "the old strong house" is little of thing.

It seems that during all the XVIIIe century, and even front, the family DE SUZANNET, which was owner, did not live it since it resided with the CHARDIERE a little further, on CHAVAGNES-EN-PAILLERS.

What is called today the "Keep" is the house of entry of this fortified town, with its porch carter and its small pedestrian door.
The home of dwelling is disappeared, perhaps during the Wars of religion, or probably fire of the Wars of the Vendée.
It would have to be seen whether there is an old plan of this field; failing this, the old land register (1838) of SAINT-GEORGES would give the plan of the ground.
The files of the CHARDIERE, where those of the GESTIERE were to be, were flights at the beginning of the Revolution by the conventional COUPILLEAU. One does not know what they became.
Perhaps the papers joined together by the scholar Doctor MIGNEN at last century, and which are with the Town hall of MONTAIGU, would give some indications.
It would also be necessary, to study well the current buildings, which had to be refitted after the Revolution.
The first known Lord is André the GEAY, born towards the end from XVIe century, which was anobli in 1609 per Henri IV to have destroyed the band of gangster GUILLERI, the low chuck poitevin made famous for a song learned to the children.
Andre LEGEAY was the son of LEGEAY, sior of Etablière, and Gabrielle CHARTIES, inhabitant Saint Georges.
Andre LEGEAY had several children, inter alia: Gabrielle LEGEAY which married in first weddings François SUZANNET, rider, Seigneur of PONTHABEST and LA CHARDIERE.
Gabrielle LEGEAY was entitled injury of Gestière; but her brother, Pierre LEGEAY, and the son of this last, Charles LEGEAY, carry the title of lord of Gestière.
Genealogy SUZANNET indicates that the marriage of Gabrielle LEGEAY with François SUZANNET brings in this family a rich person field between MONTAIGU and SAINT-FULGENT, and that the ground of the GESTIERE formed part of it.
Charles LEGEAY still lived in 1669; one is unaware of if he had posterity.
It was only starting from Pierre, Alexandre, Gabriel DE SUZANNET, born on 31 December 1739 and died in 1815, that the GESTIERE appears in the noble grounds had by the family DE SUZANNET.
One will also note that one finds in 1726, 1727 and 1728, Antoine THOMASSET who is entitled Seigneur of LA GESTIERE. By his wife, it was related with the BOYRAUD, themselves downward of the SUZANNET.
Our own large back mother, born From AUTICHAMP, had grandfathers who had paid a heavy tribute with the Empire:
The General D AUTICHAMP which, refusing to join in Napoleon BONAPARTE, remains in prison all the Empire. With the Restoration, it became Pair of France and Gouverneur of the Castle of Angers.

The General DE SUZANNET:
It is by the latter that LA GESTIERE and the surrounding grounds of Etablière and Rangizière constituted the dowry of our back grandmother.
By act of 1923 passed to SAINT-BRIEUC, Marc D ESTIENNE D ORVES, our grandfather, father of four children, accepted the naked-property of these grounds while it gave up of it usufruct with his brother and sister their life during.
To the death of Félicie D ESTIENNE D ORVES(1912), Augustin (1959) and finally of the widow of this one (1972), this usufruct was gradually attached to the naked-property, allotted to the heirs to HONORE D ESTIENNE D ORVES in 1957, then with the son junior by this one, PHILIPPE, by the division occurred into 1966 within this branch.
Such are the elements of family history in our knowledge which make it possible to reconstitute partially the origin of property of these Vendean grounds.

Fact In NANTES,
JANUARY 22, 1986.